Redfin Emperor

Appearance

A silvery-grey seabream with narrow white bars on body 1-2 scale rows wide, a large black blotch behind the pectoral-fin base (axil), brownish to reddish lips, a yellowish tail, and usually fins with a yellowish to reddish tinge. Juveniles with 4 narrow pale bars on sides.
Dorsal fin X, 10; Anal fin III, 9; Pectoral fin 13-14; Lateral line scales 44-47; scale rows between lateral line and anal-fin origin 12.5.
Differs from the similar Bigeye Seabream, Monotaxis grandoculis, in having narrower bars on the upper body and the dark coloration on the back extending more ventrally than in M. grandoculis.

Distribution

The species is widespread in the Indo-West Pacific: Seychelles, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands to New Caledonia.

Habitat

Inhabits sheltered coral reefs in depths to 25 m.