Lutjanus gibbus is one of the most common Maldivian snappers, and during the day, immense schools can be seen carpeting the reef. At night, large numbers of them can be caught by handlining fishermen.
Details
§ 01
size
Common to 25 cm; max. 50 cm
color
Body deep red. Caudal fin dark purple. Margins of soft dorsal and anal fins white.
This species lives on coral reefs at depths ranging from 6 to at least 30 meters. It sometimes forms large aggregations during the day and feeds on fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. Cephalopods are a group of animals that includes squids and octopuses.
distinctive characters
The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 13-14 rays, the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 rays, and the pectoral fin has 16-17 rays. The body is oblong and well compressed, with a depth of 2.2-2.5 in standard length and a strongly convex dorsal profile. The longitudinal rows of scales above the lateral line appear to rise obliquely upward to the dorsal profile, while those below also run obliquely upward. The soft parts of the dorsal and anal fins have a scaly sheath, and the caudal fin is deeply forked with rounded lobes.