Pristipomoides aquilonaris
Wenchman
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
There are no photos available for this taxon yet.
Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Lutjanidae (Snappers)
Pristipomoides
Pristipomoides aquilonaris (Wenchman)
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.
It may contain errors in spelling, punctuation, or formatting.
When citing, please reference the original source rather than this page.
Learn more about our species accounts.
Characters
Very large eyes and relatively flat interorbital region. Maxilla extends to about center of eye. Jaws have an outer row of enlarged teeth and an inner band of villiform teeth. Vomerine tooth patch is V-shaped or triangular, without a posteromedial extension. Tongue lacks teeth. Preoperculum has serrated posterior and ventral margins, with serrae increasing in size ventrally. Operculum has 2 flat spines. Gill rakers on first arch number 7 to 9 on upper limb and 16 to 20 on lower limb. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 36%–38%, eye diameter 11%–13%, snout length 9%–11%, upper jaw length 15%–16%, pectoral fin length 30%–33%, pelvic fin length 23%–24%, body depth 31%–41%. Pectoral fin has 15 or 16 (rarely 14 or 17) rays. Dorsal fin is unnotched between spinous and rayed sections and has 10 spines and 11 (rarely 10) rays. Anal fin is broadly rounded and has 8 (rarely 7) rays. Last ray of dorsal and anal fins is distinctly longer than preceding rays. Caudal fin is deeply forked. Tubed lateral line scales number 48 to 52. Scale rows on back run parallel to lateral line. Scales are lacking from maxilla and dorsal and anal fins.
Color is pink to reddish dorsally and pink to silvery white ventrally. Fins are translucent to pinkish, with outer sections of dorsal and caudal fins yellow.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from North Carolina to southern Brazil, including the northern and southern Gulf of Mexico and the Greater and Lesser Antilles.
Habitat Associations
Occurs between 24 and 488 m, associated with rough bottoms, including natural and artificial reefs.
Biology
Food consists mostly of small ray-finned fishes.
Maximum known size is 240 mm SL.
A deep-water species. Feeds mainly on small fishes. A good food fish, it is marketed fresh, rarely frozen.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2011-03-01. Resilience: Medium (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish.
References
Ginsburg 1952 (as Pristipomoides andersoni)
Anderson 1966
Anderson 1967
Anderson 1972
Anderson 2002c
Allen 1985
Boschung 1992
Cervigón 1993b
Schaldach et al. 1997
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.
IGFA (2001) Database of IGFA angling records until 2001. IGFA, Fort Lauderdale, USA.
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 Pristipomoides aquilonaris