Green jobfish

{{Short description|Species of fish}} {{For|another species of fish sometimes called the gray snapper|Mangrove snapper}} {{Speciesbox | image =Aprion virescens JNC2568.JPG | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Russell, B. |author2=Smith-Vaniz, W.F. |author3=Lawrence, A. |author4=Carpenter, K.E. |author5=Myers, R. |author6=Thaman, R. |date=2016 |title=''Aprion virescens'' |volume=2016 |article-number=e.T194379A2326417 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T194379A2326417.en |access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> | parent_authority = Valenciennes, 1830 | taxon = Aprion virescens | display_parents = 3 | authority = Valenciennes, 1830 | synonyms = * ''Aphareus virescens'' (Valenciennes, 1830) * ''Mesoprion microchir'' Bleeker, 1853 * ''Sparopsis latifrons'' Kner, 1868 * ''Sparopsis elongatus'' Kner, 1868 * ''Aprion kanekonis'' S. Tanaka, 1914 | synonyms_ref = <ref name = Fishbase>{{FishBase|Aprion|virescens|month=February|year=2021}}</ref> }} The '''green jobfish''' ('''''Aprion virescens'''''), also known as the '''gray jobfish''', '''gray snapper''',<ref name=papahanaumokuakeavirtualvisit>[https://www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/visit/moku.html https://www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/Papahanaumokuakea National Marine Sanctuary Virtual Visit Necker Island (Mokumanamana) accessed 17 October 2021]</ref> or '''slender snapper''', and in Hawaiian as '''''uku''''',<ref name=papahanaumokuakeavirtualvisit/> is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region. This species inhabits various reef environments at depths from near the surface to {{convert|120|m}}. It is a very important species for local commercial fisheries and is popular as a game fish, though it has been reported to cause ciguatera poisoning. This species is the only known member of its genus.

== Description == The green jobfish is a robust fish with has an elongate body which is cylindrical in cross-section.<ref name = FAO>{{cite book | author = Gerald R. Allen | year = 1985 | title = FAO species catalogue Vol.6. Snappers of the world An annotated and illustrated catalogue of lutjanid species known to date | pages = 20–21 | publisher = FAO Rome | isbn = 92-5-102321-2 | url = http://www.fao.org/3/ac481e/ac481e06.pdf}}</ref> The head is also elongate with a blunt snout, with an obvious longitudinal groove running from the snout to the eye and it has a deeply forked caudal fin.<ref name = FofA>{{cite web | url = https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1237#summary | author = Dianne J. Bray | title = ''Aprion virescens'' | work = Fishes of Australia | access-date = 12 May 2021 | publisher = Museums Victoria}}</ref> The teeth in the jaws are arranged in bands with 2 distinct canines at the front. The vomerine teeth are set out in a crescent shaped patch.<ref name = FAO/> The dorsal fin contains 10 spines and 11 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays.<ref name = Fishbase/> The overall colour of the body is dark green to bluish, fading towards the abdomen. The spiny part of the dorsal fin has black spots at the base of the five rearmost spines.<ref name = FofA/> This species attains a maximum total length of {{cvt|112|cm}}, although {{cvt|90|cm}} is more typical, and a maximum published weight of {{cvt|15.4|kg}}.<ref name = Fishbase/>

== Distribution == The green jobfish has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution. It extends from the Red Sea and the eastern coast of Africa as far south as northeastern South Africa and across the Indian Ocean into the Pacific Ocean where it is found north to southern Japan, south to Australia and Rapa Iti and east to Hawaii.<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" /> In Australia it occurs from Australian waters from northwestern Australia the Ningaloo Reef to Rowley Shoals, Scott Reef and Ashmore and Cartier Islands in the Timor Sea and from the northern Great Barrier Reef of Queensland south to Wooli in New South Wales. It is also found at Lord Howe Island, Middleton Reef, Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Island.<ref name = FofA/>

== Habitat and biology == The green jobfish is a benthopelagic fish of open waters of deep lagoons, channels, or seaward reefs at depths from the surface down to {{cvt|120|m}}. It is typically encountered singly but they may aggregate into small schools. It diet is dominated by fishes but it is also known to feed on crustaceans, cephalopods and zooplankton. This species has been observed to spawn in May to October off Hawaii and it is known that they are multiple spawners. They reach sexual maturity at 4.5 years, when the females are around {{cvt|40|cm}} in length.<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" />

== Taxonomy == The green jobfish was first formally described in 1830 by the French zoologist Achille Valenciennes with the type locality given as the Seychelles.<ref name = CofF>{{Cof genus | genus = Aprion | access-date = 12 May 2021}}</ref> It is the only species in the genus ''Aprion''.<ref name = Fishbase2>{{FishBase genus | genus = Aprion | access-date = 12 May 2021}}</ref> The generic name Aprion is a compound of ''a'' meaning "without" and ''prion'' meaning " saw", a reference to the unserrated preoperculum. The specific name ''virescens'' means "greenish" referring to the overall colour of the body.<ref name = ETYFish>{{cite web | url = https://etyfish.org/lutjaniformes/ | title = Order LUTJANIFORMES: Families HAEMULIDAE and LUTJANIDAE | work = The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database | editor1 = Christopher Scharpf | editor2 = Kenneth J. Lazara | name-list-style = amp | date = 5 January 2021 | access-date = 11 May 2021 | publisher = Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara | archive-date = 12 April 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210412135037/https://etyfish.org/lutjaniformes/ }}</ref>

== Fisheries == The green jobfish is considered to have good quality flesh and is an important part of some subsistence fisheries. It is commonly sold fresh in many fish markets, but also preserved by drying and salting. In Hawaii it is one of the four most important species of snapper for fisheries, one of the prime quarry fish for the handlines bottom fishery and it is managed as part of the bottom fish management unit. It is one of the most important quarry species throughout its range and in 2010 the catch was {{cvt|2,350|t}}.<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" /> Larger individuals can be dangerous to eat because they are known to be a cause of ciguatera poisoning in humans.<ref name = Fishbase/> it is also a popular quarry in sports fishing and is sometimes found in the aquarium trade.<ref name = FofA/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{SealifePhotos|212546}}

Category:Etelinae Category:Fish of Hawaii Category:Marine fish of Australia  Category:Fish described in 1830