About Lutjanus monostigma (Cuvier, 1828)
Lutjanus monostigma has a relatively deep body, with a standard length that is 2.6 to 3.0 times the body depth at its deepest point. It has a gently sloped forehead, and its preopercular incision and knob are weakly developed. Its vomerine teeth are arranged in a crescent-shaped patch with no central rearward extension, and there are no teeth on the tongue. The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 13 to 14 soft rays, while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 8 to 9 soft rays. The rearmost portions of the dorsal fin and the anal fin are either rounded or quite angular. The pectoral fins have 15 to 17 rays, and the caudal fin is truncate or weakly emarginate. This fish reaches a maximum total length of 60 cm (24 in), with 50 cm (20 in) being a more typical maximum length. The fish's overall body color ranges from whitish to pink or grey, and it has yellow fins. There is a black spot or blotch on the posterior part of the body; this spot shrinks and becomes more oblong in shape as the fish matures. Lutjanus monostigma is widespread across the Indo-Pacific. Its range extends along the eastern African coast, from the Red Sea south to Sodwana Bay in South Africa. It can also be found in the Persian Gulf, on Indian Ocean islands, in southeastern India and Sri Lanka, from Southeast Asia east to the Marquesas and Line Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan, and south to Australia. Adult individuals live in coral reef areas, usually near caves and coral formations, at depths between 1 and 60 meters.
