Info
A coral trout goes through two distinct color phases: the "footballer phase," which is whitish with black saddles, a yellow caudal peduncle and yellow fins, and a grayish form with a dark head, five dark saddles along the back and small blue spots on the body.
The juveniles mimic the venomous saddleback pufferfish, Canthigaster valentini, for your protection.
The perch is a protogynous hermaphrodite (males are produced solely by sexual transformation of mature females).
Under optimal conditions, the perch can live up to 20 years.
Feeds primarily on fish and occasionally crustaceans. Prey consists of a variety of large reef fish, including groupers, and this diet of large fish is responsible for the high concentrations of ciguatera toxins.
Synonyms:
Bodianus cyclostomus Lacepède, 1802
odianus melanoleucos Lacepède, 1802
Bodianus melanoleucus Lacepède, 1802
Labrus laevis Lacepède, 1801
Paracanthistius melanoleucus (Lacepède, 1802)
Plectropoma maculatum var. A Playfair, 1867
Plectropoma maculatum var. B Playfair, 1867
Plectropoma maculatum var. C Playfair, 1867
Plectropoma melanoleucum (Lacepède, 1802)
Plectropomus maculatum melanoleucum (Lacepède, 1802)
Plectropomus melanoleucus (Lacepède, 1802)
Classification: Biota > Animalia (Kingdom) > Chordata (Phylum) > Vertebrata (Subphylum) > Gnathostomata (Superclass) > Pisces (Superclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Perciformes (Order) > Percoidei (Suborder) > Serranidae (Family) > Epinephelinae (Subfamily) > Plectropomus (Genus) > Plectropomus laevis (Species)