LUTJANIDAE


Lutjanus sebae, 22.6 cm SL
(photo by Seishi Kimura)


Lutjanus sebae
(Cuvier, 1816)
Emperor Red Snapper

D XI, 15-16; A III, 10; P1 17; LLp 46-50; GR 6-7 + 10-12.

Body very deep. Preopercular notch and knob moderately developed. Vomerine tooth patch crescentic or triangular, without a medial posterior extension. Caudal fin slightly forked. Colors: generally red or pink in adults; in juveniles and smaller adults pink with 3 dark red bands, 1st from 1st dorsal-fin spine through eye to tip of snout; 2nd from middle of spinous part of dorsal fin to pelvic fins; and 3rd from base of last dorsal-fin spine running obliquely downward across caudal peduncle and along lower edge of caudal fin. Size: maximum length to at least 100 cm. Distribution: Indian Ocean and western Pacific. Remarks: occurs in the vicinity of coral reefs, often over adjacent sand flats. (Yukio Iwatsuki)