African Silver Sweeper

The African Silver Sweeper (Pempheris tominagai) is a subtropical, marine species found in pelagic-neritic zones with a depth range of 1 to 10 meters. It reaches a maximum length of 11.7 cm. The species is characterized by a black base on its anal fin and a typically yellowish caudal fin.

Geographically, this species is widespread across the 🌊 Indian Ocean, including the 🌊 Red Sea and the northwest coast of 🇦🇺 Australia. However, it is absent from the coasts and islands of 🇮🇩 Indonesia, northeastern 🇦🇺 Australia, and the Andaman Sea. It is allopatric with its sister species, Pempheris schwenkii, which is prevalent in the 🌊 Pacific Ocean.

The genus name "Pempheris" derives from Greek, referring to a type of fish, while the species name "tominagai" honors 🇯🇵 Japanese ichthyologist Yoshiaki Tominaga for his significant contributions to the taxonomy and morphology of the Pempheridae family.