Checked Swallowtail, Odontanthias borbonius (Valenciennes 1828)


A Checked swallowtail, Odontanthias borbonius, on the Izu Peninsula, Japan, August 2013. Source: Izuzuki / http://www.izuzuki.com/. License: CC BY Attribution-ShareAlike

Summary:
A pink to reddish anthiine with 9-11 large brown or yellow blotches (larger than eye) on the side, and a broad bright yellow band running below the eye from the snout tip to the pectoral-fin base.
A Checked Swallowtail in an aquarium

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2023, Odontanthias borbonius in Fishes of Australia, accessed 23 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/5363

Checked Swallowtail, Odontanthias borbonius (Valenciennes 1828)

More Info


Distribution

Coral Sea off Cairns, Queensland. Elsewhere the species occurs in the tropical Indo-west Pacific from coast of east Africa to the Mariana Islands, Papua New Guinea, north to Japan and Taiwan. Inhabits deep reefs in depths to 300 m.

Features

Dorsal fin X, 16-18; Anal fin III, 7-8 (usually 7); Pectoral fin 16-18; Lateral-line scales 39-43; Gill rakers 11-13 + 27-29.
Body strongly compressed; third dorsal-fin spine elongate in males; caudal fin deeply forked. 

Biology

A protogynous hermaphrodite, changing sex from female to male.

Etymology

The species is named borbonius for Borbon, an early name for RĂ©union Island, the type locality of this species.

Species Citation

Serranus borbonius Valenciennes 1828, in Cuvier & Valenciennes Histoire naturelle des poissons 2: 263. Type locality: RĂ©union, western Mascarenes, southwestern Indian Ocean.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2023

Resources

Checked Swallowtail, Odontanthias borbonius (Valenciennes 1828)

References


Heemstra, P.C., Hissmann, K., Fricke, H. & Smale, M.J. 2006. Fishes of the deep demersal habitat at Ngazidja (Grand Comoro) Island, Western Indian Ocean. South African Journal of Science 102: 444-460. https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC96600

Heemstra, P.C. & Randall, J.E. 1999. Family Serranidae. pp. 2442-2548 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 4 pp. 2069-2790. (as Holanthias borbonius)

Kuiter, R.H. 2004. Basslets, Hamlets and their relatives. A comprehensive guide to selected Serranidae and Plesiopidae. Chorleywood, UK : TMC Publishing 1, 216 pp.

Randall, J.E. & Heemstra, P.C. 2006. Review of the Indo-Pacific fishes of the genus Odontanthias (Serranidae: Anthiinae), with descriptions of two new species and a related genus. Indo-Pacific Fishes 38: 1-32.

Valenciennes, A. 1828. In: Cuvier, G.L. & Valenciennes, A. Histoire Naturelle des Poissons. Paris : Levrault Vol. 2 xxi, 2 + 490 pp., pls 9-40. See ref at BHL

White, W.T. 2011. Odontanthias randalli n. sp., a new anthiine fish (Serranidae: Anthiinae) from Indonesia. Zootaxa 3015: 21-28. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3015.1.3

Williams, J.T., Carpenter, K.E., Lawrence, A. & Myers, R. 2016. Odontanthias borbonius. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T69586671A69592387. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T69586671A69592387.en. Downloaded on 08 July 2019.

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37311231

Conservation:IUCN Least Concern

Depth:70-300 m

Fishing:Aquarium fish

Habitat:Reef associated

Max Size:15 cm SL

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Species Maps

CAAB distribution map