These species are generally fish-eating (piscivoruous), although juveniles commonly eat invertebrates and crustaceans. Many spawn in aggregations, making them vulnerable to fisheries. Many have low resilience and are considered susceptible to overfishing.
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- Max length 73 cm
- Has truncate tail with a narrow white posterior margin, and relatively large crowded dark-edged circular blue spots
- Adults inhabit lagoon and seaward reefs, in areas with rich coral growth. Most frequently encountered in channels along the reef front. Often shy
- Feeds exclusively on fishes
- Before spawning around full moon, species aggregate along channels and are responsive to baited hooks, making them vulnerable to fisherman; upward movements of some to take baited hooks that are presumably mistaken for courtship or spawning behavior
- Large individuals may be ciguatoxicin certain areas
- Vulnerable on IUCN Red List
- Low resilience, minimum population doubling time 4.5 – 14 years
- High vulnerability
- Max length 125 cm, common length 84 cm
- Voracious piscivore inhabiting coral-rich areas of lagoon and seaward reefs
- Encountered most frequently in channels and outer shelf reefs, Depth range 4 – 100 m
- Migrate over short distances to spawn, forming large aggregations, maybe 1 – 2 per reef
- Feeds mostly on fishes, occasionally on crustaceans. Prey includes a variety of large reef fishes, including groupers, and this diet of large fishes is responsible for the high levels of ciguatera toxins
- Young have demersal existence in shallow water in reef habitats, especially around coral rubble
- Eggs float just below the surface, pelagic larvae found in habitats similar to those of adults
- Listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List
- Very low resilience, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years. High to very high vulnerability
- Coral olivaceous to reddish-brown (some are orange-red), paler ventrally with numerous minute round, dark-edged blue spots on head and body (except lower thorax and abdomen), median fins and pectoral fin base; largest spots on body with 3 times or more in greater pupil diameter; with more than 10 spots on cheek (in the region below and behind center of eye to preopercular margin). Nearly complete blue ring (dark brown in perspective) around the eye, sometimes broken into segments. Whitish margins very narrow and usually present along middle or posterior margin of caudal fin, often preceded by an indistinct dark band
- Medium resilience, minimum population doubling time 1.4 – 4.4 years