Lutjanus campechanus
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Lutjanidae (Snappers)
Lutjanus
Lutjanus campechanus (Red 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
Interorbital space is slightly convex. Jaws have an outer row of enlarged teeth, with four canines up to half of pupil diameter in length, and an inner band of villiform teeth. Vomerine tooth patch is V-shaped or crescentic, with a posteromedial extension. Tongue has two patches of granular teeth. Preoperculum has serrated posterior and ventral margins, with serrae enlarged at corner and on ventral margin. Gill rakers on first arch number 6 to 8 on upper limb and 14 to 16 on lower limb. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 38%–44%, snout length 13%–15%, eye diameter 10%–11%, upper jaw length 15%–16%, pectoral fin length 25%–33%, body depth 40%–43%. Pectoral fin has 15 to 18 (usually 17) rays. Dorsal fin is shallowly notched between spinous and rayed sections and has 10 spines and 14 (rarely 13 or 15) rays. Anal fin has 8 or 9 (usually 9) rays, and in specimens greater than 50 mm SL, it is pointed, with middle rays as long as or longer than half of head length. Caudal fin is truncate to lunate, with upper lobe slightly longer than lower lobe. Scales in horizontal series number 46 to 50, and tubed lateral line scales number 46 to 51 (usually 47 or 48). Scale rows on back rise obliquely above lateral line, and scales on anterior section of body below lateral line are larger than scales on posterior section of body below lateral line. Scales cover proximal parts of membranes of rayed sections of dorsal and anal fins.
Color is scarlet to brick red dorsally and rosy ventrally. Iris of eye is red. Fins are red, and caudal fin has black posterior margin. Juveniles have black spot on lateral line. Specimens less than 300 to 350 mm SL have large black spot on upper flank below anterior dorsal fin rays.
Distribution
western Atlantic from Massachusetts to Yucatán, including the entire Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
between 10 and 190 m; rocky bottoms and reefs
Juveniles inhabit shallow water on sand and mud bottoms
Biology
Food consists of polychaetes, cephalopods, shrimps, crabs, and ray-finned fishes
Maximum known size is 100 cm SL
In the northeastern Gulf of Mexico and Campeche Bank, spawning occurs from July through October
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: Vulnerable (VU), assessed 2015-08-10. Resilience: Medium (K=0.12-0.2; tmax=16; Fec > 1 million).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Lutjanus campechanus has a pointed anal fin and lacks dark blotch on base of pectoral fin
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish.
References
Rivas 1966
Anderson 1967
Anderson 2002c
Hastings et al. 1976
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Allen 1985
Robins and Ray 1986
Boschung 1992
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 1997
Castro-Aguirre 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.
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.
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