SPECIES NAME: Lutjanus purpureus Poey, 1867

HEAD:

Summary:

The head is relatively short (fitting about 2.5 to 3.0 times into standard length), and naked above, except for a more-or-less isolated broad band of scales extending obliquely on each side of the nape. The dorsal profile of the head is somewhat rounded between eyes, and the upper and lower profiles of the head are unequal, (the upper profile is sloped, and the lower profile is flattened). The interorbital space is convex, and the snout is short and blunt. The nostrils are normally close together, and lack tubular projections. The mouth is large, protractile, and terminal, and the rear of the upper jaw (the maxilla) fits into a suborbital groove and is partially hidden when mouth is closed. The eye is large (fitting fewer than 5.6 times in head length), and is closest to the upper profile of head (its lower edge is generally above an imaginary line drawn from the snout tip to the middle of the caudal fin base). The suborbital width is 6 to 7% of the standard length. The preopercle is finely serrate on its posterior margin, and bears, at most, a shallow posterior emargination. There are fewer than 20 gill rakers (including rudiments) on the lower limb of the first arch, and they are short.

Literature:

References to Lutjanus purpureus Poey, 1867: Allen 1985: Page 51 (key) - "...suborbital width 6 to 7% of standard length" Page 52 (key) - "...cheek scale rows 6 rarely 5 or 7..." Page 110 (text) - "Head short (about 2.5 to 3.0 times in standard length), its dorsal profile somewhat rounded behind eyes; snout short and blunt; eye large (less than 5.6 times in head length); preopercular notch and knob weak..."

References to genus Lutjanus: Jordan and Evermann 1898: Page 1247 (as genus Neomaenis Girard, 1859) - "...head long, naked above, except for a broad oblique band of scales at the nape; nostrils normally close together, neither with a tube; mouth large..." "...preopercle without notch or with a shallow emargination; posterior limb of preopercle finely serrate; gill rakers rather few; shortish..."; "Interorbital area not flat nor separated from the occipital region, the median and lateral crests procurrent on it, and the frontal narrowed forward; fronto-occipital crest ceasing anteriorly far from front of frontal, usually behind eye; prefrontal with posterior areas impressed, long and cribriform..." "...prefrontals with articular facets arising from diverging V-shaped ridges; basisphenoid with an anterior lobiform extension." "...top of head naked; a more or less isolated band of scales extending obliquely on each side of nape; notch on preopercle for the reception of knob of interopercle shallow and broad, sometimes obsolete..." Masuda et al., ed. 1991: Page 169 (text) - "...posterior margin of preoperculum serrate, and generally with a deep notch on posterior lower side..." Allen 1985: Page 13 (key) - "Gill rakers shorter, less than 25 on lower limb" "...anterior nostril not opening through a tube..." Page 14 (key) - "...gill rakers variable, but usually less than 10 in most species..." "...gill rakers on lower limb of first arch 20 or less (less than 16 in most species)...." "Upper and lower profiles of head unequal, upper profile evenly rounded to steeply sloped, and lower profile flattened; eye closer to upper profile of head, its lower edge generally above line from snout tip to middle of caudal fin base..." Page 33 (text) - "Mouth relatively large, protractile..." "...interorbital space convex; preopercle serrate, its lower margin with a shallow to deep notch, and opposite portion of interopercle sometimes with a bony knob, most strongly developed in species with a deep preopercular notch..."

References to subfamily Lutjaninae: Masuda et al., ed. 1991: Page 168 (text) - "...suborbital width generally wide..."

References to family Lutjanidae: Boschung et al. 1983: Page 603 (text) - "The large mouth is terminal, and the maxilla is partly hidden by the area before the eyes." "The chin has no barbels or pores, and the opercle lacks spines." "Small ctenoid scales cover the body, except between the mouth and eyes." Eschmeyer and Herald 1983: Page 215 (text) - "Snout and area around eye unscaled; ctenoid scales cover most of head and body." "Rear of upper jaw fits into a groove (and is partially hidden) when mouth is closed." Masuda et al., ed. 1991: Page 166 (text) - "...snout pointed and angle of snout acute." Robins and Ray 1986: Page 167 (text) - "...the rear end of the upper jaw slides under the suborbital rim instead of outside it..." Plate 31 (caption) - "Maxilla slides under suborbital rim." Moyle and Cech 1988: Page 293 (text) - "...triangular head with a large mouth located at the apex of the triangle. The mouth is protractile..."