Paramonacanthus choirocephalus (Bleeker, 1851)
Pig faced leather jacket
photo by Randall, J.E.

Family:  Monacanthidae (Filefishes)
Max. size:  11 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range 3 - 25 m
Distribution:  Western Pacific: Thailand, Malaysia, northwestern Australia, Philippines, Indonesia, and New Guinea.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 2-2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 27-31; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 28-32; Vertebrae: 19-19. Dorsal profile of snout straight to convex in male, small hump sometimes over or slightly in advance of nostrils; straight to concave in female and juvenile, without hump. First dorsal spine originating over posterior half of eye, or slightly behind eye. With dark brown to dusky blotches, sometimes tending to form two curved, oblique stripes on body, first from rear of soft dorsal fin to pectoral fin, second from caudal fin base to ventral flap; three dark brown blotches nearly always present.
Biology:  Inhabits sheltered coastal reefs, usually forming small aggregations (Ref. 48637). Also found in mud and sand bottoms of trawling grounds (Ref. 90102).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 05 March 2015 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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