Blue-spotted Rockcod, Cephalopholis cyanostigma (Valenciennes, 1828)

Scientific name: Cephalopholis cyanostigma
  • Updated
    27/01/21
  • Read time
    2 minutes
Blue-spotted Rockcod, Cephalopholis cyanostigma Click to enlarge image
A Blue-spotted Rockcod at a depth of 18m, "Temple of Doom", Ribbon Reefs, north of Port Douglas, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, December 2000. Image: Erik Schlögl
© Erik Schlögl

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Cephalopholis
    Species
    cyanostigma
    Family
    Serranidae
    Class
    Actinopterygii
    Subphylum
    Vertebrata
    Phylum
    Chordata
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    The species grows to 35 cm in length.

Identification

The Blue-spotted Rockcod is brown to orange-brown with numerous small blue spots on the head, body and fins. Each spot has a black margin and is surrounded by a white "halo".

Distribution

It occurs in tropical marine waters of the Western Pacific.

In Australia it is recorded from the offshore reefs of north-western Western Australia and the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

This map shows species occurrence observations from data recorded in the Atlas of Living Australia.

References

  1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
  2. Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
  3. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.