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Moses Perch
Lutjanus russelli (Bleeker, 1849)
A Moses Perch at a depth of 15 m, Challenger Bay, Great Barrier Reef, off Cooktown, Queensland, June 2002. Photo: Erik Schlögl. View larger image.
A Moses Perch at a depth of 18m, "Steve's Bommie", Ribbon Reef #3, Great Barrier Reef off Cooktown, Queensland, December 2001. Photo: Erik Schlögl. View larger image.
The Moses Perch has a grey body often with a reddish tinge. There is a diffuse black spot (sometimes faint) mostly above the lateral line below the soft part of the dorsal fin.
Juvenile Moses Perch look similar to adults, but have four to five brown stripes on the body, and an ocellus on the back.
This species grows to 45 cm in length.
Adult Moses Perch inhabit inshore reefs and rocky areas. They occasionally enter estuaries. Juvenile Moses Perch are often seen in the lower reaches of freshwater streams and mangrove estuaries. It is found at depths from 3 m to 80 m.
Moses Perch feed primarily on benthic invertebrates and fishes.
This species occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa, north to Japan, south to Australia and east to Fiji.
In Australia it is known from the north-western coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country, and south to southern New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Related links
- Five-line Snapper fact sheet
- Blacktail Snapper fact sheet
- Humpback Snapper fact sheet
- Red Bass fact sheet
- View the Coral Snappers list
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 220.
- Allen, G.R. 1985. Snappers of the World. An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Lutjanid Species known to Date. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 6. FAO. Rome. Pp. 208, Pl. I-XXVII.
- Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. Coral Graphics. Pp. 330.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 251.
