Midnight Snapper, Macolor macularis (Fowler, 1931)
Midnight Seaperch
It looks similar to the Black and White Snapper, Macolor niger. The two species can be separated by their colouration.
Click to enlarge image
© Hickson Fergusson
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Macolor
- Species
- macularis
- Family
- Lutjanidae
- Order
- Perciformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum
- Vertebrata
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- It grows to 55 cm in length.
Introduction
The Midnight Snapper is a tropical species that has a yellowish-brown head with blue spots and lines.
Identification
The Midnight Snapper is a stout bodied fish that can be recognised by its colouration. It has a yellowish-brown head with blue spots and lines. The iris is usually yellow. Juveniles are black and white. The spinous and soft portions of the dorsal fin are deeply divided and they have very long slender pelvic fins.
Distribution
The species occurs in tropical marine waters of the Western Pacific.
In Australia it is known from the offshore islands of north-western Western Australia and from the northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland.
The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.
References
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
