Adults inhabit reef flats and lagoon reefs. Frequently occur in colonies associated with live or dead branching staghorn coral (Acropora). Feed on algae, gastropods, sponges, and copepods. Territorial, maintain and 'weed' filamentous algae patches growing on dead coral (Ref. 9710). They attack human intruders without hesitation, sometimes taking painful nips. Particularly aggressive during reproductive periods. The species emit clicking noises during aggressive encounters. Oviparous, males tend the nest visited by several females (Ref. 59295).

Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Line, Marquesan, and Tuamoto islands, north to the Ryukyu and Bonin islands, south to New Caledonia and Tonga; throughout Micronesia. Excluding the Hawaiian Islands (Ref. 7247).

Chagos, Comores, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Red Sea, Reunion, Seychelles, Somalia

Red Sea, Indo-West Pacific: East Africa, Madagascar and Mascarenes east to Tuamotu Archipelago, north to Wake Atoll, south to Western Australia, New Caledonia and Tonga.

Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15 - 17; Analspines: 2; Analsoft rays: 12 - 14

Maximum size: 140 mm TL

14.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 4391))

Adults generally brown; dorsal part of head and nape darker, grading to tan on lower part of head and breast. The scales have darker brown margins. The lips are whitish lips; the suborbital is mostly blue; the preopercle and opercle scales with blue centers. The median and pelvic fins are brown; the pectorals are dusky; a well-defined dark brown or blackish spot is sometimes present at base of posteriormost dorsal rays, which distinguishes it from S. lividus where the spot is diffuse. Males in courtship or guarding eggs with broad white bar across middle of body and pale blue stripe from mouth to upper part of pectoral fin.

A schooling and territorial species which inhabits reef flats and lagoon reefs. Frequently occurs in colonies associated with live or dead branching staghorn coral (@Acropora@). Feeds on algae, gastropods, sponges, and copepods. They attack human intruders without hesitation, sometimes taking painful nips. Particularly aggressive during reproductive periods. The species emit clicking noises during aggressive encounters.

reef-associated; non-migratory; marine; depth range 1 - 12 m (Ref. 7247)

Depth range based on 210 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 186 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0.15 - 100
  Temperature range (°C): 22.496 - 29.336
  Nitrate (umol/L): 0.043 - 2.714
  Salinity (PPS): 33.898 - 36.148
  Oxygen (ml/l): 4.436 - 5.079
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.085 - 0.507
  Silicate (umol/l): 1.005 - 4.752

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 0.15 - 100

Temperature range (°C): 22.496 - 29.336

Nitrate (umol/L): 0.043 - 2.714

Salinity (PPS): 33.898 - 36.148

Oxygen (ml/l): 4.436 - 5.079

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.085 - 0.507

Silicate (umol/l): 1.005 - 4.752
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

Depth: 1 - 12m.
From 1 to 12 meters.

Habitat: reef-associated.

Occurs inshore (Ref. 75154).

Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205). Eggs are demersal and adhere to the substrate (Ref. 205). Males guard and aerate the eggs (Ref. 205).

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


There are 20 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.


Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 8
Specimens with Barcodes: 46
Species With Barcodes: 1

Not Evaluated

fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: public aquariums; price category: unknown; price reliability: