SERRANIDAE Variola louti (photo by Mark Strickland) Variola louti (Forsskål, 1775) Yellowedged lyretail D IX, 13-14; A III, 8; P1 16-19; P2 I, 5; GR 7-10+15-18. Body moderately elongate; its depth 2.8-3.3 in SL. Head length 2.5-2.8 in SL. A pair of large canines at front of upper and lower jaws; 1-3 large canines at midside of lower jaw; teeth on vomer and palatines. Caudal fin lunate, upper and lower lobes produced, about twice length of middle rays. Color: body and median fins yellowish brown to orange-red with numerous small blue to pink spots. Posterior margin of median fins broadly yellow. Pectoral-fin rays red to brown, distal third abruptly yellow. Size: maximum length 100 cm. Distribution: widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to the Pitcairn Islands, including southern Japan and northern Australia. Remarks: found in coral reefs at depths of 3-240 m. Prefers islands and offshore reefs, rather than continental shores. Feeds mainly on fishes.(Hiroyuki Motomura)