Yellowstreaked snapper (Lutjanus lemniscatus)

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 lemniscatus · Authority: (Valenciennes, 1828) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 218485.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Lutianus furvicaudatus Fowler, 1904; Lutianus janthinuropterus (Bleeker, 1853); Lutjanus janthinuropterus (Bleeker, 1853); Lutjanus melanotaenia Bleeker, 1863; Mesoprion immaculatus Cuvier, 1828; Mesoprion janthinuropterus Bleeker, 1853; Serranus lemniscatus Valenciennes, 1828.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=218485 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 92 cm · Common length: 35 cm · Depth range: 2–80 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 56.8 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Solitary or in small groups (Ref. 90102). Adults inhabit offshore reefs and muddy habitats.

Juveniles are sometimes found in the vicinity of coral reefs, often located close to the shore where silting is moderate and visibility is reduced. Adults usually very deep (Ref. 48635). They feed on fishes and a variety of benthic invertebrates.

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 157) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Lutjanus-lemniscatus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

1,182 georeferenced occurrence records for Lutjanus lemniscatus are published through GBIF from 22 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 154 distinct locations from a sample of 1,182 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 (1,050); Thailand (27); Bangladesh (22); Hong Kong (14); Indonesia (12).

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

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2384869) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2384869&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=218485 (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 lemniscatus (Valenciennes, 1828) 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 194352) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/194352/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2384869) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2384869/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Lutjanus lemniscatus was first formally described in 1828 as Serranus lemniscatus by the French zoologist Achille Valenciennes with the type locality given as Sri Lanka. The specific name lemniscatus means decorated with ribbons, a reference to the horizontal banded pattern of juveniles.

Description

Lutjanus lemniscatus has a moderately deep body which has a standard length which is 2.5 to 2.8 times its depth at its deepest point. The forehead is steeply sloped and the snout has a slightly concave profile. The knob and notch on the preoperculum are weakly developed. The vomerine teeth are arranged in a crescent shape with no rearwards extension and the tongue has a patch of granular teeth.

The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 13–14 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 8 soft rays. The rear of the dorsal fin and the anal fin are rounded, the pectoral fins have 16 rays and the caudal fin is truncate or weakly emarginate. This fish attains a maximum total length of 60 cm, although 35 cm is more typical. The typical overall colour may be greyish or pinkish-brown or olive-green or silvery with sooty brown to blackish dorsal and caudal fins, frequently showing a thin white margin.

The juveniles are light grey with a wide black mid-lateral stripe sandwiched by two thin white stripes extending from the tip of the snout to the base of the caudal fin. Specimens of adult fish living in deeper waters are frequently reddish in colour.

Distribution and habitat

Lutjanus lemniscatus has an Indo-West Pacific distribution which extends from southern India and Sri Lanka east to Papua New Guinea. It is also definitely been recorded from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia. Reports from Pakistan and Mozambique need confirmation. In Australia its range extends from Shark Bay in Western Australia to Cooktown in Queensland, and May reach as far as South on the east coast as Noosa.

This species occurs at depths between 0 to 110 m. The adults are found offshore on reefs and in muddy habitats. The juveniles are occasionally recorded in the vicinity of coral reefs, frequently situated near the shore with moderate silting and poor visibility. The adults are normally found in very deep water.

Biology

Lutjanus lemniscatus are found either singly or in small groups. It is a predatory species which feeds on fishes and benthic invertebrates.

Fisheries

Lutjanus lemniscatus is caught using handlines, traps and sometimes bottom trawls. It is targeted by artisanal fisheries in India's Gulf of Mannar and is taken in some general snapper fisheries, for example in Indonesia, but separate data is not collected.

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