Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 60 m (Ref. 27115), usually 25 - 60 m (Ref. 27115). Tropical; 24°C - 28°C (Ref. 27115); 35°N - 31°S, 30°E - 128°W
Indo-Pacific: East Africa, including the Mascarene Islands (Ref. 37792) to the Hawaiian, Marquesan, and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe Island.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 100.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2334); max. reported age: 23 years (Ref. 52229)
Dorsal spines (total): 5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 28 - 29; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 27 - 28. Plain brown or olivaceous in color, paler below; subadults with black caudal rays, narrow margins and white caudal filaments; pectoral fins with white distal margins (Ref. 3145).
Juveniles occur in clear, shallow lagoon reefs at depths as little as 1 m; adults rarely seen in less than 25 m, encountered off outer reef drop-offs in small schools (Ref. 30573, 48637). Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Feeds on large zooplankton during the day and shelter within the reef during the night; also benthic algae (Ref. 30573, 48637).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Spawn in pairs (Ref. 240).
Myers, R.F., 1991. Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p. (Ref. 1602)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 30298)
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 23.5 - 28.3, mean 27.1 °C (based on 335 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.02399 (0.01396 - 0.04123), b=2.94 (2.79 - 3.09), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.1 ±0.09 se; based on food items.
Generation time: 5.2 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 1
growth studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.213; tmax=23).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (45 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 25.8 [14.9, 48.4] mg/100g; Iron = 0.496 [0.250, 0.868] mg/100g; Protein = 18.8 [17.6, 19.9] %; Omega3 = 0.111 [0.068, 0.214] g/100g; Selenium = 45.7 [24.5, 84.5] μg/100g; VitaminA = 34.8 [10.7, 111.9] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.21 [0.83, 1.76] mg/100g (wet weight);
