Mitchell’s Emperor

This species is distinguished by the following characters: head length 2.7 in SL, greater than body depth, 3.0-3.1 in SL; cheek height 3.2-3.6 in HL; snout length without lip 1.3-1.4 in cheek height; snout profile is nearly straight without prominent hump in front of eyes, angle of snout relative to upper jaw about 55°; interorbital is nearly flat or convex; fourth dorsal-fin spine is the longest, slightly longer than third; lateral-line scales 47; transverse scale rows below lateral line 15; transverse scale rows above lateral line 4.5; wide scaleless area on the upper posterior margin of opercle; lateral teeth in jaws conical. Colouration: in life brown dorsally, whitish ventrally, with a broad, brown, posteriorly tapering band along midlateral body, partially split anteriorly by a relatively broad, ascending diagonal white band; without dark streaks radiating from eye; pelvic fins translucent with diffuse grey transverse bands (Ref. 124781).

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

Found in an area consisting of a gully with volcanic black sand and rubble bottom, from the shoreline shallows to about 30 m depth on a relatively steep slope. About 10 individuals (size from about 10.0-20.0 cm SL) were observed around a large submerged tree trunk, lying horizontally across the gully in 20-25 m depth. When pursued with a spear, the fish retreated down the slope. Thus, it is possible that the species is normally found in deeper water, accounting for the lack of previous observations by us despite many hours of diving near the type locality over the past two decades, routinely to depths of 40-50 m (Ref. 124781).