©Lyle: Part of a school of Ptereleotris zebra above reef flat on SE side of Lizard Island (24 Jan 2016)
Colours
Distinguishing features
Yellowish to greenish gray in color; lower half of eye to ventral of chin nearly enclosed by a broad blue-edged dark red to purple area; opercle with 2 diagonal bright blue bands; pectoral fin base with an orange-red bar broadly bordered with bright blue. Chin barbel followed by a median longitudinal fold. Fins yellowish; 2nd dorsal a median longitudinal row of blue spots. (Fishbase)
Size
- Up to 12 cm (Standard Length)
Depth range
- From 2 m to 31 m
Synonyms
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and islands in the western Indian Ocean to the Line and Marquesan Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to the southern Great Barrier Reef; Mariana and Marshall Islands in Micronesia.
This schooling species inhabits exposed seaward reefs in relatively shallow water, over hard bottoms. Usually many individuals occupy the same refuge. (Fishbase)
Web resources
References
- Allen, G., R. Steene, P. Humann and N. Deloach (2003). Reef fish identification: Tropical Pacific New World Publications Inc., Jacksonville, FL, USA.