Juveniles of Cephalopholis urodeta, previously recorded as C. nigripinnis, are sometimes exported as aquarium fish. This species in the Pacific Ocean differs from the Indian Ocean counterpart by having two oblique white bands in the caudal fin.
Details
§ 01
size
Max. 28 cm
color
Reddish brown, darker posteriorly. Body sometimes with small pale spots. Pectoral, anal rear parts of dorsal and caudal fins dusky. Two dark spots usually present at the tip of lower jaw.
This species of coral reef is commonly found in outer reef areas, but can also be seen in lagoons, back reefs, and on the reef top at depths ranging from 1-60 m. Its diet consists mainly of fish and crustaceans.
distinctive characters
This species has a dorsal fin with nine spines and fourteen to sixteen rays, an anal fin with three spines and nine rays, and a pectoral fin with seventeen to nineteen rays. Its body depth is between two point seven and three point three in standard length, and it has fifty-four to sixty-eight lateral-line scales. The preopercle is rounded and finely serrate, with a fleshy lower edge, while the subopercle and interopercle are usually smooth. The pectoral fins are distinctly longer than the pelvic fins, which do not reach the anus.