Chinaman snapper, Galloper, Thread-finned sea perch
The Chinamanfish (Symphorus nematophorus), Chinaman snapper, galloper or thread-finned sea perch, is species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.
The Chinamanfish has a body which is deep and laterally compressed, with a steep dorsal profile of the head. There is a deep slit between the eyes and the nostrils. The mouth extends as far back as the centre of the eye. There is no incision or protuberance on the preoperculum. The jaws have thin bands of teeth with the outer band having enlarged teeth, these are canione-like at the front of the upper jaw. There is no patch of vomerine teeth and there is a patch of granular teeth on the tongue. The dorsal fin has 10 spine and 15-16 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 9 soft rays. At least one of the anterior dorsal fin rays is projected into a long filamentous thread in juveniles and sub-adults. The pectoral fins are long, extending as far as the level of the anus and contain 16 fin rays. The caudal fin is emarginate. This species attains a maximum total length of 100 cm (39 in), although of 35 cm (14 in) is more typical. and a maximum published weight of13.2 kg (29 lb). The overall colour of this snapper is greyish-brown to reddish frequently broken by thick irregular light and dark vertical bars on the flanks. The juveniles are light orange to brownish, with irregular bluish lines and spots on the head and flanks, and more numerous long filamentous dorsal-fin rays than the adults.
The Chinamanfish is a widely distributed species in the West Pacific Ocean from the Andaman Sea and western Thailand east to Fiji and Tonga and from northern Australia and New Caledonia north to the Ryukyu Islands. It is found at depths of less than 50 m (160 ft). It is found on coastal reefs.
The Chinamanfish is typically encountered as solitary fishes but a breeding aggregation has been recorded off Palau. It is mainly piscivorous. The maximum longevity of this species is 36 years.
