Plectropomus laevis (Lacepède 1801)

Andréfouët, Serge, Chen, Wei-Jen, Kinch, Jeff, Mana, Ralph, Russell, Barry C., Tully, Dean & White, William T., 2019, Checklist of the marine and estuarine fishes of New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, western Pacific Ocean, with 810 new records, Zootaxa 4588 (1), pp. 1-360 : 121

Plectropomus laevis (Lacepède 1801) —Blacksaddle coral grouper

Status at New Ireland. First recorded from New Ireland by Kailola (1987b: 232). Specimens observed by Jeff Kinch during CFMDP Survey at Kavieng fish market in 2004–2005; a specimen observed at Balang Island, New Hanover, 0–18 m depth, St. T 21, on 6 Nov. 2006, by Gerald R. Allen.

Distribution and habitat. New Ireland: 1, 2.—General distribution: East Africa, Madagascar and Mascarenes east to Oeno ( Pitcairn Group), north to Ryukyu Islands, south to Western Australia, Queensland ( Australia) at 23°30'S, New Caledonia and Rapa. Solitary in coral-rich areas in lagoon and seaward coral reefs, 4–100 m depth. Marine.