Nemadactylus macropterus (Forster, 1801)
Tarakihi
Nemadactylus macropterus
photo by SeaFIC

Family:  Latridae (Trumpeters)
Max. size:  70 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 2,900.0 g; max. reported age: 50 years
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range 22 - 450 m
Distribution:  Indo-Pacific: St. Paul and Amsterdam islands in the Indian Ocean, southern Australia, including Tasmania, and New Zealand. Southwest Atlantic: southern South America.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 17-18; Dorsal soft rays (total): 25-28; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 14-15; Vertebrae: 35-35. Adults have elongate upper pectoral-fin rays and are silvery with a broad black band from the nape to the pectoral-fin base (Ref. 33616).
Biology:  Adults demersal on the continental shelf and upper slope (Ref. 9563) to depths of 450 m (Ref. 33616). Juveniles tend to live near shallow reefs (Ref. 6390). Postlarvae inhabit offshore waters and are found in surface waters at night (Ref. 9072). Average weight is 1800 g. Feed on polychaete worms, crustaceans, mollusks and echinoderms (Ref. 28626). Flesh is quite good eating. Often sold as tiki fillets.
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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