Lutjanus lutjanus Bloch, 1790
Bigeye snapper
Lutjanus lutjanus
photo by Greenfield, J.

Family:  Lutjanidae (Snappers), subfamily: Lutjaninae
Max. size:  35 cm TL (male/unsexed); max. reported age: 11 years
Environment:  reef-associated; marine; depth range 0 - 96 m
Distribution:  Indo-West Pacific: East Africa to the Solomon Islands, north to southern Japan, south to Australia. Recently recorded from Tonga (Ref. 53797). Usually referred to as Lutjanus lineolatus by previous authors.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 10-12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12-12; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 8-8. Dorsal profile of head gently sloped. Preorbital bone very narrow, much less than eye diameter. Preopercular notch and knob poorly developed. Scale rows on back rising obliquely above lateral line. Generally silvery white, with a broad yellow stripe running along the side from the eye to the caudal fin base. A series of faint narrow yellow horizontal lines is on the lower half of the body. The fins are pale yellow to whitish (Ref. 469). Body depth 2.9-3.3 in SL (Ref. 90102).
Biology:  Adults inhabit offshore coral reefs and trawling grounds. Trawled to depth of almost 100 m (Ref. 48635). Frequently encountered in large schools with other Lutjanus species (Ref. 9710). Feed on fishes and crustaceans (Ref. 30573).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 05 March 2015 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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