Snapper

snapper a name generally applied to numerous species of marine fish in the family Lutjanidae (although by no means all members of that family have the name). They are tropical fish, mostly of medium size, distributed around the world but sparsely represented in the E. Pacific. Their heads are usually long and pointed, and their jaws, the upper of which are equipped with canine-like teeth, can snap vigorously. Most of them are good edible fish, some outstandingly so.

If the use of the name snapper were consistent, and applied to all species in the family Lutjanidae, there would be a very large number of important species to list. In practice the species in certain genera within the family usually have other names and can be found under fusilier and jobfish. The name snapper is mainly applied to species in the genera Lutjanus, Macolor, Ocyurus, and Rhomboplites; and it is these which are dealt with here. Among them are numerous species; many of commercial importance; see the full catalogue edited for the FAO by Allen (1985). The short lists below simply provide some examples, grouped by region. (The Mediterranean and NE Atlantic have none; the SE Atlantic hardly any.)