Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Perciformes (Perch-likes) >
Lethrinidae (Emperors or scavengers) > Lethrininae
Etymology: Lethrinus: Greek, lethrinia, a fish pertaining to genus Pagellus. More on author: Valenciennes.
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range ? - 80 m (Ref. 2295). Tropical; 32°N - 23°S, 32°E - 160°E
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 80.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 48635); common length : 40.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2295); max. published weight: 4.9 kg (Ref. 40637)
Dorsal
spines
(total): 10;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 9;
Anal
spines: 3;
Anal
soft rays: 8. The snout is moderately long, its dorsal profile slightly concave. Body color is bluish gray or brown often with scattered irregular dark blotches on sides; sometimes three dark streaks radiate forward from the eye. The fins are pale or orangish.
Indo-West Pacific: widespread, including the Red Sea, Arabian (Persian) Gulf, East Africa to Sri Lanka, to the Ryukyu Islands and Papua New Guinea. Also recorded from Micronesia (Ref. 3807) and French Polynesia (Ref. 4517) but these are probably misidentifications of Lethrinus olivaceus.
Found over sandy areas near coral reefs (Ref. 30573). Feeds on fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, and polychaetes. Swims in small schools sometimes together with L. olivaceous. Utilized as a food fish.
Carpenter, K.E. and G.R. Allen, 1989. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 9. Emperor fishes and large-eye breams of the world (family Lethrinidae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of lethrinid species known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(9):118 p. Rome: FAO.
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)
Threat to humans
Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 31637)
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
More information
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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01394 (-0.13034 - 0.15822), b=2.96 (2.88 - 3.05), based on LWR estimates for species & genus-BS (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 3.8 ±0.53 se; Based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.20).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (46 of 100) .