Fishermen occasionally catch Gnathodon speciosus using hand lines near reefs, and juveniles of this species have been observed swimming with sharks and other large fish at long distances offshore.
Details
§ 01
size
Max. 1.1 m
color
Young and small adults bright yellow to silver with 7-11 black bands usually alternating broad and narrow. All fins yellow, with caudal tips black. Adults with a few black blotches on sides.
This bottom-dwelling species can be found in a variety of inshore habitats, such as rocky reefs, deep lagoons and seaward reefs. It feeds on crustaceans, molluscs and small fish.
distinctive characters
The first dorsal fin has seven spines, the second dorsal fin has one spine and eighteen to twenty rays, the anal fin has two detached spines followed by one spine and fifteen to seventeen rays, the breast is completely scaled, the lips are noticeably papillose, and the upper jaw is strongly protractile.