Habitat: Marine and brackish waters (lower reaches of rivers, especially the young). Coral reefs, rocky areas, around docks, mangrove sloughs, tidal creeks bordered with mangroves and even into freshwater. Depth range 5 - 180 m. Natural History Notes: Drift in small or large schools. Carnivorous, feeds mainly at night on small fishes, shrimps, crabs, gastropods, cephalopods and some planktonic items. Also commonly known as "mangrove snapper". Characteristics: Highly changeable coloration, from pale grey to generally dark or reddish brown, sometimes blotched. Broad, dark oblique stripe extending from the snout tip through the eye towards the base of the anterior dorsal spines, but not always apparent. Dark distal streak on the dorsal fin and another on the lower caudal-fin lobe.