Pogonoperca punctata, the spotted soapfish, bearded soapfish, or leaflip grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish. Despite the title of “leaflip grouper,” it is not a true grouper, but is a soapfish. It is found in the western Indo-Pacific region.
Description
Pogonoperca punctata has 7 spines in its dorsal fin and 12-13 soft rays with 3 spines and 8 soft rays in the anal fin.[2] The brown body is covered in small white spots, and there is a black vertical bar which runs through the eye and four black saddle-like blotches along the back.[3] There is flap of skin on the lower jaw, which inspires the moniker of “leaflip grouper”.[4] The juveniles have large white spots, which remain as adults but become increasingly obscured by smaller white spots appearing in the grey-coloured regions of the body as the fish matures. The fins are transparent. This species attains a maximum recorded total length of 35 centimetres (14 in).[2]
Distribution
Pogonoperca punctata is found in the western Indo-Pacific from eastern Indonesia east to the Line Islands, Marquesas and the Society Islands, north as far as southern Japan and south to New Caledonia[1] and islands off northern Australia, these being in the Northern Territory and the eastern Indian Ocean Australian territories of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.[3]
Habitat and biology
Pogonoperca punctata is found at depths of 10 to 216 metres (33 to 709 ft).[1] It prefers large coral heads on slopes where there is a moderate current, adults are usually deeper than 20 metres (66 ft) while juveniles occur in shallower more sheltered waters such as lagoons and bays.[2] They are nocturnal hunters feeding on benthic crustaceans and smaller fishes. The juveniles are mimics of venomous blennies.[5] They secrete the toxin grammistin in their skin and, like other soapfish. may do so when stressed.[6]
Taxonomy
Pogonoperca punctata was first formally described as Grammistes punctatus in 1830 by the French zoologist Achille Valenciennes (1794-1865) with the type locality given as Vanikoro Island in the Santa Cruz Islands of the Solomon Islands.[7]
Utlisation
Pogonoperca punctata appears in the aquarium trade.[8] It occasionally appears in fish markets.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 Williams, J.T.; Carpenter, K.E.; Lawrence, A.; Myers, R. (2016). "Pogonoperca punctata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016 e.T69589017A69592492. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T69589017A69592492.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Pogonoperca punctata". FishBase. December 2019 version.
- 1 2 Bray, D.J. (2018). "Pogonoperca punctata". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ↑ "Spotted soapfish / Bearded soapfish". Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ↑ "Spotted Soapfish (Pogonoperca punctata)". WHATSTHATFISH. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ↑ Yoshiro Hashimoto; Yasukatsu Oshima (1972). "Separation of grammistins A, B and C from a soapfish Pogonoperca punctata". Toxicon. 10 (3): 279–284. doi:10.1016/0041-0101(72)90013-X.
- ↑ Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Grammistes punctatus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ↑ "Leaflip Grouper EXPERT ONLY (Pogonoperca punctata)". liveaquaria. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
Further reading
- Baissac, J. de B. (1990) SWIOP/WP/54 - Checklist of the marine fishes of Mauritius., RAF/87/008/WP/54/90 Regional Project for the Development & Management of Fisheries in the Southwest Indian Ocean.
- Cuvier, G. & A. Valenciennes. 1830. Historie naturelle des poissons. Tome Sixieme. Livre sixieme. Partie I. Des Sparoides; Partie II. Des Ménides. Historie naturelle des poissons. Tome Sixieme. v. 6: i-xxiv + 6 pp. + 1–559, Pls. 141–169.
- Dennis King & Valda Fraser - The Reef Guide: Fishes, corals, nudibranchs & other invertebrates: East & South Coasts of Southern Africa. Struik Nature. 2014 ISBN 978-1-77584-018-3
- Fricke, R. (1999) Fishes of the Mascarene Islands (Réunion, Mauritius, Rodriguez): an annotated checklist, with descriptions of new species., Koeltz Scientific Books, Koenigstein, Theses Zoologicae, Vol. 31:759 p.
- Myers, R.F., 1991. Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p
External links
- Photos of Pogonoperca punctata in the Sealife Collection
