|
-- S n a p p e r s ( f i s h f a m i l y ) --
click on the question number for the answer |
||
| Q 1. | ||
| While bottom fishing off the Miami shore the fishing party I was with caught quite a few red snappers. The color of these fish interested me because it seems that this red color would attract predators more than some other blending colors. How do you suppose the red snappers have survived and become so numerous in places while they practically wave a brilliant red flag at all passing sharks and other hungry fish? |
||
| Q 2. | ||
| Are the mango snapper and the mangrove snapper actually the same fish? |
||
| Q 3. | ||
| Is the mangrove snapper ever found in fresh water? |
||
| Q 4. | ||
| How many species of snapper are found locally? |
||
| Q 5. | ||
| I understand that the Red Snapper fishery is one of the oldest in the Gulf of Mexico. Can you tell me where and when it started? |
||
| Q 6. | ||
| Please give me any information concerning the Red Snapper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. |
||
| Q 7. | ||
| Could you tell me the best places to catch red snapper? |
||
| Q 8. | ||
| Could you please tell me the mangrove snapper's name? I would also appreciate further information on the habits and habitat of this fish. |
||
| Q 9. | ||
| What is the real name of the mangrove snapper? |
||
| Q 10. | ||
| While I was observing a dense mass of postlarval bigeyes circling a night light in the Bahamas, some gray snappers arrived on the scene and began to prey upon the small fish. As the latter dispersed, it seemed that the snappers herded them back toward the region of the light. They became so bunched that some were forced out of the water on the backs of others. Then the snappers would dash in for a meal, and the cycle would repeat. Are snappers capable of herding their prey, and can you give me any examples of this among other fishes? |
||
| Q 11. | ||
| Can you tell me anything about yellowtail? |
||
| Q 12. | ||
| What are mangrove snapper and how large do grow? |
||
| Q 13. | ||
| Recently, I noted an item telling of the catch of a 1061/2-pound mangrove snapper, claimed as the largest of its kind ever taken on the Florida gulf coast. Do mangrove snapper grow to such a size? |
||
| Q 14. | ||
| Can the yellow tail commonly caught in the Florida Keys be taken on artificial lures by casting or spinning methods? |
||
| Q 15. | ||
| Every year between September and November, providing we have rough seas from the west or northwest, we get large runs of yellowtail or grouper all along the north coast of the island of Jamaica. No one can tell me why these fishes come in after a rough sea at that time of year, or where they come from. Can you give me any information that might be of help? |
||
| Q 16. | ||
| While fishing the Sibun and Manatee Rivers in British Honduras, we caught a great number of voracious snappers. These fish had two large canine-like upper teeth, and their coloring was a mixture of copper-red and black. We have boated these snappers up to 35 pounds, but can tell stories of many bigger ones that got away. Could you help us identify these fish? All the natives and fishing guides in Honduras maintain that they are "black snappers," but all the books on fishes say that black snappers do not run over 8-10 pounds. Is it likely that they are "dog-snappers" misnamed by the British Hondurans? |
||
| Q 17. | ||
| We recently caught two fish that the bait-store proprietor called toro. The fish were about 7 inches long and turned red when out of water. They had large red eyes and a large mouth. What can you tell me about the toro fish? |
||
| Q 18. | ||
| In some ten years of fishing off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, I have seen hundreds of small mutton snapper caught, but never one over 11/2 pounds. On the other hand, catches in South Florida and the Bahamas commonly weigh as much as 15 pounds. Can you explain this situation? |
||
| Q 19. | ||
| A friend caught a 6o-pound fish which he says is a mangrove snapper. Does this fish actually reach this weight? |
||
| Q 20. | ||
| Is the red toro fish that we catch along the Florida coast edible? |
||
| Q 21. | ||
| A fish called the “beeliner” is commonly caught on snapper banks off northwest Florida. Could you tell me the scientific name and other common names of this fish? |
||
| Q 22. | ||
| While diving in waters off Enewetak, Marshall Islands. I saw schools of a fish that resembles a snapper. The upper part of its one-foot-long body glows with bright yellow and the lower part is blue. Can you identify this fish? |
||
| Q&A 1. | While bottom fishing off the Miami shore the fishing party I was with caught quite a few red snappers. The color of these fish interested me because it seems that this red color would attract predators more than some other blending colors. How do you suppose the red snappers have survived and become so numerous in places while they practically wave a brilliant red flag at all passing sharks and other hungry fish? Homestead, Florida |
||
