SPECIES NAME: Lutjanus purpureus Poey, 1867

OSTEOLOGY:

Summary:

The prefrontals have impressed areas posteriorly, are long and cribriform, and have articular facets arising from diverging V-shaped ridges. The frontal is narrowed anteriorly, and the fronto-occipital crest ceases well before the anterior margin of the frontal, usually behind the eye. The preopercle is weakly emarginate, not deeply notched, and is finely serrate on its posterior margin. The maxilla slides under the suborbital rim when the mouth is closed. The basisphenoid bears an anterior lobiform extension. There are 7 branchiostegal rays, and 24 vertebrae.

Literature:

References to Lutjanus purpureus Poey, 1867: Allen 1985: Page 110 (text) - "...preopercular notch and knob weak..."

References to genus Lutjanus: Jordan and Evermann 1898: Page 1247 (as genus Neomaenis Girard, 1859) - "...preopercle without notch or with a shallow emargination; posterior limb of preopercle finely serrate..." "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. Vertebrae 10 + 14 = 24." "...notch on preopercle for the reception of knob of interopercle shallow and broad, sometimes obsolete..." Masuda et al., ed. 1991: Page 168 (text) - "...posterior margin of preoperculum serrate, and generally with a deep notch on posterior lower side..." Allen 1985: Page 33 (text) - "...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) - "...maxilla is partly hidden by the area before the eyes." "...opercle lacks spines." Eschmeyer and Herald 1983: Page 215 (text) - "Rear of upper jaw fits into a groove (and is partially hidden) when mouth is closed." Masuda et al., ed. 1991: Page 166 (text) - "...branchiostegal rays 7; number of vertebrae 24...." 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."