Lutjanidae - Snappers -- Discover Life

Lutjanidae
SNAPPERS
Life Vertebrata Fish

Snappers are small to medium-sized fishes with an ovate to elongate, moderately compressed body. Other features include a single dorsal fin that may be notched between the spiny and soft parts, or sometimes has deeply notches between the spines; dorsal spines usually X, the soft rays 8-18; anal fin with III spines and 7-11 soft rays; tail fin with a straight to deeply forked edge; pelvic axillary scale process usually well-developed; jaws usually with more or less distinct canines; front and sides of roof of mouth usually with small conical teeth; scales rough; cheek and operculum scaly; snout, below eye and lower jaw scaleless.

Most snappers dwell in shallow to intermediate depths (to 100m) in the vicinity of reefs, although there are some species largely confined to depths between 100 and 500m. Snappers are active predators feeding mainly at night on a variety of items, but fishes are dominant in the diet of most species. Other common foods include crabs, shrimps, various other crustaceans, gastropods, cephalopods, and planktonic organisms, particularly urochordates. The maximum lifespan of snappers has been estimated between four and 21 years based on studies of growth rings on bony structures such as otoliths and vertebrae. In general the larger snappers have longer lifespans, perhaps in the range of 15-20 years. Snappers are good eating and are frequently offered at markets and restaurants.

The approximately 107 members of the 17 genera in the family are distributed in all tropical seas, but the majority inhabits the Indo-Pacific. The genus Lutjanus is the largest containing 64 species, including nine eastern Pacific representatives. In our region there are 12 species in four genera, including two Indo-Pacific species and 10 endemics.