Peacock hind (Cephalopholis argus)

Scientific name: Cephalopholis argus Schneider, 1801

The Peacock hind (Cephalopholis argus) is a marine fish of the family Serranidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 24–28°C (75–82°F).

Peacock hind care at a glance

Temperature: 24–28°C (75–82°F)

Biology

A generally common species found in a variety of coral habitats from tide pools to depths of at least 40 m; prefers the 1 to 10 m reef zone. Juvenile prefers shallow, protected coral thickets. Benthic and benthopelagic. Feeds mainly on fishes (75-95%) and to a lesser extent on crustaceans. In the Red Sea, it feeds early in the morning and late afternoon; but at Madagascar, it appears to feed more at night. Implicated in ciguatera at some of the islands in Pacific region. In Hong Kong live fish markets.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Cephalopholis argus
Family: Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 60.0
Common length: 40.0
Depth range: 1–40 m (3–131 ft)
Environment: Marine; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 1 - 40 m, usually 1 - 10 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Indo-Pacific: Red Sea to Durban, South Africa and eastward to French Polynesia and the Pitcairn group, north to the Ryukyu and Ogasawara islands, south to northern Australia and Lord Howe Island. May be confused with Cephalopholis cyanostigma.
Conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans: Reports of ciguatera poisoning
Uses: Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: commercial
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)