Priacanthus hamrur

Priacanthus hamrur
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Subclass: Neopterygii
Infraclass: Teleostei
Superorder: Acanthopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Priacanthidae
Genus: Priacanthus
Species: P. hamrur
Binomial name
Priacanthus hamrur
(Forsskål, 1775)
Head close-up of P. hamrur
Small school of P. hamrur at the Red Sea

Priacanthus hamrur, the lunar-tailed bigeye, goggle eye, or moontail bullseye, is a marine fish belonging to the family Priacanthidae.

Description

The male Priacanthus hamrur can reach a maximum length of 45 cm. The body is orange to red or silver, or silver with broad red bands. Often it has a row of about fifteen small dark spots along the lateral line. The fins are red to light pink. The pelvic fins are very large. The dorsal fin has 13 to 15 soft rays. The caudal fin has a concave margin which may be lunate (hence the common name). The eyes are large. The mouth is oblique with a protruding lower jaw.

Distribution

This species is uncommon but widespread in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and southern Africa to French Polynesia, southern Japan, and Australia.

Ecology

It feeds on small fishes and small crustaceans.

It is a reef-associated species, living in tropical marine waters on outer slopes and in lagoons at depths of 8 to 250 meters.

References

Wikispecies has information related to: Priacanthus hamrur
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Priacanthus hamrur.
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