Barred Soapfish, Diploprion bifasciatum (Kuhl & Hasselt, 1828)
Two-banded Soapfish, Yellow Emperor.
Click to enlarge image
© L. & W. Gathercole
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Diploprion
- Species
- bifasciatum
- Family
- Serranidae
- Order
- Perciformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum
- Vertebrata
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- It grows to about 25 cm in length.
Introduction
The Barred Soapfish can be recognised by its pale to bright yellow colouring, black bar on the head and a wide black bar on it's body. It occurs primarily in tropical inshore and coral reef waters.
A larval Barred Soapfish, Diploprion bifasciatum, approximately 2 cm standard length. The fish was collected in a light trap off Coconut Beach, Lizard Island, January 2012.
Image: Christoph Braun© Christoph Braun
Identification
The Barred Soapfish has a moderately deep body that is mostly covered with small ctenoid scales. There is a deep notch between the spinous and soft-rayed portions of the dorsal fin. The pelvic fins are long, reaching beyond the spinous portion of the anal fin.
The species is pale to bright yellow with a black bar on the head and a wide black bar on the body.
Habitat
The Barred Soapfish is a benthic species that occurs primarily in tropical inshore and coral reef waters.
Distribution
The Barred Soapfish occurs in the Western Pacific. In Australia is known from south-western Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country and south to the central coast of New South Wales.
The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.
References
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
