Scientific Name
Lethrinus variegatus

Common Name
Slender emperor

Biology
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.

Classification

Classified By

Valenciennes, 1830

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Emperors or scavengers (Lethrinidae)

Distribution

Region

Indo-West Pacific

Distribution

Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Ryukyu Islands and New Caledonia. Recently reported from Tonga (Ref. 53797). Also reported from French Polynesian islands (Ref. 4795) but this is a misidentification of Lethrinus rubrioperculatus (Ref. 2295).

Range

30°N - 25°S

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

Unknown m

Depth To - meters

150 m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range ? - 150 m (Ref. 4369)

Trophic Level

3.82 s.e. 0.65 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

20.0 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: minor commercial

Vulnerability

Low vulnerability (23 of 100)

Resilience

Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (tmax=15)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated