Midnight snapper (Macolor macularis)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Macolor macularis · Authority: Fowler, 1931 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 218500.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=218500 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 60 cm · Depth range: 0–90 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 44 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Adults inhabit steep slopes of lagoon, channel, or seaward reefs (Ref. 9710), commonly on deep reef slopes and may be in small groups (Ref. 9710, 48635). Juveniles occur singly on protected reef slopes with feather stars, in staghorn corals or large sponges. Occasionally, they aggregate with M. niger . Apparently feed primarily on large zooplankton at night (Ref. 37816); but also feed largely on fishes and crustaceans. Caught with handlines, gill nets, and traps, also speared by divers. Usually seen in markets and sold mainly fresh (Ref. 9821). Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 128797.

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 186) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Macolor-macularis.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

3,093 georeferenced occurrence records for Macolor macularis are published through GBIF from 30 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 282 distinct locations from a sample of 3,000 records, omitting 31 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: Northern Mariana Islands (545); Indonesia (494); American Samoa (443); Micronesia (Federated States of) (231); Australia (217).

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

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2385209) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2385209&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=218500 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Macolor macularis Fowler, 1931 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 194348) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/194348/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2385209) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2385209/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Macolor macularis was first formally described in 1931 by the American ichthyologist Henry Weed Fowler with the type locality given as near Ragay Gulf on Luzon. The specific name macularis means "spotted", presumed to be a reference to the description stating "most every scale with gray or blue spot".

Macolor macularis has a wide Indo-West Pacific range which is not well known because of confusion with Macolor niger. It has been found in the Chagos Islands and the Maldives and southwestern India. In the Pacific it is found from the Andaman Sea and Sumatra east to Samoa and the Phoenix Islands, north to Taiwan and the Yaeyama Islands of southern Japan and south to Australia. In Australian waters this species is found from the offshore reefs in northern Western Australia, the Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea, the Arafura Sea in the Northern Territory, and the Great Barrier Reef of Queensland. It also occurs around the reefs of the Coral Sea and at Christmas Island.

The adults occur over steep slopes of lagoon, channel, or seaward reefs, they are commonly found on deep reef slopes. Juveniles live solitarily on sheltered reef slopes with crinoids, in staghorn coral or large sponges.

Macolor macularis attains a maximum total length of 60 cm. The overall colour of adults is dark grey brown on the upper body shading to yellow on head and lower body. There are thin blue lines and small spots on the head. The scales on the body have blue lines or dashes. The juveniles have a piebald pattern of black and white including five white spots on the back. Subadult are similar to juveniles but with many more white spots on the back and small white spots in the other black areas. The smaller adults show traces of the juvenile patterning.

This species has a moderately deep body with a rather convex forehead with a large mouth. The preoperculum has a deep incision on its lower margin. There is a row of conical teeth in the jaws, the ones in the front are enlarged and there are bands of bristle-like teeth on sides of upper jaw and front of lower jaw inside the outer row. The vomerine teeth are arranged in a roughly chevron shaped patch. The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 13-14 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 10soft rays. The rear tips of the dorsal and anal fins clearly pointed. The long pectoral fins extend as far as the level of the anus and has 17 or 18 fin rays. The caudal fin is emarginate. The smaller juveniles, those with a standard length of around 20 cm or less have very elongated pelvic fins.

Macolor macularis is a nocturnal predatory species which feeds on larger zooplankton, fishes and crustaceans. It can be found as a solitary fish or in schools, sometimes in mixed schools with M. niger. It is a long lived fish with many attaining ages of 40–50 years, the oldest was a fish from Rowley Shoals in Western Australia which was known to be 81 years old.

Macolor macularis is often recorded in fish markets, largely as fresh fish. Fishers catch them using handlines, gill nets, traps and by spearfishing.

Source: Wikipedia: Macolor macularis — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macolor_macularis (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

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