Grass Emperor

Lethrinus laticaudus has 10 spines and 9 soft rays supporting its dorsal fin while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays. There are no scales on the cheeks but the axilla of the pectoral fin is densely scaled. The dorsal profile of the head is steep and slightly concave. There are blue lines radiating out from the eyes and blue lines across the cheeks. This fish can change their colour and patterning from plain tan, brown or yellow to a brown mottled pattern to camouflage itself. The paired fins are yellow and the dorsal and anal fins are mottled. This species has a maximum published total length of 56 cm (22 in), although 36 cm (14 in) is more typical.

Lethrinus laticaudis is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. It ranges from southern Indonesia and northern Australia east to the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. These fishes live at depths between 5 and 35 m (16 and 115 ft) adult fishes live in coral reefs while the juveniles prefer seagrass beds and mangroves.

Lethrinus laticaudis has the specific name laticaudis which is a compound of latus, meaning "broad", and cauda, which means "tail". Alleyne and Macleay described its tail as "emarginated, wide-spread".