Etelis coruscans

Osteichthyes Lutjanidae Genus Etelis Etelis coruscans
Flame snapper ETC
30.1 cm TL
Characteristic features:

Note: Two morphs are present in this species – a long-tailed form and a short-tailed form. While both have been caught in waters around Fiji long-tailed forms are found on seamounts and more commonly on island slopes, while short-tailed forms are usually restricted to seamounts only.1

Colour:

Deep pink to reddish.

Size:

Up to 120 cm TL.

Distribution:

Indo-West and Central Pacific in tropical and subtropical waters.

Habitat:

Rocky bottoms, from 90 to 400 m depth.

Biology:

Feeds primarily on small fishes, squid and crustaceans, and also planktonic organisms. Flame snapper are a slow growing, late maturing species. In waters off Hawaii females reached first maturity at 52.2 cm FL, length at which 50% of females reach maturity was 67.5–72.5 cm FL. In Tongan waters, age at maturity for both sexes combined was 4.1 years.2 In waters off Hawaii, spawning began in spring and summer (June/July) with multiple spawning events continuing until autumn or early winter, peaking in October.3 Estimated maximum age is 18 years.4

Indonesian fisheries:

Caught mainly with deep handlines.

Similar species:
 
.

Etelis radiosus
Pale Snapper

Etelis radiosus

Etelis radiosus differs in having an outer margin of operculum rounded (vs. pointed); a caudal fin lunate with notch in the center of trailing edge (vs. deeply forked); maxilla extending to level with posterior eye margin (vs. level with middle of eye) and 32–36 gill rakers on first gill arch (vs. 23–28).

to Etelis radiosus

Etelis carbunculus
Pacific ruby snapper

Etelis carbunculus

Etelis carbunculus differs in having an outer margin of operculum pointed (vs. rounded); a caudal fin shallowly forked (vs. deeply forked) and 17–22 gill rakers on first gill arch (vs. 23–28).

to Etelis carbunculus

Pristipomoides spp.

Pristipomoides argyrogrammicus
Pristipomoides argyrogrammicus

Pristipomoides species differ in having junction between spinous and soft portion of dorsal fin indistinct (vs. junction deeply incised); dorsal fin with 10 spines and 10 soft rays (vs. 10 spines and 11, very infrequently 10, soft rays) and maxilla without scales (vs. with).

to Pristipomoides spp.
External links:

FishBase
The IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM

References:
  1. Anderson WD, Allen GR. Lutjanidae. Jobfishes. Food and Agricultural Organization, Rome.; 2001.
  2. Langi V, Langi S. A stock assessment programme on the bottom fishes of the seamounts, Kingdom of Tonga: the first 9 months. Fishbyte. 1987;5(3):6–11.
  3. Everson AR, Williams H, Ito B. Maturation and reproduction in two Hawaiian eteline snappers, uku, Aprion virescens, and onaga, Etelis coruscans. Fishery Bulletin [Internet]. 1989;87(4):877–88. Available from: https://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/pdf-content/1989/874/everson.pdf
  4. Williams A, Loeun K, Nicol S, Chavance P, Ducrocq M, Harley S, et al. Population biology and vulnerability to fishing of deep‐water Eteline snappers. Journal of Applied Ichthyology [Internet]. 2013;29(2):395–403. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/jai.12123