Black And White Monocle Bream

Head scales reaching forward to or just in front of level of anterior margin of eye. Lower limb of preopercle naked. Antrorse (forward-directed) suborbital spine absent. Pelvic fins long, reaching beyond level of anus. Color: Upper body olive brown, silvery-white below. 3 yellowish white stripes along head and body. Juveniles white, with 3 black bands on upper half of body, interspace between lower pair of yellow bands; black spot between first three dorsal spines.

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

Also occurs in small groups.

Common on coral reefs usually associated with sandy areas. Adults inhabit outer lagoon reef flats and seaward reefs flats, often in groups. Juveniles are found singly near the shelter of corals on clear shallow lagoon reefs (Ref. 9710). Adults form schools or small groups (Ref. 48635). Feeds on small fishes, crustaceans (Ref. 9710) and benthic invertebrates, primarily polychaetes (Ref. 37816).

fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial; price category: low; price reliability: questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this genus

分布於印度-西太平洋區，西起可可斯-基林島，東至萬那杜，北至日本南部，南至澳洲皆有分布。台灣南部、東部、西部、小琉球、蘭嶼及綠島等海域可發現。

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。體色豔麗，常被飼養於水族箱內。

體長橢圓形，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，上緣不具前向棘。口中大，端位；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5-7。體被大櫛鱗；頭部鱗域向前伸展至後鼻孔；側線鱗數40-46；側線與硬背鰭基底中點間有鱗3。背鰭連續而無深刻，具硬棘 X，軟條9；臀鰭硬棘III，軟條7；腹鰭不達臀鰭起點；胸鰭達肛門；尾鰭上下葉不呈絲狀延長。體黃綠色，腹面銀白色，幼魚體具3條黑縱線，縱線間為黃色，長成時則斷裂不連續。幼魚硬背鰭前方有一黑斑，背鰭軟條部、臀鰭及尾鰭透明。

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。