Bluestriped snapper

The bluestriped snapper (Lutjanus notatus) is a marine fish from the snapper family, Lutjanidae, living in the southwestern Indian Ocean. French zoologist Georges Cuvier first described it in 1828, giving the type locality as the Indian Ocean. Its species name, notatus, means "marked," referring to a dark spot often visible below the dorsal fin.

Description

This fish has a fairly deep body, with a standard length about 2.5 to 2.7 times its deepest point. Its forehead slopes steeply, and it has a well-developed notch and knob on the preopercle. The vomerine teeth form a crescent-shaped patch without a rear extension, and the tongue lacks teeth.

The dorsal fin has 11–12 spines and 12–13 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 7–8 soft rays; both fins are rounded at the rear. Pectoral fins have 15–16 rays, and the tail fin is either straight or slightly indented. The fish reaches a maximum total length of 25 cm (9.8 in), though 20 cm (7.9 in) is more typical. The head and upper back are brownish, the sides are yellow, and the belly is pale yellowish white.

Six thin blue horizontal stripes run along the flanks, with the top three sloping upward toward the dorsal fin base. A dark spot, about the size of a pupil, often appears on the lateral line below the front of the dorsal fin’s soft-rayed section. Most fins are yellow.

Distribution and habitat

The bluestriped snapper occurs in the southwestern Indian Ocean, recorded from South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, and India. Adults inhabit coral reefs at depths of 10 to 50 m (33 to 164 ft).

Fisheries

Usually solitary, it sometimes forms small schools of 5–10 individuals. It preys on other fish and bottom-dwelling invertebrates. Artisanal fisheries catch it wherever it is found, using handlines, traps, and gill nets, though only small amounts appear in local markets.