The species within Belonoperca are elongated, predatory fish[1] that produce the toxin grammistin in the mucus on their skin.[2] The two species in the genus have 9 spines in their dorsal fin, although B, chabanaudi may have 10, and both have 10 dorsal fin rays. Other members of the tribe Diploprionini have more dorsal fin rays than the species of Belonoperca. They also differ from related fishes in the arrangement of the spines and rays in the anal fin.[3]
^Bray, D.J. (2018). "Belonoperca chabanaudi". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
^Carole C. Baldwin & W. Leo Smith (1998). "Belonoperca pylei, a new species of seabass (Teleostei: Serranidae: Epinephelinae: Diploprionini) from the Cook Islands with comments on relationships among diploprionins". Ichthyological Research. 45 (4): 325–339. doi:10.1007/BF02725185. S2CID7029170.
