''Lethrinus laticaudis'', the grass emperor, is a
species of
emperor native to the western
Pacific Ocean where they occur on
coral reefs at depths of from . Juveniles inhabit beds of
sea grass and also in
mangrove swamp
Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangroves cannot withstand fre ...
s. It can reach a length of
TL though most do not exceed . This species is
commercially important and is also popular as a
game fish.
Grass emperors are browny-grey with darker brown blotches and streaks along their sides. They have olive cheeks covered with white speckles, their pectoral fins are tinged with blue, and all other fins are tinged with pink. They also have fine blue lines radiating from their eyes, with some crossing the snout.
References
Lethrinidae
Fish described in 1877
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