Sharpnose Sandperch, Parapercis cylindrica Bloch 1792


Other Names: Cylindrical Sandperch
Summary:
Body with a series of 10 quadrangular dark brown blotches along its back, progressively shorter posteriorly, each with a darker brown spot at upper corners that merge with small black spots at base of dorsal rays; the first five blotches are joined basally by a wavy dark brown stripe, its upper parts touching lateral line; ten dark brown bars on lower part of body, broadest in the middle, linked in the broad upper part by two horizontal series of dark brown blotches; narrow upper end of each dark bar joining corresponding lower part of above-mentioned wavy stripe, thus isolating a series of ten large roundish pale spots which may contain dark brown blotches or small dark spots; a narrow dark brown bar below middle of eye, sometimes a second less distinct one below front of eye; a dark line from upper lip to eye; a median brown band on upper lip, edged in dark brown; a large black spot basally on dorsal fin between spines; II and V; caudal fin usually yellow or yellowish with numerous very small black spots, a narrow white posterior margin and black submarginal line; males usually with a dark spot of side of upper lip (one female found with one).

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2020, Parapercis cylindrica in Fishes of Australia, accessed 16 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/5419

Sharpnose Sandperch, Parapercis cylindrica Bloch 1792

More Info


Distribution

Known from the Australian Territory of Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea. Elsewhere the species occurs in the west Pacific: Australia to Fiji, southern Japan, northern Sulawesi and the Marshall Islands. 
Inhabits clear sheltered bays, harbours and lagoons, on sand, rubble, seagrass, or weedy areas near reefs.

Features

Dorsal fin V,  21; Anal fin I, 17; Pectoral fin 14-16; Lateral-line scales 44-50; Gill rakers 2-3 + 6-8; Predorsal scales 5-6; Ctenoid scales on cheek, 7-8 horizontal rows.
Body depth 4.0-4.35 in SL (23.0-25.0% SL); front of lower jaw with 10 canine teeth, posteriormost tooth large and recurved; vomer with a semicircular tooth patch; palatine teeth present; a prominent sharp spine at upper edge of subopercle; posterior edge of preopercle usually irregular to finely serrate while edge of subopercle and upper edge of interopercle sometimes finely serrate, especially in large adults; middle dorsal spine longest, 8.7-10.2% SL; membrane from last dorsal spine joined near base of first soft ray; caudal fin slightly rounded, 20.3-22.8% SL. 

Colour

Body with a series of 10 quadrangular dark brown blotches along its back, progressively shorter posteriorly, each with a darker brown spot at upper corners that merge with small black spots at base of dorsal rays; the first five blotches are joined basally by a wavy dark brown stripe, its upper parts touching lateral line; ten dark brown bars on lower part of body, broadest in the middle, linked in the broad upper part by two horizontal series of dark brown blotches; narrow upper end of each dark bar joining corresponding lower part of above-mentioned wavy stripe, thus isolating a series of ten large roundish pale spots which may contain dark brown blotches or small dark spots; a narrow dark brown bar below middle of eye, sometimes a second less distinct one below front of eye; a dark line from upper lip to eye; a median brown band on upper lip, edged in dark brown; a large black spot basally on dorsal fin between spines; II and V; caudal fin usually yellow or yellowish with numerous very small black spots, a narrow white posterior margin and black submarginal line; males usually with a dark spot of side of upper lip (one female found with one).

Species Citation

Parapercis cylindrica Bloch 1792, Naturgeschichte der ausländischen Fische Vol. 6: 42, pl. 299 (fig. 1). Type locality: western Pacific (originally in error as Indian Ocean).

Author

Bray, D.J. 2020

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Sharpnose Sandperch, Parapercis cylindrica Bloch 1792

References


Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.

Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2016. A new species of Parapercis (Teleostei: Pinguipedidae) from the Solomon Islands. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation 27: 8-19. http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.839046 Open access

Cantwell, G.E. 1964. A revision of the genus Parapercis, family Mugiloididae. Pacific Science 18(3): 239-280 http://hdl.handle.net/10125/5533

Johnson, J.W. & Worthington Wilmer, J. 2018. Three new species of Parapercis(Perciformes: Pinguipedidae) and first records of P. muronis (Tanaka, 1918) and P. rubromaculata Ho, Chang & Shao, 2012 from Australia. Zootaxa 4388 (2): 151–181 https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4388.2.1 Abstract

Randall, J.E. 2003. Review of the sandperches of the Parapercis cylindrica complex (Perciformes: Pinguipedidae), with description of two new species from the western Pacific. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers (72): 1-19.

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37390041

Biology:Hermaphrodite

Depth:1-20 m

Habitat:Reef associated

Max Size:23 cm TL

Species Maps

CAAB distribution map