Common Name: Smallscale Bullseye

Distribution: Common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Endemic to south eastern Australia, from northern New South Wales south to eastern Victoria.

Ecological Notes: Adults frequent offshore reefs usually in large schools, juveniles found around rocky estuaries and inlets. Depth to 30 m.

Additional Notes: Pale brownish colour with faint vertical bar through the eye and behind the operculum, leading edge of the dorsal fin is black. Distinguished from the more common Blacktip Bullseye, Pempheris affinis by the absence of black fin tips and absence of black margin on the anal fin. In daylight hours often found in large schools in gutters and around overhangs, boulders. Feed on zooplankton. Grows to 20 cm. 

References: Kuiter, R. H., Coastal Fishes of South-Eastern Australia. Published by Crawford House Press Pty. Ltd., 1993. p.207.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=pempheris+compressa. Accessed 30/06/18.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://www.fishbase.in/summary/Pempheris-compressa.html Accessed 30/06/18.