Smalltooth Emperor


Name: Smalltooth Emperor

Local name: Souli

Scientific name: Lethrinus microdon

Classification: Class: ray-finned fishes; Order: perch-likes; Family: emperors (Lethrinidae)

Size: It commonly attains 30 – 50 cm, with a maximum length of 70 cm.


The Smalltooth Emperor inhabits sandy areas near coral assemblages, from shallow water down to depths of 80 m. It feeds on fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, and polychaetes.


This species is widespread in the tropical Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea and the east coast of Africa, east to Micronesia, north to Japan, and south to Papua New Guinea.

Conservation status:

It has not yet been assessed globally by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In a recent regional assessment for the Arabian Gulf it was classified as Least Concern (LC). The Smalltooth Emperor is mainly caught by handlines and traps. It is an excellent food fish.


The body is oblong and moderately compressed. The snout is elongate and the mouth large and terminal. The caudal fin is emarginated. Head and body coloration is greenish grey, shading to whitish ventrally; edges of scales are darker than their centers. Pectoral fins are reddish. There are three oblique blackish streaks radiating from the eye towards the mouth.