The Silk Snapper

The Silk Snapper belongs to the Lutjanidae family. It can reach a maximum of 83 cm in length and 8.3 kg in weight. They can live up to 30 years. The spawning season can last all year round. The fishing season for silk snapper is from late spring to summer.
Silk snappers have an elongated compressed bodies. They are generally red to pinkish red and lighter on the belly. Some fish have thin undulating yellow lines on their sides. A key to identification is the iris of their eyes, which is bright yellow. Their fins are reddish, with yellow reflections on the anal and dorsal fins. Their caudal fin has a dark border and their pectoral fins reach the anus and are pale yellow. Juveniles have black or dark red spots on their upper sides, just below the front edge of their dorsal fin. They have a large mouth equipped with one or more rows of pointed conical teeth on both jaws. Their canines are much larger on the upper jaw. They have an anchor-shaped tooth patch, with a rear extension, on the roof of their mouth and a pair of dental patches on the sides of the roof of their mouth. They have sawtooth caps. Their anal fins have pointed tips, 3 spines and 7 or 8 rays; their caudal fin is lunar; their dorsal fin is continuous with 10 or 11 spines and 13 or 14 rays. They have 16 or 17 lower branches. Their bodies are covered with rough scales and the rows of ladders on their backs are oblique above the lateral line.