SNAPPERS
LUTJANIDAE
Blackfin Snapper
Lutjanus buccanella
    Ecological Descriptors
Habitat Size (cm)) Diet Behaviour Sex 
S, R 50 (max 75) Pisc, Cru I, Sh F
 
 
Description:
Adult:
Body  red. Dark blotch at base of pectoral fin. Iris orange or bronze. Yellow tail and possibly anal fin.
Juvenile: Blue/ white to pale brown with
yellow area below rear dorsal fin continuing onto tail.

Ecology
Adults inhabit deeper waters usually over 60m (190ft) depth, over sandy or rocky bottoms and near drop-offs and ledges. Older juveniles occur in shallower water from 6-20m (20-60ft), with young adults at intermediate depths.This species feeds mainly on fishes and benthic isopods.

Life Cycle:
This species reaches average sexual maturation for males at 25-27 cm FL and  females  23-25 cm  There are varying estimates of age based population parameters among different regions and authors. A review of literature used a longevity of eight years and a mean maturation of two years. With these numbers, the estimated generation length was five to six years. (A longevity estimate based on otoliths in Brazil was 20 years)
Blackfin Snapper
(C) Micky Charteris
Blackfin Snapper
(C) James Garin
Blackfin Snapper Juvenile
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