NEMIPTERIDAE


Scolopsis bilineata
(photo by Suraphong Banchongmanee)


Scolopsis bilineata
(Bloch, 1793)
Twolined Monocle Bream

D X, 9; A III, 7; P1 16-18; P2 I, 5; LLp 43-47; GR 10.

Body relatively deep, compressed; body depth 2.5-3.0 in SL. Maxilla smooth, without denticulate. Posterior margin of suborbital with a large backwardly pointing spine and a series of smaller spines or serrations; a small forward pointing spine below eye. Preopercular margin serrated. Caudal fin forked, upper lobe not produced into a filament. Pectoral fin reaching a vertical through anus. Scales on dorsal head extending forward to between level of snout and anterior nostril. Color: body olive or grayish brown dorsally, whitish ventrally. A dark red-edged pearly white stripe ascending from mouth to dorsal-fin soft ray base. Two narrow yellow or white stripes from head to dorsal-fin base. Anterior half of anal fin black. Size: maximum length 15.5 cm SL. Distribution: distributed in the Indo-West Pacific, from the Laccadive Islands east to Fiji and southern Japan south to northern Australia. Remarks: occurs in shallow waters on coral reefs in depths to 20 m. Feeds mainly on small benthic invertebrates and small fishes. (Hiroyuki Motomura)