''Pempheris multiradiata'', the bigscale bullseye, large-scaled bullseye or common bullseye, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of marine

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or hor ...

, a sweeper from the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Pempheridae Sweepers are small, tropical marine (occasionally brackish) perciform fish of the family Pempheridae. Found in the western Atlantic Ocean and Indo-Pacific region, the family contains about 26 species in two genera. One species (''Pempheris xan ...

which is found in the coastal waters of southern Australia.

Description

''Pempheris multiradiata'' has a large eye and a large oblique mouth. It has a deep, compressed body which tapers, steeply towards the tail. It has a high

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin located on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates within various taxa of the animal kingdom. Many species of animals possessing dorsal fins are not particularly closely related to each other, though through conv ...

with a short base and a long based

anal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

, the fin bases being scaled. It has large eyes. The body is covered in large scales which are weakly attached to the skin. In colour this is a pale to dark purplish-brown species, it can be silvery on the belly. It has 8–10 darker horizontal stripes along the flanks, and dark coloured fins. As juveniles they are mainly translucent tinged with bronze to yellowish on the back, the dorsal fin has a black leading edge, the tip of the anal fin is black and the

pelvic fins Pelvic fins or ventral fins are paired fins located on the ventral surface of fish. The paired pelvic fins are homologous to the hindlimbs of tetrapods. Structure and function Structure In actinopterygians, the pelvic fin consists of two en ...

are yellow and have black tips. The dorsal fin has 5 spines and 11 soft rays and the anal fin has 3 spines and 32-39 soft rays. This species attains a

total length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology. Overall length * Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish ...

of .

Distribution

''Pempheris multiradiata'' is found in the south eastern Indian Ocean and south western Pacific Ocean where it is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to southern Australia where it occurs from

Rottnest Island Rottnest Island ( nys, Wadjemup), often colloquially referred to as "Rotto", is a island off the coast of Western Australia, located west of Fremantle. A sandy, low-lying island formed on a base of aeolianite limestone, Rottnest is an A-class ...

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

Newcastle, New South Wales Newcastle ( ; Awabakal: ) is a metropolitan area and the second most populated city in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It includes the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie local government areas, and is the hub of the Greater Newcastle area, w ...

, it also occurs around

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

Habitat and biology

''Pempheris multiradiata'' inhabits rocky reefs down to depths of , but it is normally found above . During the day it forms schools below ledges and within caves, leaving these at night to actively feed. It is the commonest of the ''

Pempheris ''Pempheris'' is a genus of sweepers native to the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean. Species There are currently more than 70 recognized species in this genus: * '' Pempheris adspersa'' Griffin, 1927 (New Zealand bigeye) * '' Pempheris adust ...

'' species off southern Australia. The juveniles form large schools while the adults are more likely to be solitary. They feed in the water column to feed on pelagic invertebrates.

Species description

''Pempheris multiradiatus'' was first formally described by Carl Benjamin Klunzinger in 1879 with the type locality given as

King George Sound King George Sound ( nys , Menang Koort) is a sound on the south coast of Western Australia. Named King George the Third's Sound in 1791, it was referred to as King George's Sound from 1805. The name "King George Sound" gradually came into use ...

in Western Australia.

References

External links

* Bigscale Bullseye @ Fishes of Australia
/small> {{Taxonbar, from=Q2165435 multiradiata Marine fish of Southern Australia Taxa named by Carl Benjamin Klunzinger Fish described in 1879