Description

Color in life pale brown with 13-16 dark brown stripes. In large fish, dorsal stripes may be irregular. A small dark spot encircled by yellow area on caudal peduncle. Spot sometimes expanded to form a dark brown bar around caudal peduncle. Distinct snow white bar between dark caudal spot (or bar) and posterior ends of body stripes. First dorsal fin dusky to dark brown. Other fins pale (in young) to dusky (in adults), but never as dark as first dorsal fin. Snout somewhat darker than body (Ref 8525).

Common Names

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Kurtiformes

Family: Apogonidae

Genus: Cheilodipterus

Species: Cheilodipterus arabicus (Gmelin, 1789)

Climate Zone

Location

• Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea, Tanzania, Mozambique, Seychelles, and India. Absence of the species elsewhere in the Indian Ocean, is probably due to inadequate sampling. Absence from the Gulf of Aqaba and Persian Gulf may be the result of competition with lachneri and persicus, respectively.

Biology

A common species found in small aggregations around corals (Ref. 9710).

Habitat

associated

Conservation Status

Not Evaluated

Threat to Humans

Harmless