NEMIPTERIDAE


Nemipterus bipunctatus, 21.1 cm SL
(photo by Seishi Kimura)


Nemipterus bipunctatus
(Valenciennes, 1830)
Delagoa Threadfin Bream

D X, 9; A III, 7; P1 16; P2 I, 5; LLp 48-50; GR 10-14.

Body moderately elongate, compressed. Posterior margin of suborbital and lower preopercular margin not serrated; suborbital spine absent. Ventral margin of orbit not reaching a horizontal line through snout tip and upper base of pectoral fin. First 2 dorsal-fin spine separated by a membrane. Upper lobe of caudal fin slightly rounded. Pectoral fin reaching or extending slightly beyond a vertical through anal fin origin. Three transverse scale rows on preopercle; scale rows below lateral line obliquely ascending anteriorly on body, curving to near-horizontal posteriorly. Color: body pinkish dorsally, silvery ventrally, with 5 to 7 narrow silvery yellow stripes following oblique scale rows below lateral line. Anal fin pale bluish white with 2 to 4 irregular yellow stripes. Size: maximum length 20 cm SL. Distribution: known from the Indian Ocean, from Red Sea and Arabian Gulf south to Mozambique and east to the Andaman Sea. Remarks: usually occurs on sandy or muddy bottoms at depths of 18 to 100 m. (Hiroyuki Motomura)