NEMIPTERIDAE Nemipterus hexodon, 14.6 cm SL (photo by Seishi Kimura) Nemipterus hexodon (Quoy and Gaimard, 1824) Ornate Threadfin Bream D X, 9; A III, 7; P1 15-18; P2 I, 5; GR 11-17. Body relatively deep, 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. Enlarged canines anteriorly in upper and lower jaws. First 2 dorsal-fin spine separated by a membrane. Upper lobe of caudal fin slightly rounded. Pectoral fin not extending beyond a vertical through anal fin origin. Three transverse scale rows on preopercle. Color: body pinkish dorsally, silvery ventrally, with 6 to 8 pale yellow stripes below lateral line. A red, ovoid spot below lateral line origin, bordered below by bright yellow. Size: maximum length 21 cm SL. Distribution: known from the Andaman Sea east to the Solomon Islands, and Taiwan south to northern Australia. Remarks: usually occurs on sandy or muddy bottoms at depths of 10 to 80 m, but most abundant between 20 and 50 m. (Hiroyuki Motomura)