Species: Kyphosus cinerascens, Topsail Sea Chub

Kyphosus cinerascens (Forsskal, 1775)

Topsail Sea Chub

Body oval, compressed, relatively deep; head small pointed; snout relatively short, pointed or beak-like, with a distinct hump before eye; mouth small, opens slightly downwards, below the center of the head; bottom profile of head straight to slightly concave; 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 27 (25-30; 6-10+17-22); dorsal fin continuous, X-XI spines that fold down into a scaly groove, 12 (12-13) rays; tail fin forked; anal rays III, 11 (11-13); soft dorsal and anal fins relatively high, 4th dorsal ray 8.7-19.1% of SL, 2nd anal ray 10.4-22.3% of SL, soft rays of dorsal distinctly higher than spines, profile of anal fin deeply angular; paired fins are relatively short; 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, present between eyes; lateral line scales 56-75, 54 (50-60) with pores, longitudinal scales 56 (50-61) (the row from edge of operculum to end of tail base, immediately under the lateral line scale row).

Bluish grey to brown or blackish, some scales iridescent blue; body of pale fish with dark lines along scale rows.

Size: attains 45 cm.

Habitat: rocky areas, coral reefs.

Depth: 0-85 m

The Indo-central Pacific and Atlantic; widespread in the Greater Caribbean, also in Brazil.