Japanese Sawtail

Body roundish in young, becoming ovate with age. Forehead without rostral prominence even in adult. Caudal peduncle relatively deep and compressed without dorsal and ventral precaudal depressions. Four or 5 bony plates are on each side of the caudal peduncle. Posterior 3 or 4 plates with feeble triangular keels.

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 22 - 24; Anal spines: 3 - 4; Analsoft rays: 21 - 23

Often found in groups in shallow, surge rocky areas (Ref. 9710). Anterolateral glandular groove with venom gland (Ref. 57406).

aquarium: commercial

分布於西北太平洋區海域，由日本至台灣。台灣各地海域及離島均有分布，但以北部、東北部海域較盛產。

以一支釣或延繩釣較常捕獲，而由於成魚常大群於礁區出現亦為潛水客鏢魚之對象。觀賞及食用兼具。剝皮切塊，以醬油煮食或作湯均可，棘刺較少，吃食容易，肉質尚可。處理時須小心尾柄棘傷人。

幼時體呈圓形，隨著成長而漸呈橢圓形；成魚後前額無突出之角狀骨；尾柄細長，有4-5個黑色固定之骨板，後3個盾板上的銳脊強大。頭中大。吻尖突。口裂小，上下頜等長；上下頜各具齒1列，前端門齒狀，後端鋸齒狀。體被細小櫛鱗，似鯊魚皮。背、臀鰭低；尾鰭近截形或內凹。體一致為灰色或近黑色。尾柄棘溝黑色。成魚尾鰭後緣為白色，幼魚時則於尾柄後半到整個尾鰭均是白色。

喜棲息於珊瑚茂密區及岩礁區。幼魚多半分散在礁盤上覓食，成魚則成大群地洄游於礁區之間，屬雜食性魚種，以藻類及底棲性生物為主食。

Prionurus scalprum is a subtropical fish found in coral reefs in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the Scalpel sawtail. It is sometimes used in aquariums.