WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Malabarica Sweeper

Pempheris malabarica

Also known as: Bullseye, Hatchet Fish, Sweeper Fish

Adult
@raniarun · kollam, India · January 20201 / 1
01

Overview

Found in schools, during the day, sheltering in caves, in harbors, under ledges, and in shipwrecks, dispersing at night, foraging for food, over coral and rocky reefs.
They feed nocturnally, on crustaceans and worms.

Sweepers school during the day, but at night they float high above the bottom to hunt for larger zooplankton.
Several species are triangular shaped.

02

How to identify

COLOURS
Pattern
lines

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03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
  • Country only · 1
LIVES IN

Found in schools, during the day, sheltering in caves, in harbors, under ledges, and in shipwrecks, dispersing at night, foraging for food, over coral and rocky reefs.

04

Adult photos 1

05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderAcropomatiformes
    5. familyPempheridae
    6. genusPempheris
    7. speciesPempheris malabarica Cuvier, 1831

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Sweepers (Pempheridae)