Blackeye emperor (Lethrinus enigmaticus)

Scientific name: Lethrinus enigmaticus Smith, 1959

The Blackeye emperor (Lethrinus enigmaticus) is a marine fish of the family Lethrinidae. Native range: Western Indian Ocean, known only from the Seychelles. Has been synonymized with Lethrinus mahsena.

Biology

Found over seagrass beds, coral reefs and adjacent sandy areas. Feeds mainly on echinoderms, crustaceans, and fish, and to a lesser degree on mollusks. Smaller, more numerous females than males have been confirmed for the Saya de Malta population. Marketed fresh.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Lethrinus enigmaticus
Family: Lethrinidae (Emperors or scavengers)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 55.0
Common length: 32.5
Depth range: 50 m (164 ft)
Environment: Marine; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range ? - 50 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Western Indian Ocean: known only from the Seychelles. Has been synonymized with Lethrinus mahsena.
Conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: commercial
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.13-0.18)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026