Lutjanus rivulatus, Cuvier, 1828
Not Evaluated
Reports of ciguatera poisoning to human.
Body very deep (greatest depth 2.0 to 2.4 times in standard length). Dorsal profile of head steeply 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 or 12, total rakers on first arch 17 or 18. Dorsal fin with 10 spines and 15 or 16 soft rays; anal fin with 3 spines and 8 soft rays; posterior profile of dorsal fin rounded; posterior profile of anal fin distinctly pointed; pectoral fins with 17 rays; caudal fin truncate or slightly emarginate. Scale rows on back rising obliquely above lateral line.
Juveniles with a series of 3 to 8 brown bars on sides and a chalky-white spot, with a broad blackish margin, present below anterior soft dorsal ray. Large adults brownish to grey with small white spots and fine striations on the head.
Bottom dwelling
L. rivulatus is more similar to L. stellatus
Color generally olive-green on back, paler to silvery on belly. Head with numerous wavy white or bluish bands across cheeks. Pearly blotch with black edge on lateral line below anterior part of soft dorsal fin. Each body scales having white or bluish dot. Fins largely yellowish with shading of dusky brown, sometimes a dark brown cross bar at level of pectoral fin base.
max size 80 cm, common 60 cm. Max reported weight 11.0 kg (Lieske and Myers, 1994).
Widespread in the Indo-Pacific from Tahiti to East Africa, and from Australia to southern Japan.
Occasionally encountered on coral reefs or shallow inshore flats. Also occurs in deeper water to at least 100 m. Found solitarily or in small groups of up to 15 to 20 fish.
Mature at the size of 50 cm.
A nematod species, Cucullanus rivulatus parasiting L. rivulatus was reported from India (Soota and Day Sarkar, 1980 ).
Marketed fresh. Aquaculture species.
Diacope rivulata Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. 2 1828. 414
From Talwar and Kacker, 1984
Longitudinal rows of scales above lateral line parallel to it anteriorly, but sometimes appearing to rise obliquely somewhat below posterior part of spinous or soft dorsal fin......
Scales on head begining behind eyes, temporal region naked or nearly so....
All logitudinal rows of scales below lateral line appear to rise obliquly to dorsal profile, sometimes horizontal anteriorly......
Vomerine teeth in a triangular shaped patch without posterior prolongation, or in a inverted V or crescentric shaped patch.....
Preopercular notch shallow.....
Dorsal fin with 15 soft rays; a chalk-white blotch in lateral line above anterior part of soft dorsal fin, oreceded by a dark brown blotch.....
Benthic crusteceans, fish, cephalopods
An excellent foodfish frequently found in markets and important to artisanal fisheries. Caught with handlines, traps, and bottom set gill nets, occasionally trawled.