Monotaxis grandoculis (Forsskål in Niebuhr 1775)

Andréfouët, Serge, Chen, Wei-Jen, Kinch, Jeff, Mana, Ralph, Russell, Barry C., Tully, Dean & White, William T., 2019, Checklist of the marine and estuarine fishes of New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, western Pacific Ocean, with 810 new records, Zootaxa 4588 (1), pp. 1-360 : 173

Monotaxis grandoculis (Forsskål in Niebuhr 1775) —Bigeye emperor

Status at New Ireland. First recorded from Carteret Harbour , Lambom , New Ireland by Peters (1877: 834). Specimens observed by Jeff Kinch during CFMDP Survey at Kavieng fish market in 2004–2005, and by Barry C. Russell during 7–28 June 2014; others photographed at St. KVG18 (south side of Bauddisson Island , Kavieng District ) by Serge Andréfouët on 18 Aug. 2014; a video of a specimen taken off Nubilus Island, off southeastern New Hanover, at 3–32 m depth, St. KR 88, in 2014 (identified by Barry C. Russell).

Distribution and habitat. New Ireland: 1, 2, 3.—General distribution: Red Sea, East Africa, Madagascar and Mascarenes east to Hawaiian and Line islands and Pitcairn Group, north to southern Japan, south to Exmouth Gulf (Western Australia) and Queensland ( Australia), New Caledonia, Tonga, Austral and Gambier islands. Found on sand and rubble areas near coral and rocky reefs, 1–60 m depth. Marine.