This is a series of articles I’ve decided to publish under the title “Diver’s Len.”
The goal of these articles is to inform readers about the species of marine life found in the Maldivian ocean and captured by photographers and videographers.
In addition to the photographs and videos, we have included a summary of general and scientific information about the species.
The photographer or diver has granted permission for the publication of the photos and videos in these articles.
This is an article about the Midnight Snapper.
COMMON NAME: Midnight snapper
OTHER NAMES: Black-and-White Seaperch, Black-and-White Snapper, Midnight Seaperch, Newspaperfish, Seaperch
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Macolor macularis
FAMILY: Lutjanidae
LOCAL NAME: Kalhu fonimas
TYPE: Teleost
DIET: Carnivore
SIZE: Up to 60 CM
WEIGHT:Around 2.5 KG
The midnight snapper lives on protected reef slopes and walls with dense coral growth, especially in rich coral growth areas. You can find adults in caves, swimming freely, or congregating in loose groups in reef channels.
Juveniles are distinguished by their extremely long fins below and swim alongside feather stars, long-spined urchins, and coral fans ranging in size from 5 to 20 cm. Midnight snapper can grow to 60 cm long and weigh up to 2.5 kg.
Unlike adults, the details of their colour pattern distinguish them easily. The midnight snapper hides in a cavern on a coral reef covered in soft white corals.
This snapper is part of the Lutjanidae family. Snappers are a large tropical family with 17 genera and over 100 species worldwide, 28 of which are recorded in the Maldives. Verifying several doubtful records is necessary. They can be found on reef channels, slopes, and walls.
Moderate depths are home to most of them. Some species can only be found in extremely deep waters. They also live in lagoons and coral reefs.
They can be found both alone and in loosely formed schools. There are multiple subfamilies. The Lutjaninae, or benthic snapper, are the most commonly seen and abundant among divers.
Adult fish live at moderate depths, with some entering shallow reefs. Many species have juveniles inshore; some enter freshwater, and they frequently reach adult size in shallow depths.
Diet consists of invertebrates and fish, which are typically taken from the bottom; however, some form schools and feed on zooplankton, crustaceans, gastropods, and cephalopods. They are nocturnal predators, primarily feeding on fish.
