Relevant synonyms Authistes puta Authisthes puta Misidentification None Meristic formula D, XI-XII + 9-11; A, III + 8-9; P, 13-15; LL, 70-85; GR, 26-34 * Note: the generic name is often spelled "Therapon" in the scientific literature, which is invalid.  photo : David Darom

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body elongated and slightly compressed. Dorsal fin continuous with distinct notch between spinous and soft ray part. Spinous part strongly arched and interspinous membrane slightly incised. Penultimate dorsal spine much shorter than ultimate. Caudal fin truncated. Mouth terminal, jaws extend back to vertical line of posterior nostril. Outer row of strong conical teeth, inner teeth villiform arranged in bands. No vomerine or palatine teeth. Preoperculum serrated. Two spines on the operculum at eye level, the lower spine longer extending to or beyond opercular edge. color : body silvery-grey. Four longitudinal stripes extending to caudal fin, upper three black, the lowermost stripe yellowish to brown. A large black spot on the upper part of dorsal fin between fourth to eighth spines. size : common 5-15 cm (max. 18 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Pelates quadrilineatus: longitudinal stripes do not extend to caudal fin. The lower opercular spine does not reach opercular edge. Pomadasys striders: two pores and a median pit on the chin. Other families: lack of two spines on the operculum (three spines in Serranidae); lack of longitudinal dark stripes (young specimens of Epinephelus costea have brown longitudinal stripes). BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Feeds on small fishes and invertebrates. Spawning season in the summer. habitat : coastal waters to depths of 30 m. Penetrates to estuaries or even continues upstream.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Bardawil Lagoon, northern Sinai, Egypt, 1976. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : wide Indo-Pacific, Red Sea to Zanzibar, entire Indian Ocean to Philippines and northern Australia. Mediterranean : recorded first in Bardawil lagoon, northern Sinai, Egypt (Ben-Tuvia, 1976) ; successively recorded in Lebanon (Mouneimne, 1977) and Alexandria, Egypt, (El Sayed, 1994). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Prevalent. speculated reasons for success : unknown. MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS Single specimens are occasionally caught by trammel nets, purse seine or shallow water trawl. Due to its small size no commercial importance.

KEY REFERENCES Ben-Tuvia A., 1976. Occurrence of Red Sea fishes Herklotsichthys punctatus, Autisthes puta and Rhonciscus stridens in the eastern Mediterranean. Israel Journal of Zoology, 25: 212-213. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: March 2001 ©ciesm 2002