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