White-blotched Razorfish???

Is this a White-blotched Razorfish, Iniistius aneitensis please? Shape and the white patch look about right but the basic colour doesn't match any descriptions I have found. Taken in Lembeh so maybe it is just a darker colour because of the black sand there.... or perhaps a mating colour....any thoughts anybody?

There are several white blotched species, I did not find this one in Allen, Steene etc... but your fish matches perfectly the Xyrichtys melanopus in Kuiter & Debelius, p. 616 bottom right. I think the small black patch at the end of anal fin is important, combined with other characteristics is truly this one.

In the Philippines here this kind of fish is rare, and we only meet them like 20 m and down on sandy mud bottoms with more sand than mud.

Guido

Thank very much Guido, that is great. Don't have the book you mention but have researched it further on Google and your i.d. looks spot on.

By the way, your site is great - I use it often