Australia country information

Common names: Pink-eared emperor, Purple-eared emperor, Purple-headed emperor
Occurrence: native
Salinity: brackish
Abundance: common (usually seen) | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Importance: minor commercial | Ref: Johannes, R.E. and J.W. MacFarlane, 1991
Aquaculture: never/rarely | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Regulations: restricted | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Uses: gamefish: yes;
Comments: Distributed between North West Cape and Hervey Bay (Ref. 6390). More common in northern and northwestern Australia. Also known from the Torres Strait Islands (Ref. 13465) and Shark Bay (Ref. 115274). Commercial fishery: Emperors in general are caught by handlines, rod-and-line, traps and demersal otter trawling - mainly stern trawling but also semi-pelagic trawling in the Northern Territory. Emperors are trawled off northwestern and northern Australia. From 1970 (Ref. 28206, 28207) until 1991, Taiwanese and later Thai and Chinese fleets operated pair trawlers and stern trawlers on the North West Shelf and northern Australia. Emperors and butterfly bream (Nemipteridae) dominated catches on the North West Shelf for the 10 years from 1980 (Ref. 27275), peaking at a retained catch of 2200 t of emperor in 1982. Emperors were far less abundant in retained catches in the Timor and Arafura seas for the same period. The trawlers worked in depths between 30 m and 120 m, and concentrated on waters between 115° and 120°E (Ref. 28206). Domestic fishing interest in trawling in northern Australia commenced in 1985 and increased after 1988 (Ref. 28207). It is focused on grounds on the North West Shelf, the Arafura Sea and in the northern region of the Gulf of Carpentaria (Ref. 28207), and has a large seasonal component caused by prawn trawlers converted to fish trawling during the closed seasons of the Northern Prawn Fishery (Ref. 28207, 27275). Trap fishing began on the North West Shelf in 1984 (Ref. 28206, 27266). Fishing is carried out on hard-bottom areas to the west or inshore from main areas worked in the past by Taiwanese pair trawlers. It first concentrated on the Monte Bello-Barrow Island area mainly near the coastal towns of Onslow, Port Hedland and Point Samson (Ref. 27266, 28209). The main area for trapping is now north of Broome. Lethrinus lentjan comprised 64% of the emperor catch up to 1991 (Ref. 27275). In the Gulf of Carpentaria, L. lentjan, comprised an average 21% frequency in trawls (Blaker et al 1994). Fish traps used in Western Australia are mostly circular ('O' traps) and are baited usually with pilchards (Sardinops neopilchardus). A small quantity of emperors are also taken by dropline. Most fish from the North West Shelf fishery are sent to Perth as whole, chilled fish. Some are gutted and brined before freezing. Recreational fishery: Emperors are caught with either fresh baits or whole or cut fish, crabs, prawns and squid, and tackle ranges from handlines to casting rigs. The largest emperor recorded by the Australian Anglers Association was 9.6 kg. from Queensland. The recreational fishery in Western Australia extends from the Houtman Abrolhos to Dampier Archipelgo. Resource status: Emperors comprised 47% of demersal fish in retained catches taken by Russian survey vessels on the North West Shelf between 1962 and 1973. Emperors and sea perch (Lutjanidae) comprised 40-60% by weight in 1962 but the amount dropped to about 10% in 1983 (Ref. 28206) (the emperor component of the total catch fell from 27.9% in 1967 to 5.4% in 1983 (Ref. 28006). This reduction in yield can partly be attributed to the removal of large epibenthos from the sea floor by the action of trawlers and to over-fishing these groups in the mixed species trawl fishery (Ref. 28206, 28207). The size composition also changed, with emperors (probably blue-spotted emperors, Lethrinus choerorynchus) larger than 0.6 kg disappearing from the catch after 8 months of fishing (Ref. 28006). By 1986, the catch per unit of effort for emperors had declined by 65% from a peak in 1973. Whereas the abundance of emperors has continued to decline in trawled areas, the catch rate has increased since 1986 due to concentration of fishing effort on emperors by Taiwanese fleets (Ref. 28207). As of 1993, there have been no studies on the resource status of emperors on the Great Barrier Reef and inshore areas of northern Australia. Similarly, there is no information on the resource status of emperors in Western Australian fisheries. Museum: WAMRL Leth Bali 6/83 (TGT2406). Also Ref. 5978, 2334, 33390, 38544.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://www.csiro.au/
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Empereur lentille, Emperador de lentejuelas, Pig-face bream, ... more

