Lutjanus arakan:
Researchers recently recorded a new snapper species ‘Lutjanus arakan’ in Indian waters for the first time at Gopalpur in Ganjam district, in a significant contribution to Indian marine fish taxonomy.
- Lutjanus arakan is a species of snapper.
- Snappers, belonging to the family Lutjanidae, are marine fishes typically found in tropical and subtropical regions.
- They are known for their ecological importance as mid-level predators and are often associated with reef and coastal ecosystems.
- Lutjanus arakan was identified at Gopalpur-on-Sea in the Ganjam district, Odisha.
- The species had previously been recorded off the coast of Bangladesh but had not been documented in Indian waters until now.
- It is distinguished from other snappers by its unique body colouration, featuring a reddish-silver hue with a series of four dark-reddish-brown horizontal stripes extending from the head to the posterior.
- While the upper body of the snapper is mostly dark brown to blackish, its median fins are dark reddish brown, and its paired fins appear translucent pinkish.
