Ryan Photographic - Lethrinidae - Emperors and Breams

Family Lethrinidae

Apart from one species found in the eastern Atlantic off the coast of Africa all other members of this family are found in the Indo-Pacific. Fishbase lists 38 species in 5 genera. They are all carnivorous and primarily feed at night. Depending on species, they sometimes form large spawning aggregations. In several species they undergo a sex change from female to male. In most places they are considered an important food fish. Some species are capable of very rapid color change - the longfaced emperor below went from the mottled color to plain in less than a minute.

Gnathodentex aureolineatus Striped large-eye bream

Lethrinus harak Thumbprint Emperor

Lethrinus obsoletus Orange-striped Emperor

Lethrinus olivaceus Longface emperor

Monotaxis grandoculis Humpnose bigeye bream

Fishes

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