Lutjanus adetii

The yellow-banded snapper, also called the hussar, is a marine fish in the snapper family Lutjanidae. It lives in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. While not a major commercial species, it is caught by local fisheries and is popular with recreational anglers.

Taxonomy

French naturalist François-Louis Laporte, comte de Castelnau, first described this species in 1873, naming it Diacope adetii. He based the description on specimens collected in Nouméa, New Caledonia, by a man identified only as "Mr. Adet," whose full name was not recorded.

Description

This snapper has a fairly deep body, with a standard length about 2.5 to 2.7 times its depth. Its snout is somewhat pointed, the preorbital bone is wider than the eye’s diameter, and it has a well-developed preopercular protuberance and notch. The tongue has a patch of granular teeth, and the vomerine teeth form a triangular patch.

The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 14 soft rays; the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays; both fins have rounded rear edges. The pectoral fins have 17 rays, and the tail fin may be slightly notched or forked. The body is rosy-pink, fading to silvery on the belly, with a dusky to golden stripe running from the middle of the gill cover to the base of the tail fin. A golden patch surrounds the eye and extends onto the snout, and there is a yellow blotch at the base of the pectoral fin.

The dorsal and anal fins have white margins. Juveniles have a large red spot on the tail stalk, which some keep as the mid-lateral stripe appears. The fish can reach a total length of 50 cm (20 in), though 30 cm (12 in) is more typical.

Distribution and habitat

Its range is limited to the southwestern Pacific, including eastern Australia, eastern Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia. In Australia, it occurs from the northern Great Barrier Reef in Queensland south to Sydney, New South Wales, with small juveniles recorded even farther south, and also around Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea. It lives from the surface down to 40 m (130 ft) among rocky and coral reefs.

Biology

The hussar is a nocturnal hunter. Adults gather in large groups during the day and scatter at night to feed. Off New Caledonia, spawning occurs from August to February, peaking between November and January.

The species is mainly caught by recreational fishers. Its flesh is considered good quality, and it is sold fresh in some local markets, especially in New Caledonia.