Monacanthus chinensis (Osbeck, 1765)
Fan-bellied leatherjacket
photo by Yvonne Sadovy@114°E Hong Kong Reef Fish Survey

Family:  Monacanthidae (Filefishes)
Max. size:  38 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 580.0 g
Environment:  reef-associated; marine; depth range 5 - 50 m
Distribution:  Indo-Pacific: Malaysia and Indonesia to Samoa, north to southern Japan, south to northwestern Australia and New South Wales.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 2-2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 28-34; Anal soft rays: 27-34. Description: Characterized by brownish to grey body color; irregular patchwork of dark brown blotches punctuated with dark spots on body; origin of first dorsal spine above eye, lateral edges with downward directed barbs; rudiment movable pelvic fin, well posterior of large, greatly extendable ventral flap; depth of body at anal fin origin about 1.7-2.0 in SL; minute spinules covering body giving it a velvet texture; rounded caudal fin with long filament on upper lobe of large adult (Ref. 90102).
Biology:  Inhabits estuaries and on coastal and offshore reefs (Ref. 9563); also on weed bottoms and on trawling grounds. Found on muddy or silty substrates (Ref. 48637). Is an omnivore which feeds mainly on seagrass, algae, gammarid amphipods and caridean shrimps as well as on bryozoans, hydroids, ascidians, copepods, caprellid amphipods and tanaidaceans (Ref. 13426).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 02 March 2015 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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