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Aphareus furca (Lacepede 1802), the Small-Toothed Jobfish. East
Africa to Polynesia in distribution. To sixteen inches in length.
This one off of Queensland, Australia. | 
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Lutjanus bohar (Forsskal 1775), the Two-Spot Red Snapper.
Indo-West Pacific; Eastern Africa to the Marquesas, south to
Australia. To a maximum length of three feet. Shown, a juvenile in
Fiji, an adult off of Queensland, Australia, and an aggregating,
reproductive school off of Ras Mohamed, Egypt's Sinai, Red Sea. |
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Lutjanus carponotatus (Richardson 1842), the Spanish Flag Snapper.
Northeastern Indian Ocean and Western Pacific. This one off of Heron
Island, Australia. To sixteen inches maximum length. Not used in the
aquarium interest, but could definitely be. Good looking, hardy, stays
small enough... numerous and easy to catch... | 
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Lutjanus decussatus (Cuvier 1828), the Checkered Snapper.
Western Pacific and Eastern Indian Ocean from New Guinea to Southern
India. This one off of Gili Air, Lombok, Indonesia. To one foot in
length. | 
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Lutjanus fulviflamma (Forsskal 1775), the Black-Spot Snapper.
East Africa, the Red Sea to Samoa. To fourteen inches in length.
This one off of Queensland, Australia. Note the yellow lateral
stripes that the similar L. russelli lacks. | 
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Lutjanus fulvus (Forster 1801), the Blacktail Snapper.
Indo-Pacific; East Africa to Marquesas, Line Islands, Japan,
Australia. Occasionally used as an aquarium fish. Young found in
sheltered bays, around mangroves. Adults on surrounding reefs near
boulders. Feed at night on fishes, crustaceans, sea cucumbers, squid
and octopus. Pix from Hawai'i (aquarium at Waikiki), Bunaken,
Indonesia and Nuku Hiva, Marquesas, Polynesia.
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=262&genusname=Lutjanus&speciesname=fulvus |  |  |  |
Lutjanus kasmira (Forsskal 1775), the Common Bluestripe Snapper.
Indo-Pacific; Red Sea, eastern Africa to the Marquesas, south to
Australia, over to the Southeast Atlantic; South Africa. Here in the
Maldives and Australia. Note the lower third of the body is white and
the presence of only four blue stripes... distinguishing marks from the
Five-Lined Snapper below. |  
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Lutjanus quinquelineatus (Bloch 1790), the Five-Lined Seaperch.
Persian Gulf to Fiji. To fifteen inches in length (most much
smaller). This eight inch individual off of Heron Island, GBR,
Australia. | 
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Lutjanus vitta (Quoy & Gaimard 1824), the Brown-Striped Red
Snapper. Indo-West Pacific. To sixteen inches maximum length.
This one off of Pulau Redang, Malaysia. | 
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The one "species to avoid" as being too touchy in this assemblage is
the black beauty, Macolor niger. Some friends in the wet pet
industry and other authors give this fish grand marks, but I have
yet to see a juvenile of less than five inches live for any length
of time. Make sure the one you are buying has been around a few
weeks and is feeding. Below: An aquarium juvenile, intermediate (six
inch long) stage individual in the Red Sea and ugly one foot adult
of Macolor niger. Red Sea group at right. | 
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In good stead with the Emperor and catch all "miscellaneous"
snappers from the Indo-Pacific are the threadfin snappers,
Symphorichthys spilurus (Gunther 1874) (aka the Majestic
Snapper) and Symphorus nematophorus (Bleeker 1860) (the
Blue-Lined Snapper) which must be seen in person to be fully
appreciated. These two have golden yellow bodies flanked by bright
blue horizontal bars, two vertical black head bands and a dark
caudal spot. They look touchy but are as tough as the best snappers.
To two and three feet maximum length respectively. Here are gorgeous
juvenile and adult Majestics in captivity. | 
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Symphorichthys spilurus (Gunther 1874), the Sailfin Snapper.
Western Pacific. To two feet in length in the wild, about half that
in captivity. | 
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