Lutjanus erythropterus

Lore & Background

The crimson snapper was first formally described in 1790 by German physician and zoologist Marcus Elieser Bloch, with the type locality given as Nagasaki. Its specific name, erythropterus, is a compound of the Greek words erythros meaning 'red' and pterus meaning 'fin', referring to its red median fins. Adults are pinkish-red to silver, often with a darker red posterior margin on the caudal fin and a light vertical bar behind the head. The species has a moderately deep body, a steeply sloped head, large eyes, and a truncate caudal fin. It is mainly nocturnal, foraging at night for fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, and other benthic invertebrates. It is a relatively slow-growing and long-lived species, with a maximum lifespan of 42 years.

Reader's Guide

Lutjanus erythropterus is considered a high-quality eating fish that appears in markets regularly, though in small quantities. It is caught using handlines and bottom trawls, and is targeted alongside the Malabar blood snapper (Lutjanus malabaricus) in Australia by both recreational anglers and commercial fisheries. It is also a quarry species in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea for recreational, artisanal, and commercial fisheries, with part of the catch exported internationally. In southern China, it is being farmed in aquaculture. The species has a wide distribution and a stable population, and is strictly protected in some areas. The IUCN classifies it as Least Concern. Its distribution extends from the Gulf of Oman east to the Admiralty Islands of Papua New Guinea, south to northern Australia, and north to southern Japan. It is associated with silty substrates in deeper waters, sometimes forming schools over reefs and wrecks at depths greater than 20 m. Juveniles settle in shallow muddy substrates, occasionally entering estuaries.

Did You Know?

• The specific name erythropterus means 'red fin' in Greek.
• It was first described in 1790 by Marcus Elieser Bloch with Nagasaki as the type locality.
• The maximum recorded total length is 81.6 cm, but 45 cm is more typical.
• It spawns in all months of the year in Australia and Indonesia.