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Species: Kyphosus cinerascens, Topsail Sea Chub

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bump before eyes
snout short, like beak
lower head profile straight/concave
grey to black
soft D & A high, A front profile v angular

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.


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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