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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. |
| 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 |
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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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