181: LUTJANIDAE (SNAPPERS)
5b Body relatively deep, the depth 2.2-2.8 in SL,
adults orange red; juveniles with black saddle
on C peduncle and series of fine, red-brown
horizontal lines on sides .................................... L. sanguineus
6a Longitudinal scale rows above LL horizontal or rising
only below rear part of spinous D or below soft D ................... 7
6b Longitudinal scale rows above LL rising obliquely ................... 8
7a Distinct black spot crossed by LL below front
of soft D ........................................................ L. ehrenbergii
7b No black spot; generally brownish or
red ....................................................... L. argentimaculatus
8a Wavy blue lines on head and small pale spots
on body scales; white LL spot in juveniles
and subadults, but lost in adults .............................. L. rivulatus
8b Colour not as in 8a ........................................................... 9
9a Black spot crossed by LL below front of soft D (rarely
absent in large L. monostigmus); fins yellowish ..................... 10
9b No black spot; colour of adults more or less uniform, often
red or with reddish hue; fins variable ................................... 12
lOa Vomerine tooth patch with posterior extension ...................... 11
lOb Vomerine tooth patch without posterior
extension ..................................................... L. monostigma
11a D rays usually 14; width of preorbital about
equal to width of fleshy interorbital; a relatively
wide gap between temporal scale band of each
side; spot on upper side situated mainly above
LL; juveniles with 4-7 stripes (blackish or
orange or yellow-brown in life) on side ..................... L. russellii
llb D rays usually 13; width of preorbital much less
than width of interorbital; little or no gap
between temporal scale band of each side; spot
on upper side situated mostly below LL or
bisected by it, spot sometimes elongate;
juveniles without 4-7 stripes on side ................... L. fulviflamma
12a Nostrils in deep groove in fish over 20 cm; juveniles
frequently with 2 whitish spots on upper back;
8-9 transverse scale rows on cheek ............................. L. bohar
12b Nostrils not in deep groove; no whitish spots on upper
back; 6-7 transverse scale rows on cheek .............................. 13
13a Preopercie notch deep or moderately well developed;
small juveniles without blackish stripes on sides; adults
either reddish or bronzy ................................................... 14
13b Preopercie notch weakly developed or absent;
juveniles less than 15 cm with 1 or more horizontal
stripes on sides; adults overall grey to reddish ........ L. lemniscatus
14a C distinctly forked with rounded lobes;
longitudinal scale rows below LL rising
obliquely; head profile of adults markedly concave ........ L. gibbus
14b C slightly emarginate with pointed lobes;
longitudinal scale rows below LL parallel to axis
of body; head profile straight or slightly convex ............ L. fulvus
181.5 Lutjanus argentimaculatus
(Forsskal, 1775)
PLATE 53
River snapper
Rivier-snapper
Sciaena argentimaculata Forsskftl, 1775: XI, 47 (Arabia). Lutianus
salmonoides Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908: 146 (Natal). Lutianus argen574
timaculatus: Smith, SFSA No. 664*; Talbot, 1957: 244*. Lutjanus argentimaculatus: van der Elst, 1981: 203*.
D X,13-14; A III,7-8; P 16-17; LL 46-47; GR (6-7)+(10-11). Depth
2.5-2.9; head 2.3-2.7. Preopercie notch shallow.
Generally greenish brown on back grading to reddish on
sides and ventral parts; scales with dark centres and white
margins giving overall reticulated effect; 1 or 2 horizontal
blue lines on cheek sometimes present; median fins dusky
brown often with reddish hue; front half of A darker brown
or blackish; V dusky brown, blackish or red with narrow
white anterior margin; P translucent to slightly dusky.
