Snapper: Malabar Blood Snapper
Malabar Blood Snappers (Lutjanus malabaricus) are widespread in the Indo-West Pacific, from the Fiji Islands to the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf, and from Australia to southern Japan. They are excellent food fish that can attain a maximum total length of 100 cm. They are red or red-orange in colour, including their fins. Juveniles are easier to recognize as they have a broad, oblique band of brown or black from upper jaw to beginning of dorsal fin, and a prominent black band across caudal peduncle with a pearly white anterior border. A series of narrow reddish horizontal lines may also be found on younger fish that disappear in adults. Adult Malabar Blood Snappers are distinguished from other red snapper by their relatively deep body, straight or slightly concave snout profile, large mouth, and long maxilla.
The species can be found in both coastal and offshore reefs from depths of 12 m to 100 m. Juveniles tend to inhabit shallow inshore waters while larger fish live in deeper waters. They feed mainly on small fishes and benthic crustaceans.
Other names for the fish:
Ahaan, Aha-an, Ang hu, Big-mouth nannygai, Blodsnapper, Bobotsy, Cá Hồng Ma-la, Chemballi kora, Comay, Dapak, Fiamasiaka, Fiamena, Gola, Hamra, Hamrah, Humphead snapper, Ikan merah mata hitam, Konde sevalai, Koni meinte, Kungu, Kurakake-Tarumi, Langit, Large-mouthed nannygai, Large-mouthed sea-perch, Lucjan czarnoplamy, Lugho, Malabar blood snapper, Malabar red snapper, Malabar red-snapper, Malabar seaperch, Malabar snapper, Malabari riffahven, Malabarsnapper, Maya maya, Mayamaya, Maya-maya, Merah, Merah cina, Merah mata hitam, Nannygai, Nga-ba-yin, Para galla, Pargo cabezón, Pargo malabárico, Perche écarlate, Pla daeng, Pla ka pong daeng, Pla ka pong daeng san hang pan, Pla ka pong deng, Puga, Pulahan, Pwat, Ra mimireke, Rathu galmalu, Red bass, Red bream, Red emperor, Red jew, Red snapper, Redfish, Rosinibogi, Saddletail seaperch, Saddletail snapper, Saddle-tail snapper, Saddle-tailed sea-perch, Scarlet emperor, Scarlet sea perch, Scarlet sea-perch, Sebus, Sendarat, Silver, Snapper, Sorkhoo malabari, Tabong, Talutoon, Tamb, Vivaneau malabar, Vivaneau têtu, Yoko-fuedai, луциан малабарский, عصموديّ مالابار, तामब, ചെന്പല്ലി കോര, ചെന്വല്ലി ക്കോര, ปลาแดง, ปลากะพงแดง, ปลากะพงแดงสันหางปาน, 摩拉吧笛鯛, 摩拉吧笛鲷, 赤海, 赤笔仔, 馬拉巴笛鯛, 马拉巴笛鲷