Randall's Perchlet, Plectranthias randalli Fourmanoir & Rivaton 1980

Summary:

A whitish perchlet with two broad oblique orange to reddish bands across the body, a third narrower band from the eye to the thorax, and a small red spot at the upper base of the caudal fin.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2025, Plectranthias randalli in Fishes of Australia, accessed 04 Jun 2026, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/5775

Randall's Perchlet, Plectranthias randalli Fourmanoir & Rivaton 1980

More Info

Distribution	Filmed on Tregrosse Reefs in the Coral Sea Marine Park, Australia. Elsewhere the species is known from Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, the Chesterfeld Bank, eastern Coral Sea, New Caledonia, and Taiwan. Inhabits mesophotic rocky reefs.
Features	Dorsal soft rays X, 16-17; Anal fin III, 7; Pectoral rays 14; Gill rakers 20-21; Lateral line scales 37. Body moderately deep, depth 2.3 in SL; third dorsal-fin spine longest; second soft dorsal and second branched caudal-fin rays not filamentous.
Etymology	The species is named in honour of ichthyologist John E. Randall, who had a revision of the genus Plectranthias in press at the time of publication of Fourmanoir & Rivaton's description of this species.
Species Citation	Plectranthias randalli Fourmanoir & Rivaton 1980, Revue française d'Aquariologie Herpétologie 7(1): 27, Fig.. Type locality: Chesterfield Islands, Coral Sea, ca. 28 km east of Ile Longue, western South Pacific, 19°40'S, 158°31'E, depth 300 m.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2025
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Randall's Perchlet, Plectranthias randalli Fourmanoir & Rivaton 1980

References

Chen, J.-P. & Shao, K.-T. 2002. Plectranthias sheni, a new species and P. kamii, a new record of anthiine fishes (Perciformes: Serranidae) from Taiwan. Zoological Studies 41(1): 63-68.

Fourmanoir, P. & Rivaton, J. 1980. Plectranthias randalli n. sp., un nouveau serranidé (anthiiné) du sud-ouest Pacifique. Revue française d'Aquariologie Herpétologie 7(1): 27-28.

Randall, J.E. 1996. Two new anthiine fishes of the genus Plectranthias (Perciformes: Serranidae), with a key to the species. Micronesica 29(2): 113-131.

Tea, Y.K., Sih, T.L., Walsh, F., Bennett, T., et al. 2025. New records of fishes from the Coral Sea Marine Park, Australia. Coral Reefs https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-025-02664-3

Williams, J.T., Lawrence, A. & Myers, R. 2016. Plectranthias randalli. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T69588920A69592462. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T69588920A69592462.en. Accessed on 02 July 2025.