Lutjanus quinquelineatus


Fivelined snapper LWQ
Characteristic features:
Colour:

Bright yellow with 5 longitudinal blue stripes on sides (2 below eye), and large black spot mostly above lateral line below soft dorsal-fin origin. Fins bright yellow.

Size:

Up to 30 cm TL.

Distribution:

Indo-West Pacific in tropical waters.

Habitat:

Coral reefs, from 5 to 128 m depth. Adults inhabit sheltered lagoons and exposed outer coral reef slopes. Juveniles are found in shallow protected bays.

Biology:

Feeds on fishes and crustaceans. Adults form large aggregations of over 100 individuals, juveniles usually solitary. A small, fast growing species, that reaches maturity at an average of 2.9 years and 13.9 cm TL.1 Males are larger than females for a given age.2 Spawning on the Great Barrier Reef occurs from late spring to early summer. Fivelined snapper are a long lived species, especially considering their small size. On the Great Barrier Reef estimated maximum age was 32 years.3

Indonesian fisheries:

Caught mainly with handlines, traps, and gill nets.

Similar species:

Lutjanus bengalensis
Bengal snapper

Lutjanus bengalensis

Lutjanus bengalensis differs in being yellow on the upper 2 thirds, white below with 4 blue stripes, 1 below eye (vs. yellow overall with 5 blue stripes) and no black markings on posterior portion of back below dorsal-fin soft rays (vs. usually with a black spot or smudge).

Lutjanus kasmira
Common bluestripe snapper

Lutjanus kasmira

Lutjanus kasmira differs in in being yellow on the upper half, white below with faint grey stripes and 4 blue horizontal stripes (vs. yellow overall with 5 blue stripes).

Internal links:
External links:
References:
  1. Martinez-Andrade F. A comparison of life histories and ecological aspects among snappers (Pisces: Lutjanidae) [Internet]. 2003. Available from: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3270&context=gradschool_dissertations
  2. Newman SJ, Williams D, Russ GR. Age validation, growth and mortality rates of the tropical snappers (Pisces: Lutjanidae) Lutjanus adetii (Castelnau, 1873) and L. quinquelineatus (Bloch, 1790) from the central Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research [Internet]. 1996;47(4):575–84. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1071/MF9960575
  3. Andersen C, Clarke K, Higgs J, Ryan S. Ecological assessment of the Queensland coral reef fin fish fishery [Internet]. A report to the Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage on the ecologically sustainable management of a multispecies line fishery in a coral reef environment. Dept Primary Industries Fisheries, Qld. 2005. Available from: http://fish.gov.au/2012/reports/Documents/Anderson_et_al_2005_ecological_assessment_CRFFF_submission.pdf