Common Name
Salmon-spotted Jewelfish
Year Described
Lubbock & Edwards, 1981
Identification
Dorsal Fin: X, 15
Anal Fin: III, 7
Pelvic Fin: I, 5
Pectoral Fin: 20-22
Lateral Line Scales: 46-51 (tubed)
Gill Rakers: 32-35 total
Fairly slender bodied, head 30-32% SL, and eye large (7-10% SL). Orbit longer than snout. Anterior and posterior nostril further apart than in Anthias spp. (4-5 times in snout length as compared to >7 times in Anthias). Anterior nostril with a long filament, extending nearly to orbit. Head and maxilla covered in scales. Lateral line usually interrupted under soft dorsal fin (separated by non-tubular scales). Obvious notch at boundary of spiny and soft dorsal fin, not to base of fin. Fleshy tabs present on dorsal fin spines. Caudal fin deeply forked, often with short filaments. Scales around caudal peduncle number 26-28.
Color
Orange-red with yellow spots on each scale, giving an overall orange color when seen at a distance. Scattered larger pink spots on body and two pink stripes on head (one through eye and one under eye). Yellow stripes border lower pink stripe. Lower head pink. Dorsal and caudal fins yellowish with pink markings or dorsal margin and middle caudal lobe. Caudal fin lobes with pink tips. Anal and pelvic fins pale.
Size
Maximum size to 6.1cm.
Habitat
This species... "was observed between 35 and 55 m and was most abundant between 40 and 45 m on almost-vertical rock drop offs. It aggregates in small groups of 5 to 10 individuals, swimming close to crevices into which they hide when threatened" (Luiz-Junior et al., 2007).
Range
St. Paul's Rocks, off NE Brazil.
References
Anderson, W. D., Jr. & Heemstra, P. C. 2012. Review of Atlantic and eastern Pacific anthiine fishes (Teleostei: Perciformes: Serranidae), with descriptions of two new genera. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, 102 (2): 1-173.
Lubbock, R. and A.J. Edwards. 1981. The fishes of Saint Paul’s Rocks. Journal of Fish Biology v. 18 (no. 2): 135-157.
Luiz-Júnior, O.J., J.-C. Joyeux and J.L. Gasparini. 2007. Rediscovery of Anthias salmopunctatus (Lubbock & Edwards, 1981), with comments on its natural history and conservation. J. Fish Biol. 70:1283-1286.