Bigscale Bullseye
Pempheris multiradiata
Blacktip Bullseye
Pempheris affinis
About
The blacktip bullseye is a deep-bodied reef fish that shelters in caves and under ledges by day, often in dense, swirling shoals. Its large eyes hint at a nocturnal lifestyle spent hunting after dark.
Also known as: black-tipped bullseye
How to tell it apart
This species often schools together with the similar smallscale bullseye, making the two easy to confuse. The black tips on its dorsal and anal fins, which the smallscale bullseye lacks, are the clearest way to tell them apart.
Appearance
This fish has a large head, a nearly straight back, and a body that tapers sharply toward a slim lower half, giving it a deep, compressed shape. Its eyes are large, and its mouth is set at a steep angle. The body is greyish on top with yellow or silvery sides. It has black tips on the dorsal and anal fins and a black edge along the tail fin.
Habitat
It lives on rocky reefs down to at least 30 m, sheltering in caves and under ledges during the day before feeding at night. It is found only along the coast of eastern Australia, from Hervey Bay in Queensland south to at least Montague Island in New South Wales.
Did you know?
This fish is bioluminescent, able to produce its own light, which likely helps it navigate the dark caves and ledges where it shelters during the day.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
