Bossu Rond

Lethrinus rubrioperculatus, common names the spotcheek emperor, red-eared emperor, red-ears, red-edged emperor, scarlet-cheek emperor, and spot cheek emperor,^[4] is a species of emperor fish.^[3]

Description

This species grows to and is brown or olive-grey in colour. It has small, scattered blotches that are irregular in chape. The Body depth 2.94 to 3.18 times in standard length. Body color is olive-gray or brown, with scattered irregular small black blotches. There is normally a red spot present on the top edge of the operculum.^[5] The lips are normally red. The fins are pinkish or pale in colour.^[6]

Distribution

Lethrinus rubrioperculatus is found in numerous locations, including East African waters, southern Japan and Taiwan, the Marquesas Islands, New Caledonia^[7][8] and the northern half of Australia.^[5][9]

Habitat

This species lives over sandy bottoms, in areas where rubble is present, and along the slopes of outer reefs.^[5] Although reef-associated, Lethrinus rubrioperculatus also occurs at depths of up to 160 metres, much deeper than most other species in this genus.^[10] This species is non-migratory.^[6]

Diet

Lethrinus rubrioperculatus eats mostly crustaceans, mollusks, echinoderms, and other fishes.^[5]

Human uses

This fish is caught commercially.^[5]

Parasites

Calydiscoides euzeti,^[11] a monogenean parasite of L. rubrioperculatus

As most fish, Lethrinus rubrioperculatus is the host of many species of parasites.^[12] Monogeneans parasitic on the gills include the diplectanid Calydiscoides euzeti,^[11] the ancyrocephalids Lethrinitrema gibbus and Lethrinitrema dossenus^[13] and several capsalids.^[12] Copepods parasitic on the gills include the caligid Caligus lethrinicola^[14] and the lernanthropid Sagum vespertilio.^[12] The gills also harbour unidentified gnathiid isopod larvae.^[12] The digestive tract harbours an unidentified Acanthocephala,^[12] unidentified tetraphyllid cestodes,^[12] species of the anisakid nematode Raphidascaris (Ichthyascaris),^[15] and a variety of digeneans, including the acanthocolpid Stephanostomum aaravi,^[16] the hemiurid Lecithochirium sp. and Tubulovesicula angusticauda,^[12] the opecoelid Pseudoplagioporus interruptus^[12] and three other opecoelids.^[12] The abdominal cavity contains two species of larval tetrarhynch cestodes, the otobothriid Otobothrium parvum^[12] and the tentaculariid Nybelinia goreensis.^[12] In New Caledonia, where its parasites were particularly studied, Lethrinus rubrioperculatus has a total of twenty species of parasites.^[12]

References