Morphology Data of Lutjanus malabaricus
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. Anderson, W.D. Jr. and G.R. Allen, 2001
Appearance refers to Male; Female
Bones in OsteoBase

Sex attributes

Specialized organs no special organs
Different appearance males alike females
Different colors males alike females
Remarks

Descriptive characteristics of juvenile and adult

Striking features none
Body shape lateral fusiform / normal
Cross section oval
Dorsal head profile clearly concave
Type of eyes more or less normal
Type of mouth/snout more or less normal
Position of mouth terminal
Type of scales ctenoid scales
Diagnosis

This species is distinguished by the following characters: body relatively deep; greatest depth 2.2-2.8 in SL; mouth large, maxilla length about equal to distance between bases of

last dorsal- and anal-fin rays; preopercular notch and knob poorly developed; vomerine tooth patch crescentic or triangular, without a medial posterior extension; gill rakers of first gill arch 4-7 + 12-14 = 18-20 (including rudiments); caudal fin truncate. Colour of back and sides red or red-orange, lighter on lower parts; fins reddish; juveniles with a broad, oblique band of brown or black from upper jaw to beginning of dorsal fin, and a prominent black band across caudal peduncle with a pearly white anterior border, similar to L. timorensis but without the black pectoral-fin axil; young also with a series of narrow reddish horizontal lines (sometimes absent) on sides (Ref. 9821, 90102).

Description: Dorsal profile of head steeply sloped; preorbital bone much broader than eye diameter; scale rows on back rising obliquely above lateral line (Ref. 9821).

Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Lutjanus malabaricus

Lateral Lines 1 Interrupted: No
Scales on lateral line
Pored lateral line scales 46 - 50
Scales in lateral series
Scale rows above lateral line
Scale rows below lateral line
Scales around caudal peduncle
Barbels 0
Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) absent
Gill rakers
on lower limb 12 - 14
on upper limb 4 - 7
total 18 - 20
Vertebrae
preanal
total

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes no striking attributes
Fins number 1
Finlets No. Dorsal   0 - 0
Ventral  0 - 0
Spines total 11 - 11
Soft-rays total 12 - 14
Adipose fin absent

Caudal fin

Attributes more or less truncate; more or less normal

Anal fin(s)

Fins number 1
Spines total 3 - 3
Soft-rays total 8 - 9

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  more or less normal
Spines     0
Soft-rays   16 - 17
Pelvics Attributes  more or less normal
Position    thoracic  behind origin of D1
Spines     1
Soft-rays   5 - 5
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