Roughscale Soldierfish, Plectrypops lima (Valenciennes 1831)


Other Names: Rough Scale Soldierfish, Rough-scaled Soldierfish, Shy Soldier, Shy Soldierfish

A Roughscale Soldierfish, Plectrypops lima, at the Australian territory of Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean. Source: Roger Steene / FishBase. License: All rights reserved

Summary:
A bright red soldierfish with bright red fins.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2019, Plectrypops lima in Fishes of Australia, accessed 28 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/4448

Roughscale Soldierfish, Plectrypops lima (Valenciennes 1831)

More Info


Distribution

Rowley Shoals, Western Australia, and the northern Great Barrier Reef, and reefs in the Coral Sea, to Lord Howe Island, Middleton and Elizabeth Reefs, in the Tasman Sea; also Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean. Elsewhere the species occurs in the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to Micronesia, Hawaii, Easter Island, and north to Japan.
The Roughscale Soldierfish is nocturnal and shelters in caves and deep crevices, usually on outer reef slopes.

Features

Dorsal fin XII, 14-16; Anal fin IV, 10-12; Pectoral fin 16-17; Gill rakers 7-8 + 14-15; Lateral-line scales 39-42; Scale rows above lateral line 4.5. 
Scales coarsely ctenoid; no pair of tooth patches at front of lower jaw outside gape,; no large spine at angle of preoperculum.

Feeding

Feeds on small crustaceans, crustacean larvae and small fishes.

Species Citation

Myripristis lima Valenciennes, in Cuvier & Valenciennes 1831, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons Vol. 7: 492. Type locality: Île de France.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2019

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Roughscale Soldierfish, Plectrypops lima (Valenciennes 1831)

References


Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls. 

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

Allen, G.R., Hoese, D.F., Paxton, J.R., Randall, J.E., Russell, B.C., Starck, W.A., Talbot, F.H. & Whitley, G.P. 1976. Annotated checklist of the fishes of Lord Howe Island. Records of the Australian Museum 30(15): 365-454 figs 1-2 

Allen, G.R. & Smith-Vaniz, W.F. 1994. Fishes of Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin 412: 1-21 

Allen, G.R. & Steene, R.C. 1979. The Fishes of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. Aust. Natl. Parks Wldlf. Ser. Spec. Publ. 2. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service 81 pp. 15 pls. 

Allen, G.R., Steene, R.C. & Orchard, M. 2007. Fishes of Christmas Island. Christmas Island : Christmas Island Natural History Association 2 edn, 284 pp. 

Choat, J.H., van Herwerden, L., Robbins, W.D., Hobbs, J.P. & Ayling, A.M. 2006. A report on the ecological surveys undertaken at Middleton and Elizabeth Reefs, February 2006. Report by James Cook University to the Department of the Environment and Heritage. 65 pp. 

Francis, M. 1993. Checklist of the coastal fishes of Lord Howe, Norfolk, and Kermadec Islands, southwest Pacific Ocean. Pacific Science 47(2): 136-170 figs 1-2 See ref online

Hobbs, J-P.A., Newman, S.J., Mitsopoulos, G.E.A., Travers, M.J., Skepper, C.L., Gilligan, J.J., Allen, G.R., Choat, H.J. & Ayling, A.M. 2014. Checklist and new records of Christmas Island fishes: the influence of isolation, biogeography and habitat availability on species abundance and community composition. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 30: 184–202 

Hobbs, J-P.A., Newman, S .J., Mitsopoulos, G.E.A., Travers, M.J., Skepper, C.L., Gilligan, J.J., Allen, G.R., Choat, H.J. & Ayling, A.M. 2014. Fishes of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands: new records, community composition and biogeographic significance. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 30: 203–219 

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.

Valenciennes, A. in Cuvier, G.L. & Valenciennes, A. 1831. Histoire Naturelle des Poissons. Paris : Levrault Vol. 7 531 pp. pls 170-208. See ref at BHL

Whitley, G.P. 1941. Ichthyological notes and illustrations. The Australian Zoologist 10(1): 1-50 figs 1-32 pls 1-2 (as Holotrachys lima)

Williams, I. & Greenfield, D. 2016. Plectrypops lima (errata version published in 2017). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T67899991A115440924. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T67899991A67906267.en. Downloaded on 08 July 2019.

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37261020

Conservation:IUCN Least Concern

Depth:5-40 m

Habitat:Reef associated

Max Size:16 cm TL

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Species Maps

CAAB distribution map