| Owing to the absorption og the red part of the color spectrum in the depth of water at which red snappers usually live, there is no red light to be reflected from the red of the snapper, and these snappers are therefore very inconspicuous. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 2. | Are the mango snapper and the mangrove snapper actually the same fish? |
||
| Yes. The correct name for this fish (Lutianus griseus) is the gray snapper or mangrove snapper. The term "mango" snapper is an unfortunate corruption of "mangrove" and should not be used, as the term is quite meaningless. The mangrove snapper derives its name from the fact that it is often found in considerable numbers about the submerged roots of red mangrove trees. Two other snappers, the schoolmaster, L. apodus, and the dog snapper, L. jocu, share this habit. All three fish are excellent eating. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 3. | Is the mangrove snapper ever found in fresh water? |
||
| Yes. The mangrove or gray snapper, Lutianus griseus, occasionally ascends coastal streams into pure fresh water. This species of snapper grows to a length of three feet and a weight of eighteen pounds. It is abundant throughout the Caribbean at Burmuda, and both coasts of Florida, and has in fact been recorded from Massachusetts to Brazil. On the Florida west coast this species is sometimes called "mango snapper" by fishermen. TI1is is merely a corruption of mangrove", and has no particular meaning. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 4. | How many species of snapper are found locally? |
||
| There are at least 12 kinds found locally, and possibly other Caribbean species may wander into our from time to time. The most important species commercially is the red snapper, Lutianus aya. The mangrove snapper, Lutianus griseus, is most likely the commonest species, and the mahogany snapper, Lutianus mahogoni, is one of the rarest. Many anglers do not realize that the yellowtail, Ocyurus chrysurus, noted both as a food and game fish, is actually a species of snapper. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 5. | I understand that the Red Snapper fishery is one of the oldest in the Gulf of Mexico. Can you tell me where and when it started? Winter Haven, Florida |
||
| A report has recently been issued by The Marine Laboratory of the University of Miami, for the Florida State Board of Conservation, which describes the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery. It is entitled "A Survey of the Red Snapper Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico with Special Reference to the Campeche Banks". This report is #12 of The Marine Laboratory's Technical Series. Included in this report is an account of the history of this pioneer Florida fishery. The red snapper fishery started about 20 years before the Civil War, approximately 1850. It got its start near Pensacola when few England sailors caught snapper while anchored in Pensacola Bay. The industry as a commercial venture began in 1872 and expanded to offshore banks, the most important of which are the Campeche Banks off Mexico. Today the red snapper is one of Florida's most prized food fishes and between 5 and 6 million pounds are landed in Florida annually. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 6. | Please give me any information concerning the Red Snapper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. New Port Richey, Florida |
||
| The commercial fishery lands many species of snappers. Lutjanus aya, the red snapper, is the main species in the catch. The red snapper is a deep water fish, and is concentrated in relatively confined areas. Snappers usually school a few feet off the sea bottom, but have occasionally been observed to surface. The sea floor over which the fish are found commonly consists of patches of hard lime stone covered with live coral. Irregular bottom formations such as depressions ("gullies") or elevations and folds ("rock piles" and "ridges") appear to be preferred habitats for red snappers. The depths at which L. aya are found range from less than 10 fathoms (60 feet) to approximately 80 fathoms. Red snappers are also the object of an important pleasure fishery. On the west coast of Florida, "party boats" sail mainly from Naples, Tampa, Cedar Keys, Carabelle, Panama City, Destin, Fort Walton and Pensacola, and fish within a distance of about 35 miles from the ports, of origin, at depths between 8 and 35 fathoms. The hand line is the standard snapper gear. No. 96 Hard Lay Net Twine is used for the line and Kirby Nos. 3, 4 and 5 hooks are used in the commercial fishery. The party boat fishery usually uses smaller hooks - generally Kirby Nos. 6 and 7. In fishing, baited hooks are suspended approximately one to three feet above -the sea floor. Further information on this fishery is contained in Technical Series No. 12 "A Survey of the Red Snapper Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico", which has been published recently by The Marine Laboratory:' of the University of Miami on behalf of the Florida State Board of Conservation. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 7. | Could you tell me the best places to catch red snapper? Pensacola, Florida |
||
