Animal Species:Lunartail Bigeye, Priacanthus hamrur (Forsskål, 1775)

Alternative Name/s

Black-spot Big-eye, Crescent-tailed Bigeye, Lunar-tailed Glasseye, Moontail Bullseye

Identification

The Crescent-tail Bigeye has a large eye, oblique mouth, large pelvic fins and and emarginate caudal 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.

Size range

The species grows to 40 cm in length.

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 by collection data

Ozcam map of Lunartail Bigeye specimens in the Australian Museums.

What does this mean?

Classification

Species:

hamrur

Genus:

Priacanthus

Family:

Priacanthidae

Order:

Perciformes

Class:

Actinopterygii

Subphylum:

Vertebrata

Phylum:

Chordata

Kingdom:

Animalia

What does this mean?

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.

Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated: 22 September 2012

Tags Fishes, ichthyology, Icththyology, Lunartail Bigeye, Priacanthus hamrur, Priacanthidae, Black-spot Big-eye, Crescent-tailed Bigeye, Lunar-tailed Glasseye, Moontail Bullseye, orange, red, tropical water, marine, large eye, oblique mouth, dots/spots, 30 cm - 1 m,