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| fishes text index | photo index |
| Phylum Chordata > Subphylum Vertebrate > fishes |
| Emperors
Family Lethrinidae updated Feb 11 Where seen? These large-scaled fishes are sometimes seen on some of our shores, among seagrasses. What are emperors? Emperors belong to Family Lethrinidae. According to FishBase: the family has 5 genera and 39 species in the tropical Indo-Pacific. Some can reach 1m long. They are sometimes also called emperor-snappers. Features: Body typically fish-shaped with large scales in a 'distinctive pattern' -- a kind of diamond pattern. They have large eyes, thick lips and canine teeth. Young fishes tend to be found nearer the shore while adults are found offshore. What do they eat? They hunt on the sea bottom for a variety of small animals. These are picked off by sight, or the fishes may sift through the sand by taking a mouthful and filtering the edible bits out through gill rakers. Those with molar-like teeth crunch on hard-shelled animals. Most feed at night, usually in sandy or rubble areas near reefs. Baby emperors: In some species, females can change gender to males. Human uses: Large species are important commercially as seafood. In some countries, they are the most important catch by weight. Status and threats: None of our emperors are listed among the threatened animals of Singapore. However, like other creatures of the intertidal zone, they are affected by human activities such as reclamation and pollution. Over-collection and over-fishing can also impact local populations. |
| Family
Lethrinidae recorded for Singapore from Wee Y.C. and Peter K. L. Ng. 1994. A First Look at Biodiversity in Singapore. *Lim, Kelvin K. P. & Jeffrey K. Y. Low, 1998. A Guide to the Common Marine Fishes of Singapore. in red are those listed among the threatened animals of Singapore from Ng, P. K. L. & Y. C. Wee, 1994. The Singapore Red Data Book: Threatened Plants and Animals of Singapore.
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Periplus Editions. 292 pp.|
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