| The red snapper (Lutjanus aya) is a deep water fish (found at depths of 20 - 60 fathoms) and concentrated in relatively confined areas. Snappers usually school a few feet off the sea bottom, but have been observed to surface. It is believed that they remain in one locality for considerable lengths of patches of hard lime stone covered with live corals and grass, The number of such habitats is relatively small. Irregular bottom formation such as depressions or elevations and folds appear to be preferred habitats for red snappers. The better known red snapper fishing spots in the northern Gulf of Mexico are off Fort Walton, Carrabelle and Pensacola in Florida and off the Texas coast. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 8. | Could you please tell me the mangrove snapper's name? I would also appreciate further information on the habits and habitat of this fish. Daytona Beach, Florida |
||
| The common name generally accepted by scientists for the mangrove snapper is the gray snapper. The scientific name is Lutjanus griseus. The gray snapper frequents water in the western tropical Atlantic from Brazil throughout West Indies and Florida, occasionally straggling north to Massachusetts. It is also found in the Gulf of Mexico. It is abundant in the tropics in shallow brackish water less than six feet deep, and prefers a mud bottom, especially around the mangroves in estuaries. It is occasionally found in completely fresh water. These fish are said to undertake short migrations from inside, sheltered waters to offshore reefs, and back again, although no major migrations have been observed. Although they are occasionally found in deeper water, they are essentially shallow water fish. The gray snapper gathers in large schools along submerged ledges, about coral heeds and in boat basins. It has the ability to change color somewhat; over white sand they tend to turn quite pale 2nd if over a dark bottom they can turn dark very quickly. When caught, they usually appear olivaceous to a dark mahogany red. Though the gray snapper and its relative, the schoolmaster, will often congregate in large schools in the reefs during the day, they quickly break up when feeding begins at dark. This fish spawns in July and August. The food consists of shrimp, crabs and spiny lobsters, as well as fishes. They feed to a considerable extent on the small crabs which live in the branches of the mangrove trees. The gray snapper reaches a length of about 11/2 feet and a weight of five pounds, although fish as bug as 18 pounds have been recorded. A close relative, the cubera, Lutianus cyanopterus, is often mistaken for a large gray snapper. This fish, which reaches a weight of 80 to 100 pounds, can be distinguished from the gray snapper by the shape of the teeth on the roof of the mouth and also by the canine teeth. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 9. | What is the real name of the mangrove snapper? Austin, Texas |
||
| The mangrove snapper is a local name for the grey snapper (Lutjanus griseus), a common species. It is the most widespread and abundant species in Florida from the standpoint of both geography and habitat preference. It is commonly taken in brackish mangrove areas, hence this common name. The grey snapper ranges northward to southern New England in the summer. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 10. | While I was observing a dense mass of postlarval bigeyes circling a night light in the Bahamas, some gray snappers arrived on the scene and began to prey upon the small fish. As the latter dispersed, it seemed that the snappers herded them back toward the region of the light. They became so bunched that some were forced out of the water on the backs of others. Then the snappers would dash in for a meal, and the cycle would repeat. Are snappers capable of herding their prey, and can you give me any examples of this among other fishes? Washington, D. C. |
||
| It is certainly possible that the snappers were herding the bigeyes (Priacanthidae), for the gray snapper is considered among the more intelligent of fishes by fishermen and ichthyologists alike. But it is also possible that the bigeyes merely grouped there as a result of attraction to the light (positive phototaxis) after being scattered by the snappers. With the snappers surrounding the light, the regrouping might seem like herding. Hiatt and Brock observed three black skipjack (the little tuna of the Atlantic) working cooperatively in herding scads (Decapterus) over a coral head in the Marshall Islands. This has been reported for other tunas and also for the great barracuda (in the latter case as a solitary fish). |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 11. | Can you tell me anything about yellowtail? Marathon, Florida |
||
