LUTJANIDAE Lutjanus malabaricus, 8.7 cm SL (photo by Seishi Kimura) Lutjanus malabaricus (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) MalabarBlood Snapper D XI, 12-14; A III, 8-9; P1 16-17; LLp 46-50; GR 4-7 + 12-14. Body relatively deep. Preopercular notch and knob poorly developed. Vomerine tooth patch crescentic or triangular, without a medial posterior extension; tongue smooth, without teeth. Caudal fin truncate. Scale rows on back rising obliquely above lateral line. Color: back and sides red or red-orange, lighter on lower parts; fins reddish; juveniles with a broad, oblique band of brown or black from upper jaw to beginning of dorsal fin, and a prominent black band across caudal peduncle with a pearly white anterior border. Size: maximum length about 100 cm. Distribution: widespread in the Indo-West Pacific. Remarks: inhabits both coastal and offshore reefs. Feeds mainly on fishes and benthic crustaceans. An excellent food fish, found regularly in markets. Caught mainly by hook and line, bottom longline, and bottom trawls. Marketed fresh. (Yukio Iwatsuki)