Igcar Monocle Bream

This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: scaly temporal region with scales on top of head reaching forward to just in front of the anterior nostrils; naked suborbital; the lower margin of the eye is tangent to or just above a line from snout tip to upper pectoral-fin base; exposed bony ridge below the eye with an antrorse and retrorse spine; scales on preopercle are extending to posterior margin, scales behind suborbital 5-6 rows and behind eye 3-4 rows; the lower limb of preopercle usually has a single row of embedded scales; scales on opercle 4-7 rows; most body scales (except for caudal peduncle) have a black spot; caudal peduncle white; usually a white band is present beneath lateral line, from origin of lateral line to below posterior part of dorsal fin; from nape onto operculum is a broad white bar, and suborbital with distinctive white patch - all these not present in juveniles and smaller subadults; upper limb of opercular margin narrowly brown, the lower limb narrowly reddish-orange; upper base of pectoral fin with a small dark spot; pelvic and anal fins are crimson or orange-red (Ref. 120656).

Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 7; Vertebrae: 22

Occurs inshore (Ref. 75154).

Benthic in inshore turbid or weedy waters, usually on sand or mud or rubble bottoms close to reefs (Ref. 30573, 90102, 92980), as well as offshore areas (Ref. 9785). Seen solitary, but may school deep (Ref. 48635). Feeds on benthic organisms (Ref. 5213). Marketed fresh, salted, smoked or processed into fish balls (Ref. 12484).

fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

分布於印度-西太平洋區，西起非洲東岸、紅海，北至日本琉球列島，南至澳洲。台灣南部、東北部、北部、西部及澎湖海域頗常見。

本魚全年皆有產，可利用手釣或在礁岩外砂地放流刺網捕獲，唯因其多單獨活動，故捕獲數量通常不多，其幼魚模樣很可愛，亦可作為水族箱中的觀賞魚。

體橢圓形，側扁；頭端尖細，頭背幾成直線，兩眼間隔區不隆突。吻中大。眼大；眶下骨的後上角具一銳棘，下緣有細鋸齒，上緣具前向棘。口中大，端位；上頜末端上緣不具鋸齒狀；頜齒細小，帶狀；鋤骨、腭骨及舌面均不具齒。第一鰓弓下枝鰓耙數8-9。體被大櫛鱗；頭部鱗域向前伸展至前鼻孔；側線鱗數39-45；側線與硬背鰭基底中點間有鱗3 .5。背鰭連續而無深刻，具硬棘 X，軟條9；臀鰭硬棘III，軟條 7；腹鰭達肛門開口；胸鰭不達肛門；尾鰭上下葉不呈絲狀延長。體呈褐紅色，鰓蓋一條白色寬紋，由頭背部一直延伸至頰部，鰓膜深紅色。各鰭內側橘褐，外側黃色。

通常單獨或數尾在礁岩地區或礁岩外緣之砂地上活動，游泳時以一游一停的方式前進，以礁岩或砂地上的小魚、蝦或軟體動物為主食。

Occurs in inshore waters usually on sand or mud bottoms close to reefs, as well as in offshore areas (Ref. 9785). Feeds on benthic organisms (Ref. 5213).