Animal Species:Yellowback Bream, Dentex spariformis Ogilby, 1910

The Yellowback Bream is a tropical species that can be distinguished by its deep, compressed body and colouration.

Yellowback Bream, Dentex spariformis

Yellowback Bream, Dentex spariformis
Paul Murphy © Paul Murphy

Alternative Name/s

Cape Moreton Sea Bream, Deepsea Snapper, Yellowback Seabream

Identification

The species has a relatively deep, compressed body. The head profile is bulged near the eye. It is orange-brown above, silvery below and has orange-red dorsal, anal and caudal fins. There are three yellow blotches on the back. The first blotch is at the dorsal fin origin.

Size range

It grows to around 40 cm in length.

Distribution

The species occurs in marine waters of the Western Pacific.In Australia it is known from south-western Western Australia, around the tropical north (possibly absent from the Gulf of Carpentaria) and south to the central coast of New South Wales.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums.  Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

Dentex spariformis

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Yellowback Bream specimens in the Australian Museum.

What does this mean?

Habitat

It is usually found in depths from 50 m to 250 m.

Economic/social impacts

The species is caught commercially in New South Wales.

Classification

Species:
spariformis
Genus:
Dentex
Family:
Sparidae
Order:
Perciformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Carpenter, K.E. 2001. Sparidae. in Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem. (eds) FAO species identification guide for Fishery purposes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Vol. 5. FAO. Pp. 3379.
  2. Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.
  3. Gloerfelt-Tarp, T. & P.J. Kailola. 1984. Trawled Fishes of southern Indonesia and north-western Australia. Jakarta: Directorate General of Fisheries (Indonesia), German Agency for Technical Cooperation, Australian Development Assistance Bureau. Pp. 406.


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags fishes, ichthyology, Dentex tumifrons, Yellowback Seabream, Cape Moreton Sea Bream, Deepsea Snapper, orange, 30 cm - 1 m, Western Pacific,