[3] The specific name vitta means "band" or "ribbon", probably a reference to the single lonngitudinal stripe along the body of this fish.

[2] The overall colour is whitish to pinkish, there is a yellowish-brown to black stripe running along the middle of the flanks.

[6] Lutjanus vitta has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution from the Seychelles and Socotra in the west, the Maldives, southern India and Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean.

It is a predatory species which has a diet comprising fishes, shrimps, crabs and other benthic invertebrates.

[1] Lutjanus vitta is targeted by fisheries throughout its range,[1] it is a common species in fish markets.