Labracinus cyclophthalmus

(Müller & Troschel, 1849)

Vernacular names
English : Firetail dottyback, Firetail devil
French : Pseudochromis à queue de feu

Classification
Class : Teleostei
Order : Ovalentaria i. s. (sometimes still Perciformes)
Family : Pseudochromidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
One of the largest species of its family, growing to over 23 cm long. Cylindrical body with large head. Coloration variable with two distinct phases. Some specimens are bright orange to red with well defined straight longitudinal thin blue lines on flanks, sometimes with bluish head (these are often misidentified as L. lineatus). Some specimens are either dark green-blue with red area on flanks or mostly red with faint dots forming lines on flanks. Cheeks with faint diagonal row of dots.

Range and habitat
The species is found in the western Pacific Ocean from south Japan to Indonesia and north Australia, east to New Ireland. It occurs often near shelter and caves, around coral and rocky reefs, in reef pools, reef flats, down to 20 meters deep, often not shallower than 10 meters.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species seems to be abundant in most of its range. No data is available on the population trends but it is believed that the species is safe at this time.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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