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Five-line Snapper
Lutjanus quinquelineatus (Bloch, 1790)
A Five-line Snapper at a depth of 17m, Split Solitary Island, New South Wales, May 2003. View larger image.
A Five-line Snapper at a depth of 15m, Wheeler Reef, Great Barrier Reef off Townsville, Queensland, November 2001. View larger image.
The Five-line Snapper can be recognised by its colouration. It is yellow with five blue lines on the body. There is often a diffuse dark blotch on the back below the dorsal fin rays and above the lateral line.
This species grows to 35cm in length.
It is found in tropical waters and some temperate waters of the Indo-West Pacific.
In Australia the Five-line Snapper is known from the central coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north and south to the central coast of New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
