Striped beakfish

The striped beakfish (Oplegnathus fasciatus) is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a knifejaw from the family Oplegnathidae. It is native to the north-western Pacific Ocean, though a smattering of records exist from other localities in the eastern Pacific such as Hawaii and Chile. Recently introduced – probably via ballast water – in the central Mediterranean, it is found very rarely from Malta to the northern Adriatic.[1]

Striped beakfish
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Oplegnathidae
Genus:	Oplegnathus
Species:	O. fasciatus
Binomial name
Oplegnathus fasciatus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1844)
Synonyms
Scaradon fasciatus Temminck & Schlegel, 1844

It is an inhabitant of rocky reefs and occurs at depths from 1 to 10 m (3 to 33 ft). Juvenile members of this species can be found with patches of drifting seaweed. This species can reach a total length of 80 cm (31 in), with the greatest recorded weight for this species of 6.4 kg (14 lb). The color pattern consists of light and dark vertical bars from which it derives its name. The species feeds mainly on hard-shelled invertebrates such as crustaceans and molluscs. It is a commercially important species and is also farmed. It is also sought after as a game fish.[2]

Five striped beakfish, of which one remains in captivity, endured more than 2 years in the partially submerged hull of the Japanese boat Sai-shou-maru.[3][4]