Golden Sweeper

Description

Body is transparent silvery with gold and green colour of the iris and with horizontal blackish streak beginning dorsally on the opercle and disappearing below the posterior end of the dorsal fin. Anal soft rays: 19 - 23. This species is distinguished by the following characters: preanal pin-like mark,; A 19-23; pectoral rays modally 16: gill rakers modally 26; body depth 2.9-3.3 in SL, head length 2.9-3.1 in SL, eye diameter 6.6-7.4 in SL, predorsal length 2.3-2.4 in SL, pectoral-fin length of 3.3-3.45 in SL.

Distribution

Distributed in the Indo-West Pacific region, from the Red Sea and eastern Africa in the west, the Marshall Islands in the east, southern Japan in the north, and Australia in the south.

Habitat

It occurs in inshore waters of the continental shelf and continental slope. It is found in large groups under coral overhangs and in caves. It feeds on zooplankton at night.