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Species: Kyphosus sectatrix, Bermuda Chub, Bermuda Sea Chub

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snout profile like beak, no forehead bump
lower head profile convex
grey +/- faint yellow stripes
can be yellow, white
fins not dark
soft D&A medium height, A front profile angular

Kyphosus sectatrix (Linnaeus, 1766)

Bermuda Chub, Bermuda Sea Chub

Body oval, compressed; small pointed head; snout relatively short, profile pointed or beaked, no distinct hump on forehead; bottom profile of head slightly convex; mouth small, horizontal and opens at the front; the top jawbone slips partially under the under-eye bone when the mouth is closed; teeth immovable incisiform, bases set horizontally in mouth, rounded tips and a curved, hockey-stick shape; teeth on center of roof of mouth and on tongue; gill rakers 26 (23-38; 6-9+15-20); dorsal fin continuous, XI spines that fold down into a scaly groove, 12 (11-12) rays; tail fin forked; anal rays III, 11 (10-12); soft dorsal and anal fins moderately high, 4th dorsal ray 4.8-10% SL, 2nd anal ray 8.5-15.2% SL, front profile of anal fin angular; pectoral fin 13.3-24.1% SL; pelvic fins relatively short (11.8-19% SL), origin of the pelvics behind the base of the pectoral fin; scales small, thick and rough, covering the body & head (except forward of eyes) and soft portions of the median fins; scales present between eyes; lateral line scales 63-81, 56 (50-62) with pores, longitudinal scales 62 (54-69) (the row from edge of operculum to end of tail base, immediately under the lateral line scale row).

Usually grey to silvery, back with bronze and green tones; sometimes faint golden stripes along side of body and on face, under and over eye; fins not dark; often a whitish stripe under eye; occasionally fish, particularly at oceanic islands, can be white, or yellow, with white or black irregular blotches. This is the only species of Kyphosus with such a pale color form. Young grey, sometimes with numerous eye-sized white spots.

Size: attains 76 cm.

Habitat: rocky areas, coral reefs.

Depth: 0-93 m.

Pan-tropical; from New England to Brazil in the W Atlantic.

Note: K. lutescens is a synonym. Known elsewhere as the Beaked seachub or Pacific seachub, or Revillagigedo seachub.


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Salinity
  • Freshwater
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom + water column
  • Near Bottom
Habitat
  • Reef only
  • Rocks
  • Water column
  • Corals
  • Flotsam
  • Freshwater
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Data
  • Herbivore
Diet
  • Data
  • Benthic macroalgae/seagrasses
  • Benthic microalgae
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Circumtropical ( Indian + Pacific + Atlantic Oceans)
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Extends N + S of GC
  • Extends North of GC
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Temperate (>35N)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 76
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 93