Lunartail Bigeye, Priacanthus hamrur (Forsskål, 1775)
Scientific name: Priacanthus hamrur
Alternative name/s:
Black-spot Big-eye, Crescent-tailed Bigeye, Lunar-tailed Glasseye, Moontail Bullseye
Black-spot Big-eye, Crescent-tailed Bigeye, Lunar-tailed Glasseye, Moontail Bullseye
Click to enlarge image
A Crescent-tail Bigeye at a depth of 15m, Agincourt Reef, Great Barrier Reef off Port Douglas, Queensland, June 2002.
Image: Erik Schlögl
© Erik Schlögl
© Erik Schlögl
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Priacanthus
- Species
- hamrur
- Family
- Priacanthidae
- Order
- Perciformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum
- Vertebrata
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- The species grows to 40 cm in length.
Introduction
The Crescent-tail Bigeye is orange to red in colour. It occurs in the tropical marine waters of the Indo-Pacific.
Identification
The Crescent-tail Bigeye has a large eye, oblique mouth, large pelvic fins and and emarginatecaudal fin. It is orange to red, often with dark spots along the lateral line. There is usually a black spot at the base of the pelvic fin.
Distribution
It occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-Pacific. In Australia it is known from the central coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country and south to central 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.
Distribution data sourced from the Atlas of Living Australia
References
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Sateen. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
