Lutjanus quinquelineatus

Lore & Background

Lutjanus quinquelineatus was first formally described in 1790 as Holocentrus quinquelineatus by the German physician and zoologist Marcus Elieser Bloch, with the type locality given as Japan. The specific name quinquelineatus means 'five lined', a reference to the five blue lines on the flanks.

The species has a moderately deep body, with a steeply sloped forehead and a clear, well-developed preopercular incision and knob. The vomerine teeth are arranged in a crescent-shaped patch with no rearwards extension, and there are no teeth on the smooth tongue. The dorsal fin contains 10 spines and 13-15 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8-9 soft rays. The pectoral fins contain 16 or 17 rays, and the caudal fin is either truncate or weakly emarginate. The upper part of the head is brownish, but the overall colour is yellow marked with five vivid blue horizontal stripes on the flanks, and there is typically a black blotch or spot on the upper posterior part of the body.

This snapper occurs in protected lagoons and the exposed outer slopes of coral reefs at depths between 2 and 40 m. Juveniles are found in sheltered bays with substrates of rubble and algae. It has been recorded forming sizeable schools in some Pacific locations, commonly encountered in large aggregations at depths of 30 to 40 m that may exceed 100 individuals.

Reader's Guide

Lutjanus quinquelineatus is considered a good quality food fish and is important to artisanal fisheries in parts of its range. It is caught using handlines, traps, and gillnets, and is sold as fresh fish in much of its range. The five-lined snapper is a valued quarry for recreational fishers in Queensland and is also found in the aquarium trade. Its distribution spans the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean, from the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman east to Fiji, Tonga, Tahiti, and the Caroline Islands, north to Japan, and south to Australia. In Australian waters, it occurs from the central coast of Western Australia along the tropical northern coast and south on the eastern coast as far as central New South Wales. The species is predatory, with a diet dominated by fishes and crustaceans. Off New Caledonia, spawning takes place over much of the year, peaking from November to January. The species attains a maximum total length of 38 cm, though 30 cm is more typical.

Did You Know?

• The specific name quinquelineatus means 'five lined', referring to the five blue lines on the flanks.
• It was first formally described in 1790 by Marcus Elieser Bloch as Holocentrus quinquelineatus.
• It can form schools of more than 100 individuals at depths of 30 to 40 m.
• Off New Caledonia, spawning peaks from November to January.