Paracaesio sordidus can easily be distinguished from the related Paracaesio xanthurus on the basis of their colour pattern, and it is sometimes seen in small schools by divers on deep outer reef slopes.
Details
§ 01
size
Max. 40 cm
color
Overall dark purplish-brown to bluish; silvery or whitish on lower sides and belly. Dorsal and caudal fins brownish to slightly yellow, other fins whitish to translucent.
This species is found over rocky substrates between depths of 50 to 200 meters.
distinctive characters
The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 9-10 rays, the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 rays, and the pectoral fin has 16-17 rays. The body is moderately deep and fusiform, with a depth of 2.5 times the standard length. The pectoral fins are long, reaching the level of the anus, and both the dorsal and anal fins are scaleless. The eye is large and located just above a line from the tip of the upper jaw to the middle of the caudal fin. The interorbital space is convex, and the caudal fin is deeply forked.