Family : Lethrinidae (Emperors or scavengers) , subfamily: Lethrininae
Order : Perciformes  (perch-likes)
Class : Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Fishbase Name : Spangled emperor
Fish Name : Lethrinus nebulosus
Max size : 87.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 47613); max. published weight: 8,400 g (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 27 years
Environment : reef-associated; non-migratory ; depth range 10 - 75 m
Climate : tropical; 36°N - 32°S
Global Importance : fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.09-0.16; tm=4-9; tmax=27)Distribution : Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea, Persian Gulf and East Africa to southern Japan and Samoa. According to a genetic study (Ref. 28017), Lethrinus nebulosus and Lethrinus choerorynchus are two distinct species in Western Australia.
Diagnosis : Dorsal spines (total): 10-10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-9; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 8-8. Cheek without scales; 5-9 scales in supra temporal patch; inner surface of pectoral fin densely covered with scales; posterior angle of opercular fully scaled. Body color is yellowish or bronze, lighter below. Centers of many scales with a white or light blue spot. Sometimes irregular dark indistinct bars on sides and a square black blotch above pectoral fin bordering below the lateral line. Three blue streaks or series of blue spots radiate forward and ventrally from the eye. The fins are whitish or yellowish; the pelvic dusky, the edge of the dorsal fin is reddish. TL/SL relationship (cm): TL = 1.70 +1.24. Juveniles variable with blotches or stripe and changes with habitat (Ref. 48635).
Biology : Inhabit coral reefs, coralline lagoons, seagrass beds, mangrove swamps and coastal sand and rock areas. Adults solitary or in small schools; juveniles form large schools in shallow, sheltered sandy areas, also harbors where in seagrasses, algae or sponge habitats at various depths. Feed on echinoderms, mollusks and crustaceans, and to some extent on polychaetes and fish. A protogynous hermaphrodite (Ref. 55367). May have a coppery or iodine taste or smell in the Indian Ocean (Ref. 2295, 11888). It has been shown that this species can survive for long periods in salinities as low as 10 parts per thousand and therefore it is a potential estuarine aquaculture species (Ref. 2295). Utilized as a food fish
Threatened : Dangerous:  
Dangerous : reports of ciguatera poisoning , Dalzell, P.. 1991
Coordinator :
Main Ref : Carpenter, K.E. and G.R. Allen. 1989. (Ref. 2295)

India country information
Common Names : കടു, வெளமீன், ചെന്വല്ലി, கொருங்குவிலா, குரஙகுவெலா , குரஙகுவெலா  , ചെന്പല്ലി , வெளைமீன் , ಕೊಕ್ಕರು , ಕೊಕ್ಕರು  , కరవ , కరవ  , Chemballi, Kadu, Karwa, Kokkaru, Koranguvela, Sea bream, Velamin
Status : native
Salinity : brackish, marine
Uses : no uses