Sharptooth jobfish (Pristipomoides typus)

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 typus · Authority: Bleeker, 1852 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 218507.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Pristispomoides typus Bleeker, 1852.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=218507 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 70 cm · Depth range: 40–120 m · Habitat zone: demersal · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 38.5 of 100 · Fishery importance: minor commercial · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Sharptooth snappers are found in tropical and sub-tropical deep waters. They are found in schools and live in areas of hard, rocky and uneven sea floor (Ref. 27354). They feed on benthic invertebrates and fishes.

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 210) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Pristipomoides-typus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

1,049 georeferenced occurrence records for Pristipomoides typus are published through GBIF from 18 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 174 distinct locations from a sample of 1,049 records, omitting 15 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: Australia (944); Philippines (29); Indonesia (25); Mozambique (24); Réunion (5).

The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2385162) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2385162&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=218507 (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 typus Bleeker, 1852 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 194383) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/194383/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2385162) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2385162/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Pristipomoides typus was first formally described in 1852 as by the Dutch ichthyologist, herpetologist and physician Pieter Bleeker in 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.

Pristipomoides typus has an elongated, robust body which has a depth of just under a third of its standard length. The space between the eyes is flat and it has jaws of near equal length. In both upper and lower jaws there is an outer row of conical and canine-like teeth and an inner row of bristle-like teeth. The vomerine teeth are arranged in a triangular patch and there are no teeth on the tongue. The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 11-12 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 pinkish red with the crown marked with horizontal wavy lines and spots which are brownish yellow in colour and the dorsal fin has sinuous yellow lines. This species attains a maximum total length of 70 cm and a maximum published weight of 2.2 kg.

Pristipomoides typus is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean It occurs from the Andaman Sea east to Papua New Guinea, north to the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan and south to Australia. It is a demersal species which is found at depths between 40 and 180 m over hard, rocky and bumpy substrates.

Pristipomoides typus is a sociable species which forms schools. Its diet is mainly made up of benthic invertebrates and fishes. It is a serial spawner and a female can lay 760,000 to 2,100,000 eggs, sexual maturity is reached at 2.7 years old and the maximum age is 11.3 years.

Pristipomoides typus is caught largely using handlines. It is considered to be a fish for eating and it is occasionally found in markets where it is normally sold fresh. In Southeast Asia, this is the main species to be used into fish head curry and claypot fish head.

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