Giant ruby snapper (Etelis boweni)
Source-cited species reference: taxonomy from WoRMS, biology from FishBase, occurrence map from GBIF, description from Wikipedia.
Last updated
Distribution map plotted from GBIF.org occurrence records; basemap Natural Earth 110m · GBIF records CC0 / CC BY; Natural Earth public domain
Etelis boweni, known as Bowen's snapper or giant ruby snapper, is a species of ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It was discovered in deeper waters in the Indo-West Pacific region by a team of marine biologists from the United States, Spain, and Taiwan. It was named on March 9, 2021, after Brian Bowen, a researcher at the University of Hawaii.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassActinopterygii
- DivisionTeleostei
- OrderAcanthuriformes
- FamilyLutjanidae
- GenusEtelis
- SpeciesEtelis boweni
Named by Andrews, Fernandez-Silva, Randall & Ho, 2021
Close relatives
Other species of Etelis with a Codexery entry.
- Etelis carbunculus Etelis carbunculus
- Queen snapper Etelis oculatus
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Etelis boweni (CC BY-SA 4.0) · differs from this box at order: WoRMS AphiaID 1536489 (CC BY 4.0)
How big is it?
Largest length in the source, 0.57 m, next to a 1.8 m person.
Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: FishBase species summary
Where the giant ruby snapper (etelis boweni) has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (889 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range.
Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain) · place coordinates: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Classification (WoRMS)
Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Eupercaria incertae sedis · Family: Lutjanidae · Genus: Etelis.
Accepted name: Etelis boweni · Authority: Andrews, Fernandez-Silva, Randall & Ho, 2021 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 1536489.
Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1536489 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.
Biology and life history (FishBase)
Measured values published by FishBase for Etelis boweni. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.
Maximum length: 57.099998474121094 cm · Depth range: 209–319 m · Habitat zone: demersal · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 47.9 of 100 · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.
FishBase notes: Reported catch from the East Bank, American Samoa in 2016, weighed 31 kg and total length >1 m (Ref. 123743).
Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 70749) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Etelis-boweni.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.
Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)
889 georeferenced occurrence records for Etelis boweni are published through GBIF from 4 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 13 distinct locations from a sample of 889 records; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.
Most records by country or area: Mayotte (875); Australia (11); Indonesia (2); Wallis and Futuna (1).
Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 11205527) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=11205527&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1536489 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.
Description and natural history (Wikipedia)
Etelis boweni has a fusiform, orange red body that gradually becomes pink midway down its body and silvery white on its underbelly.
E. boweni is similar to Etelis carbunculus, but has several key differences. E. boweni has a much larger adult body size at nearly twice the size as E. carbunculus. E. boweni also has a protruding lower jaw, black tip on the top of the tail fin and larger snout length than that of E. carbunculus.
Etelis boweni has been collected from the Red Sea and Western Australia. Genetic samples of E. boweni have also been collected from Seychelles, Christmas Island, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa. Although the distribution of E. boweni''' is largely sympatric with that of E. carbunculus, E. boweni is unlikely to be found in the Hawaiian Archipelago.Etelis boweni has been found at depths from 209-319m.
Environmental Threats Etelis boweni is threatened with overfishing. From 2016 to present, E. boweni has been in the 50 most abundant species found in the deepwater demersal fisheries of Southern Indonesia. Catch data suggests that the majority of E. boweni'' caught have not had the opportunity to reproduce or reach maturity before capture. However, fisheries trends indicate that overfishing risks in the area are improving.
Source: Wikipedia: Etelis boweni — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etelis_boweni (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Etelis boweni (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Classification: the source article's taxobox; compare WoRMS, the World Register of Marine Species (CC BY 4.0).
- Occurrence records: GBIF (CC0 / CC BY). Basemap: Natural Earth (public domain).
- Biology values: FishBase species summary (CC BY-NC 3.0, non-commercial).
- Word definitions: the , each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced