Main identification features
- no horn
- blue-grey back, yellowish below
- tail base: 2 keels
Body elongate, oval, strongly compressed; no horn on forehead, upper and lower body profiles symmetrically convex; teeth small, conical, with tips slightly depressed, smooth or with slight denticulations; 2 pairs of large cutting keels on plates on narrow tail base; pelvics I, 3; dorsal VI, 27-29; anal II, 27-30; pectoral 17-18 rays; tail margin straight, without filaments, concave in juveniles.
Blue-grey to brown above, shading to yellowish brown ventrally; rear margin of operculum and preopercle often dark; tongue black; dorsal olive; tail blue grey, broad olive margin; anal and pelvics yellow-olive; pectoral blue grey, dark margin; courting males can abruptly develop upper head and upper front of body blue, blue lines and spots on front flank.
Size: 75 cm.
Habitat: reefs and rocky shores; juveniles on reef crests in sheltered habitats; adults in midwater around exposed reef fronts.
Depth: 0-150 m; juveniles usually 5-35 m; adults usually 10-40 m.
An Indo-Pacific species recorded as a vagrant at Clipperton and Cocos Islands.
Attributes
Abundance: Common.
Cites: Not listed.
Climate Zone: Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo).
Depth Range Max: 150 m.
Depth Range Min: 0 m.
Diet: pelagic fish larvae; zooplankton; benthic microalgae.
Eastern Pacific Range: Northern limit=11; Southern limit=6; Western limit=-110; Eastern limit=-87; Latitudinal range=5; Longitudinal range=23.
Egg Type: Pelagic; Pelagic larva.
Feeding Group: Omnivore; Planktivore.
FishBase Habitat: Reef Associated.
Global Endemism: All Pacific (West + Central + East); Indo-Pacific only (Indian + Pacific Oceans); TEP non-endemic; "Transpacific" (East + Central &/or West Pacific); All species.
Habitat: Corals; Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom); Rocks; Reef (rock &/or coral); Reef only.
Inshore Offshore: Inshore; Inshore Only.
IUCN Red List: Not evaluated / Listed.
Length Max: 75 cm.
Regional Endemism: Island (s) only; Island (s); Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic; Eastern Pacific non-endemic; All species.
Residency: Vagrant.
Salinity: Marine; Marine Only.
Water Column Position: Bottom; Mid Water; Near Bottom; Bottom + water column;
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