Animal Species:Yellowback Seabream, Dentex tumifrons (Temminck & Schlegel, 1843)

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

Yellowback Seabream, Dentex tumifrons

Yellowback Seabream, Dentex tumifrons
Paul Murphy © Paul Murphy

Identification

The Yellowback Seabream has a relatively deep, compressed body. The head profile is bulged near the eye.

The species 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

The Yellowback Seabream grows to 40 cm in length.

Distribution

It 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.

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

What does this mean?

References

  • 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.
  • 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,