Onespot Seaperch

This species is distinguished by the following characters: body moderately deep to somewhat slender; greatest depth 2.6-3.0 in SL; preopercular notch and knob poorly developed; vomerine tooth patch crescentic, without a medial posterior extension; tongue smooth, no teeth; gill rakers of first gill arch 7 + 11-12 = 18-19 (including rudiments); caudal fin truncate to slightly emarginate; scale rows on back rising obliquely above lateral line. Colour generally whitish to pinkish with dusky scale margins; grey or brown on upper back and dorsal portion of head, a black spot, sometimes faint or absent, on back below anterior soft dorsal-fin rays (in juveniles, the spot is round and gradually shrinking and becoming horizontally elongate with increased growth); fins yellowish (Ref. 9821, 90102). Description: dorsal profile of head gently to moderately sloped; preorbital width about equal to eye diameter (Ref. 9821).

Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 14; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 8 - 9

Occurs inshore (Ref. 75154). Adults inhabit coral reef areas, usually close to shelter in the form of caves, large coral formations and wreckage. Usually solitary; occasionally occurring in small groups. They feed mainly on fishes and benthic crustaceans, primarily crabs (Ref. 55, 37816) at night.

Adults inhabit coral reef areas, usually close to shelter in the form of caves, large coral formations and wreckage. Usually solitary; occasionally occurring in small groups. They feed mainly on fishes and benthic crustaceans, primarily crabs (Ref. 37816) at night. Flesh is sometimes ciguatoxic, and commonly so in Tuvalu (Ref. 9513).

fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial