A grid of dark lines on white with a black spot at the tail; common on Philippine rubble.
To about 30 cm, white with several dark horizontal stripes crossed by vertical bars over the front half, forming a grid, and a black blotch on the caudal peduncle above the lateral line. The pattern is distinctive and holds in juveniles.
It occupies rubble and coral edges rather than open reef, usually alone or in twos and threes, and feeds on small fish and crustaceans at night. It is one of the more frequently recorded snappers at the Philippine destinations and is easily approached. Recorded from about 3 to 35 m.
Ratings are per location: 1 means found on most dives that look for it, 5 means a handful of records. Where enough dives have been logged the figure is calculated from them; otherwise it is an editorial estimate, and says so. We publish habitat and destination, not the dive site.