Sky emperor (Lethrinus mahsena)

Scientific name: Lethrinus mahsena Forssk?l, 1775

Sky emperor (Lethrinus mahsena)

The Sky emperor (Lethrinus mahsena) is a marine fish of the family Lethrinidae. Native range: Western Indian Ocean, Red Sea and East Africa to Sri Lanka. References to this species from the Central Pacific probably refer to Lethrinus atkinsoni.

Biology

Found over reef areas and adjacent sandy and seagrass areas. Feeds mainly on echinoderms (most frequently sea urchins), crustaceans and fishes; mollusks, tunicates, sponges, polychaetes and other worms are consumed in lesser quantities. A protogynous hermaphrodite. In most areas of the Red Sea, it is considered an excellent food fish but in certain areas of the Indian Ocean it may have an unpleasant 'coral' smell and taste. Utilized fresh for broiling and baking.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Lethrinus mahsena
Family
Lethrinidae (Emperors or scavengers)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
65.0
Common length
40.0
Depth range
2–100 m (7–328 ft)
Environment
Marine; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 2 - 100 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea and East Africa to Sri Lanka. References to this species from the Central Pacific probably refer to Lethrinus atkinsoni.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.10-0.30; tm=3; Fec=26,700)

Sources

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

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