Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Labriformes (Order) > Labroidei (Suborder) > Labridae (Family) > Pteragogus (Genus)

Thrush sneaky wrasse, Anuki-ohagurobera,

Description
Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-10 (usually: 10); Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 9; Pectoral fin rays: 12-14 (usually: 13); Pelvic fin rays: I, 5; Caudal fin rays: 12; Lateral-line scales: 23-26 (usually: 24); Scales above lateral line: 2; Scales below lateral line: 6; Gill rakers: 3–7 + 5–9 = 10–15. Body depth: 32.8–47.7 in SL. Body moderately deep and compressed, deepest at pelvic-fin origin. Dorsal profile of head and body elevated from snout tip to 4th or 5th dorsal-fin spine base, forming angle of 40° to horizontal body axis, thereafter gradually lowering to caudal-fin base; ventral profile of head and body lowering from snout tip to pelvic-fin origin, more or less straight from pelvic-fin to anal-fin origins, thereafter rising to caudal-fin base. Lateral line extending from upper margin of opercle, gradually rising to below 4th or 5th dorsal fin spine base, thereafter curving gradually downward and then straight on caudal peduncle. Snout slightly pointed. Mouth terminal, slightly oblique, posteriorly reaching to vertical through anterior margin of eye. Upper and lower lips produced as thin flexible laminae; Inner surface of upper lip longitudinally plicate; Lower lip broader than upper lip, with free membranous, ventrally projecting flap posteriorly. Two pairs of large canine-like teeth anteriorly on both jaws, anterior teeth strongly projecting anteriorly, posterior teeth outwardly curved (not distinct in females); A single row of 30 small conical teeth, 1/4 size of canine-like teeth, along preopercle; Snout, immediate postorbital and suborbital regions, and posterior margins of preopercle and opercle naked. Dorsal-fin origin slightly anterior to vertical through pelvic fin origin; Posteriormost tip of dorsalfin base posterior to vertical through that of anal-fin base; Pectoral fin base level with vertical between 2nd and 3rd dorsal-fin spines; Tip of pectoral fin just reaching vertical through anal-fin origin; Pelvic fin origin slightly anterior to pectoral fin base, pelvic fin tip not reaching anal-fin origin; Anal-fin origin below 9th dorsal-fin spine base; Caudal fin rounded. Max. length: 9.5 cm TL. Depth range: 2 - 67 m.

Color
Body generally reddish-brown, lacking black dots on abdomen; Scale margins pale brownish-white, forming indistinct reticulated pattern; 3-4 indistinct white saddles extending from dorsal fin to upper part of body (more distinct in life); 4-6 small dark brown blotches (smaller than pupil diameter) present along lateral line; A few small dark brown blotches (slightly smaller than lateral-line blotches) and 5 longitudinal narrow white lines (sometimes indistinct) on mid-lateral body surface. Head generally reddish-brown, a white stripe extending from snout tip through upper part of iris to upper end of opercle. Anterior nostril with dark brown margin; Some dark brown smudges just behind eye to anterior nape; Three slightly curved bluish-gray vertical lines under eye on cheek. Upper part of opercle entirely blackish- or yellowish-brown, with a large circular or elliptical dark brown blotch (similar to eye size) margined with faint yellow or orange. All median fins generally reddish-brown (same as head and body ground color); Membrane between 1st and 2nd dorsal-fin spines with dark brown blotch (greenish-blue blotch also visible or blotch sometimes indistinct in life; Usually a dark brown spot below base of last dorsalfin soft ray; Caudal fin and soft-rayed portions of dorsal and anal fins with numerous blue or white dots; Caudal-fin base with narrow white bar; Pectoral fin translucent white; Pelvic fin generally pale reddish-white, with a broad reddish-brown vertical bar on middle section.

Etymology
Pteragogus: from Greek, pteron = wing, fin + from Greek, ago = to lead, to fetch, bring along (a living creature).
turdus: from Latin, turdus = thrush, fieldfare. In reference to the white stripe extending from the snout tip to the upper end of the opercle and an indistinct reticulated pattern on the body, which are reminiscent of the dusky thrush (Turdus eunomus).
Original description: Pteragogus turdus Iino & Motomura, 2022 - Type locality: Alite Reef, Solomon Islands, Western Pacific, depth 15 meters.

Distribution
Eastern Indian Ocean and Western Pacific: Western Australia and Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Palau, Micronesia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, eastern Australia, New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.

Biology
A secretive species occurring on coral reefs where it hides among soft corals and benthic algae. Feeds on benthic invertebrates. Monogamous, oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding. Rarely found in the aquarium trade.

Similar species
Doratonotus megalepis (Günther, 1862) - Reported from Western Atlantic; eastern Atlantic: Cape Verde Islands, São Tomé and Principe.
Pteragogus cryptus (Randall, 1981) - Reported from Red Sea, western Indian Ocean: East Africa, Socotra and Madagascar east to western Indonesia.
Pteragogus enneacanthus (Bleeker, 1853) - Reported from New Caledonia - Link to the species (here).
Pteragogus flagellifer (Valenciennes, 1839) - Reported from New Caledonia.
Pteragogus guttatus (Fowler & Bean, 1928) - Reported from Western Pacific: Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines.

Last update: 26, July 2022