Description:

A slender Gymnocranius species with ratio of standard length to body depth between 2.65-3.06; forehead bumpy and lower edge of eye well above axis of body; moderately 
forked caudal fin with lobes slightly rounded; scales rows above lateral line 6; pored scales on lateral line 48-49.

Colour: flanks silvery; scales above lateral line with a dark-grey basal patch forming longitudinal rows; scales with similar dark-grey basal patch on a more or less 
extended portion of flank below lateral line; up to 24 or more pale-blue speckles against bronze background on snout and cheeks, distinctive on fresh and larger individuals 
but faint on smaller individuals; a pale-blue band joining the nostrils on forehead and reaching the eyes, bright in freshly captured larger individuals; the area immediately 
above eye (supraorbital shelf) forming a distinctive blackish eyebrow; more or less conspicuous vertical dark bar crossing the eye; upper lip is reddish to red while lower 
lip is white; the dorsal, pectoral, anal and caudal fins reddish to red.

Size:

Maturity: Lm unknown. Range unknown. Max Length: 43 cm SL.

Habitat and Ecology:

Occurs on coral-sand bottom in lagoons and adjacent to reefs (Depth 5-20 m). Stomach contents include broken bivalve shells and scraps of urchin shell.
 

Fishery Status:

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It is caught in the trap and handline fisheries, but is an uncommon component of the catch.

Notes:

The identity of this species is being investigated by submission of photos and tissue samples to Dr. Philippe Borsa, the lead author of the paper that Identified this 
species in the Coral sea. He has advised to term it as Gymnocranius cf. superciliosus until such time as he and his collaborators can confirm the species identity. 30 plus 
specimens were recorded, on a casual observation basis, over a 2 year period in the Victoria market by J. Nevill. This coupled with the fact that the species has a 
creole name, indicates that it is not particularly rare in the artisanal catch.

References:

Froese, R. & D. Pauly. (Eds.) (2019). FishBase. https://www.fishbase.se/summary/67933 (16/05/19).
Borsa, P., P. Béarez, S. Paijo and W.-J. Chen, (2013). Gymnocranius superciliosus and Gymnocranius satoi, two new large-eye breams (Sparoidea: Lethrinidae) from the 
Coral Sea and adjacent regions. Comptes Rendus Biologies, Elsevier, 2013, 336: pp.233-240.

Citation:

Nevill, J.E.G. (2019). Gymnocranius cf. superciliosus, Eyebrowed large-eye bream. Seychelles Seatizens. www.seatizens.sc. https://seatizens.sc/species/gymnocranius-cf-superciliosus-borsa-bearez-paijo-chen-2013/ (edited 15/07/22).