Centropomus undecimalis
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Centropomidae (Snooks)
Centropomus
Centropomus undecimalis (Common Snook)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Pelvic fins fail to reach anus; moderately long second anal fin spine; relatively small scales; upper jaw extends to near posterior margin of orbit; gill rakers on first arch number 18 to 24; measurements (% SL): head length 35%–39%, snout length 9%–11%, upper jaw length 13%–15%, lower jaw length 20%–23%, pectoral fin length 18%–22%, pelvic fin length 18%–23%, anal fin origin to anus 9%–12%; (% head length): body depth 59%–64%; pectoral fin has 14 to 16 rays; second dorsal fin has a single spine and 10 (rarely 9 or 11) rays; anal fin has three spines and 6 (rarely 5 or 7) rays; pored lateral line scales number 67 to 72; scales in horizontal series number 67 to 77; scales from lateral line to anal fin origin number 10 to 14 (usually 11 to 13)
Yellowish brown to brownish green dorsally and silvery on sides and ventrally, with dark line along course of lateral line and fins dusky; pelvic fin lacks dark tip
Distribution
Western Atlantic from North Carolina to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Antilles
Common in the southern but not the northern Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Coastal waters to 20 m, estuaries, and freshwater streams
Biology
Crustaceans and ray-finned fishes
Maximum known size is 1,000 mm SL
Spawning takes place from May to October in brackish to freshwater
Adults inhabit coastal waters, estuaries and lagoons, penetrating into freshwater; usually at depths less than 20 m (Ref. 3713). Feed on fishes (Gobiidae, Gerreidae, Engraulidae) and crustaceans (shrimps and crabs) (Ref. 35237). Mature individuals congregate at mouths of passes and rivers during the spawning season, May through September (Ref. 3713). Seasonal movements into freshwater occur but poorly understood (Ref. 3713). Marketed fresh (Ref. 5712). Valued game fish and an excellent food fish (Ref. 26938). The world record for hook and line is a 53-lb., 10 ounce fish caught at Parismina Ranch, Costa Rica (Ref. 13442).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2019-02-08. Resilience: Medium (K=0.3-0.49; tm=4; tmax=7; Fec=3 million).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish; aquaculture: commercial.
References
Longley and Hildebrand 1941
Chávez 1961
Chávez 1963
Fraser 1968
Fraser 1978b
Greenfield 1975b
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Rivas 1986
Robins and Ray 1986
Cervigón 1991
Cervigón 1993b
Boschung 1992
Smith 1997
Vega-Cendejas et al. 1997
Castro-Aguirre et al. 1999
Orrell 2002a
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Fraser, T.H. (1978) Centropomidae. In W. Fischer (ed.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. West Atlantic (Fishing Area 31). FAO, Rome. Vol. 1-2. pag.var.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Lieske, E. and R. Myers (1994) Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Haper Collins Publishers, 400 p.
Randall, J.E. (1996) Caribbean reef fishes. Third Edition - revised and enlarged. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Hong Kong. 3nd ed. 368 p.
Sierra, L.M., R. Claro and O.A. Popova (1994) Alimentacion y relaciones tróficas. p. 263-284. In Rodolfo Claro (ed.) Ecología de los Peces Marinos de Cuba. Instituto de Oceanología Academia de Ciencias de Cuba and Centro de Investigaciones de Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Gines, H. and F. Cervigón (1967) Exploracion pesquera en las costas de Guyana y Surinam año 1967. Estacíon de Investigaciones Marinas de Margarita. Fundacíon La Salle de Ciencias Naturales, no. 29.
Smith, C.L. (1997) National Audubon Society field guide to tropical marine fishes of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. 720 p.
DeLoach, N. (1999) Reef fish behavior: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas. New World Publications, Inc. , Florida. 359 p.
Comments On Centropomus undecimalis