Glasseye, Priacanthus blochii Bleeker 1853
Other Names: Bloch's Bigeye, Paeony Bulleye, Shortfin Bigeye, Silver Big-eye
A Glasseye, Priacanthus blochii, in Sodwana Bay, South Africa, February 2013. Source: jeyre / iNaturalist.org. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial
Summary:
A bright red to reddish-brown bigeye, able to rapidly change to silvery-white with red blotches or bars on the body, usually plain fins, a dark basal spot on the pelvic fins, and a rounded to truncate caudal fin.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2022, Priacanthus blochii in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Jun 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1833
Glasseye, Priacanthus blochii Bleeker 1853
More Info
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Distribution |
Great Barrier Reef, Queensland and reefs in the Coral Sea; also the Lord Howe Province in the Tasman Sea, and possibly off-shore reefs off northwest of WA. Elsewhere the species occurs in the Red Sea and tropical, Indo-west Pacific: Southern Red Sea; Indo-West Pacific: Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf, Socotra and Seychelles east to Philippines and Samoa, south to Australia. Inhabits shallow coral or rocky reefs, sheltering beneath ledges and in caves during the day. |
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Features |
Dorsal fin X,12-14; Anal fin III,13-16; Pectoral fin 17-20; Lateral-line scales 70-90; Vertical scale rows (dorsal-fin origin to anus) 47-56. Body somewhat slender and compressed, its depth at 6th dorsal spine 2.6–2.9 (usually 2.7) in SL; preopercular spine short and inconspicuous in adults. Pectoral fin short, 1.9-2.2 in head length; caudal fin rounded to truncate. |
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Feeding |
Feeds on small fishes and invertebrates. |
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Etymology |
The species is named in honour of physician and naturalist Marcus Bloch, who originally described this species as Anthias macrophthalmus. |
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Species Citation |
Priacanthus blochii Bleeker 1853, Natuurkundig Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsch Indië 4: 456. Type locality: Jakarta, Indonesia, Java Sea, eastern Indian Ocean; Sibogha, western Sumatra, Indonesia, eastern Indian Ocean; Ambon Bay, Ambon Island, Molucca Islands, Indonesia. |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2022 |
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Resources |
Glasseye, Priacanthus blochii Bleeker 1853
References
Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.
Bleeker, P. 1853. Diagnostische beschrijvingen van nieuwe of weinig bekende vischsoorten van Batavia. Tiental I–VI. Natuurkundig Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsch Indië 4: 451-516 See ref at BHL
Carpenter, K.E., Lawrence, A. & Myers, R. 2016. Priacanthus blochii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T46087813A46664859. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T46087813A46664859.en. Accessed on 02 March 2022.
Kuiter, R.H. 1992. Tropical Reef-Fishes of the Western Pacific, Indonesia and Adjacent Waters. Jakarta : PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama 314 pp. pls.
Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 437 pp.
Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. A comprehensive reference for divers and fishermen. Sydney, NSW, Australia : New Holland Publishers xvii, 434 pp.
Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 507 pp. figs.
Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs.
Starnes, W.C. 1988. Revision, phylogeny and biogeographic comments on the circumtropical marine percoid fish family Priacanthidae. Bulletin of Marine Science 43(2): 117-203 See ref online
Starnes, W.C. 1999. Family Priacanthidae. pp. 2590-2601 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.
