Pinjalo lewisi

Pinjalo lewisi, also called the slender pinjalo or red pinjalo, is a type of marine ray-finned fish in the snapper family Lutjanidae. Its range covers the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.

Taxonomy

The species was first scientifically described in 1987 by John Ernest Randall, Gerald R. Allen, and William D. Anderson Jr., based on a specimen from the Dumaguete market on Negros, Philippines. Its name honors Anthony D. Lewis (born 1948), then with the Fisheries Division of Fiji’s Ministry of Primary Industries, for providing valuable specimens and photographs and for donating a paratype.

Description

This fish has a moderately deep body with a steep forehead profile and a distinctly convex area between the eyes. Its snout is short and pointed, and its eye is large—about the same length as the snout—with an adipose eyelid. The small mouth reaches only to the front of the eye.

Each jaw holds a row of small, conical teeth that are larger at the front, with a band of bristle-like teeth inside. The dorsal fin has 12 spines and 13 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8–9 soft rays; both fins have a scaly sheath at their base. The long pectoral fins reach to the anus and usually have 17 rays. The tail fin is slightly notched.

Its overall color is reddish to reddish-orange, with a pale spot on the upper part of the tail stalk. The fish can quickly change its color intensity. It reaches a maximum standard length of 50 cm (20 in).

Distribution and habitat

In the Indian Ocean, it occurs around the Laccadive Islands, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and the Chagos Islands. It has also been recorded from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, eastward to Fiji, and north to the Ryukyu Islands.

In Australia, it appears near Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island in the Timor Sea, northeast of Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory, and from reefs off Innisfail to Hervey Bay, Queensland. Planktonic larvae have been found south of the main range. The species lives at depths of 20 to 200 m (66 to 656 ft) over deep coral and rocky reefs.

Biology

It is often seen in schools and feeds on both bottom-dwelling and planktonic invertebrates, as well as possibly fish. Spawning groups have been reported off Aceh, Sumatra.

Fishermen catch it with handlines, traps, and bottom trawls, and in Australian waters with deep drop-lines. It is usually sold fresh.