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🌊 Marine Least Concern 🌡️ Tropical

Slender emperor

Lethrinus variegatus Valenciennes, 1830
Max Length
20 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
15 yrs
Trophic Level
3.8
Depth
1–150 m
Climate
Tropical
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
26.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
reef

📖 Overview

Inhabits sandy and weedy areas near coral reefs, solitarily or in groups , where it is well camouflaged and usually swims in the cover of the substrate . Juveniles sometimes abundant in shallow, weedy areas . Solitary or in small groups . Feeds on small benthic invertebrates . A protogynous hermaphrodite . Flesh of large individuals is esteemed .

Scientific Name
Lethrinus variegatus
Authority
Valenciennes, 1830
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Tropical
Body Shape
Fusiform / normal
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
20 cm
Lifespan
15 years
Depth Range
1–150 m
Latitude
35°S – 30°N
Trophic Level
3.8
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
26.00/100
Migration
Non-migratory
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8. Body is brown and gray (usually green, Ref. 48635), becoming lighter ventrally, with scattered irregular dark spots. Often there are two dark bands below the eye, one at the lower rim or the opercle and one at the corner of the mouth. The fins are generally light or translucent; the caudal fin is light and dark striped.: fusiform / normal; Cross section: oval.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Slender emperor is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

aquatic invertebrates
small fish
algae
detritus

🥚 Reproduction

🐣 Oviparous 📦 Batch Spawner
Spawning Season
spring-summer
Spawn Location
Pelagic
Fertilization
External

A monandric species . Length at sex change = 29.1 cm TL . Also Ref. 103751.

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 1 - 150 m . Tropical; 30°N - 35°S, 24°E - 173°W West Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Ryukyu Islands and New Caledonia.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine 🪸 Reef Associated
Migration
Non-migratory
Trophic Level
3.8
🧍 Solitary
Food Items

small benthic invertebrates (Ref

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.01445 × L2.98 (TL)
Max TL
20cm
Dorsal Spines
10
Dorsal Rays
9
Anal Spines
3
Anal Rays
8

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2015

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
26.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.8
Predator
Body Shape
Fusiform / normal
Climate Zone
Tropical
Latitude Range
30°N – 35°S
Described By
Valenciennes, 1830

📚 Scientific References

13 publications cited

General
  1. Froese, R. and Pauly, D. (Editors) (2024). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. FishBase Consortium. Link ↗
Conservation
  1. IUCN (2024). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2024-1. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Link ↗
Taxonomy
  1. GBIF Secretariat (2024). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. DOI ↗
Nutrition
  1. USDA Agricultural Research Service (2024). FoodData Central. USDA National Nutrient Database. United States Department of Agriculture. Link ↗
Fishery
  1. NOAA Fisheries (2024). FishWatch: U.S. Seafood Facts. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Link ↗
  2. Monterey Bay Aquarium (2024). Seafood Watch Recommendations. Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation. Link ↗
Aquaculture
  1. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department (2024). The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Link ↗
Distribution
  1. Kaschner, K., Kesner-Reyes, K., Garilao, C., Segschneider, J., Rius-Barile, J., Rees, T., Froese, R. (2024). AquaMaps: Predicted range maps for aquatic species. AquaMaps. Link ↗
Ecology
  1. Nelson, J.S., Grande, T.C., Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). Fishes of the World. 5th edition. John Wiley & Sons.
Behavior
  1. Helfman, G.S., Collette, B.B., Facey, D.E., Bowen, B.W. (2009). The Diversity of Fishes: Biology, Evolution, and Ecology. 2nd edition. Wiley-Blackwell.
Morphology
  1. Froese, R. (2006). Cube law, condition factor and weight-length relationships: history, meta-analysis and recommendations. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 22(4), 241-253. DOI ↗
Toxicology
  1. Halstead, B.W., Auerbach, P.S., Campbell, D. (1988). A Colour Atlas of Dangerous Marine Animals. Wolfe Medical Publications. Wolfe Medical.
Reproduction
  1. Balon, E.K. (1975). Reproductive Guilds of Fishes: A Proposal and Definition. Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada, 32(6), 821-864.

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 11 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

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