Pristipomoides filamentosus

Lore & Background

Pristipomoides filamentosus was first formally described as Serranus filamentosus in 1830 by French zoologist Achille Valenciennes, with the type locality given as Saint-Denis on Réunion. The specific name filamentosus means 'filamentous' and refers to the filament-like last soft rays in the dorsal and anal fins. The species has an elongated, robust body with a depth of roughly a third of its standard length, a flat space between the eyes, and a slightly protruding lower jaw. Its colour may be brownish to pinkish, lavender or reddish-purple, marked with slender yellow lines and blue spots on its snout and the flat space between its eyes. The dorsal and caudal fins are pale blue to lavender with reddish-orange margins. This benthopelagic species is found over rocky substrates and rocky reefs at depths between 40 and 360 m. It has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution, occurring from the Red Sea and eastern Africa across the Indian Ocean into the Pacific, as far east as Hawaii and Tahiti, north to Japan, and south to Australia. In Australia, it ranges from Leeman, Western Australia, north to Darwin, and east to the Great Barrier Reef, south at least to Seal Rocks, New South Wales, and also at Lord Howe Island. Pristipomoides filamentosus is a nocturnal feeder, migrating upward through the water column to prey on small fishes, crustaceans, ascidians, and salps. In the Seychelles, spawning occurs between October and April, peaking from February to April and again in November; in Hawaii, it takes place between March and December, peaking from May to September. It is a slow-growing, long-lived species, with the oldest recorded fish at 44 years old.

Reader's Guide

Pristipomoides filamentosus is an important species for fisheries, caught using bottom longlines and deep handlines and largely sold as fresh fish. Its flesh is considered of good quality. In Hawaii, it is known as opakapaka and is reported to be the most desirable species of snapper for eating, with moist, white flesh. It is of high commercial value in Hawaii and is the second most important quarry for the offshore handline fishery, making up 20% of the total catch of bottomfish. The peak fishing season in Hawaii runs from October to February. According to the FAO, the fish have been overexploited in the Seychelles, but the stock is recovering. Commercial capture of crimson jobfish sharply dropped to 4,400 tonnes in 2009 from 25,300 tonnes the previous year. Known parasites include the cymothoid isopod Anilocra gigantea, the pennellid copepod Lernaeolophus sultanus, and the nematodes Cucullanus bourdini and Raphidascaris (Ichthyosaurus) eteligis.

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