Teleostei (teleosts) >
Eupercaria/misc (Various families in series Eupercaria) >
Sparidae (Porgies)
Etymology: Argyrops: Greek, argyros = silver, silvered + Gree, ops = appearance (Ref. 45335); caeruleops: Name 'caeruleops' refers to the cobalt blue snout and cheek region of the head.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; depth range 10 - 100 m (Ref. 124569). Tropical
Western Indian Ocean: currently known only off Socotra, southern Oman, and Gulf of Oman; likely to have a wider distribution in the area.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 25.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 124569)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8; Vertebrae: 24. This species is distinguished from all its congeners by the following set of characters: body deep and becoming compressed and slender with growth; D XII,10; the first 2 dorsal-fin spines rudimentary (2 dorsal-fin spines on first dorsal pterygiophore); third dorsal-fin spine longest (1.6-2.5, mean 2.0 in 3DFS/4DFS), third spine longer than head length and reaching beyond first soft dorsal-fin ray; orbit diameter is slightly less than suborbital depth; snout, 1st and 2nd infraorbital bones, and area around eye with blue reflections and also with bluish reflections on preopercular flange, this remains dark even in preserved specimens. Colouration: body uniform silvery red with small obliquely scattered blue spots observed from some angles, especially the dorsal body above lateral line, belly and chin are slightly silvery; all fins pale red (Ref. 124569)
Cross section: compressed.
Many observed catches from southern Oman were taken by hand and line in 10-30 m and by shallow trawlers in 50-100 m. A species caught as bycatch of A. spinifer which occurs in deeper waters of the Middle East (Ref. 124569).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Iwatsuki, Y. and P.C. Heemstra, 2018. Taxonomic review of the genus Argyrops (Perciformes; Sparidae) with three new species from the Indo-West Pacific. Zootaxa 4438(3):401-442. (Ref. 124569)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: bycatch
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