Marine Fishes of South-East Asia. Gerry Allen
on head which is very broad (when viewed from above), outer half of spiny dorsal fin dark brown; irregular brown bars across back and sides, and largely blackish pelvic fins with yellowish tips; N.W. Australia and Indonesia; E. Indian Ocean and W. Pacific; to 9 cm. (PLATYCEPHALIDAE)
16 NORTHERN SAND FLATHEAD
Platycephalus arenarius Ramsay & Ogilby, 1886
Inhabits sand bottoms; distinguished by black stripes on tail; N. Australia and Indonesia; to 45 cm. (PLATYCEPHALIDAE)
★★★
17 BAR-TAILED FLATHEAD
Platycephalus endrachtensis Quoy & Gaimard, 1825
Inhabits sand bottoms; distinguished by black stripes on tail, similar to 16 above, but has fewer black stripes and a yellow blotch on upper part of tail; N. Australia and New Guinea; to 26 cm. (PLATYCEPH ALIDAE)
★★★
18 RUSTY FLATHEAD
Inegocia japonica (Tilesius, 1812)
Inhabits sand bottoms; a reddish-brown flathead similar to 14 above in general appearance, but has definite dark spots on tail (versus elongate streaks); sometimes referred to as S. isacathus; found throughout the region; Indo-W. Pacific; to 20 cm. (PLATYCEPHALIDAE)
★★★
19 HEART-HEADED FLATHEAD
Sorsogona tuberculata (Cuvier, 1829)
Inhabits sand bottoms; distinguished by prominent black area on outer part of pectoral fins and strongly barred pelvic fins; found throughout the region; Indo-W. Pacific; to 50 cm. (PLATYCEPHALIDAE)
★★★
20 OLIVE-TAILED FLATHEAD
Rogadius asper (Cuvier, 1829)
Inhabits sand bottoms, distinguished from other flatheads by forward directed spine on lower edge of cheek, similar in colour to 19 above, but has broad dusky margin on spiny dorsal fin and lacks faint spotting on tail; found throughout the region; Indo-W. Pacific; to 17 cm. (PLATYCEPHALIDAE)
★★★
PLATE 22: GROPERS (FAMILY SERRANIDAE)
1 WHITE-LINED ROCKCOD
Anyperodon leucogrammicus (Valenciennes, 1828)
Inhabits coral reefs; distinguished by elongate shape and pattern of pale longitudinal stripes and numerous dark spots; N.W. Australia, Great Barrier Reef, and throughout S.E. Asia; Indo-C. Pacific; to 50 cm.
★★★
2 FALSE SCORPIONFISH
Centrogenys vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)
Inhabits sand and weed flats, frequently around rocky outcrops; resembles members of scorpionfish family (Plates 19-20), but lacks numerous head spines and is not venomous (fin spines); found throughout the region; Indo-Australian Archipelago; to 15 cm.
3 BROWN-BANDED ROCKCOD
Cephalopholis boenack Bloch, 1790
Inhabits dead reefs in protected inshore waters; distinguished by overall brown colour with faint dark bars on sides and large blackish spot at rear of gill cover; formerly known as C. pachycentron; found throughout the region; Indo-W. Pacific; to 22 cm.
★★
4 PEACOCK ROCKCOD
Cephalopholis argus Bloch & Schneider, 1801
Inhabits caves and crevices of coral reefs; distinguished by numerous dark-edged blue spots on head, body and fins, also by whitish area in front of pectoral fin and 5-6 pale bars on posterior part of body frequently present; N.W. Australia, Great Barrier Reef, and throughout S.E. Asia; Indo-C. Pacific; to 50 cm.
★★★
5 CORAL COD
Cephalopholis miniata (Forsskål, 1775)
Inhabits caves and crevices of coral reefs; distinguished by numerous blue spots on orange-red to red-brown background; also known as Coral trout; found throughout the region; Indo-W. Pacific; to 41 cm; 1.6 kg.
★★★
6 BLUE-LINED ROCKCOD
Cephalopholis formosa (Shaw & Nodder, 1812)
Inhabits inshore coral reefs; distinguished by narrow dark blue stripes on head, body, and fins; N.W. Australia, Great Barrier Reef, and throughout S.E. Asia; Indo-W. Pacific; to 33 cm.
★★★
7 RED-SPOTTED ROCKCOD
Cephalopholis leopardus (Lacepède, 1801)
Inhabits caves and crevices of coral reefs; distinguished by oblique dark streaks on upper and lower lobe of tail, dark patch on upper edge of tail base, and dark spot at rear of gill cover; N.W. Australia, Great Barrier Reef, and throughout S.E. Asia; Indo-C. Pacific; to 20 cm.
★★
8 TOMATO ROCKCOD
Cephalopholis sonnerati (Valenciennes, 1828)
Inhabits coral and rock reefs, adults often in deep water (30-100 m); distinguished by orange-red to reddish brown colour, frequently with scattered whitish blotches; a brown variety is shown on Plate 23 (12); juveniles are pale pinkish (see opposite Plate); N.W. Australia, Great Barrier Reef, and throughout S.E. Asia; Indo-C. Pacific; to 58 cm.
★★★
9 FLAG-TAILED ROCKCOD
Cephalopholis urodeta (Schneider, 1801)
Inhabits coral reef crevices, distinguished by pale oblique streaks on lobes of tail; found throughout the region; Indo-C. Pacific; to 23 cm.
★★
10 BARRAMUNDI COD
Cromileptes altivelis (Valenciennes, 1828)
Inhabits caves and crevices of coral reefs; distinguished by small head, laterally compressed body and polkadot pattern; N.W. Australia, Great Barrier Reef, and throughout S.E. Asia; Indo-W. Pacific, to 70 cm and 4.8 kg.
★★★★
11 COOPER’S FAIRY BASSLET
Pseudanthias cooperi (Regan, 1902)
Inhabits offshore reefs to at least 160 m depth; male (shown here) has red spot on sides and elongate filaments on pelvic, anal, and tail fins; female lacks these features and has a red spot on the tip of each lobe of the tail; N.W. Australia, Great Barrier Reef, and throughout S.E. Asia; Indo-W. Pacific; to 13 cm.
12 PEARL-SPOTTED FAIRY BASSLET
Selenanthias analis Tanaka, 1918
Inhabits offshore trawling grounds; distinguished by pearly spots on sides and black spot on anal fin; N. Australia and Japan to Taiwan; to 16 cm.
13 CITRON PERCHLET
Plectranthias megalophthalmus Fourmanoir & Randall, 1979
Inhabits deep offshore trawling grounds to 360 m depth; distinguished by yellow colouration; New Caledonia and N.W. Australia; to 8 cm.
14 SPOTTED PERCHLET
Plectranthias wheeleri Randall, 1980
Inhabits deep offshore trawling ground to 230 m; distinguished by irregular blotches on sides; found throughout the region; Australia and Indonesia; to 10 cm.
15 JAPANESE PERCHLET
Plectranthias japonicus (Steindachner, 1884)
Inhabits deep trawling grounds to at least 200 m; distinguished by red-orange colouration, sometimes