Variola louti (Lyretail grouper)

Identification

Violet to orange-red to brown with violet to blue spots on head, body and fins, lyre-shaped tail with yellow margin. It lives solitary.

Status

Least concern on the IUCN Red List. It is fished heavily locally, but the global population is considered able to recover.

Habitat

Indo-Pacific: Red Sea to South Africa and the Pitcairn Islands, north to southern Japan, south to New South Wales, Australia. Not found in the Persian Gulf nor in Hawaii. Usually seen in clear-water areas at depths below 15 m, and prefers islands and offshore reefs rather than continental shores. It can be found in a depth range of 3-250 meters.

Reproduction

Size

Up to 85 cm., but normally around 70-75 cm.

Prey / Predation

Feeds mainly on fishes, and on crabs, shrimps and stomatopods (mantis shrimps).

Special features

It is reported to cause ciguatera poisoning.