Lutjanus synagris
Lane Snapper
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Lutjanidae (Snappers)
Lutjanus
Lutjanus synagris (Lane 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 moderately convex. Maxilla extends to anterior margin of orbit. Jaws have a row of enlarged teeth, including four small canine teeth in upper jaw, and a narrow band of villiform teeth. Vomerine tooth patch is V-shaped or crescentic, with a short posteromedial extension. Preoperculum has finely serrated posterior margin, with serrae enlarged at corner. Gill rakers on first arch number 6 or 7 on upper limb and 12 to 15 on lower limb. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 36%–38%, eye diameter 7%–9%, snout length 13%–14%, length of lower jaw 14%–15%, pectoral fin length 30%–32%, pelvic fin length 22%–24%, body depth 36%–38%. Pectoral fin has 15 or 16 rays. Dorsal fin is slightly notched between spinous and rayed sections and has 10 spines and 12 or 13 (usually 12) rays. Anal fin is rounded and has 8 or 9 (usually 8) rays, with middle rays less than half of head length. Caudal fin is emarginate. Scales in horizontal series number 60 to 65, and tubed lateral line scales number 47 to 50. Scale rows on back rise obliquely above lateral line. Scales cover proximal parts of membranes of rayed sections of dorsal and anal fins.
Color is pink to reddish with green tinge, darker vertical bars on dorsal half of body, and silvery with yellowish tinge on remainder of body. Series of six to eight yellow or golden stripes occur on flanks, and three or four similarly colored stripes occur on head. Black spot equal to eye diameter or larger is usually located on flank above lateral line under anterior dorsal fin rays. In specimens longer than 60 mm SL, less than one-fourth of black spot is located below lateral line. Fins are reddish to yellowish.
Distribution
western Atlantic from North Carolina and Bermuda to southeastern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles
coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
between the shoreline and 400 m, associated with a wide variety of habitats, especially coral reefs and vegetated sandy areas
coral reefs and vegetated sandy areas
Biology
Food consists of polychaetes, gastropods, cephalopods, shrimps, crabs, and small ray-finned fishes. Feeding takes place at night.
Maximum known size is 710 mm TL. Maximum known age is 10 years.
Adults are found over all types of bottom, but mainly around coral reefs and on vegetated sandy areas. In turbid as well as clear water (Ref. 9710). They often form large aggregations, especially during the breeding season. Feed at night on small fishes, bottom-living crabs, shrimps, worms, gastropods and cephalopods. Good food fish, it is marketed fresh.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none. Often form large aggregations, especially during the breeding season.
IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened (NT), assessed 2015-10-10. Resilience: Medium (K=0.13-0.26; tm=2; tmax=10).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish; aquarium: public aquariums.
References
Longley and Hildebrand 1941
Anderson 1967
Anderson 2002c
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Randall 1968a
Randall 1996
Smith et al. 1975
Hastings et al. 1976
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Allen 1985
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.
Rodríguez Pino, Z. (1962) Estudios estadisticos y biologicos sobre la biajaiba (Lutjanus synagris). Centro Invest. Pesq. (4):99.
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.
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.
IGFA (2001) Database of IGFA angling records until 2001. IGFA, Fort Lauderdale, USA.
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