First record of the elusive Freshwater snapper Lutjanus fuscescens (Valenciennes, 1830) in Palawan, Philippines

Edgar  D. Jose,; Jonah Van  Beijnen,; Solomon  Calago,

First record of the elusive Freshwater snapper Lutjanus fuscescens (Valenciennes, 1830) in Palawan, Philippines

Edgar D Jose | Jonah Van Beijnen | Solomon Calago

Abstract:

The Freshwater snapper (Lutjanus fuscescens) is a large species of snapper that inhabits freshwater and brackish water habitats (MartinezAndrade, 2003). Unlike other snapper species, the complete lifecycle of the species takes place in freshwater habitats. The Freshwater snapper is known to grow up to 40 cm, making it one of the largest species of snapper (Allen 1985), and it is thought to act as a top predator feeding on different smaller fishes. Despite its large size, the species remains understudied and little is known about it. The species is known from Southeast Asia where it has been found in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Solomon Island, Timor-Leste and the Philippines (Miller and Cribb 2007; Polhemus et al. 2008; Larson et al. 2007). Within the Philippines, the species is mainly known from the island of Mindanao, which is in the southeast of the archipelago.