Facts
| Latin name | Lutjanus sebae - (Cuvier, 1816) |
| Common name | Emperor Red Snapper |
| Family | Lutjanidae - Lutjanus |
| Origin | East Indian Ocean, West Indian Ocean, Australia, Indonesia |
| Max length | 116.0 cm (45.7") |
As aquarium fish
Food
| Mostly |
|
| Recommended |
|
Aggressive
This species can be extremely aggressive towards other fish.
Be careful when keeping these fish together with peaceful or docile species. Regular feeding, plenty of hiding places and a lot of space can alleviate aggressive behavior to some degree.
Threat towards crustaceans
This species poses a threat towards shrimps and crabs etc., which are relatively small.
Can be a threat to small fish
This spicies might be a threat to smaller fishes.
Demand a very large aquarium when fully grown
This species needs a very large aquarium when fully grown.
Exactly how big the aquarium should be is hard to say, but the size of this species is such, that it cannot normally be kept in a home aquarium.
Grows fast
This species grows very quickly if fed well.
Heavy load
This species eats a great deal and demands an aquarium that can tolerate such a heavy load.
Thrive best on their own
These fish flourish better without other members of the same species in the aquarium.
Requires plenty of space for swimming.
This species revels in swimming and requires an aquarium with ample space.
Initially shy
This species can be very shy when first introduced into a new aquarium.
More aggressive fish can be introduced after this species has acclimatized.
Overhangs and caves
This species thrives best in an aquarium with overhangs and caves.
Family description (Lutjanidae)
Snappers (Lutjanidae) are predatory fish, which normally live off fish and a wide range of invertebrates; typically crustaceans, but also snails, sea urchins, worms etc. They will mostly find their food on the bottom, and some species will blow in the sand to find food.
Unlike the other species, species in the Macolor, Pinjalo and Rhomboplites genera live of the larger kinds of zooplankton.
Snappers are generally fairly hardy, but are only suitable for very large aquaria. One should arrange the tank, with a large overhang or hole where they can hide.
FishBase
| Aquarium trade | Yes |
| Distribution | Indo-West Pacific: southern Red Sea and East Africa to New Caledonia, north to southern Japan, south to Australia. |
| English common names | Emperor red snapper, Red emperor |
| Danish common names | Kejsersnapper |
| German common names | Kaiserschnapper |
| French common names | Vivaneau bourgeois, Empereur rouge, Bourgeois |
References and further reading
Scott W. Michael. 2004. Angelfishes and Butterflyfishes (Reef Fishes Series Book 3)
Bob Fenner. Snappers, Family Lutjanidae - Wet Web Media - (English)
WWM Crew. FAQs about Snappers, Family Lutjanidae - Wet Web Media - (English)
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2014. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (08/2014).
Tags
| aggressive territorial, docile shy, eats shrimp, eats crab, eats fish, predatory |
