Ehrenberg's Snapper

Lutjanus ehrenbergii is a spacies of snappers found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are predatory fish usually found in tropical and subtropical reefs, and mangrove forests.

Description

Colour of back and upper sides is dark brown, lower sides and belly are whitish with a silver sheen. It usually has a series of 4-5 narrow yellow stripes on the sides below the lateral line and a distinct round, black spot on the back below the posterior part of the spinous portion of the dorsal fin. Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-14; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7 - 9. This species is distinguished by the following characters: body is moderately deep; greatest depth 2.5-3.0 in SL; preopercular notch and knob are poorly developed; vomerine tooth patch is triangular, with a medial posterior extension; gill rakers of first gill arch 6-7 + 10-14 - 16-21; caudal fin is truncate to slightly emarginate; scale rows on back are parallel to lateral line.

Distribution

Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Solomon and Mariana islands.

Habitat

Adults inhabit very shallow coastal habitats, often in large schools near freshwater run-offs. Juveniles are often intertidal; over sand, silt, or coral rubble bottoms, occasionally in mangrove-lined streams and estuaries. They may enter freshwater to feed on small fish and invertebrates.