Lavender jobfish (Pristipomoides sieboldii)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Eupercaria incertae sedis · Family: Lutjanidae · Genus: Pristipomoides.

Accepted name: Pristipomoides sieboldii · Authority: (Bleeker, 1855) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 218509.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Aprion microdon Steindachner, 1876; Bowersia ulaula Jordan & Evermann, 1903; Chaetopterus dubius Günther, 1859; Chaetopterus sieboldii Bleeker, 1855; Pristipomoides microdon (Steindachner, 1876); Pristipomoides seiboldi (Bleeker, 1855); Pristipomoides sieboldi (Bleeker, 1855).

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=218509 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Pristipomoides sieboldii. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 79 cm · Common length: 40 cm · Depth range: 100–360 m · Habitat zone: benthopelagic · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 35.8 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Adults are found over rocky bottoms (Ref. 30573); off Guam, caught most abundantly from about 180 to 270 m (Ref. 9821). They feed mainly on fishes, shrimps, crabs, polychaetes, cephalopods and urochordates. Marketed mostly fresh. Caught mainly with bottom longlines and deep handlines.

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 209) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Pristipomoides-sieboldii.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

384 georeferenced occurrence records for Pristipomoides sieboldii are published through GBIF from 22 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 126 distinct locations from a sample of 384 records, omitting 14 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: United States of America (99); Japan (66); South Africa (48); Australia (42); Philippines (29); Chinese Taipei (28); Indonesia (17); Mozambique (17); New Caledonia (5); Réunion (4); Kenya (3); Madagascar (3); Mauritius (3); French Polynesia (3); Palau (3).

Marine regions with a valid WoRMS distribution record: Mozambican Exclusive Economic Zone; Tanzanian Exclusive Economic Zone; Somali Exclusive Economic Zone; Madagascar; Mauritian Exclusive Economic Zone; Seychellois Exclusive Economic Zone; Kenyan Exclusive Economic Zone; Réunion Exclusive Economic Zone; Comoran Exclusive Economic Zone; South Africa (country); Red Sea; Eritrean Exclusive Economic Zone; Djiboutian Exclusive Economic Zone.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2385181) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2385181&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=218509 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Pristipomoides sieboldii (Bleeker, 1854) as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 194366) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/194366/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2385181) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2385181/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Pristipomoides multidens was first formally described in 1871 as Chaetopterus sieboldii by the Dutch ichthyologist, herpetologist and physician Pieter Bleeker in with its type locality given as Nagasaki. Bleeker did not specify who he was honouring in the specific name but it is thought likely to have been German physician and traveller, Philipp Franz von Siebold, who collected many fishes as specimens which were then described in the monograph series, Fauna Japonica, published by the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie in Leiden between 1833 and 1850.

Pristipomoides sieboldii has an elongated, robust body which has a depth of roughly 30–40% of its standard length. The space between the eyes is flat and it has a slightly protruding lower jaw. In both upper and lower jaws there is an outer row of conical and canine-like teeth and an inner band of bristle-like teeth. The vomerine teeth are arranged in a diamond-shaped patch and there are teeth on the tongue. The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 11 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 8 soft rays. The bases of both the dorsal and anal fins lack scales and the last soft ray of each of these fins is extended into a short filament. The pectoral fins are long extending as far as the anus and contain 16 rays. The caudal fin is forked. The overall colour is silvery with a lavender tint. The top of the head is marked with dark spots which are more noticeable in younger fish. The dorsal fin has an orange margin while the caudal fin is purplish with a pale margins on the fork. This species attains a maximum total length of 79 cm, although 40 cm is more typical, and a maximum published weight of 8.6 kg.

Pristipomoides sieboldii has a wide Indo-Pacific range. It occurs from the Red Sea and East Africa as far south as South Africa through the coasts and islands of the Indian Ocean into the Pacific Ocean where its range extends eastwards to Hawaii, north to Japan. This is a benthopelagic species found at depths between 140 and 500 mover rocky substrates. It is a predatory species which has a diet consisting largely of fishes, crustaceans, polychaetes, cephalopods and urochordates. They attain sexual maturity at 3 years old and have a lifespan of not more than 8 years.

Pristipomoides sieboldii is common as a food fish in Japan and is an important species to fisheries in Hawaii and in the Great Barrier Reef/Torres Strait fishery in Australia. In Hawaii it is managed as part of the Deep 7 bottomfish hook and line fishery unit. It's taken with bottom longlines and deep handlines. The catch is sold fresh.

Source: Wikipedia: Pristipomoides sieboldii — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pristipomoides_sieboldii (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.