Author: Lachner, 1954
Upeneus asymmetricus Lachner, 1954
Status in World Register of Marine Species:
Accepted name: Upeneus asymmetricus Lachner, 1954 (updated 2009-06-25)
Diagnosis: body elongate, slightly slab-sided. 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 present. Jaws nearly horizontal. First dorsal fin with 7 spines (the first one the longest) and second dorsal fin with 1 spine and 8 soft rays. Anal fin slightly falcate and caudal fin deeply forked. 28-30 rows of scales along a longitudinal line. Colour: head and body red-brown, darker above and lighter below lateral line; a brown horizontal stripe from junction of gill opening with body to area just above mid-base of caudal fin; one dark saddle posterior to soft dorsal; spiny dorsal fin with 4 rows of bright red-brown spots forming horizontal bars; soft dorsal with 3 narrow bars; pectoral fin pink; caudal fin with 3 narrow, oblique redbrown bars on upper lobe and 6 or 7 brown stripes on lower lobe. Size: to 14 cm SL, usually 7-9 cm.
Habitat: benthic in coastal subtropical and tropical waters; in Mediterranean, enters shallow waters in August when temperature is about 28-30° C and departs in late December. Habitat unknown during the rest of the year. Food: no data. Reproduction: no data.
Distribution: in the area, coasts of Lebanon, where abundant, and also all eastern coasts of Mediterranean from Port Said to Mersin; penetrated into Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. Elsewhere, Philippines (type locality) and probably Indian Ocean and Red Sea (where it is not recorded).
Eggs, larvae and young stages. No data.
Otoliths (sagitta). No data.