Family : Lethrinidae (Emperors or scavengers) , subfamily: Lethrininae
Order : Perciformes  (perch-likes)
Class : Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Fishbase Name : Ornate emperor
Fish Name : Lethrinus ornatus
Max size : 45.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 48635)
Environment : reef-associated; non-migratory ; depth range - 30 m
Climate : tropical; 30°N - 19°S
Global Importance : fisheries: minor commercial
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.4-0.5)Distribution : Indo-West Pacific: Maldives (Ref. 30829) and Sri Lanka to the Ryukyu Islands, Papua New Guinea, and northeast Australia. Reported from Viet Nam but this is probably a misidentification (Ref. 2682).
Diagnosis : Dorsal spines (total): 10-10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-9; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 8-8. Body color is dusky whitish, becoming lighter below, with four or six orange stripes. The posterior edges of the operculum and preoperculum are bright red. The head is brown or tan, sometimes with a red spot on the lower front edge of the eye. The pectoral fin is orangish; the pelvic, anal and most of the dorsal fin is whitish. The edge of the dorsal and caudal fin is reddish (Ref. 2295).
Biology : Inhabits sandy and soft bottoms and seagrass beds in inshore bays, lagoons and areas adjacent to reefs. Usually in small groups (Ref. 48635). Feeds on crustaceans, mollusks, echinoderms, polychaetes and small fishes. Juveniles commonly visit the tidal reef flats to feed when the water is high (Ref. 48635)
Threatened : Dangerous:  
Dangerous : harmless
Coordinator :
Main Ref : Carpenter, K.E. and G.R. Allen. 1989. (Ref. 2295)

India country information
Common Names : Ornate emperor
Status : native
Salinity : marine
Uses : no uses