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
Crescent-tail Bigeye, Priacanthus hamrur 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

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.

Lunartail Bigeye
Crescent-tail Bigeye, Priacanthus hamrur
Lunartail Bigeye

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.

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. Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
  4. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Sateen. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.