Tomato Rockcod, Cephalopholis sonnerati (Valenciennes, 1828)
Scientific name: Cephalopholis sonnerati
Click to enlarge image
A Tomato Rockcod at a depth of 12m, North Solitary Island, New South Wales, 17 March 2012.
Image: Ian Shaw
© Ian Shaw
© Ian Shaw
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Cephalopholis
- Species
- sonnerati
- Family
- Serranidae
- Order
- Perciformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum
- Vertebrata
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- It grows to about 58 cm in length.
Introduction
Adult Tomato Rockcods are deep bodied with a hump-headed appearance. The species occurs in the Indo-West and Central Pacific regions.
Identification
The Tomato Rockcod is a deep bodied species with a hump-headed appearance. It is red to orange-red or brown, sometimes with brown, red or white spots.
A Tomato Rockcod caught on hook and line at a depth of about 30m, off reef near Montebello Islands, Western Australia, August 2006.
Image: A. Cooper
© A. Cooper
© A. Cooper
Habitat
It is a benthic species that occurs in coral reef and tropical inshore waters at depths from about 30 m to 100 m.
Distribution
The species occurs in the Indo-West and Central Pacific regions. In Australia it is known from tropical waters from the central coast of Western Australia to southern Queensland.
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
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
