| Lethrinus atlanticus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acanthuriformes |
| Family: | Lethrinidae |
| Genus: | Lethrinus |
| Species: | L. atlanticus |
| Binomial name | |
| Lethrinus atlanticus Valenciennes, 1830 | |
Lethrinus atlanticus, theAtlantic emperor, is aspecies of marineray-finned fish belonging to thefamilyLethrinidae, the emperors and emperor breams. This species is found in the easternAtlantic Ocean off the coast of western Africa.
Lethrinus atlanticus was first formallydescribed in 1830 by the FrenchzoologistAchille Valenciennes with itstype locality given asSantiago, Cape Verde andPorto Praya in Cape Verde.[2] Some authors place thegenusLethrinus 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 atlanticus has adorsal fin which is supported by 10 spines and 9 soft rays whileanal fin contains 3 spines and 8 soft rays.[4] It has a body with astandard length that is between 2.5 and 2.8 times its depth. The dorsal profile of the head is almost straight or weakly convex near the eye. The snout is pointed with a rather steep, straight profile. All the teeth in the sides of the jaws are conical. There are no scales on the cheeks. Thepectoral fin has no scales in itsaxil.[5] The overall colour is olive green or brown and pink, the cheek has a lattice pattern underneath the eye. This species has a maximum publishedtotal length of 50 cm (20 in), although 30 cm (12 in) is more typical.[4]
Lethrinus atlanticus is found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean where it occurs in Cape Verde and along the western coast of Africa between Senegal and Angola, includingSão Tomé and Príncipe. This species is found in shallow coastal waters and estuaries.[1]
Lethrinus atlanticus feeds on benthic invertebrates but is otherwise little known.[1]
Lethrinus atlanticus is a target species for commercial fisheries in the central eastern Atlantic byBottom trawling,fish traps,purse seines andhook-and-lines. The catch is marketed fresh or preserved bySalting (food) orsmoked fish.[1]
