Like most snappers, Lutjanus biguttatus is a nocturnal species that forms schools during the day, most often in association with large stands of branching Acropora corals. At night, the schools disperse to feed on the reef.
Details
§ 01
size
Max. 20 cm
color
Upper head and back dark brown. Pair of white spots below dorsal fin. White band from mouth to tail. Elsewhere yellow. Fins pale or yellow.
This species inhabits coral reefs in depths ranging from 5 to 25 m and can often be seen in large schools of over 100 individuals. Its diet consists mainly of small fishes and crustaceans.
distinctive characters
This fish has a dorsal fin with 11 spines and 12 rays, an anal fin with 3 spines and 8 rays, and a pectoral fin with 15 or 16 rays. Its body is fusiform and very slender, with a depth of 3.5-3.8 inches in standard length. The tongue is smooth without teeth, and there is a triangular tooth patch on the vomer with a median posterior extension. The scale rows on the back rise obliquely above the lateral line, and the caudal fin is truncate.