Redthroat emperor
Lethrinus miniatus
Illustration: Bloom by Day
Grey-silver over a long sloping snout and a bare cheek, with orange-red lips, a red flush at the base of the pectoral fin and red edges to the fins — the throat it is named for is a patch of colour, not a whole red head. It drifts in loose groups over coral rubble and will hold position at a comfortable distance while it decides about you.
how to recognise it
- bright red at the base of the pectoral fin
- reddish head on a silver to pale grey-brown body
- red streak from the snout to the upper gill cover, and often reddish lips
- the centre of each scale is darker, and there are sometimes 8-9 faint bars
don’t confuse with
- Snapper — the emperor has a long pointed snout and a sloping forehead; snapper has a blunt face and blue spots
- Spangled emperor — the spangled emperor has pale blue spots on the scale centres and three blue streaks from the eye
- Grass sweetlip — the grass sweetlip has no red at the pectoral base and is blotched tan or yellow
- Longnose emperor — the longnose emperor has a very long snout and no red on the head or pectoral base
Field marks read from Fishes of Australia, 2026-10-13. Our wording, their facts. Max size 90 cm TL.
facts
- habitat
- reef
- size
- ~45 cm, to 90 cm
Max size from Fishes of Australia (90 cm TL); the typical size is Bluebird’s, not from a cited source
- records near here
- 8 at 2 of 6 spots
A count of occurrence records near these spots, not abundance. Records are where someone looked.
when it has been recorded
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A gap means no record in the sample, not absence.
the rule
QLD — Min: 38cm · Limit: 8
source
· verified 2026-10-10
no NSW rule listed — check before you dive
QLD s 23 — closed season 6 November 2026 to 10 November 2026 (20 windows listed)
as regulated coral reef fin fish = any species in Fisheries (General) Regulation 2019, sch 7 pt 2 (tables 1-9) — table 3 (emperor)
where: coral reef fin fish waters — tidal waters within the boundary from the northern tip of Cape York along latitude 10º41' south ... to latitude 24º50' south, longitude 154º east ... along latitude 24º50' south to the mainland shore
Whether it applies where you dive depends on the spot — open that spot on the map and press “fish here”.
Fisheries Declaration 2019 · Reprint current from 25 September 2026 to date · read 2026-10-13
Rules checked 2026-10-13 against qld.gov.au
Rules change. Check before you dive.
Occurrence data: Atlas of Living Australia (ala.org.au), CC-BY 4.0.
Diver transect counts: Reef Life Survey (reeflifesurvey.com), CC-BY 4.0, supplied via ALA.
Target and protected species: Queensland tidal-water size and possession limits (qld.gov.au) and NSW saltwater bag and size limits plus threatened species lists (dpird.nsw.gov.au).
Habitat and size: Bluebird, approximate, from general knowledge. Not cited. FishBase is CC BY-NC and this app is commercial, so it is not used.
Description written for Bloom. RECORDS ARE WHERE SOMEONE LOOKED, NOT WHERE THE FISH ARE. A record count is a count of records near here and nothing else -- it is not abundance, and a species with few records is not rare. Absence of records is not absence of fish.
Diver transect counts: Reef Life Survey (reeflifesurvey.com), CC-BY 4.0, supplied via ALA.
Target and protected species: Queensland tidal-water size and possession limits (qld.gov.au) and NSW saltwater bag and size limits plus threatened species lists (dpird.nsw.gov.au).
Habitat and size: Bluebird, approximate, from general knowledge. Not cited. FishBase is CC BY-NC and this app is commercial, so it is not used.
Description written for Bloom. RECORDS ARE WHERE SOMEONE LOOKED, NOT WHERE THE FISH ARE. A record count is a count of records near here and nothing else -- it is not abundance, and a species with few records is not rare. Absence of records is not absence of fish.