| Nemipteridae (Threadfin breams, Whiptail breams) |
| 15.99 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
|
reef-associated; marine; depth range 1 - 45 m |
| Western Indian Ocean: from the Arabian/Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, south to South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal) and Madagascar, eastwards throughout the Arabian Sea. North Eastern indian Ocean: Bay of Bengal to the Andaman Sea. |
|
Dorsal spines (total): 10-10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-9; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 7-7. This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: head is scaly except for subopercle which is naked with numerous small pores; scales on top of the head reaching forward to between the anterior nostrils and snout tip; lower margin of the eye tangent to a line from snout tip to upper pectoral-fin base; suborbital with a large retrorse spine (a small antrorse spine may also be present on third infraorbital, immediately above suborbital spine); posterior margin of the preopercle is rugose, bearing one or two rows of short blunt spines along its length; second anal-fin spine is longer and more robust than first or third anal-fin spines. Colouration: most body scales, except for breast and caudal peduncle, with greenish yellow spot (spots darker in live fish); caudal peduncle often yellowish; with a broad white bar from nape onto operculum; suborbital with obscure, rectangular, white patch; white band beneath lateral
line never present; the upper limb of opercular margin blackish, while lower limb reddish orange; upper base of pectoral fin with a small wedge-shaped dark spot; fins are yellow (Ref. 130620). |
| Occurs over mud bottoms near reefs or in open sand areas in turbid waters and usually observed underwater solitary or in pairs (Ref. 130620). |
|
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 12 April 2023 Ref. (130435)
|
| harmless |
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