Aphareus furca
April 9, 2019
The small-toothed jobfish is a coastal predator reminiscent of the sea bass or the dentex snapper. It is also similar to its cousin the green jobfish, but its size is smaller. It is recognizable by its slit jaw, its blue-pinkish tinge and a dark vertical bar on the operculum.
It is anatomically very close to the rusty jobfish, aphareus rutilans, a beautiful fish that is larger. A. furca differs from it by a slightly broader body, a less forked tail, an intense dark/ colored bar on the gill cover, more yellowish fins and a slightly smaller and more transparent pectoral fin.
Aphareus furca is much less common than the green jobfish, and I have rarely observed mostly small individuals on the reef, generally smaller than 1kg.
The small-toothed jobfish is excellent raw or cooked.
