You can sponsor this page

Ocyurus chrysurus (Bloch, 1791)

Yellowtail snapper
Add your observation in Fish Watcher
Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.
Ocyurus chrysurus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
Upload your photos and videos
Pictures | Videos | Sounds | Stamps, coins, misc. | Google image
Image of Ocyurus chrysurus (Yellowtail snapper)
Ocyurus chrysurus
Picture by Randall, J.E.


United States (contiguous states) country information

Common names: Yellowtail snapper
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: commercial | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: bait: yes;
Comments: Rare north of the Carolinas (Ref. 55). Also Ref. 9987, 26340, 26938.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://www.nmfs.gov
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Allen, G.R., 1985
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Eupercaria/misc (Various families in series Eupercaria) > Lutjanidae (Snappers) > Lutjaninae
Etymology: Ocyurus: Greek, okys = quick + Greek, oura = tail.
  More on author: Bloch.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 180 m (Ref. 10795), usually 10 - 70 m (Ref. 55229).   Subtropical; 42°N - 26°S, 98°W - 31°W (Ref. 55229)

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Western Atlantic: extending northward to Massachusetts, USA and Bermuda and southward to southeastern Brazil, in Gulf of Mexico and Antilles (Anderson, pers. comm.). Most common in the Bahamas, off south Florida and throughout the Caribbean. Lutjanus ambiguus (Poey, 1860), an intergeneric hybrid with Lutjanus synagris (Linnaeus) as demonstrated by Loftus (1992: Ref. 33006), followed by McEachran &. Fechhelm (2005: Ref. 78464).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 23.8, range 14 - 31 cm
Max length : 86.3 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9626); common length : 40.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 55); max. published weight: 4.1 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 14 years (Ref. 3090)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 14; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9. Head relatively small, lower jaw projecting slightly beyond the upper. Scale rows on back rising obliquely above lateral line. Back and upper sides blue to violet with scattered yellow spots. A prominent mid-lateral yellow band running from the snout to the caudal fin base. The lower sides and belly whitish with narrow reddish and yellow stripes; the dorsal and caudal fins yellow; the anal and pelvic fins whitish.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Adults inhabit coastal waters, mostly around coral reefs. Usually seen well above the bottom, frequently in aggregations. They feed on a combination of plankton and benthic animals including fishes, crustaceans, worms, gastropods and cephalopods, mainly at night (Ref. 9987). Young individuals are usually found over weed beds. They feed primarily on plankton (Ref. 9710). Spawning occurs throughout the year, with peaks at different times in different areas (Ref. 26938). Marketed fresh and frozen (Ref. 9987). Has been reared in captivity (Ref. 35420).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

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. (Ref. 55)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Data deficient (DD) ; Date assessed: 10 October 2015

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 30911)




Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
FAO(Fisheries: production; publication : search) | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Home ranges
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
Spawning aggregations
Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill areas
Brains
Otoliths
Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Fish sounds
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetics
Electrophoreses
Heritabilities
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Outreach
Collaborators
References
References

Tools

Special reports

Download XML

Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 21.7 - 27.9, mean 25.9 (based on 650 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 1.0000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01514 (0.01347 - 0.01701), b=2.95 (2.92 - 2.98), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  4.0   ±0.3 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.10-0.16; tm=2; tmax=14).
Prior r = 0.63, 95% CL = 0.42 - 0.95, Based on 8 data-limited stock assessments.
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate vulnerability (38 of 100).
Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649):  Very high vulnerability (88 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Medium.