| Lethrinus | |
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| Orange-striped Emperor(L. obsoletus) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acanthuriformes |
| Family: | Lethrinidae |
| Genus: | Lethrinus G. Cuvier, 1829 |
| Type species | |
| Sparus choerorynchus Bloch &J. G. Schneider, 1801 | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Lethrinus is agenus of marineray-finned fishes belonging to thefamily Lethrinidae, the emperors and emperor breams. These fishes are mostly found in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans, with a single species in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Lethrinus was first proposed as a genus in 1829 by the FrenchzoologistGeorges Cuvier. In 1912David Starr Jordan andWilliam Francis Thompson designatedSparus choerorynchus as thetype species of the genus.[1]Sparus choerorynchus had beendescribed in 1801 byMarcus Elieser Bloch andJohann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider with itstype locality given as Japan.Sparus choerorynchus is now considered to be asynonym ofLethrinus nebulosus (Forsskål 1775).[2] Some authors place this genus in the monotypicsubfamily Lethrininae, with all the other genera of Lethrinidae placed in the Monotaxinae, however, the 5th edition ofFishes of the World does not recognise the subfamilies traditionally accepted within the family Lethrinidae as valid. The family Lethrinidae is classified by the 5th edition ofFishes of the World as belonging to theorderSpariformes.[3]
Lethrinus was the name in Greek for fishes in theSparid genusPagellus.[4]
Lethrinus currently has 30 recognised species classified within it:[5][2]
Lethrinus emperors are medium to large in size with oblong-shaped laterally compressed bodies. The dorsal profile of the head to the front of the eyes may be convex, straight or concave and the slope of the snout varies from gradual to very steep. The mouth is of moderate size and may extend as far back as the front of the orbit and it has molar-like or conical teeth in the sides of the jaws. They have a continuousdorsal fin which is supported by 10 spines and 9 soft rays while theanal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays. Thepectoral fin has 13 fin rays and thecaudal fin is moderately o deeply forked with either pointed or rounded lobes. They have scaleless cheeks, and the axils of the pectoral fins may have a dense covering of scales, a sparse covering of scales or be scaleless. Emperors are silvery, grey, olive, greenish, bluish, tan, brown or reddish in colour, frequently marked with darker blotches or bars that can either be permanent or be shown in a reflection of the emotional state of the fish. They may have bright red markings on or near the base of the pectoral fin, on thepelvic fins or on the membranes of the anal and dorsal fins close to their bases. Further red markings may be on the margins of theoperculum andpreoperculum, as well as on the head. These red markings often vary within a species. The fins may be clear, pale, bluish, yellowish or reddish, frequently marked with blotches and they often have reddish margins.[9] The largest species is the longface emperor (L. olivaceus) with a maximum publishedtotal length of 100 cm (39 in) while the smallest species areLethrinus mitchelli andLethrinus variegatus both with a maximum published total length of 20 cm (7.9 in).[5]
Lethrinus emperors are mostly found in the Indian and Western Pacific Ocean, with a single species, the Atlantic emperor (L' atlanticus) in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean.[5] These fishes are found in coastal waters on rocky and coral reefs, sandy areas, seagrass beds and mangroves as deep as 22 m (72 ft).[9]
Lethrinus emperors typically spawn in large aggregations but normally live as solitary individuals or in small aggregations. They feed on benthic invertebrates and fishes.[9]
Lethrinus emperors are of some importance to fisheries wherever they occur and in some nations, they are the most important genus of Lethrinidae landed by weight. Fishing methods used includehandlining,longlining,traps,trawls andbeach seines.[9]
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