SERRANIDAE Cephalopholis argus (photo by Mark Strickland) Cephalopholis argus Bloch and Schneider, 1801 Peacock Hind D IX, 15-17; A III, 9; P1 16-18; P2 I, 5; LLp 46-51; GR 9-11 + 17-19. Body elongate; body depth less than head length, 2.7-3.2 in SL. Head length 2.4-2.7 in SL. Teeth on palatines. Dorsalfin membranes distinctly incised between spines. Caudal fin rounded. Pectoral fin middle rays longest. Lateral line not strongly arched above pectoral fin. Sclaes on maxilla; auxiliary scales on body. Color: body dark brown, with numerous small black-edged blue spots; often with 5 or 6 pale bars on posterior part of body and a large pale area over chest. Distal margin of median fins usually with a narrow white edge. Size: maximum length 55 cm. Distribution: widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific, from east coast of Africa east to French Polynesia and the Pitcairn Group, including southern Japan and northern Australia. Recently introduced to Hawaii. Remarks: found in shallow coral reefs to depths of 40 m. Feeds mainly on fishes. An important commercial fish.(Hiroyuki Motomura)