Symphorus nematophorus

Chinaman snapper | Chinaman | Galloper | Thread-finned Sea Perch
Symphorus nematophorus
Symphorus nematophorus, Torres Strait, QLD, Photo: Graham Edgar
Symphorus nematophorus
Symphorus nematophorus, Northern Great Barrier Reef, QLD, Photo: Andrew Green
Symphorus nematophorus
Symphorus nematophorus, juvenile, Northern Territory, Photo: Graham Edgar
Symphorus nematophorus
Symphorus nematophorus, Torres Strait, QLD, Photo: Graham Edgar
Symphorus nematophorus
Symphorus nematophorus, Mornington Island, QLD, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Symphorus nematophorus
Symphorus nematophorus, Montebello Islands, WA, Photo: Graham Edgar
Symphorus nematophorus
Symphorus nematophorus, adult, WA, Australia, Photo: Graham Edgar
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Symphorus nematophorus
Symphorus nematophorus
Symphorus nematophorus
Symphorus nematophorus
Symphorus nematophorus
Symphorus nematophorus
Symphorus nematophorus

Distribution

Tropical Indo-Pacific


Description

Thin broken blue stripes along body, elevated dorsal fin with long trailing filaments that reduce with age and disappear completely in large individuals. Can rapidly change colouration from plain grey to red-brown with vertical wavy dark reddish bars. Juveniles similar to Symphorichthys spilurus (Sailfin Snapper) in shape and fin pattern, but lack blotch on tail base. Sales banned in Australia because of very high risk of ciguatera poisoning.


Information

Max Size: 100 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 22.2-31.2°C

Depth: 10-100m

Habitat Generalization Index: 5.01

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: Not Evaluated

Occurrence: Infrequent (6.5% 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: Few (3 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: RD Stuart-Smith, GJ Edgar, AJ Green, IV Shaw. 2015. Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland