A research vessel named "Farumas" caught a total of four specimens of Pristipomoides auricilla while bottom longlining in depths of 80-100 meters outside Male Atoll, which appears to be the first record of this species from the western Andaman Sea.
Details
§ 01
size
Common to 25 cm; max. 45 cm
color
Purplish with many yellow spots or faint yellow lines. Fins yellow. Lower lobe of caudal may be grey in females.
This species is found in areas with rocky substrates between depths of 90 to 360 meters, with the highest concentration of individuals occurring between 180 to 270 meters. Its diet consists of fish, pelagic tunicates, and salps, which are a type of planktonic tunicate.
distinctive characters
This fish has a dorsal fin with 10 spines and 11 rays, an anal fin with 3 spines and 8 rays, and a pectoral fin with 16 rays. Its body is elongate and robust, with a depth of 3.1-3.6 inches in standard length, and its tongue has teeth. The vomerine tooth patch is triangular, and the bases of the dorsal and anal fins are scaleless, with their last soft rays extended into short filaments. Additionally, the pectoral fins are long, reaching the level of the anus, and the caudal fin is forked.