🌊 Saltwater

Red Snapper

Lutjanus campechanus

The red snapper is one of the most popular and recognizable reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coast. With its vivid red coloration, distinctive pointed snout, and excellent table fare, it is both a commercially valuable species and a highly sought sport fish. Red snapper inhabit rocky reefs and offshore structures, forming large schools around underwater features.

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Typical Size
15–24 inches (38–61 cm) typical
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Weight
2–8 lbs (0.9–3.6 kg) typical; record 50 lbs 4 oz
⏳
Lifespan
50+ years (long-lived and slow to mature)
💧
Water Type
Saltwater

🗺️ Habitat

Rocky reefs, artificial reefs, and offshore structures in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic. Depth range from 30 to 600+ feet, though most abundant at 50–200 feet.

🔍 How to Identify Red Snapper

  • 1Brilliant red-pink body — brightest red of all snappers
  • 2Red eyes
  • 3Pointed snout with a large mouth
  • 4Pointed pectoral fins that reach past the anal fin when laid against the body
  • 5Short, rounded teeth (no large canine teeth like some other snappers)

🍽️ Diet

Shrimp, crabs, squid, small fish, and other bottom-dwelling invertebrates

💡 Fun Facts About Red Snapper

  • ★Red snapper can live over 50 years — a large 20-lb fish may be 20–30 years old
  • ★They are highly susceptible to barotrauma when rapidly brought up from depth — venting equipment helps survival
  • ★The Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery has been one of the most contentious management issues in U.S. fisheries
  • ★Red snapper are protandric hermaphrodites — some males transform into females as they age
  • ★Juvenile red snapper are an important forage species that associate with jellyfish for protection

🛡️ Conservation Status

Vulnerable — recovering from severe overfishing; management is controversial but improving

🔗 Related Species

Gag GrouperMahi-Mahi (Dorado)Yellowfin Tuna

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Learn more:

How to Identify Fish: A Beginner's GuideMost Common Freshwater Fish in North America← Back to All Fish Species