Aphareus (fish)

Aphareus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish in the snapper family Lutjanidae. These fish are found across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, ranging from the coast of Africa to the Hawaiian Islands.

Taxonomy

The genus contains two recognized species: the small-toothed jobfish (Aphareus furca) and the rusty jobfish (Aphareus rutilans). It belongs to the subfamily Etelinae.

French naturalist Georges Cuvier created the genus, taking the name from what he described as an obscure and likely corrupted passage in Aristotle, which seemed to refer to a fin specific to female tuna. The name also resembles the Arabic word farès, though this may be coincidental. In 1913, David Starr Jordan, John Otterbein Snyder, and Shigeho Tanaka designated Aphareus caerulescens (a synonym of A. furca) as the type species.

Characteristics

These snappers are medium-sized with elongated, fusiform, and fairly robust bodies. They have tiny teeth in their jaws, lack canine-like teeth, and have no vomerine teeth. Their gill openings extend relatively far forward, reaching the front of the eye.

The area between the eyes is flat. The dorsal fin is continuous, without a notch between its spiny and soft-rayed sections, and has 10 spines and usually 11 soft rays (sometimes 10). The anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays. The pectoral fins are long, slightly shorter than the head, and contain 15 or 16 rays.

The dorsal and anal fins lack scales, and the caudal fin is forked. Their scales are comparatively small. Coloration varies from purplish-brown and blue-grey to reddish, often with a silvery sheen on the lower flanks and abdomen.

Distribution and habitat

Aphareus snappers have a wide Indo-Pacific distribution, from eastern Africa to the Hawaiian Islands. They inhabit inshore waters near coral reefs and rocky bottoms, at depths from about 6 meters (20 feet) down to possibly more than 100 meters (330 feet). They may be solitary or form small schools.

Fisheries

These fish are important as food, particularly on islands. Fishermen catch them using handlines or bottom longlines. Their flesh is considered good quality, and the catch is usually sold fresh.