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Lethrinus microdon Valenciennes, 1830 Smalltooth emperor |
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photo by
Hazes, B. |
| Family: | Lethrinidae (Emperors or scavengers), subfamily: Lethrininae | |||
| Max. size: | 80 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 4,850.0 g | |||
| Environment: | reef-associated; marine; depth range 10 - 200 m, non-migratory | |||
| Distribution: | 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. | |||
| Diagnosis: | Dorsal spines (total): 10-10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-9; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 8-8. 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. | |||
| Biology: | 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. Maximum depth reported taken from Ref. 9773. | |||
| IUCN Red List Status: | Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 09 March 2015 Ref. (130435) | |||
| Threat to humans: | reports of ciguatera poisoning | |||