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Pardachirus pavoninus

Peacock Sole
Collection Details

Specimens

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Taxonomic Hierarchy

Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes) Pleuronectfiormes (Flatfishes) Soleidae (Soles) Pardachirus Pardachirus pavoninus (Peacock Sole)

Description

This species account was compiled from FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.) and processed using AI-assisted text extraction. It may contain errors in spelling, punctuation, or formatting. When citing, please reference the original source rather than this page. Learn more about our species accounts.

Characters

Body shape: short and / or deep. Eyes on right side. Dorsal and anal fins separate from caudal fin; pectoral fins absent; pelvic fins unequal, the right one with an elongated base and attached posteriorly to genital papilla (Ref. 9893). Series of toxic glands along the bases of dorsal- and anal-fin rays, their pores visible (Ref. 9893). Reddish brown, densely spotted on head; body and fins of ocular surface also with spots of various sizes and shapes, bordered by a dark rim and some with a blackish spot on center (Ref. 9893).

Distribution

Indo-Pacific: Sri Lanka east to Samoa and Tonga (Ref. 2334), north to Japan (Ref. 559), south to Onslow, Australia.

Habitat Associations

Marine. reef-associated. depth range 2-40 m. Found in: coral reefs.

Biology

Occurs on sand and mud bottoms of lagoon and seaward reefs (Ref. 1602, 48637). Burries itself in the sand (Ref. 48637). Feeds mainly on benthic invertebrates, especially small crustaceans (Ref. 9893). Extract from sac under the skin is toxic (Ref. 559) and the mucus appears to have shark-repellent qualities.
Max length: 25.0 cm TL; common length: 12.5 cm TL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders; parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2015-03-04. Resilience: Medium (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Commercial or Environmental Importance

Fisheries: commercial.

References

Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Myers, R.F. (1991) Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p.
Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 506 p.
Allen, G.R. and R. Swainston (1988) The marine fishes of north-western Australia: a field guide for anglers and divers. Western Australian Museum, Perth. 201 p.
Sano, M., M. Shimizu and Y. Nose (1984) Food habits of teleostean reef fishes in Okinawa Island, southern Japan. University of Tokyo Bulletin, no. 25. v,128p. University of Tokyo Press, Tokyo, Japan. 128 p.
Munroe, T.A. (2001) Soleidae. Soles. p. 3878-3889. In K.E. Carpenter and V. Niem (eds.) FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Vol. 6. Bony fishes part 4 (Labridae to Latimeriidae), estuarine crocodiles. FAO, Rome.

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