Pristipomoides typus
A snapper species found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Pristipomoides typus, commonly called the sharptooth jobfish, white snapper, white jobfish, goldband snapper, or threadfin snapper, is a ray-finned fish belonging to the snapper family Lutjanidae. Its range covers the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
The Dutch scientist Pieter Bleeker first described this species in 1852, basing it on a specimen from Sibogha, Sumatra. Its scientific name, *typus*, marks it as the type species for the genus *Pristipomoides*.
This fish has a long, sturdy body, with a depth measuring just under one-third of its standard length. The area between its eyes is flat, and its upper and lower jaws are nearly equal in length. Each jaw has an outer row of conical, canine-like teeth and an inner row of bristle-like teeth. A triangular patch of teeth sits on the vomer, but the tongue is toothless. The dorsal fin consists of 10 spines and 11 to 12 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays. Neither fin has scales at its base, and the last soft ray of each fin extends into a short filament. The long pectoral fins reach as far as the anus and contain 16 rays. The tail fin is forked. Overall, the fish is pinkish red, with the top of the head marked by horizontal wavy lines and spots that are brownish yellow; the dorsal fin shows sinuous yellow lines. The largest recorded total length is 70 cm (28 in), and the heaviest published weight is 2.2 kg (4.9 lb).
This species lives in the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean, from the Andaman Sea east to Papua New Guinea, north to Japan’s Ryukyu Islands, and south to Australia. It is a demersal fish, found at depths of 40 to 180 m (130 to 590 ft) over hard, rocky, or bumpy seafloors.
A social fish, *Pristipomoides typus* forms schools. Its diet consists mainly of bottom-dwelling invertebrates and other fish. It spawns in series, with a single female producing between 760,000 and 2,100,000 eggs. The fish reaches sexual maturity at about 2.7 years old and can live up to 11.3 years.
Fishermen catch this species mostly with handlines. It is considered good to eat and occasionally appears in markets, usually sold fresh. In Southeast Asia, it is the primary fish used in fish head curry and claypot fish head.
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Pristipomoides typus
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Pristipomoides typus was first formally described in 1852 by the Dutch ichthyologist, herpetologist and physician Pieter Bleeker, with its type locality given as Sibogha on Sumatra. The specific name typus indicates that this species is the type species of its genus, Pristipomoides. The fish has an elongated, robust body with a depth just under a third of its standard length, a flat interorbital space, and jaws of near equal length. Its dentition includes an outer row of conical and canine-like teeth and an inner row of bristle-like teeth in both jaws, with vomerine teeth arranged in a triangular patch and no teeth on the tongue. The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 11-12 soft rays, the anal fin 3 spines and 8 soft rays, and the last soft ray of each fin is extended into a short filament. The pectoral fins are long, reaching the anus, and contain 16 rays; the caudal fin is forked. The overall colour is pinkish red, with the crown marked by horizontal wavy lines and spots that are brownish yellow, and the dorsal fin has sinuous yellow lines.
Reader's Guide
Pristipomoides typus is a demersal species found over hard, rocky, and bumpy substrates at depths between 40 and 180 m in the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean, from the Andaman Sea east to Papua New Guinea, north to the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan, and south to Australia. It is a sociable species that forms schools, feeding mainly on benthic invertebrates and fishes. It is a serial spawner, with females laying between 760,000 and 2,100,000 eggs; sexual maturity is reached at 2.7 years old, and the maximum age is 11.3 years. In fisheries, it is caught largely using handlines, considered a fish for eating, and occasionally found in markets where it is normally sold fresh. In Southeast Asia, it is the main species used in fish head curry and claypot fish head.
Did You Know?
- It was first formally described in 1852 by Pieter Bleeker with the type locality Sibogha on Sumatra.
- The species can reach a maximum total length of 70 cm and a maximum published weight of 2.2 kg.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pristipomoides typus?
It is a ray-finned member of the snapper family Lutjanidae, widely known by common names such as sharptooth jobfish, white snapper, goldband snapper, or threadfin snapper. It is a marine species native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
What does Pristipomoides typus look like and how big does it get?
It has a long, sturdy body whose depth is just under one-third of its standard length, with a notably flat interorbital region. Adults can reach a total length of 70 cm (28 in) and a published maximum weight of 2.2 kg (4.9 lb).
Where does Pristipomoides typus live and at what depths?
Its range spans the Indian and Pacific Oceans, where it is typically encountered between 40 and 180 m (130 to 590 ft) below the surface.
How does Pristipomoides typus reproduce and how long does it live?
The fish becomes sexually mature at roughly 2.7 years of age and can release anywhere from 760,000 to 2,100,000 eggs per spawning event. Its maximum recorded lifespan is about 11.3 years.
Why is Pristipomoides typus scientifically significant?
Dutch ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker originally described the species in 1852 from a specimen collected at Sibogha, Sumatra. The epithet typus formally marks it as the type species anchoring the genus Pristipomoides.
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