Yellow-edged lyretail

Yellow-edged lyretail
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Serranidae
Subfamily: Epinephelinae
Genus: Variola
Species: V. louti
Binomial name
Variola louti
Forsskål, 1775

Yellow-edged lyretail is the common name for the species Variola louti. It is also commonly known as the lyretail grouper or the coronation cod.

Range

The Yellow-edged lyretail is found from the Red Sea to South Africa and the Pitcairn Islands, as far as southern Japan and Australia.[1]

Anterior view of juvenile, Taba, Red Sea.

Description

This fish reaches up to 81cm in length and 12kg in weight. It is distinguished by its lunate tail with a yellow-edged margin. As juveniles they resemble the goatfishes Parupeneus forsskali or Parupeneus macronema and may shadow them as they feed.[2]

Diet

Its diet is mainly of fishes, but also eats crabs, shrimps and stomatopods.[1]

Habitat

Lagoons, channels and seaward reefs, from 3m to 250m in depth.

Hazards

There have been reports of ciguatera poisoning,[3] and this has led to the fish being banned from sale in Mauritius.[1]

Dispersion

Andaman Sea

Utilization

Fishery: Small Trading ; Game : Angling; Aquarium: Trade

References

  1. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2007). "Variola louti" in FishBase. 5 2007 version.
  2. Lieske, E. and Myers, R.F. (2004) Coral reef guide; Red Sea London, HarperCollins ISBN 0-00-715986-2
  3. Schoelinck, C., Hinsinger, D. D., Dettaï, A., Cruaud, C. & Justine, J.-L. 2014: A phylogenetic re-analysis of groupers with applications for ciguatera fish poisoning. PLoS ONE, 9, e98198. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0098198
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