Latropiscis purpurissatus
Sergeant baker | Aulopus purpurissatus
Latropiscis purpurissatus, male, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Latropiscis purpurissatus, juvenile, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Latropiscis purpurissatus, female, Batemans Bay, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Latropiscis purpurissatus, Batemans Bay, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Latropiscis purpurissatus, Jervis Bay, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Latropiscis purpurissatus, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Mottled red colouration and flathead-like shape. Males have the second ray projects out for a distance of nearly half the body length. Noticed by divers because they are inquisitive and relatively common, and perch high on the reef.
Information
Max Size: N/A cm
Sea Temperature Range: N/A
Depth: 2-248m
Habitat Generalization Index: 8.35
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: Vulnerable
Occurrence: Frequent (17.7% 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: Solitary (1 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney