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Scientific Name: Lutjanus carponotatus
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 40cm
Identification: Grayish to white undercolor with 5-9 yellow to golden brown stripes; black spot on base of pectoral fin.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Turbid coastal reefs, lagoons and outer slopes in 1-35m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - India to Papua New Guinea. S. China to N. Australia and Great Barrier Reef.

Five-Lined Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus quinquelineatus
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 39cm
Identification: Yellow with 5 blue stripes, bottom stripe on yellow belly; usually black spot or smudge on rear back.
Favourite: Frequently form groups.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs, lagoons and outer slopes in 2-40m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Arabian Gulf to Fiji. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Bluestripe Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus kasmira
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 35cm
Identification: Bright yellow upper body with 4 neon-blue stripes; white belly with faint gray stripes.
Favourite: Usually congregate around coral outcroppings.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs, lagoons and outer slopes in 1-265m.
Location: Indo Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Micronesia, Hawaii and Polynesia. S.W. Japan to S.E. Australia.

Bengal Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus bengalensis
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 30cm
Identification: Yellow upper half of body with 4 neon-blue stripes; white unmarked lower body immediately below 4th stripe.
Favourite: Small groups congregate around outcroppings.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs, lagoons and outer slopes in 10-30m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Molucca Is. in E. Indonesia.

Two-Spot Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus biguttatus
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Identification: Slender; brownish gray back with 2-3 white spots, reddish brown belly; wide reddish brown stripe from snout to tail and wide white stripe from mouth to tail.
Favourite: From small to large groups.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs, lagoons and seaward slopes in 5-30m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Maldives to Fiji. Philippines to Great Barrier Reef.

Timor Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus timorensis
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 50cm
Identification: Red; black spot on base of pectoral fin. Young have diagonal dark bar through eye and pearl-white spot on upper tail base.
Hide-out: Coastal reef slopes, often on sand with scattered reef or log debris in 10-130m.
Location: East Indo-West Pacific - Andaman Sea to Samoa, north to Philippines.

Red Emperor Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus sebae
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 60cm
Identification: Juvenile/Sub-adult - White with red-brown mid-body bar; band from lip to nape, 2nd band mid-dorsal fin to lower tail. Adult - Solid red.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Typically deep, sandy bottoms to 100m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Australia and Papua New Guinea, north to S. Japan.

Onespot Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus monostigma
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 60cm
Identification: Silver to reddish or yellowish silver with yellow fins; may display a horizontally elongate black spot on rear back.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Outer reef areas in 5-60m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Micronesia, Line Is., Tuamotu and Marquesas Is. in French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Australia and New Caledonia.

Malabar Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus malabaricus
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 100cm
Identification: Juvenile - Reddish with narrow dusky stripes; black band from lip through eye to dorsal fin, white-edged black spot covering tail base. Adult - Red in deep water, not on reefs.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Coastal and outer reefs in 10-40m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Arabian Gulf to Palau and Fiji. Taiwan and S.W. Japan to S.E. Australia.

Lunartail Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus lunulatus
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 35cm
Identification: Reddish pink with yellow belly, pectoral, ventral and anal fins; wide dark crescent on foretail.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs and seaward slopes in 10-30m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Pakistan to Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.

Longspot Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus fulviflamma
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 35cm
Identification: Whitish undercolor with yellow stripes of equal width below lateral line, yellow tail and anal fin; long oval to rectangular spot on lateral line below mid-dorsal fin.
Favourite: Usually form groups.
Hide-out: Estuaries, coastal reefs and outer slopes in 3-35m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Samoa and Tonga. Taiwan to S.W. & S.E. Australia and Lord Howe I.

Humpback Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus gibbus
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 50cm
Identification: Shades of red to gray; maroon forked tail with rounded lobes, high arching nape and foreback; orange around base of pectoral fin.
Favourite: Solitary or form schools.
Hide-out: Lagoons, passages and outer reef slopes in 1-150m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Micronesia, Line Is. and French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Australia and New Caledonia.

Golden-Lined Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus rufolineatus
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 28cm
Identification: Pale reddish undercolor with narrow yellow stripes on side, yellow tail; often a small dark spot on rear upper back.
Favourite: Usually form large aggregations; hover above reefs.
Hide-out: Steep coastal slopes and outer reefs in 10-50m.
Location: West Pacific - Indonesia to Palau, Samoa and Tonga. S.W. Japan to N. Australia.

Checkered Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus decussatus
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 30cm
Identification: White undercolor with 6 brown stripes body and 6-7 dark bars across back forming netted pattern on upper body; black spot on base of tail.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs, lagoons and outer slopes in 5-35m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - India to W. Papua New Guinea, north to S.W. Japan.

Button Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus boutton
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 28cm
Identification: Dusky reddish brown, often yellow-orange lower body; deep notch in gill cover; lack distinctive markings.
Favourite: Solitary or form loose aggregations.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs, lagoons and outer slopes in 3-20m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Philippines, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Blubberlip Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus rivulatus
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 80cm
Identification: Grayish green with wavy yellow lines on head and yellow fins and outer edge of tail.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Near shore and outer reefs in 2-100m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to French Polynesia. S. Japan to N. Australia and Tonga.

Blackspot Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus ehrenbergii
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 35cm
Identification: Whitish undercolor with 5 thin yellow stripes below lateral line, yellowish tail and anal fins; large round black spot on lateral line below mid-dorsal fin.
Favourite: Usually form groups.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs and estuaries in 1-20m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to E. Caroline Is. and Palau in Micronesia. S.W. Japan to N. Great Barrier Reef.

Black-Banded Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus semicinctus
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 35cm
Identification: Olive back, white below; 7 black bars on upper half of body, large black spot covering tail base.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Lagoons and seaward reefs in 5-35m.
Location: West Pacific - Philippines and Molucca Is. in Indonesia to Great Barrier Reef (rare), New Caledonia, Fiji and Caroline Is. in Micronesia.

Sailfin Snapper

Scientific Name: Symphorichthys spilurus
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 60cm
Identification: Adult - Undercolor shades of yellow with numerous blue stripes from head to tail; black ocellated spot on tail base, dark saddle bar behind head.
Favourite: Form schools.
Hide-out: Mixed sand and coral to 60m.
Location: West Pacific - Philippines and Molucca Is. in E. Indonesia. S.W. Japan to N. Australia and New Caledonia.

Chinamanfish

Scientific Name: Symphorus nematophorus
Family: Snappers - Lutjanidae
Maximum Size: 80cm
Identification: Undercolor shades of yellow-brown to brown to olive with numerous blue stripes from head to tail; often filaments trail from fore rays of dorsal fin.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs to 50m. Can cause ciguatera poisoning.
Location: Asian Pacific - S.W. Japan to N. Australia and New Caledonia.