RE: Can anyone id this fish?

From: Richard Lord (fishinfo@guernsey.net)
Date: Thu Jul 27 2000 - 02:41:58 PDT

  • Next message: Lázaro Lópe: "Can anyone id this fish?"

    I believe that the fish photographed in the A.Raptis & Sons Ltd. photos is a surgeonfish, Prionurus microlepidotus, known as a sixplate sawtail surgeonfish. I have found three web sites with photos of this fish. The most convincing photo is at
    http://pdc21.phvs.tnc.edu.tw/1st/pr604/hp2-6.html seventh photo from the top of the page.

    The specimen shown in the photos sent to the list is very large. The shape of the caudal fin doesn't fully support my identification but because of the large specimen size I believe the tail shape could be due to allometric changes. Grouper tail shapes can also change with growth. The Collins Pocket Guide to Coral Reef Fishes by Ewald Lieske and Robert Myers says that Prionurus microlepidotus "grows to 70 cm. Along rocky shores. Juveniles in esturaries and bays. Feeds on benthic algae. Range NSW to N. Queensland."

    The dentition of the fish shown in the photo suggests benthic algae grazing.

    I will ask for a full description of this fish on another list because the specimen in the photos shows a groove anterior to the eye and a P1 axial mark. The photo on the website also suggests this groove by showing a shadowy line in the right place.

    Yours sincerely,
    Richard
    Richard Lord
    Guernsey GY1 1BQ
    Great Britain

    Email: fishinfo@guernsey.net
    Tel: +44 (0)1481 700688
    Fax: +44 (0)1481 700699

    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jul 27 2000 - 02:57:42 PDT