African forktail snapper
Apsilus fuscus
One-spot snapper
Lutjanus monostigma
About
A pale, quietly patrolling reef predator that saves its hunting for after dark, when it slips out from its favourite cave to search the reef for a meal.
Also known as: blackspot snapper, one-spot snapper, onespot snapper, bluelined snapper, moses perch, one-spot seaperch, one-spot snapper, onespot perch, onespot seaperch, onespot snapper, red snapper, onespot seaperch, black spot red snapper, one spot snapper, onespot perch, bluelined snapper, snapper, red snapper, onespot snapper, moses perch, one-spot seaperch, one-spot snapper, one-spot sea-perch
- Length
- 50 cm · max 60 cm
- Depth
- up to 60 m
How to tell it apart
Its pale pink-grey body and yellow fins look similar to several other reef snappers, but this species carries a single black spot or blotch toward the rear of its body. In older, larger fish that spot shrinks and becomes more oblong.
Appearance
This snapper has a fairly deep body with a gently sloping forehead. Its overall colour is whitish to pink or grey, and its fins are yellow.
Habitat
One-spot snapper live around coral reef areas across the tropical Indo-Pacific, usually staying close to shelter such as caves, large coral formations, or wreckage, from just below the surface down to about 60 metres.
Behaviour
This is a nocturnal hunter that feeds mainly on fish, along with bottom-dwelling crustaceans, at night. It is usually seen alone, though it sometimes gathers in small schools.
Did you know?
Its species name, monostigma, means "one mark" - a reference to the single black spot that gives this snapper its common name, a mark that is bold in young fish and fades with age.
Log it in Into the Blue
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