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Humpnose Big-eye Bream
Monotaxis grandoculis (Forsskål, 1775)

A Humpnose Big-eye Bream at a depth of 22 m, Tijou Reef, far northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, December 1999. Photo © E. Schlögl. View larger image.

A Humpnose Big-eye Bream at a depth of 18 m, Osprey Reef, Coral Sea, November 1998. Photo © E. Schlögl. View larger image.

A Humpnose Big-eye Bream at a depth of 7 m, Century Bay, Ribbon Reef #3, Coral Sea, February 2005. Photo © Á. Lumnitzer. View larger image.

Adult Humpnose Big-eye Bream are bluish-grey above and silvery on the sides. The fins are reddish-orange and the area around the eye is often yellow. Adults are usually seen without any markings, but can quickly assume four broad blackish bars or saddles on the body.

Juveniles have three black saddles separated by white bars on the upper half of the body. They have a prominent black bar through the eye. Juvenile colouration can be seen in individuals up to 30 cm in length.

This species grows to 60 cm in length.

The Humpnose Big-eye Bream is usually seen on outer coral reefs and adjacent sandy areas. As adults this fish often forms large aggregations of up to 50 individuals, but solitary fish have been observed. Juveniles are usually solitary.

This fish can be found at depths of 1 m to 100 m. It is a nocturnal feeder. Food items include molluscs, brittle stars, sea urchins, crabs, polychaetes, sea squirts and sea cucumbers.

This fish is found in tropical and temperate marine waters of the Indo-West and Central Pacific. It occurs from East Africa and the Red Sea, north to Japan, south to Australia and east to the Hawaiian Islands.

In Australia the Humpnose Big-eye Bream is known from the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

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Humpnose Big-eye Bream Monotaxis grandoculis (Forsskål, 1775)

Further reading

Humpnose Big-eye Bream
Monotaxis grandoculis (Forsskål, 1775)