Description:

Dorsal spines: 10; Dorsal rays: 9; Anal spines: 3; Anal rays: 8.

Body relatively elongate. Snout moderately long. Posterior nostril a longitudinal opening, closer to orbit than anterior nostril. Lateral teeth in jaws conical. Cheek 
without scales.

Colour. Body light bluish grey or brown, often with scattered irregular dark blotches on sides. Three dark streaks, typically, radiate forward from the eye. The fins are 
pale or orange red.
 

Maturity: Lm 29.1 cm TL. Max Length: 80 cm TL. Commonly 40 cm TL.

Inhabits sandy areas near coral reefs to (depth 10-80 m). Swims in small schools, sometimes together with L. olivaceus. Feeds, both day and night, on fish, crustacea, 
cephalopods and polychaetes. Fast-growing, short-lived species with high natural mortality rate.

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It is caught in the hand line fishery, where it is a regular and moderately abundant component of the catch.

Carpenter, K.E. & Allen, G.R. (1989). FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 9 Emperor Fishes and Large-eye Breams of the World (Family Lethrinidae). An annotated and Illustrated 
Catalogue of Lethrinid Species Known to Date. UNFAO Rome. ISBN 92-5-102889-3
Carpenter, K.E. et al. (2016). Lethrinus microdon. The IUCN Red List 2016: http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T16720083A16722375.en. (11/05/19).
Froese, R. & D. Pauly. (Eds.) (2019). FishBase. https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Lethrinus-microdon (11/05/19).
Nevill, J. (2013). A Species Identification Guide for Commonly Caught Fish in the Seychelles Near-Shore Artisanal Fishery. GOS/UNDP/GEF.

Nevill, J.E.G. (2019). Lethrinus microdon, Smalltooth emperor. Seychelles Seatizens. www.seatizens.sc. https://seatizens.sc/species/lethrinus-microdon-valenciennes-1830/ (17/07/22).