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Lutjanus campechanus  (Poey, 1860)

Northern red snapper
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Image of Lutjanus campechanus (Northern red snapper)
Lutjanus campechanus
Picture by Cox, C.


United States (contiguous states) country information

Common names: Pensacola red snapper, Red snapper
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: scarce (very unlikely) | Ref: Frimodt, C., 1995
Importance: commercial | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: protected | Ref:
Uses: gamefish: yes;
Comments: One of the most desired fish in the USA. Florida Law requires that this fish be marketed with the skin on, to aid identification (Ref. 55). Also Ref. 26938.
National Checklist:
Country Information: httpss://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
National Fisheries Authority: https://www.nmfs.gov
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Allen, G.R., 1985
National Database:

Classification / Names

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Perciformes (Perch-likes) > Lutjanidae (Snappers) > Lutjaninae
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Common names from other countries

Main reference

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 100.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26938); common length : 60.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 55); max. published weight: 22.8 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 57 years (Ref. 48779)

Length at first maturity
Lm 39.3, range 25 - ? cm

Environment

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 10 - 190 m (Ref. 55), usually 30 - 130 m (Ref. 55)

Climate / Range

Subtropical, preferred 22°C (Ref. 107945); 43°N - 4°S, 100°W - 40°W (Ref. 55228)

Distribution

Western Atlantic: Gulf of Mexico and eastern coast of the USA extending northward to Massachusetts, coasts of Florida (Ref. 26938), but rare north of the Carolinas. Throughout Gulf of Mexico (Ref. 26938). This species has been referred to as Lutjanus aya by previous authors, but Rivas (Ref. 6409) proved that Bodianus aya Bloch, 1790 is not a lutjanid, but probably a sciaenid.
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9. Scale rows on back rising obliquely above lateral line. Specimens under 30 to 35 cm with large dark spot on the upper sides, located below the anterior soft dorsal rays.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Adults are found over rocky bottoms. Juveniles inhabit shallow waters, common over sand or muddy bottoms. Feed mainly on fishes, shrimps, crabs, worms, cephalopods, and some planktonic items including urochordates and gastropods. Marketed fresh and eaten steamed, broiled and baked (Ref. 9988). Heavily exploited in American waters where it is now closely protected; shrimp fishing, accused of destroying young snappers, is currently restricted.

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

  Vulnerable (VU) (A2bd)

Threat to humans

  Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 30303)



Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

More information

References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Mass conversion
Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

Download XML

Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
3.9   ±0.72 se; Based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.12-0.2; tmax=16; Fec > 1 million)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
High vulnerability (55 of 100)
Price category (Ref. 80766)
Very high