Identification
The upper body carries about seven narrow brown-black bars over a pinkish background that becomes pale below. Unlike complete vertical stripes, these markings extend only partway down the side. A dark blotch occupies the middle of the tail base.
Size and Weight
The verified maximum total length is 35 cm, about 13.8 inches. A dependable measured maximum weight was not located. Maturity measurements from local fisheries are not treated as the species’ maximum size.
Habitat and Feeding
Coral reefs at roughly 10–36 m provide its documented setting. Individuals occur alone or in small groups. A field study in Fiji observed this species taking offered tuna at a shark-feeding site; that observation documents opportunistic feeding, not a complete natural diet.
Fishing Methods
Handlines and traps are documented in Indonesian fisheries. No verified comparison establishes a best recreational bait or lure. The observed response to tuna in a provisioning study should not be treated as an endorsement of wildlife feeding or as proof of angling performance.
Bands That Do Not Go All the Way Around
The partial bars are the most useful visual theme of this snapper. Combined with the tail-base blotch, they make a more precise identification clue than the broad “blackbanded” name alone.
All Lakes With Blackbanded Snapper
Browse all lakes and reservoirs with confirmed Blackbanded Snapper records in our database, listed alphabetically.
No published lakes are currently linked to this species in our confirmed records.