Diagnostic Description
provided by Fishbase
Body deep and compressed; anterior profile of head slightly sloping and somewhat convex; snout prominent; anterior nostril tubular; posterior nostril embedded in a deep furrow; preopercle deeply notched; vomerine and lateral jaw teeth molariform; lower branch of first gill arch with 11 to 15 gill rakers; dorsal scale series running parallel to lateral line; back greenish brown; belly pink; flanks with 8 brownish blue vertical bars (Ref. 55763). Post-opercular notch and knob strong; anterior nostril long and tubular. Scale rows on back running parallel to the lateral line. Color is greenish with a series of about eight bars on sides.
Morphology
provided by Fishbase
Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 9
Trophic Strategy
provided by Fishbase
Encountered generally over rocky bottoms in the vicinity of coral reefs, up to at least 40 or 50 m (Ref. 9313). Juveniles may penetrate rocky littoral pools (Ref. 9313). Carnivorous, feeds on fishes and invertebrates of the bottom (Ref. 9313, 57615).
Biology
provided by Fishbase
Adults are encountered generally over rocky bottoms in the vicinity of coral reefs, up to at least 40 or 50 m (Ref. 9313). Juveniles may penetrate rocky littoral pools (Ref. 9313). Carnivorous, feed on fishes and invertebrates of the bottom (Ref. 9313). Caught with handlines and marketed fresh (Ref. 9313).
Importance
provided by Fishbase
fisheries: subsistence fisheries; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums