Marine Fishes of South-East Asia. Gerry Allen
platyura (Bennett, 1837)
Inhabits offshore waters; distinguished by flattened (dorsoventrally) tail base; found throughout the region; Indo-C. Pacific; to 40 cm. (BELONIDAE)
★★
11 SLENDER LONGTOM
Strongylura leiura (Bleeker, 1851)
Inhabits coastal waters, frequently in bays and estuaries; distinguished by elongate jaws, slender shape, and black bar or streak across base of gill cover (not shown); found throughout the region; Indo-W. Pacific; to 110 cm. (BELONIDAE)
★★
12 CROCODILIAN LONGTOM
Tylosurus crocodilus (Péron & Lesueur, 1821)
Inhabits coastal waters; distinguished by dark fleshy ridge on side of tail base (not shown), found throughout the region; Atlantic and Indo-C. Pacific; to 150 cm. (BELONIDAE)
★★
13 STOUT LONGTOM
Tylosurus gavialoides (Castelnau, 1873)
Inhabits coastal waters; similar to 12 above, but lacks fleshy ridge on side of tail base also has more rounded snout tip (when viewed from above); found throughout the region; E. Indian Ocean and W. Pacific; to 130 cm. (BELONIDAE)
★★
14 SPOTTED HARDYHEAD
Allanetta mugiloides (McCulloch, 1912)
Inhabits coastal waters, frequently in schools off beaches; distinguished by small dark spot below pectoral fin; N. Australia only; to 6 cm. (ATHERINIDAE)
15 FEW-RAYED HARDYHEAD
Craterocephalus pauciradiatus (Gunther, 1861)
Inhabits coastal waters, occurring in schools; a non-descript silvery fish which has the anus positioned close to the pelvic fin base, and lacks a notch on the lower cheek margin; N.W. Australia only; to 6 cm. (ATHERINIDAE)
16 SAMOAN HARDYHEAD
Hypoatherina temminckii (Bleeker, 1853)
Inhabits coastal waters; distinguished by slender shape, anus placed far behind pelvic fin base, and prominent silvery midlateral stripe; found throughout the region; Indo-C. Pacific; to 10 cm. (ATHERINIDAE)
17 ENDRACHT HARDYHEAD
Atherinomorus endrachtensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)
Inhabits coastal waters; similar to 14 above, but no spot below pectoral fin and rear part of lower jaw only slightly elevated (versus prominently elevated - mouth must be opened widely to detect this feature); N. Australia and New Guinea; to 10 cm. (ATHERINIDAE)
18 OGILBY’S HARDYHEAD
Atherinomorus ogilbyi (Whitley, 1930)
Inhabits shallow coastal waters, including bays and estuaries, usually in schools; distinguished by dark blotch at tip of pectoral fins; found throughout the region; Australia only - W. Australia, Queensland, and New S. Wales; to 17 cm. (ATHERINIDAE)
PLATE 14: SQUIRRELFISHES (HOLOCENTRIDAE)
1 BLACKFIN SOLDIERFISH
Myripristis adusta Bleeker, 1853
Inhabits caves and crevices of coral reefs; distinguished by black area on outer half of dorsal and anal fins; found throughout the region; W. Australia, Great Barrier Reef, and throughout S.E. Asia; Indo-W. Pacific; to 30 cm.
★★★
2 DOUBLETOOTH SOLDIERFISH
Myripristis hexagonatus (Lacepède, 1802)
Inhabits caves and crevices of coral reefs; similar to 4 below (both have 2 pairs of tooth patches on front of lower jaw, just outside of the mouth), but differs in having small scales on the inside base (“armpit”) of pectoral fin; found throughout the region; Indo-W. Pacific; to 20 cm.
★★★
3 KUNTEE SOLDIERFISH
Myripristis kuntee Valenciennes, 1831
Inhabits caves and crevices of coral reefs; distinguished by broad dark behind head to pectoral fin base and 37-44 scales in lateral line; found throughout the region; Indo-C. Pacific; to 20 cm.
★★★
4 PALE SOLDIERFISH
Myripristis melanostictus Bleeker, 1863
Inhabits caves and crevices of coral reefs; similar to 2 above, but differs in lacking small scales on the inside base (“armpit”) of pectoral fin; found throughout the region; Indo-W. Pacific; to 30 cm.
★★★
5 CRIMSON SOLDIERFISH
Myripristis murdjan (Forsskål, 1775)
Inhabits caves and crevices of coral reefs; distinguished by dark margin on upper part of gill cover and 27-32 scales in lateral-line; found throughout the region; Indo-C. Pacific; to 30 cm.
★★★
6 SPOTFIN SQUIRRELFISH
Neoniphon sammara (Forsskål, 1775)
Inhabits patch reefs in lagoons amongst branching corals; distinguished by slender shape, silvery or pale colouration, and black spot at front of dorsal fin; found throughout the region; Indo-C. Pacific; to 32 cm.
★★
7 DEEPWATER SQUIRRELFISH
Ostichthys kaianus (Gunther, 1880)
Inhabits offshore trawling ground between about 300-650 m depth; distinguished by broad V-shaped groove at middle of snout and 12 dorsal spines; N.W. Australia and Indonesia; Indo-W. Pacific; to 30 cm.
★★
8 ROUGH SQUIRRELFISH
Pristilepis oligolepis (Whitley, 1941)
Inhabits offshore trawling grounds; distinguished by narrow, elongate groove at middle of snout and 12 dorsal spines; W. Australia and scattered, mainly W. Pacific localities; to 20 cm.
★★
9 CROWNED SQUIRRELFISH
Sargocentron diadema (Lacepède, 1802)
Inhabits coral reefs to 30 m depth; distinguished by broad black margin on dorsal fin; found throughout the region; N.W. Australia, Great Barrier Reef, and throughout S.E. Asia; Indo-C. Pacific; to 16 cm.
★★
10 SPECKLED SQUIRRELFISH
Sargocentron punctatissimum (Cuvier, 1829)
Inhabits rocky shores and reefs exposed to wave action; distinguished by pepper-like spotting on sides; N.W. Australia, Great Barrier Reef, and throughout S.E. Asia; Indo-C. Pacific; to 15 cm.
★★
11 RED SQUIRRELFISH
Sargocentron rubrum (Forsskål, 1775)
Inhabits live and dead coral reefs, usually in protected lagoons; distinguished by red and white stripes of about equal width; found throughout the region; Indo-W. Pacific; to 28 cm.
★★
12 SPINY SQUIRRELFISH
Sargocentron spiniferum (Forsskål, 1775)
Inhabits caves and crevices of coral reefs, distinguished by overall red colouration and very long spine at lower margin of cheek; N.W. Australia, Great Barrier Reef, and throughout S.E. Asia; Indo-C. Pacific; to 40 cm.
★★★
13 BLUESTRIPE SQUIRRELFISH
Sargocentron tiere (Cuvier, 1829)
Inhabits