| Lutjanidae (Snappers), subfamily: Lutjaninae |
| 40 cm TL (male/unsexed); max. reported age: 34 years |
|
reef-associated; freshwater; brackish; marine; depth range 1 - 75 m |
| Indo-Pacific: East Africa to the Marquesas and Line islands, north to southern Japan, south to Australia (Ref. 9821). Records from the Red Sea and Persian Gulf are outside distributional range (Ref. 114545). |
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Dorsal spines (total): 10-10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14-14; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 8-8. This species is distinguished by the following characters: body with greatest depth 2.3-2.8 in SL; preopercular notch and knob well developed; vomerine tooth patch crescentic, without a medial posterior extension; tongue smooth, without teeth; gill rakers of first gill arch 6-7 + 10-14 = 16-20 (including rudiments); caudal fin slightly emarginate; scale rows on back rising obliquely above lateral line. Colour of back and sides tan, grey to brownish, sides usually with a series of narrow yellow of golden-brown stripes, 1 per scale rows, caudal fin blackish, dorsal and caudal fins with a narrow white border; pectoral, pelvic and anal fins yellowish, and a broad yellow rim around posterior eye (Ref. 9821, 90102).
Description: dorsal profile of head steeply sloped; preorbital bone about equal in width to eye diameter (Ref. 9821). |
| Adults inhabit lagoon and semi-protected seaward reefs (Ref. 9710). They prefer sheltered areas with deep holes or large boulders (Ref. 37816). Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Solitary or in loose aggregations (Ref. 90102). Juveniles sometimes found in shallow mangrove swamps and the lower parts of freshwater streams. Adults feed at night on fishes, shrimps, crabs, holothurians and cephalopods (Ref. 30573). Commonly seen in markets, usually fresh. Caught with handlines, traps, and gill nets. This fish sometimes causes ciguatera poisoning, particularly in the Pacific portion of its range (Ref. 9821). |
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Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 04 March 2015 Ref. (130435)
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| reports of ciguatera poisoning |
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