Western buffalo bream
(Kyphosus cornelii)
General data
Kyphosus cornelii, the Western buffalo bream, Cornels drummer or the Western drummer, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub belonging to the family Kyphosidae. It is endemic to Western Australia.
Description
Kyphosus cornelii is similar to the silver drummer (K. sydneyanus) but it has a slender body shape when compared to other drummer species. The rear edge of the pectoral fins is an orange-yellow colour. The upper and lower margins of the caudal fin have a pale margin with a dusky submarginal bar. The main difference from the silver drummer is the more distinctly forked tail and the pale caudal fin margin and the suborbital dark moustache.
It attains a maximum total length of 70 centimetres (28 in).
Distribution
Kyphosus cornelii is endemic to the western coast of Western Australia where it is found from Shark Bay in the north to Cape Naturaliste in the south.
Habitat and biology
Kyphosus cornelii is found on coral and rock reefs at depths of 20 metres (66 ft) in inshore waters. It feeds largely on seaweed, especially red algae. They are territorial and defend a patch of seaweed, gardening the patch to keep the seaweed short so that they can see other Western buffalo bream. The fish will steal food from other patches of other fish, especially if the seaweed grows too tall. It can occur in mixed schools with silver drummers.
