Categories
Environment / Climate / Range | This species lives in coral reefs near shore, rocky areas and coral reefs. It can also be found around marine weeds. Large fish may venture to swim several kilometers from shore in deep water, reaching depths of at least 40 meters. The young stages form groups in shallow bays and coral reef areas. The size of the group decreases with increasing body size, where fish form small groups. The fact that this species is herbivorous, feeds on benthic algae and seagrass. Large females may lay eggs more than once during the egg laying season. |
Distribution | Is a widely spread species in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific, from the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Gulf to the west, to Micronesia in the east, to northern Japan and south to Australia. |
Size / Weight / Age | It reaches 30 cm in total length. |
Short description | It has not yet been assessed globally by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In a regional assessment for the Arabian Gulf it was classified as Least Concern (LC). It is caught in gillnets and traps and marketed fresh. The White-spotted Spinefoot is a popular food fish and important to fisheries and aquaculture. |