Ara (Niphon spinosus)

Scientific name: Niphon spinosus Cuvier, 1828

The Ara (Niphon spinosus) is a marine fish of the family Serranidae. Native range: Western Pacific, Japan to the Philippines.

Biology

Inhabits rocky reefs; also found near shore on rocky bottom. Neither opercular spine nor anterolateral glandular grooves with venom gland is present. Minimum depth from.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Niphon spinosus
Family: Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 100.0
Depth range: 100–200 m (328–656 ft)
Environment: Marine; reef-associated; depth range 100 - 200 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Western Pacific: Japan to the Philippines.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: commercial
Resilience: Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026