Relevant synonyms None Misidentification None Meristic formula D, XI-XII+16-18; A, III+12-13;  P,17-18; V, I+5; LL, 72-75  photo : J. Attard

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body relatively deep and compressed. Small head with pointed snout. Small mouth; its jaw not reaching beyond the vertical of eye. The teeth in both jaws of adult fused to form sharp beak-like dental plates. A single spine on the operculum. Preoperculum serrated. A single dorsal fin with a deep notch between spinules portion and the soft ray portion. Deep incisions in the membranes of dorsal fin. Anal fin triangular. Caudal fin moderately forked, both lobes rounded. Body covered with small ctenoid scales. color : young specimens with seven black vertical bars on a bluish-grey background. The first four bars approximately the same width as the intervals between them. Last three bars much narrower. The soft rays portions of dorsal, anal and the entire ventral fin are black. Large specimens become brown-grey, the bars faint or completely absent. size : common 10-50 cm (max. 80 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Scaridae, Tetraodontidae and Diodontidae: no vertical bars on the body. Other families: teeth are not fused to form a dental plates in each jaw. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Omnivorous species but feeds mainly on hard shells or external skeletons that they crack with their sharp edged teeth. Juveniles know how to associate with floating objects. habitat : coastal rocky substrate.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Malta, 2009. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : far East from Japan and Korea to Taiwan and the Hawaiian Islands. Mediterranean : a single specimen was collected in Malta and later released and another was observed also in Malta. ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very rare. speculated reasons for success : MODE OF INTRODUCTION Most likely via ballast water. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Froese R. and Pauly D. (eds). 2013. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication: www.fishbase.org Randall J.E., 2007. Reef and shore fishes of the Hawaiian Islands. Univesity of Hawai'i, Honolulu, Hawai'i. 546 pp. Schembri P.J., Bodilis P., Evans J. and Francour P. 2010. Occurrence of Barred knifejaw, Oplegnathus fasciatus (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Oplegnathidae), un Malta (Central Mediterranean) with a discussion on possible modes of entry. Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 40(2): 101-104. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet : November 2013 © ciesm 2001