Colours
Distinguishing features
A medium to large reddish-silver fish with an orange eye. Juveniles are dark brown with a pale tail and a small silver dot at the base of the dorsal fin.
Size
- Up to 90 cm (Standard length)
Depth range
- Depth range data is not yet available.
Synonyms
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
Usually found singly around lagoonal patch reefs and back reef margins, and in schools along reef fronts and passes.
Can be found in most locations around the island.
Behaviour
This species is one of the largest Snappers, and feeds mainly on reef fishes although it will also take cephalopods and other invertebrates. They are one of the longest lived and slowest growing reef fishes, not becoming reproductively mature until 8-9 years old and reaching maximum size at about 15 years of age, with some specimens living until 55 years old. The small juveniles mimic damselfishes from the genus Chromis, in order to get close to potential prey.
Web resources
Danger
- unspecified - This species is known to have caused ciguatera poisoning and should not be eaten.
References
- Marriott, R.J. (2005). Population biology, dynamics and their implications for management of red bass: a large, long-lived fish, M.Sc.(Qual) thesis, James Cook University. LIRS catalog number 960.
- Marriott, R.J., B.D. Mapstone and G.A. Begg. (2007). Age-specific demographic parameters, and their implications for management of the red bass, Lutjanus bohar (Forsskal 1775): A large, long-lived reef fish, Fisheries Research, 83: 204-215. LIRS catalog number 90067.
- Miller, T.L. and T.H. Cribb (2007). Phylogenetic relationships of some common Indo-Pacific snappers (Perciformes: Lutjanidae) based on mitochondrial DNA sequences, with comments on the taxonomic position of the Caesioninae, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 44: 450-460. LIRS catalog number 1065.
- View all references