Juveniles greenish brown with 10-12 narrow whitish bars on
flanks (every second bar relatively broad, 2-3 scales in
width, with the intervening bars about Yz width of others and
sometimes very faint). Attains 100 cm. Often found in
shoals over trawling grounds and around coral reefs to depths
of 30 m or more; juveniles common in estuaries. Red Sea
and tropical Indo-West Pacific region, south to East London. A fine game fish, enters our southeast coast
estuaries and takes most baits. A real "snapper" with strong
canines. Flesh excellent.
181.6 Lutjanus bohar
(Forsskal.1775)
PLATE 54
Twinspot snapper
Tweekol-snapper
Sciaena bohar Forsska!, 1775: XI, 46 (Arabia). Lutianus bohar: Smith,
SFSA No. 667* (and Fig. 662, adult labelled "L. gibbus"); Talbot, 1957:
249* . Lutjanus bohar: van der Elst, 1981: 205*.
D X,13-14; A III,8; P 17; LL 48-50; GR 6+ 16. Depth 2.4-2.9; head
2.4-2.9. Preopercular notch shallow or absent; lor 2 patches of teeth on
tongue; interorbital flat.
Generally dark brown dorsally, grading to whitish or pink
below with strong reddish hue, particularly on cheeks and
lower half of sides; alternating dark and light horizontal
lines following scale rows below LL; juveniles less than 20
cm with 1 or 2 white spots, 1st directly below middle of D
base, 2nd below end of D; D blackish to dark brown with
narrow white margin posteriorly; C dusky brown, dorsal
and ventral edges white; A blackish distally grading to
brown at base; V blackish with anterior margin white; P
with uppermost rays dark brown and remainder white,
upper 73 of P axil blackish. Attains 80 cm. Found on coral
reefs to at least 70 m. Red Sea and tropical Indo-West
Pacific, south to Durban.
181.7 Lutjanus ehrenbergii
(Peters, 1869)
PLATE 54
Blackspot snapper
Swartkol-snapper
Lutianus ehrenbergii Peters, 1869: 704 (Red Sea); Talbot, 1957: 242*;
Smith, 1980: 180. Lutianus johni (non Bloch): Smith, SFSA No. 661*.
5b Body relatively deep, the depth 2.2-2.8 in SL,
adults orange red; juveniles with black saddle
on C peduncle and series of fine, red-brown
horizontal lines on sides .................................... L. sanguineus
6a Longitudinal scale rows above LL horizontal or rising
only below rear part of spinous D or below soft D ................... 7
6b Longitudinal scale rows above LL rising obliquely ................... 8
7a Distinct black spot crossed by LL below front
of soft D ........................................................ L. ehrenbergii
7b No black spot; generally brownish or
red ....................................................... L. argentimaculatus
8a Wavy blue lines on head and small pale spots
on body scales; white LL spot in juveniles
and subadults, but lost in adults .............................. L. rivulatus
8b Colour not as in 8a ........................................................... 9
9a Black spot crossed by LL below front of soft D (rarely
absent in large L. monostigmus); fins yellowish ..................... 10
9b No black spot; colour of adults more or less uniform, often
red or with reddish hue; fins variable ................................... 12
lOa Vomerine tooth patch with posterior extension ...................... 11
lOb Vomerine tooth patch without posterior
extension ..................................................... L. monostigma
11a D rays usually 14; width of preorbital about
equal to width of fleshy interorbital; a relatively
wide gap between temporal scale band of each
side; spot on upper side situated mainly above
LL; juveniles with 4-7 stripes (blackish or
orange or yellow-brown in life) on side ..................... L. russellii
llb D rays usually 13; width of preorbital much less
than width of interorbital; little or no gap
between temporal scale band of each side; spot
on upper side situated mostly below LL or
bisected by it, spot sometimes elongate;
juveniles without 4-7 stripes on side ................... L. fulviflamma
12a Nostrils in deep groove in fish over 20 cm; juveniles
frequently with 2 whitish spots on upper back;
8-9 transverse scale rows on cheek ............................. L. bohar
12b Nostrils not in deep groove; no whitish spots on upper
back; 6-7 transverse scale rows on cheek .............................. 13
13a Preopercie notch deep or moderately well developed;
small juveniles without blackish stripes on sides; adults
either reddish or bronzy ................................................... 14
13b Preopercie notch weakly developed or absent;
juveniles less than 15 cm with 1 or more horizontal
stripes on sides; adults overall grey to reddish ........ L. lemniscatus
14a C distinctly forked with rounded lobes;
longitudinal scale rows below LL rising
obliquely; head profile of adults markedly concave ........ L. gibbus
14b C slightly emarginate with pointed lobes;
longitudinal scale rows below LL parallel to axis
of body; head profile straight or slightly convex ............ L. fulvus
181.5 Lutjanus argentimaculatus
(Forsskal, 1775)
PLATE 53
River snapper
Rivier-snapper
Sciaena argentimaculata Forsskftl, 1775: XI, 47 (Arabia). Lutianus
salmonoides Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908: 146 (Natal). Lutianus argen574
timaculatus: Smith, SFSA No. 664*; Talbot, 1957: 244*. Lutjanus argentimaculatus: van der Elst, 1981: 203*.
