Yellowfin Emperor

Lethrinus crocineus has its dorsal fin supported by 10 spines and 9 soft rays while there are 3 spines and 8 soft rays supporting the anal fin. It has a rather deep body with the body's depth fitting 2.3 to 2.4 times into its standard length. The head has a straight profile and a short snout. It has rounded teeth in its jaws, although these are more molariform laterally. The inner surface of the axilla of the pectoral fin has a dense covering of scales. It has a grey or brownish head, the body is grey or tan with black bases to the scales. The margins of the operculum and the dorsal and anal fins are reddish. This species has a maximum published total length of 60 cm (24 in).

Lethrinus crocineus is found in the Indian Ocean where it has a rather disjunct distribution. It occurs along the eastern coast of Africa between Kenya and South Africa, in the Comoro Islands, off Madagascar, the Seychelles, the Mascarene Islands, Sri Lanka and in the Andaman Sea. It is found on reefs and in sandy areas close to reefs as depths down to around 150 m (490 ft).

Lethrinus crocineus has the specific name crocineus which means "saffron", an allusion Smith did not explain, although it may be a reference to the mostly yellowish colour of living specimens.