Common Name: Blackcheek Threefin

Distribution: Abundant in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the South West Pacific, Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Caledonia. In Australia recorded from the east coast, southern Queensland to southern New South Wales.

Ecological Notes: Frequents shallow algae covered reef, tidal pools. Depth to at least 12 m.

Additional Notes: Female mottled brown with small saddles along the back, male reddish and with front part of head black, two white bands behind the two rear dorsal fins, usually narrow white or light bar at caudal peduncle. 

Reportedly feeds on gastropods, eggs are attached to algal substrate by sticky threads, larvae are planktonic. Grows to 35 mm.

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.362.
FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Enneapterygius-rufopileus.html. Accessed 25/05/18.