Spottedtail Morwong (Goniistius zonatus): facts, sounds & photos

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Spottedtail Morwong (Goniistius zonatus) lives in rocky reef slopes across northwestern Pacific. It feeds on benthic invertebrates. Its conservation status is Least Concern.

Fascinating facts about the Spottedtail Morwong

In 1830 French zoologist Georges Cuvier gave this fish its first formal name, replacing the older label Labrus japonicus.
Reaching up to 45 cm (about 18 in) in total length, the fish sports a white canvas streaked with diagonal reddish-orange bands, a pattern that even inspired its specific name, zonatus, meaning “banded”.
Its home stretches along the northwestern Pacific, from Japan and Korea down to southern China, Taiwan, and northern Vietnam, where it clings to rocky reef faces and slopes.
Most often spotted between just 1 m and 15 m deep (roughly 3 ft to 49 ft), it patrols shallow reef terraces, defending its feeding patch against same-sized rivals.

At a glance

Rangenorthwestern Pacific

Habitatrocky reef slopes

Dietbenthic invertebrates

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