| Pempheridae (Sweepers) |
| 20 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
|
reef-associated; marine; depth range 5 - 40 m |
| Southwest Pacific: Australia (including Western Australia and Lord Howe Island), Norfolk Island (Ref. 8879), the Kermadec Islands, and North Island, New Zealand (Ref. 27767). |
|
Dorsal spines (total): 6-6; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-12; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 30-38. This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: all scales strongly ctenoid (rarely 4 or fewer predorsal scales cycloid); no axillary scale; 63-77 lateral-line scales, usually 65 or more; 22-27 scales below lateral line; 30-38 anal-fin rays; ratio of preanal length to anal-fin base length 1.04-1.27; ratio of pelvic-fin origin to anal-fin origin to anal fin base length 0.28-0.44; anterior light organ associated with pyloric caeca absent (Ref. 88976). |
| A nocturnal species that form aggregations in caves by day and feeds on zooplankton at night (Ref. 2334). The smallest gravid female found was 8.61 cm SL and the largest 14.94 cm SL. These were found among collections made in October through March, although specimens from the early dates carried immature eggs. The smallest specimens, 3.03-3.18 mm SL from the Kermadecs, were collected in June, suggesting that juveniles settle early in the year. Over its entire range, collections are known from September to June (Ref. 88976). |
|
Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
|
| harmless |
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