Dispatch Method:

Beware of the very sharp dorsal and anal spines of threadfin emperors when handling them. To maximise their eating qualities they should be killed humanely by iki jime or a firm knock to the head before placing them in an ice slurry after bleeding.

Fish Description:

• Threadfin emperors are the only Lethrinus species with a soft filament on the first dorsal spine, whilst the second dorsal spine is longest.
  
• Their body color is tan or brown with scattered irregular black oblique bars along the flanks, and a prominent brown/black blotch above the pectoral fin just below the lateral line.
  
• This species is a protogynous hermaphrodite which matures first as females at around 15 cm long before changing sex into male, beginning around 18 cm.
  
• They are a small, relatively short lived lethrinid with a maximum age around 7 years.

Fish Distribution:

• These fish occur throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region from the Eastern Indian Ocean , north to Japan, and south to northern Australia.
  
• They are found over coral rubble or shallow sand and seagrass beds, and may even enter rivers and mangrove areas.
  
• They are aggressive feeders which eat a wide variety of
  
• crustaceans and small fishes.

Fish Size Common Length:

15-20 cm, maximum size around 25 cm.