Marine Life

Snubnose rudderfish, Blue sea chub

Kirulhiya mas

Kyphosus cinerascens

Kyphosus cinerascens is similar in appearance to K. vaigiensis (Quoy and Gaimard), but they can be easily distinguished by their fin counts and the shape of the dorsal fin; K. vaigiensis typically has 14 dorsal soft rays that are not higher than the dorsal spines.

Details

§ 01

size: Max. 45 cm
color: Dark grey above, lighter below. Longitudinal dark lines on sides. Silvery band below eye. Fins mainly dark brown.
order: Perciformes
family: Kyphosidae
image url: https://assets.explore.mv/fishes/kyphosus-cinerascens.png
habitat and biology: This species is found in shallow coastal waters and typically swims in large groups near the surface during the day. At night, however, it tends to swim alone near the seafloor, where it feeds mainly on benthic algae. It is an omnivore, though, so it also eats other types of food.
distinctive characters: This fish has a dorsal fin with 11 spines and 12 rays, an anal fin with 3 spines and 11 rays, and pectoral fin rays ranging from 17 to 19. The soft portion of the dorsal fin is distinctly elevated higher than the tallest dorsal spine, and the preoperculum is very finely serrated with a blunt spine. Additionally, the snout is short and the profile is steep.