Humpnose Big-eye Bream
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- Name / Latin
- Humpnose Big-eye Bream — Monotaxis grandoculis
- Brief description
- A large reef fish with a silvery-blue body, large eyes, and a characteristic yellowish spot behind the eye. Inhabits near coral reefs, found singly or in small groups, and is active predominantly at night.
- Size:
- up to 60 cm
- Depth:
- 3–100 m
- Habitat:
- Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Western Pacific Ocean
- Family:
- Lethrinidae
- Type:
- Fish
- Activity:
- predominantly nocturnal
- Conservation status:
- Least Concern (LC) — not threatened with extinction according to IUCN assessment
The humpnose big-eye bream (Monotaxis grandoculis), also known as the bigeye seabream or short-snouted bigeye, is widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific region. This species inhabits its reef throughout its life and is found at depths up to 100 meters. Most often, divers encounter individuals of this species both singly and in groups of up to 50 individuals at depths from 3 to 100 meters.
The dorsal fin of the bigeye seabream consists of 10 spiny and the same number of soft rays; the anal fin contains 3 spines and 9 soft rays. The fish's body generally has a bluish-gray tint, transitioning to lighter in the belly area. The lips may have a tint from yellow to pinkish. Around the eyes, a yellowish-orange coloration is often observed. The fins have no pronounced markings; the membranes often have a reddish or yellow-orange tint. The caudal fin usually has black rays, contrasting with the lighter pale membrane part. Juveniles are characterized by three alternating white and black transverse stripes on the dorsal fin.
The size of adult bigeye seabream can reach 60 cm, but more often fish no more than 40 cm in length and weighing up to 6 kg are encountered.
This species mainly feeds on gastropod mollusks, brittle stars, sea urchins, crabs, polychaetes, as well as, less commonly, tunicates and sea cucumbers.