| The yellowtail of Florida's waters, Ocyurus chrysurus, is a member of the snapper family. It is not to be confused with the Pacific yellowtail, which is a type of amberjack. The yellowtail ranges widely in shallow waters of the tropics, usually swimming from four to six feet from the bottom in 12 to 15 feet of water. While most snappers feed principally at night, this is not true of the yellowtail, which apparently will feed throughout the day and night. It is a fairly general feeder taking shrimps, the dwarf herring and other small fishes, crabs, stomatopods and marine worms. The yellowtail has considerable ability to change coloration. It has a blotched phase, which is assumed mostly when at rest or swimming close to the bottom. Generally they are darker in darker surroundings and paler over clean sand. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 12. | What are mangrove snapper and how large do grow? Colton, California |
||
| The mangrove snapper is a common food fish found in the shallow waters of the Florida Keys near mangrove roots, where it feeds on small crabs. The fish usually reaches a length of about 18 inches and a weight of about five pounds, although weights as high as 18 pounds have been recorded. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 13. | Recently, I noted an item telling of the catch of a 1061/2-pound mangrove snapper, claimed as the largest of its kind ever taken on the Florida gulf coast. Do mangrove snapper grow to such a size? Marathon, Florida |
||
| The gray snapper, referred to as mangrove snapper in south Florida, is a rather small species that rarely exceeds 10 pounds in weight. A 10-pounder is rare and a 14-pounder would be a giant. The 1061/2-pound mangrove snapper taken on the Florida gulf coast is evidently a misidentification. Two snappers, the cubera and dog snappers, could reach that size and the cubera quite frequently does exceed 100 pounds in weight. The cubera also resembles the gray snapper in general body form. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 14. | Can the yellow tail commonly caught in the Florida Keys be taken on artificial lures by casting or spinning methods? Richmond, Virginia |
||
| Nearly all of the so-called game fishes can be taken on certain of the artificial lures by casting or spinning methods. If one lure does not appear to be successful, try other lures. In the case of the yellowtail, an underwater lure works best, preferably a white or yellow bucktail lure. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 15. | Every year between September and November, providing we have rough seas from the west or northwest, we get large runs of yellowtail or grouper all along the north coast of the island of Jamaica. No one can tell me why these fishes come in after a rough sea at that time of year, or where they come from. Can you give me any information that might be of help? Montego Bay, Jamaica |
||
| The large snappers and groupers, as well as yellowtails, occur in the deeper, waters along the various reef areas. We suspect they may appear in large numbers in shallow waters following storms to take advantage of the ready food supply. This supply comes when the storm dislodges and disturbs the inshore areas, killing many smaller organisms and dislodging them, which in turn attracts the large fish from deeper waters. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 16. | While fishing the Sibun and Manatee Rivers in British Honduras, we caught a great number of voracious snappers. These fish had two large canine-like upper teeth, and their coloring was a mixture of copper-red and black. We have boated these snappers up to 35 pounds, but can tell stories of many bigger ones that got away. Could you help us identify these fish? All the natives and fishing guides in Honduras maintain that they are "black snappers," but all the books on fishes say that black snappers do not run over 8-10 pounds. Is it likely that they are "dog-snappers" misnamed by the British Hondurans? Pompano Beach, Florida |
||
| The true black snapper, whose scientific name is Apsilus dentatus, is a very streamlined, all blackish-gray fish. It is common in depths of 500-1,000 feet along the steep drop-offs of the western edge of the Bahamas and around the oceanic islands of the Caribbean. It may occur in similar habitats off Central America. They do not, however, have coppery colors, nor do they approach the weight of 35 pounds. Therefore, what you caught in British Honduras must be something else. Although positive identification is impossible without a photograph, it is probable that the species you describe is the Cubera snapper, Lutjanus cyanopterus. This is our largest snapper, approaching a weight of 100 pounds. It is coppery-colored and has very prominent "canines" in the upper jaw. Dog-snappers of the size you mention would be easily identifiable by the silvery-white triangle under the eye. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 17. | We recently caught two fish that the bait-store proprietor called toro. The fish were about 7 inches long and turned red when out of water. They had large red eyes and a large mouth. What can you tell me about the toro fish? Vacation Village, Florida |
||
