Speckled Sandperch

Parapercis hexophtalma, commonly known as the speckled sandperch, is a marine bony fish species found in the western 🌊 Indo-Pacific Ocean. It was officially described by the esteemed French naturalist Georges Cuvier in 1829. Over the years, there have been various synonyms used to refer to this species, some of which are misspellings of the original name, while others were given to female fish that were initially believed to be a distinct species.

The speckled sandperch typically grows to a length of around 28 cm (11 in) and has a body that is five times as long as its depth. The front portion of its body is cylindrical, while the back end is somewhat flattened. Its eyes are positioned close together on the top of its head, and the fish rests on the seabed by utilizing its widely separated pelvic fins.

The dorsal fin of the speckled sandperch consists of five spines and 21 or 22 soft rays, while the anal fin has a single spine and 17 or 18 soft rays. The dorsal surface of the fish is greenish with dark brown spots, the flanks are pale grey, and the underparts are white. A lateral row of large white spots, each with one or more small black spots in the middle, runs along its side. Additionally, there are black spots on the underparts, mostly bordered with yellow. Females have brown spots on their heads, while males have diagonal yellowish-brown markings on their cheeks. The base of the spines on the dorsal fin contains a black spot, and the caudal fin, which is either rounded or extends slightly from the upper lobe, features a larger black spot. The soft rays of the dorsal fin have several rows of small black spots, and the anal fin has a single row.

The speckled sandperch can be found in shallow waters along the east coast of Africa, as far south as Natal, the 🌊 Red Sea, and the western Indo-Pacific region. Its distribution extends as far east as Sumatra (🇮🇩 Indonesia) and includes the 🇲🇻 Maldives, the Laccadive Islands (🇮🇳 India), and 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka. The 🌊 Red Sea serves as the type location for this species. While it was initially believed to inhabit regions as far east as 🇫🇯 Fiji, further research led to the recognition of three new species within the Parapercis genus in 2007. These new species, Parapercis pacifica, Parapercis queenslandica, and Parapercis xanthogramma, were distinguished based on the number of fin rays, coloration and markings, and the location and number of spots on their anal fins. Parapercis pacifica is found in southern 🇯🇵 Japan to the Timor Sea, Parapercis queenslandica inhabits northern 🇦🇺 Australia, and Parapercis xanthogramma is present in 🇫🇯 Fiji, 🇹🇴 Tonga, and Western 🇼🇸 Samoa. The speckled sandperch primarily resides on sandy or rubble substrates in sheltered areas near reefs.

The speckled sandperch is a predatory fish that feeds on small crustaceans, other invertebrates, and small fish. Similar to several other members of the Pinguipedidae family, it exhibits protogynous hermaphroditism, starting its adult life as a female and later transitioning into a male. During this transformation, the fish also changes its markings. The sex change typically occurs when the fish reaches a length of approximately 18 cm (7 in). Male speckled sandperch are territorial and defend a harem of females. The eggs of this species are planktonic, and their larvae undergo development over a period of one to two months.