About Prionurus maculatus Ogilby, 1887
The yellowspotted sawtail (Prionurus maculatus Ogilby, 1887) has 9 spines and between 24 and 26 soft rays supporting its dorsal fin, while its anal fin holds 3 spines and 23 to 25 soft rays. Its body is deep, with a body depth that equals just over two times its standard length. The head has a slightly convex dorsal profile, and is steeply sloped between the snout and the origin of the dorsal fin. There are 3 blue and black keeled bony plates on the caudal peduncle, and the caudal fin is weakly notched at the edge. The fish has an overall bluish grey body color, marked with many small yellow spots across the head and upper body. Vertical yellow bars run along the flanks, and there is a whitish bar on the caudal peduncle. The maximum published total length for the yellowspotted sawtail is 45 cm (18 in).
The yellowspotted sawtail is endemic to the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It occurs along Australia’s eastern Coral Sea coast, ranging from Lord Howe Island and New South Wales north to the Capricorn Islands and Swains Reef in the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland. It has also been recorded at Norfolk Island, the Kermadec Islands, northern New Zealand, and extends south as far as the Three Kings Islands. Adult yellowspotted sawtails live on rocky shores, while juveniles prefer sheltered bays and estuaries. This species feeds on algae.
