Lutjanus stellatus, Akazaki 1983
Body is moderately deep, generally brown, slightly purplish, grading to yellowish brown or pale orange on belly. A longitudinal blue stripe runs from the snout to the opercle; a white spot is just above the lateral line below the first soft ray of the dorsal fin.
Not evaluated
Harmless
L. stellatus is looks more similar to L. rivulatus and L. bohar due to white spot on body side, but the position and size of white spot is different than L. rivulatus and L. bohar.
Dorsal profile of head moderately sloped; preorbital bone broad, about twice the eye diameter; preopercular notch and knob moderately developed; vomerine tooth patch crescentic, without a medial posterior extension; tongue smooth, without teeth; gill rakers on lower limb of first arch (including rudiments) 11 to 13, total rakers on first arch 16 to 19. Dorsal fin with 10 spines and 13 to 15 soft rays; anal fin with 3 spines and 8 or 9 soft rays; posterior profile of dorsal and anal fins rounded; pectoral fins with 16 to 18 rays; caudal fin truncate or slightly emarginate. Scale rows on back rising obliquely above lateral line. Colour: back and upper sides dark brown to purplish; lower sides purple to yellow-brown grading to pale orange on belly; a small white spot above lateral line at level of first soft dorsal rays; a blue stripe from snout to opercle; upper edge of opercle yellowish; fins greyish basally but mostly yellowish; juveniIes yellowish with blue longitudinal lines on sides; a white spot bordered with black at level of lateral line below last dorsal spines; a pair of horizontal blue lines below eye; fins yellow.
max 55 cm, common 35 cm
Known only from the northwestern tropical and subtropical Pacific, from southern Japan southward to the vicinity of Hong Kong (FAO Species Catalouge 6). Recently reported from Gulf of Mannar region, Tamilnadu, East coast of India, outside from its known geographical distribution (Murugan et al. In preparation)
coral reefs and rocky area. Found in small groups.
Taken in fresh condition. Good eating fish with excellent taste.
Lutjanus stellatus Akazaki, 1983, Japan J.Ichthyol., 29(4):367
Zoobenthos, small fish, crusteceans
Not frequently occured in fish market. Caught by hand lines, bottom set gill nets and bottom set long lines.