Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Eupercaria/misc (Various families in series Eupercaria) >
Nemipteridae (Threadfin breams, Whiptail breams)
Etymology: Scolopsis: Name from the Greek masculine noun 'skolos' meaning 'thorn' and suffix '-opsis' (from Greek feminine n. 'opsis' meaning 'aspect', 'appearance') meaning ‘thorny appearance’ presumably referring to 'les dentelures de la préopercule, en ont aussi, et même d'épineuses, aux sous-orbitaires' mentioned by Cuvier (1814) in his designation of the genus. Name ending in -'opsis' are treated as feminine according to ICZN 1999: Article 30.1.2 (Ref. 130620).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated. Tropical
Western Pacific: from southern Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, southern China and Vietnam, south to n. and nw. Australia; also Singapore, Gulf of Thailand, South China Sea, East Malaysia, w. Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 16.1 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 130620)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7; Vertebrae: 22. This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: head scaly except for subopercle (naked) with numerous small pores; scales on top of head reaching forward to between the anterior nostrils and snout tip; lower margin of eye tangent to a line from snout tip to upper pectoral-fin base; suborbital with a large retrorse spine (a small antrorse spine also sometimes present on third infraorbital, immediately above suborbital spine); posterior margin of preopercle serrate or denticulate, the lower edge smooth; second anal-fin spine is longer and more robust than first or third anal-fin spines; most body scales, except for breast and caudal peduncle, are with greenish yellow spot (spots darker in live fishes); caudal peduncle yellowish; a broad white bar from nape onto operculum; suborbital with obscure, rectangular, white patch; a white band beneath lateral line is never present; upper limb of opercular margin blackish, lower limb is reddish orange; upper base of pectoral fin has a small wedge-shaped dark spot; fins are yellow (Ref. 130620).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal; Cross section: compressed.
Usually found on sand or mud bottoms near reefs in depths up to about 30 m (Ref. 130620).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Russell, B.C., S.V. Bogorodsky, A.O. Mal, K.K. Bineesh and T.J. Alpermann, 2022. The taxonomic identity of the monocle bream Scolopsis vosmeri species complex (Perciformes: Nemipteridae), with comments on molecular phylogenetic relationships within the genus Scolopsis. Zootaxa 5105(4):501-538. (Ref. 130620)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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