Abalistes stellatus (Anonymous, 1798)

Dorsal and Anal Fin Structure

Abalistes stellatus (Anonymous, 1798) has 3 spines and 25 to 27 soft rays in its dorsal fin, and 24 soft rays in its anal fin.

Head and Gill Slit Scales

It has an oblique groove in front of the eye, and the scales behind the gill slit are large.

Body Depth Ratio

The depth of its body measures between 2 and 2.5 times the species' standard length.

Caudal Peduncle Morphology

The caudal peduncle is flattened, at least as wide as it is deep, narrow and tapering, with a length much greater than its depth.

Caudal Fin Structure

The caudal fin is double emarginate, and its two lobes get longer as the fish grows.

Tympanum Formation

The large scales behind the gill slit and above the pectoral fin base form a flexible tympanum.

Posterior Body Scales

The scales toward the rear of the body are keeled, forming longitudinal ridges.

Basal Body Coloration

The body is overall greyish to greenish-brown, fading to whitish on the ventral side.

Dorsal White Blotches

There are four large white blotches along the back; the last of these is located on the caudal peduncle.

Body Spot Markings

The body is marked with pale yellowish-brown spots, and there may be a white streak in the middle of the upper side.

Species Size

This species has a maximum published total length of 60 cm (24 in), with 40 cm (16 in) being a more typical size.

Broad Distribution Range

Abalistes stellatus has a wide distribution across the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.

East-West Distribution Extent

It can be found along the coast of eastern Africa from the Red Sea to Mossel Bay in the Western Cape, South Africa, across the Indian Ocean, and east into the Western Pacific Ocean as far as Fiji.

North-South Distribution Extent

Its range extends north to southern Japan, and south to northern and eastern Australia.

Adult Habitat and Depth

It lives at depths between 4 and 120 m (13 and 394 ft), in areas with sand, sponge, and seaweed over deep slopes.

Juvenile Habitat

Juveniles of this species frequently live in sheltered coastal bays and estuaries, in open areas scattered with rubble and other debris outcrops.