| Barber perch | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Anthiadidae |
| Genus: | Caesioperca |
| Species: | C. rasor |
| Binomial name | |
| Caesioperca rasor (Richardson, 1839) [1] | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
The barber perch (Caesioperca rasor), also called the barber sea perch, red perch or Tasmanian barber, is endemic to Australia, found from southern Victoria to southwestern Western Australia, including Tasmania. [2]
The barber perch is a laterally compressed, deep-bodied fish growing to a maximum length of 26 cm (10 in). Females and larger juveniles are a pinkish colour with a large black vertical bar on the flank towards the posterior end and a blue streak just under the eye. Smaller juveniles additionally have a black head. Males are similarly marked but their overall hue is silvery or yellowish. They additionally have blue margins to the fins and a small blue spot on each scale. [2]
It differs from the closely related Butterfly perch by having a more slender body and males are more blue with a darker bar, rather than blotch, on the side. [3] The two species sometimes form mixed shoals. [3]
The barber perch is a schooling species of fish which forms dense shoals at depths down to about 180 m (591 ft). [4] It is largely a piscivore. [5]