Lutjanus purpureus
Caribbean Red Snapper
NS
GNR
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Lutjanidae (Snappers)
Lutjanus
Lutjanus purpureus (Caribbean 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.)
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Characters
Interorbital space is slightly convex. Maxilla extends to anterior margin of pupil. Jaws have a row of enlarged teeth, including four canines in upper jaw, two of which are about half of pupil length, and an inner band of villiform teeth. Vomerine tooth patch is V-shaped or crescentic, with a relatively short posteromedial extension. Preoperculum is serrated along posterior and ventral margins, with serrae coarser at angle and on ventral margin than on posterior margin. Gill rakers on first arch number 6 or 7 on upper limb and 13 or 14 on lower limb. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 33%–40%, eye diameter 5%–9%, snout length 13%–14%, upper jaw length 12%–15%, pectoral fin length 28%–34%, body depth 34%–40%. Pectoral fin has 17 rays. Dorsal fin is slightly notched between spinous and rayed sections and has 10 spines and 14 rays. Anal fin is pointed in specimens longer than 50 mm SL and has 8 or 9 (usually 8) rays. Caudal fin is emarginate to lunate, with upper lobe slightly longer than lower lobe. Scales in horizontal series number 49 to 52, and tubed lateral line scales number 49 to 53. Cheek scale rows number five to seven (usually six). Scales between dorsal fin origin and lateral line number 9 to 11, and scales between anal fin origin and lateral line number 16 to 19. Scale rows on back rise obliquely above lateral line, and scales on anterior section of body above lateral line are smaller than those on anterior section of body below lateral line. Scales cover proximal parts of membranes of rayed sections of dorsal and anal fins.
Color is deep red on dorsal half of body and rosy with a silvery sheen on remainder of body. Iris of eye is red, and fins are red. Small dark spot is occasionally present on upper section of pectoral fin base. Young specimens (≤250 mm SL) have a blackish spot about size of eye on upper flank below anterior section of dorsal fin rays.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from North Carolina and Yucatán to central Brazil, including the Greater and Lesser Antilles
Habitat Associations
Rocky bottoms between 70 and 160 m
Biology
Food consists of cephalopods, shrimps, crabs, and ray-finned fishes
Maximum known size is 100 cm TL
Adults inhabit rocky areas. They feed mainly on fishes, shrimps, crabs, cephalopods and planktonic items.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: N.E. (N.E.). Resilience: Low (K=0.09-0.12; tm=5.5; tmax=18; Fec=2,693,173 (mean)).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
L. campechanus
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial.
References
Allen 1985
Robins and Ray 1986
Cervigón 1993b
Anderson 2002c
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.
Gómez-Canchong, P., L. Manjarrés M., L.O. Duarte and J. Altamar (2004) Atlas pesquero del area norte del Mar Caribe de Colombia. Universidad del Magadalena, Santa Marta. 230 p.
Comments On Lutjanus purpureus