| The term toro is applied by Spanish-speaking peoples to a wide variety of fishes, and this usage is picked up by fishermen. Quite commonly in the South Florida area, the name toro is applied to the bigeye, Priacanthus arenatus, or the glasseye snapper, Priacanthus cruentatus. These fish are rather common in rocky and reef areas, but also occur at the base of large sponges or just about any object that provides shelter. They are active by night. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 18. | In some ten years of fishing off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, I have seen hundreds of small mutton snapper caught, but never one over 11/2 pounds. On the other hand, catches in South Florida and the Bahamas commonly weigh as much as 15 pounds. Can you explain this situation? Jacksonville, Florida |
||
| The area between Miami and Cape Canaveral is a transition zone marking the northern boundary of the tropical zone. The larvae of animals living there are often transported northward and out of their natural geographic range by the Gulf Stream, and this explains the occurrence of small mutton snapper off the coast of Jacksonville. These snappers may survive in these waters for a short period-perhaps a year-but they cannot reproduce and establish a permanent population there. They are part of a disjunct distribution of a tropical fish. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 19. | A friend caught a 6o-pound fish which he says is a mangrove snapper. Does this fish actually reach this weight? Marathon, Florida |
||
| According to several texts on Caribbean fishes, only one shallow-water snapper is known to reach such a size, and that is the cubera snapper, Lutjanus cyanopterus, which grows to more than 100 pounds. The mangrove, or gray snapper, L. griseus, has not been reported in excess of 20 pounds. It is possible that your friend confused the two, as they are extremely similar in coloration and body shape. They can be distinguished, however, by their head characteristics. The cubera has thicker lips, a blunter profile, and a broader head than does the mangrove snapper. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 20. | Is the red toro fish that we catch along the Florida coast edible? Titusville, Florida |
||
| Yes. The bigeye or toro fish (Priacanthus arenatus) has firm and flaky flesh which is considered by people in some parts of the world to have good flavor. The bigeye is the deeper dwelling of two closely related species of Priacanthus found around Florida; the other is the glasseye snapper (P. cruentatus), which is somewhat smaller and more mottled in color than its bright red relative. Both species are active chiefly at night; by day, they hover under rocks or ledges or in caves on the reef. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 21. | A fish called the “beeliner” is commonly caught on snapper banks off northwest Florida. Could you tell me the scientific name and other common names of this fish? Forest Park, Georgia |
||
| The beeliner is more correctly known as the vermilion snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens). It inhabits deep, rocky reef areas from the Carolinas to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico. Brilliant red with narrow, yellow, horizontal stripes, the vermilion snapper is sleeker in body form and more pelagic in habits than most other snappers. It feeds on planktonic crustaceans, small squids, polychaete worms, pelagic gastropod mollusks, and small fishes. A relatively small species, the vermilion snapper reaches a maximum length of 24 inches and a weight of 6 pounds and may live 10 years. The vermilion snapper is also sometimes called the bastard snapper, chubhead, mingo snapper, California red, night snapper, and mutton snapper. In the recreational fishery, the term "red snapper" actually includes four species: the true red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), silk snapper (L. vivanus), blackfin snapper (L. buccanella), and vermilion snapper. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
| Q&A 22. | While diving in waters off Enewetak, Marshall Islands. I saw schools of a fish that resembles a snapper. The upper part of its one-foot-long body glows with bright yellow and the lower part is blue. Can you identify this fish? Chicago, Illinois |
||
| Your general description fits the yellowback fusilier. This fish belongs to the family Caesionidae, which is in the same suborder as the snapper family Lutjanidae. However, fusiliers display more adaptation to life in the open-water environment than snappers. In addition, fusiliers occur only in the lndo-West Pacific region, and at least ten species inhabit the Micronesia-Marshall Islands area. During daytime, the yellowback fusilier forms large schools that swim in midwater over the reef, particularly along the edge, and feed on zooplankton. It seeks shelter within the coral reef at night. Some of the yellowback fusilier's body features reflect its feeding habits. The elongate, fusiform body and deeply forked caudal fin help this fish maintain the constant and fast swimming required for quick plankton-picking. Its protrusible upper jaw and cone-shaped teeth allow it to easily grasp its minute prey. |
|||
| go back to Questions |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science Library
University of Miami, FL USA 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, Florida 33149 Phone: 305 421 4060 Fax: 305 421 9306 E-mail: libcirc@rsmas.miami.edu |
 |
go to the top |
|