Bigeye Snapper

Lutjanus lutjanus

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Max Size

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Max Weight

—

Max Depth

96 m

Description

Lutjanus lutjanus is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae.

Other names: Bigeye Seaperch, Red Sea Lined Snapper, Golden Striped Snapper, Rosy Snapper, Yellow Snapper, or simply Snapper.

Description

Coloration: The upper back is golden-brown in colour with silvery-white flanks with a brown to yellow stripe running from the snout to the dorsal caudal peduncle. It has oblique golden lines above the lateral line and horizontal stripes below it. The dorsal, anal and caudal fins are vivid yellow.

The bigeye snapper has a fusiform, slender body which has a standard length that is 2.9 to 3.3 as long as the body's deepest points. It has a gently sloped forehead and the preopercular incision and knob are weakly developed. The vomerine teeth are arranged in a triangular patch with a central rearwards extension and the tongue has a patch of grain-like teeth.
The dorsal fin has 10-12 spines and 12 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 8 soft rays. The rear of the dorsal fin and the anal fin have an angular profile, the pectoral fins have 16-17 rays and the caudal fin is truncate or weakly emarginate.
This fish attains a maximum total length of 35 cm (14 in).

Distribution

The bigeye snapper has a wide Indo-West Pacific distribution.
It is found from the Red Sea and the eastern African coast as far south as South Africa and Madagascar east along the southern Asian coast, including the Seychelles, into the Pacific where it has been recorded from Tonga and Wallis Island. It extends north to Japan and south to Australia.
In Australian waters it has been recorded from the coasts north-western Western Australia around the tropical northern coast to the northern coast of Queensland.

Habitat

It inhabits offshore coral reefs at depths from near the surface to 96 m (315 ft). It is much sought-after by commercial fisheries.

Where to Find

Egypt East Laccadive Islands Australia West Saudi Arabia West Oman North +66 more in Seabook

Colors

white

brown

silver

yellow

orange

Edible

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Social Behaviour

Group

Conservation status

(LC) Least concern

Poisonous

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Danger to human

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Venomous

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Similar Species

Black-and-white Snapper Black-spot Snapper Blue-and-gold Snapper Brown Hussar Checkered Snapper Common Bluestripe Snapper

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bigeye Snapper dangerous?

Bigeye Snapper is classified as: No, No, No. Always exercise caution and keep a safe distance.

Where can you find Bigeye Snapper?

Bigeye Snapper can be found in: Egypt East, Laccadive Islands, Australia West, Saudi Arabia West, Oman North, Malaysia East, Taiwan, Australia North, Malaysia West, Anilao, Somalia East, Vanuatu, Sudan, Brunei, China, Myanmar, Eritrea, Australia, Hong Kong, Kenya, Qatar, India, Israel, Japan South, India East, India West, Thailand East, Thailand West, Israel South, Saudi Arabia East, Indo-Pacific West, Oman, Oman East, Somalia North, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Vietnam, Seychelles, Cambodia, Indo-Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Iraq, Bangladesh, Singapore, Tanzania, Malaysia, Kuwait, Bahrain, South Africa, Red Sea, Japan, Indonesia, Chagos Islands, Mozambique, Jordan, Philippines, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Egypt, Tonga and Samoa, Yemen, Madagascar, Pakistan, Djibouti, Iran South, United Arab Emirates, Comoros, Fiji, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Somalia.

How deep does Bigeye Snapper live?

Bigeye Snapper can be found at depths of up to 96 meters.