Spanish flag snapper (Lutjanus carponotatus)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Eupercaria incertae sedis · Family: Lutjanidae · Genus: Lutjanus.

Accepted name: Lutjanus carponotatus · Authority: (Richardson, 1842) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 276528.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Lutianus chrysotaenia (Bleeker, 1851); Lutjanus carponatus (Richardson, 1842); Lutjanus chrysotaenia (Bleeker, 1851); Mesoprion carponotatus Richardson, 1842; Mesoprion chrysotaenia Bleeker, 1851; Mesoprion naborer Montrouzier, 1857.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=276528 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Lutjanus carponotatus. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 40 cm · Common length: 30 cm · Depth range: 1–80 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 26.5 of 100 · Fishery importance: minor commercial · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: May be found in turbid coastal waters (Ref. 90102). Adults inhabit coral reefs in both sheltered lagoons and on outer reef slopes. Often encountered in schools of up to 20 to 30 individuals. (Ref. 55)

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 1424) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Lutjanus-carponotatus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

6,142 georeferenced occurrence records for Lutjanus carponotatus are published through GBIF from 13 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 171 distinct locations from a sample of 3,000 records, omitting 23 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Australia (5,808); Indonesia (97); Philippines (53); Thailand (46); Singapore (40).

The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2384805) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2384805&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=276528 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Lutjanus carponotatus (Richardson, 1842) as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 194384) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/194384/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2384805) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2384805/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Lutjanus carponotatus was first formally described in 1842 as Mesoprion carponotatusby the Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and arctic explorer Sir John Richardson with the type locality given as Port Essington in the Northern Territory of Australia. The specific name is a compound of karpos which means "wrist"and notatus meaning "marked" a reference to the blackish spot at the base of the highest rays and upper axil of the pectoral fins.

Description

Lutjanus carponotatus has a moderately deep body which has a depth of around 2.5 times its standard length. The snout is rather pointed, with a steep dorsal profile. The knob and incision on the preoperculum are weakly developed. The vomerine teeth may be arranged in a triangular patch with a posterior extension or in a rhombus shaped patch and there is a small patch of grain like teeth on the tongue.

The dorsal fin contains 10 spines and 14-16 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 9 soft rays. The rear part of the dorsal fin and the anal fin are rounded in shape, the pectoral fin has 15 to 17 rays and the caudal fin is emarginate. The scale rows on the back rise diagonally from the lateral line. The maximum total length recorded for this species is 40 cm although 30 cm is more typical.

This species overall colour is bluish-grey to whitish and it is marked with 8-9 yellow to golden-brown horizontal stripes along the flanks, they have yellow fins and there is a blackish spot on the axil and the base of the uppermost rays of the pectoral fin. The juveniles have a wide white longitudinal stripe running from the snout to the base of the caudal fin, above and below this whitish stripe there are alternating dark brown to black stripes.

Distribution and habitat

Lutjanus carponotatus has a distribution in the Indo-West Pacific. Their range extends from the Andaman Sea coast and Bay of Bengal in western India east to Papua New Guinea north to the coasts of the South China Sea and south to northern Australia. In Australia it is found from Shark Bay in Western Australia east to Moreton Bay in Queensland, possibly reaching south as far as northern New South Wales, it also occurs on reefs in the Coral Sea.

They are found at depths between 2 and 80 m, although they are rarely recorded below 15 m. The adults are found in coral reefs, both in sheltered lagoons and on the outer slopes, often found in turbid coastal waters. The juveniles are found in the back reef near the shore where there are tabular and corymb-like Acropora corals with a sandy substrate.

Biology

Lutjanus carponotatus is frequently encountered in schools of 20-30 fishes. This species has a pelagic larval stage which lasts for 3–4 weeks before the larva settles. As adults they are sedentary, remaining mainly within a small home range. They then grow quickly for their first 3–4 years and females reach sexual maturity at 2 years old and a fork length of around 19 cm.

They have a lifespan of 18–20 years. The Spanish flag snapper is an active predator, using ambush tactics to catch smaller fishes and crustaceans, although they are somewhat opportunistic and have been recorded consuming juvenile sea turtles. The number of eggs the female can lay increases with their size, as does the size of the eggs, and the larger females can lay over 700,000 eggs at a time.

Fisheries

Lutjanus carponotatus is an important species for artisanal, recreational and commercial fisheries throughout its range. It is caught mostly with handlines or rod and reel (Australia), traps and gill nets. It is targeted by recreational fishers in Western Australia. It is also caught by trawlers.

In Australia the catch of this species makes up less than 10% of the fish landed by the commercial line fishery on the Great Barrier Reef. In the Philippines and Indonesia it is a commercially targeted species but landing statistics are unavailable. This fish is normally sold fresh at market.

Source: Wikipedia: Lutjanus carponotatus — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutjanus_carponotatus (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.