Author: (Bleeker, 1855)
Upeneus moluccensis (Bleeker, 1855)
Status in World Register of Marine Species:
Accepted name: Upeneus moluccensis (Bleeker, 1855) (updated 2009-06-25)
Diagnosis: body elongate. Snout rounded; chin with two short, thin barbels; no spine on operculum. Villiform teeth on both jaws; teeth also present on vomer and palatines. Preorbital scales absent. First dorsal fin with 8 spines (the first one very short, minute) and second dorsal fin with 1 spine and 8 soft rays. Anal fin slightly falcate and caudal fin deeply forked. 33-36 rows of scales along a longitudinal line. Colour: head and back brown-red or bright red, sides and belly white. A distinct bright yellow band from anterior profile of head through eye above lateral line to caudal fin. Both dorsal fins yellow with 3 red horizontal bars; pectoral fin colourless; pelvic fins yellowish; upper lobe of caudal fin whitish, with 5-6 black oblique bars; no bar or stripe on lower Iobe of caudal fin, except along the hind margin (extension of the second bar of the upper lobe). Size: to 25 cm SL, usually 10 to 15 cm.
Habitat: benthic in coastal tropical inshore waters at depths of 10- 80 m; usually found in large schools. Food: bottom-living organisms. Reproduction: no data.
Distribution: in the area, eastern Mediterranean (coast of Israel, Lebanon, Aegean Sea); penetrated into Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. Elsewhere, Indo-Pacific region to northern coasts of Australia, also westward to East Africa.
Eggs, larvae and young stages. No data.
Otoliths (sagitta). No data.