Priacanthus hamrur (Forsskål, 1775)

Priacanthus hamrur is red in color with 15 small dark spots along lateral line, dusky red median and pelvic fins, and a black spot at the base of the first 3 pelvic rays.

Marine

According to Sivakami et al., 2001, P. hamrur off Cochin, West coast of India, has an extended spawning season during April - July. Ripe ovaries seen during November-December indicate that P. hamrur also spawn in this season. Fecundity of P. hamrur ranged between 1,55,800 to 7,22,313 (average: 3,80,071). Mandy and Inasu, 2002, reported two peak spawning seasons, March-Augest and November-December for the same species off central Kerala, West coast. They also concluded that south west and north east monsoon plays important role in the reproduction of P. hamrur. The minimum size at maturity was found to be 19.8 cm and absolute fecundity was observed at about 1,52,112 for a fish size of 34cm and 375 gm. Qasim (1973) found that along the east coast spawning mainly occurs during pre-monsoon months (February-May).

Vijayakumaran and Naik (1988) report that P.hamrur shows a shallow water migration during premonsoon months towards south, to deeper waters in the West coast of India.

Max length : 45.0 cm TL male/unsexed. Common length : 40.0 cm TL male/unsexed. In trawl catches along the caost of India, common size of these fish is 15-20 cm.

Dorsal fin with 13 to 15 soft rays. Anal fin with 3 spines and 13 to 16 soft rays. Caudal fin with concave margin, slightly emarginate to lunate. Pectoral-fin rays 17 to 20. Color of body red, head, and iris of eye; sometimes silvery white with pattern of broad reddish bars on head and body; row of small dark spots sometimes evident along lateral line; fins red to light pink, with light dusky to nearly black in dorsal-, anal-, and caudal-fin membranes; fins occasionally with yellow.

Prey: P. hamrur is a carnivorus fish mainly feeds on pelagic crusteceans, fish and smaller molluscs. Among crusteceans, Euphausids are their most prefered food item, followed by Brachyurian crabs megalopa larvae - such as Portunus spp. and Porcellanid spp., followed by Penaeid shrimps, Squilla spp. and Alima larvae. Among fishes, the main prey items are Stolophorus spp., silverbellies, lizard fishes and flat fishes. Molluscs in their diet include squids, cuttle fish and octopus. Small sized (15.1 to 19 cm) P. hamrur feed on detritus and polychaete worms (Abdurahiman et al 2010).

Uncommon species found in outer reef slopes and deep lagoon pinnacles from 8 to at least 80 m. In small aggregations, sometimes schools in oceanic locations . Feeds on small fish, crustaceans, and other small invertebrates .

A new cymothoid isopod Nerocila priacanthusi was reported from P. hamrur at Waltair coast, Andhra Pradesh, India (Kumari et al., 1987). A parasite copepod, Lernaeolophus sultanus (Nordmann) was reported for the first time in India from branchial cavity, attached to operculum of P. hamrur (Natarajan and Nair, 1977). A new parasite species, Dupliciporia lanterna (Digenea: Zoogonidae), has been described from the digestive tract of Priacanthus hamrur from the waters off New Caledonia, South Pacific (Bray and Justine, 2008). A gonad infecting dracunculoid nematode, Philometra priacanthi sp. n. (males) was reported from the gonads of P. hamrur from New Caledonia (Moravec and Justine, 2009).

This uncommon demersal tropical species found in outer reef slopes and deep lagoon pinnacles ranging in depth from less than 20 to 250 m or more, but probably most common at 100m or more. At night, this species is captured at relatively shallow depths of 9-46m. Prefers outer reef slopes to more sheltered environments. Usually seen in small aggregations, sometimes schools in oceanic locations.

Habitat reef-associated; marine; depth range 8 - 250 m

Philip and Mathew (1996) reported positive allometric growth in a population of P. hamrur collected from coastal water along the east coast, i.e., the fish grew stouter with increased length. While Thomas et al., 2003 reported negative allometric growth trend with an increase in depth (beyond 250 m). This may be attributed to the difference in depths at which the fish were caught where there is a distinct pattern in the distribution of the population with respect to age and sex across the depth zones.

Harmless to humans.

Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern ver 3.1 Year Published: 2010 Assessor/s: Robertson, R., Collette, B., Molina, H., Guzman-Mora, A.G. & Salas, E. Reviewer/s: Carpenter, K., Polidoro, B. & Livingstone, S. (Global Marine Species Assessment Team). Low to moderate vulnerability (25 of 100). High resilience, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months.

Not Evaluated IUCN 2006

There are no known major threats to this species.

Marketed in fresh condition. Price category: High. Used as an aquarium fish.

fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial; price category: high; price reliability: questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this genus

Coastwise, this fish is landed more in the west coast from a depth range of 20-150 m than the east coast, from a depth range of 10-80 m. Seasonally, Priacanthids were abundant during October-March along the north west coast and during December-March and August-October along the south west coast of India. Caught mainly by trawls and gill nets. Trawl catches in the east coast of India are at depths of 60-250m and are usually 15-20cm in length.