| Family: |
Pinguipedidae (Sandperches) |
| Max. size: |
15 cm TL (male/unsexed); 12.8 cm SL (female) |
| Environment: |
benthopelagic; marine; depth range 1 - 25 m |
| Distribution: |
Western Pacific: Indonesia. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 5-5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 21-21; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 17-17; Vertebrae: 30-30. This species is distinguished by the following characters: body's upper third greenish-brown in life with a series of 6 large, quadrangular, blackish spots, progressively shorter posteriorly; the lower 2/3 of it white, faintly blotched with pink and dotted with black, and the lower third with 6 large, quadrangular, dark reddish spots, dotted with black dorsally; head bluish grey with an oblique black line on cheek below eye, ending in a small black spot, followed by 2 broad reddish bands; a large black spot on dorsal fin centered on base of spinous part, and a row of small black spots on the soft portion; base of anal fin with a row of black spots; caudal fin with 2 broad blackish stripes; D V,21; A I,17; pectoral rays 16; 57 lateral line scales; gill rakers 7 + 11; lower jaw projecting, 3 pairs of canine teeth anteriorly in jaws; palatine teeth absent; vomerine teeth in a narrow, chevron-shaped patch of 3-4 rows; ctenoid scales dorsally on opercle, becoming cycloid, progressively smaller, and nonimbricate ventrally on cheek; 4th dorsal spine longest 3.7 in HL; greatest body depth 4.8 in SL; head length (HL) 3.65 in SL; orbit diameter 4.4 in HL; fourth dorsal spine is the longest; caudal fin emarginate on upper half with a narrow protruding posterior upper lobe and rounded on ventral half; pectoral fins 5.75 in SL; pelvic fins just reaching anus, 5.05 in SL (Ref. 79876). |
| Biology: |
Specimen collected on silty sand substrate, a piece of partially buried plastic tubing was used as a refuge by the fish. It has a well-developed testis, but a small strip of ovarian tissue was also found, indicative of a nearly completed sex change from female to male (Ref. 79876). Solitary (Ref. 90102). Maximum length of 15 cm (TL) of unsexed specimen reported from Ref. 90102. |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
| Country info: |
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