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Eupercaria/misc (Various families in series Eupercaria) > Lethrinidae (Emperors or scavengers) > Lethrininae
Etymology: Lethrinus: Greek, lethrinia, a fish pertaining to genus Pagellus.
More on author: Lacepède.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 10 - 90 m (Ref. 6390). Tropical; 32°N - 35°S, 24°E - 167°W

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-West Pacific: widespread, from the Red Sea, Arabian (Persian) Gulf, and East Africa to the Ryukyus and Tonga.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 24.1, range 18 - ? cm
Max length : 52.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1020); common length : 40.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5450); max. reported age: 19 years (Ref. 42001)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8. This species is distinguished by the following characters: body moderately deep, its depth 2.5-2.8 times in standard length; head length 0.9-1 times in body depth, 2.6-3 times in SL, dorsal profile near eye nearly straight; snout moderately short, its length about 1.9-2.4 times in HL, measured without the lip the snout is 0.8-1 times in cheek height, its dorsal profile nearly straight, snout angle relative to upper jaw between 60° and 70°; interorbital space convex; posterior nostril an oblong longitudinal opening, closer to orbit than anterior nostril; eye situated close to or far removed from dorsal profile, its length 3.3-4.8 times in HL; cheek not high, its height 2.4-3.1 times in HL; lateral teeth in jaws rounded often with conical tips, or molars often with tubercles; outer surface of maxilla with a longitudinal ridge; D X,9 with the 4th dorsal-fin spine usually the longest, its length 2.4-3.4 times in body depth; A III,8 soft rays, the first soft ray usually the longest, its length almost equal to or shorter than length of base of soft-rayed portion of anal fin and 1-1.2 times in length of entire anal-fin base; pectoral-fin rays 13; pelvic-fin membranes between rays closest to body without dense melanophores; cheek without scales; 46-47 lateral-line scales usually; 5 ½ scale rows between lateral line and base of middle dorsal-fin spines; 15- 16 scale rows in transverse series between origin of anal fin and lateral line; usually 15 rows in lower series of scales around caudal peduncle; 4-9 scales in supratemporal patch; inner surface of pectoral-fin base densely covered with scales, with a few scales, or naked; posterior angle of operculum fully scaly. Colour of body greenish or grey, shading to white below, centers of scales on upper sides often white; posterior margin of opercle and sometimes base of pectoral fins red; pectoral fins white, yellow, or pinkish; pelvic and anal fins white to orange; dorsal fin white and orange mottled with a reddish margin; caudal fin mottled orange or reddish (Ref. 114226).

Inhabits sandy bottoms in coastal areas, deep lagoons and near coral reefs (Ref. 30573). Juveniles and small adults commonly in loose aggregations over seagrass beds, mangrove swamps and shallow sandy areas while adults are generally solitary in deeper waters. Feeds primarily on crustaceans and mollusks but echinoderms, polychaetes and fishes are also consumed in considerable quantities (Ref. 2295). A protogynous hermaphrodite (Ref. 55367). Caught primarily by handline, traps, trawls, beach seines, and gill nets. Marketed mostly fresh (Ref. 68703).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

A monandric species (Ref. 55367). Length at sex change = 30.8 cm TL (Ref. 55367). Also Ref. 103751.

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Carpenter, K.E. and G.R. Allen, 1989. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 9. Emperor fishes and large-eye breams of the world (family Lethrinidae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of lethrinid species known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(9):118 p. Rome: FAO. (Ref. 2295)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 09 March 2015

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: highly commercial

FAO(Fisheries: production; publication : search) | FishSource | Sea Around Us

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 24.6 - 29, mean 28 (based on 1436 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01514 (0.01267 - 0.01808), b=2.97 (2.93 - 3.01), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.9 ±0.2 se; based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.17-0.27; tm=2-3.8; tmax=15).

Prior r = 0.73, 95% CL = 0.48 - 1.10, Based on 3 stock assessments.

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (23 of 100).

Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649): High to very high vulnerability (75 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Very high.

Lethrinus lentjan (Lacepède, 1802)