D X,13-14; A III,7-8; P 16-17; LL 46-47; GR (6-7)+(10-11). Depth
2.5-2.9; head 2.3-2.7. Preopercie notch shallow.
Generally greenish brown on back grading to reddish on
sides and ventral parts; scales with dark centres and white
margins giving overall reticulated effect; 1 or 2 horizontal
blue lines on cheek sometimes present; median fins dusky
brown often with reddish hue; front half of A darker brown
or blackish; V dusky brown, blackish or red with narrow
white anterior margin; P translucent to slightly dusky.
Juveniles greenish brown with 10-12 narrow whitish bars on
flanks (every second bar relatively broad, 2-3 scales in
width, with the intervening bars about Yz width of others and
sometimes very faint). Attains 100 cm. Often found in
shoals over trawling grounds and around coral reefs to depths
of 30 m or more; juveniles common in estuaries. Red Sea
and tropical Indo-West Pacific region, south to East London. A fine game fish, enters our southeast coast
estuaries and takes most baits. A real "snapper" with strong
canines. Flesh excellent.
181.6 Lutjanus bohar
(Forsskal.1775)
PLATE 54
Twinspot snapper
Tweekol-snapper
Sciaena bohar Forsska!, 1775: XI, 46 (Arabia). Lutianus bohar: Smith,
SFSA No. 667* (and Fig. 662, adult labelled "L. gibbus"); Talbot, 1957:
249* . Lutjanus bohar: van der Elst, 1981: 205*.
D X,13-14; A III,8; P 17; LL 48-50; GR 6+ 16. Depth 2.4-2.9; head
2.4-2.9. Preopercular notch shallow or absent; lor 2 patches of teeth on
tongue; interorbital flat.
Generally dark brown dorsally, grading to whitish or pink
below with strong reddish hue, particularly on cheeks and
lower half of sides; alternating dark and light horizontal
lines following scale rows below LL; juveniles less than 20
cm with 1 or 2 white spots, 1st directly below middle of D
base, 2nd below end of D; D blackish to dark brown with
narrow white margin posteriorly; C dusky brown, dorsal
and ventral edges white; A blackish distally grading to
brown at base; V blackish with anterior margin white; P
with uppermost rays dark brown and remainder white,
upper 73 of P axil blackish. Attains 80 cm. Found on coral
reefs to at least 70 m. Red Sea and tropical Indo-West
Pacific, south to Durban.
181.7 Lutjanus ehrenbergii
(Peters, 1869)
PLATE 54
Blackspot snapper
Swartkol-snapper
Lutianus ehrenbergii Peters, 1869: 704 (Red Sea); Talbot, 1957: 242*;
Smith, 1980: 180. Lutianus johni (non Bloch): Smith, SFSA No. 661*.