Prionurus microlepidotus
Sawtail surgeonfish | Australian Sawtail | Sawtail | Sixplate Sawtail
Distribution
Temperate Australasia, Tropical Indo-Pacific
Description
Plain grey body with a thin lateral line and a row of five to seven dark spines on tail base surrounded by dark blotches. Similar shaped P. maculatus (Spotted Sawtail) has only 3 spines and yellow spots and lines on body. Often changes colour to almost white at cleaning stations, and sometimes displays a white band on tail base.
Information
Max Size: 70 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 15.4-26°C
Depth: 5-30m
Habitat Generalization Index: 15.57
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Occurrence: Common (27.7% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Many (13 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Joe Shields