Relevant synonyms None. Misidentification None. Meristic formula D, IX+17-19; A, III+8-10; P, 19-20;V, I+5; LL, 69-77  photo : A. Zuljevic

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body oblong to elongated and slightly compressed. Head length shorter than body depth. Large mouth slightly oblique. Jaws reach back to the vertical of center of eye. Small canine teeth in both jaws and patches of small teeth on the palatine and vomer. The lower half of preoperculum finely serrated. Three flat spines on the posterior part of the operculum. A single continuous dorsal fin. The interspinous membrane is slightly incised. Caudal fin deeply forked. Pectoral fin long, reaching almost to the vertical of anus. Pelvic round, its base slightly behind pectoral fin base. Body covered with finely ctenoid scales. color : upper head, back and flank brownish-red, becoming pinkish-red on the ventral surface. Bright red spot at the base of pectoral fin. Often three white spots below dorsal fin base and two blue lines on the cheek. size : common 20-30 cm (max.40 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Other Serranidae: caudal fin not forked. Other families: lack of three flat spines on the upper posterior corner of the operculum. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Shoaling species. Feeds on planktonic organisms. Gonochoristic species. Reach sexual maturity at 144 mm (females) and 138 mm (males). Eggs and larvae planktonic. habitat : semi-pelagic, usually several meters above the substrate.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD 2011, Marina Bay, Croatia. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : Tropical and subtropical western Atlantic from Florida to Brazil, Ascension Island in the central Atlantic and Sâo Tomé and Principe in the eastern Atlantic. Mediterranean : Marina Bay, Croatia. ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very rare. speculated reasons for success : MODE OF INTRODUCTION Probably arrived with an oil platform towed from the Gulf of Mexico. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None in the Mediterranean.

KEY REFERENCES Craig M.T., Sadovy de Mitcheson Y.L and Heemstra P.C., 2011. Groupers of the World. NISC (Pty) Ltd., Grahmstown, South Africa. 356+48 pp. Dulčić J. and Dragičević B., 2013. Paranthias furcifer (Perciformes: Serranidae), a new alien fish in the Mediterranean Sea. Journal of Fish Biology 82: 332-337. Froese R. and Pauly D. (eds), 2013. FishBase. World Wide Wed electronic publication: www.fishbase.org Heemstra P.C. and Randall J.E., 1993. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 16 . Groupers of the world (Family Serranidae, subfamily Epinephlinae) an annotated and illustrated catalogue of the groupers, rockod, hind, coral grouper and lyretail species known to date. Rome, Italy, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 400 pp + 31 color plates. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: November 2013 ©ciesm 2002