Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Eupercaria/misc (Various families in series Eupercaria) >
Lethrinidae (Emperors or scavengers) > Lethrininae
Etymology: Lethrinus: Greek, lethrinia, a fish pertaining to genus Pagellus; mitchelli: Named for David Mitchell, a seasoned conservationist who dedicated his career to the spectacular nature and local indigenous communities of Milne Bay.
Eponymy: David Kym Mitchell became (2016) Director at Eco Custodian Advocates, Alotau Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 20 - 25 m (Ref. 124781). Tropical
Western Pacific: Papua New Guinea.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 20.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 124781)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8. This species is distinguished by the following characters: head length 2.7 in SL, greater than body depth, 3.0-3.1 in SL; cheek height 3.2-3.6 in HL; snout length without lip 1.3-1.4 in cheek height; snout profile is nearly straight without prominent hump in front of eyes, angle of snout relative to upper jaw about 55°; interorbital is nearly flat or convex; fourth dorsal-fin spine is the longest, slightly longer than third; lateral-line scales 47; transverse scale rows below lateral line 15; transverse scale rows above lateral line 4.5; wide scaleless area on the upper posterior margin of opercle; lateral teeth in jaws conical. Colouration: in life brown dorsally, whitish ventrally, with a broad, brown, posteriorly tapering band along midlateral body, partially split anteriorly by a relatively broad, ascending diagonal white band; without dark streaks radiating from eye; pelvic fins translucent with diffuse grey transverse bands (Ref. 124781).
Found in an area consisting of a gully with volcanic black sand and rubble bottom, from the shoreline shallows to about 30 m depth on a relatively steep slope. About 10 individuals (size from about 10.0-20.0 cm SL) were observed around a large submerged tree trunk, lying horizontally across the gully in 20-25 m depth. When pursued with a spear, the fish retreated down the slope. Thus, it is possible that the species is normally found in deeper water, accounting for the lack of previous observations by us despite many hours of diving near the type locality over the past two decades, routinely to depths of 40-50 m (Ref. 124781).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Allen, G.R., B.C. Victor and M.V. Erdmann, 2021. Lethrinus mitchelli a new species of emperor fish (Teleostei: Lethrinidae) from Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. J. Ocean Sci. Found. 38:66-77. (Ref. 124781)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = No PD50 data [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01479 (0.00699 - 0.03129), b=2.98 (2.81 - 3.15), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.5 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (14 of 100).
![Image of Lethrinus mitchelli (Mitchell\](/images/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Lemit_u0.jpg "Image of Lethrinus mitchelli (Mitchell\")
