Lutjanus analis
Mutton Snapper
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Lutjanidae (Snappers)
Lutjanus
Lutjanus analis (Mutton Snapper)
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
Relatively small canine teeth in both jaws; interorbital space convex; lower jaw level with upper jaw; maxilla extends to about anterior margin of orbit; jaws with outer row of small canine teeth and inner band of villiform teeth; vomerine tooth patch V-shaped or crescentic, without posteromedial extension; preoperculum with coarsely serrated posterior margin; gill rakers on first arch 18-21; measurements (% SL): head length 36%-41%, snout length 11%-17%, eye diameter 5%-10%, maxilla length 13%-17%, pectoral fin length 27%-31%, body depth 36%-40%; pectoral fin with 15-17 rays; dorsal fin with 10 (rarely 9 or 11) spines and 14 (rarely 13) rays; anal fin with 8 (rarely 7) rays; scales in horizontal series 66-70; pored lateral line scales 47-51; scale rows on back rise obliquely above lateral line; scales between dorsal fin base and lateral line number 4; scale rows on cheek number 5 or 6
Olive green on dorsal half of body and whitish with red tinge on remainder of body; black spot about the size of pupil of eye on flank above lateral line and below rayed section of dorsal fin; pair of blue stripes on snout and cheek; dorsal fin and upper lobe of caudal fin olive; other fins and lower lobe of caudal fin red; iris of eye red
Distribution
Western Atlantic from Massachusetts and Bermuda to southeastern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles
Found throughout the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Coral reefs, sandy bottoms, and sea grasses, including estuaries and bays with mangroves
Biology
Gastropods, cephalopods, shrimps, crabs, and ray-finned fishes
Maximum known size is 800 mm SL
Spawning takes place during the winter in the northeastern Caribbean Sea
Adults occur in continental shelf areas as well as clear waters around islands (Ref. 5217). Large adults usually among rocks and coral while juveniles occur over sandy, vegetated (usually Thalassia) bottoms (Ref. 5217). They form small aggregations which disband during the night (Ref. 55). Feed both day and night on fishes, shrimps, crabs, cephalopods, and gastropods (Ref. 55). Flesh considered good quality (Ref. 55). Marketed mainly fresh or frozen (Ref. 55). Traded as an aquarium fish at Clara, Brazil (Ref. 49392).
IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened (NT), assessed 2015-10-10. Resilience: Medium (K=0.13-0.25; tm=5.5; tmax=14).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish; aquarium: commercial.
References
Longley and Hildebrand 1941
Anderson 1967
Anderson 2002c
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Randall 1968a
Randall 1996
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Robins and Ray 1986
Boschung 1992
Cervigón 1993b
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 1997
Castro-Aguirre et al. 1999
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Allen, G.R. (1985) FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 6. Snappers of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of lutjanid species known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(6):208 p. Rome: FAO.
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Cervigón, F. (1993) Los peces marinos de Venezuela. Volume 2. Fundación Científica Los Roques, Caracas,Venezuela. 497 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.
IGFA (2001) Database of IGFA angling records until 2001. IGFA, Fort Lauderdale, USA.
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