Monotaxis grandoculis is very common at Kwajalein on lagoon, pinnacle and seaward reefs, where it tends to hang more or less motionless above the reef in schools by day, dispersing at night to feed on benthic invertebrates. Large individuals tend to go all silver in color. It looks very similar to Monotaxis heterodon, which has narrower vertical white bands and a more reddish tail. Fishbase lists it as reaching 60cm with a more common length of 40cm.
Young individuals. The orange tails look like M. heterodon but the wider white bands are more like M. grandoculis. The ID on these is uncertain.
Created 15 April 2017