Species: Kyphosus cinerascens, Topsail Sea Chub
snout short, like beak
lower head profile straight/concave

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.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Mid Water
- Near Bottom
- Near Surface
- Surface
- Habitat
-
- Reef only
- Rocks
- Water column
- Corals
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
-
- Data
- Herbivore
- Planktivore
- Diet
-
- Data
- Zooplankton
- Benthic macroalgae/seagrasses
- Benthic microalgae
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic worms
- Pelagic jellyfish/ctenophores
- Egg Type
-
- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
-
- All species
- Atlantic + Indo-West Pacific Oceans
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
-
- Also in Brazil
- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- 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)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 45
- Depth Range Min
-
- 0
- Depth Range Max
-
- 85