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Lutjanus campechanus (Poey, 1860)

Northern red snapper
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Lutjanus campechanus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Lutjanus campechanus (Northern red snapper)
Lutjanus campechanus
Picture by Cox, C.D.


United States (contiguous states) country information

Common names: Pensacola red snapper, Red snapper
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: scarce (very unlikely) | Ref: Frimodt, C., 1995
Importance: commercial | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: protected | Ref:
Uses: gamefish: yes;
Comments: One of the most desired fish in the USA. Florida Law requires that this fish be marketed with the skin on, to aid identification (Ref. 55). Also Ref. 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: Lutjanus: Malay, ikan lutjan, name of a fish.
  More on author: Poey.

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

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 10 - 190 m (Ref. 55), usually 30 - 130 m (Ref. 55).   Subtropical; 43°N - 4°S, 100°W - 40°W (Ref. 55228)

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

Western Atlantic: Gulf of Mexico and eastern coast of the USA extending northward to Massachusetts, coasts of Florida (Ref. 26938), but rare north of the Carolinas. Throughout Gulf of Mexico (Ref. 26938). This species has been referred to as Lutjanus aya by previous authors, but Rivas (Ref. 6409) proved that Bodianus aya Bloch, 1790 is not a lutjanid, but probably a sciaenid.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 39.3, range 25 - 47.5 cm
Max length : 100.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26938); common length : 60.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 55); max. published weight: 22.8 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 57 years (Ref. 48779)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9. Scale rows on back rising obliquely above lateral line. Specimens under 30 to 35 cm with large dark spot on the upper sides, located below the anterior soft dorsal rays.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

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.

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)

  Vulnerable (VU) (A2bd); Date assessed: 10 August 2015

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 30303)




Human uses

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

More information

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 19.7 - 27.5, mean 24.4 (based on 218 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01445 (0.01280 - 0.01632), b=2.97 (2.95 - 2.99), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.9   ±0.72 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.12-0.2; tmax=16; Fec > 1 million).
Prior r = 0.48, 95% CL = 0.31 - 0.71, Based on 2 data-limited stock assessments.
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate to high vulnerability (54 of 100).
Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649):  Moderate to high vulnerability (51 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Very high.