Description
Body oblong and moderately compressed; head scaleless anteriorly and with 2 nostrils on each side; upper jaw protrusible; usually the preoperculum serrate; jaw teeth conical and sharp, usually arranged in rows; dorsal fin with 9-13 spines and 9-17 soft rays; anal fin with 3 spines and 7-14 soft rays; lateral line complete, straight or gently curved; the ctenoid scales are small to moderate in size.
Distribution
Large family of tropical or subtropical marine fishes, with some species also found in estuaries. Carnivorous, feeding on fishes, crustaceans, or bottom-living invertebrates. Though commercially fished, some species are reportedly poisonous.
Species included on this CD-rom:
Lutjanus johni (Bloch)