Dog snapper

Dog snapper
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Lutjanidae
Genus: Lutjanus
Species: L. jocu
Binomial name
Lutjanus jocu
Synonyms
  • Anthias jocu Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801
  • Mesoprion litura G. Cuvier, 1828

The dog snapper (Lutjanus jocu) is a species of snapper native to the Atlantic Ocean. It is a commercially important species, and is popular for display in public aquaria. It is also known as the dogtooth snapper, pargue, or snuggletooth snapper.[2]

Description

Its color is typically brown with a bronze tinge, lighter on the sides. In adults, a pale triangle and a light-blue, interrupted line are found just below the eye. This species can reach a length of 128 cm (50 in), though most do not exceed 60 cm (24 in). The greatest known weight for this species is 28.6 kg (63 lb).[2]

Distribution

Dog snapper are found from Massachusetts to Brazil in the western Atlantic, including the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico and from Saint Paul's Rocks south to Principe in the eastern Atlantic.[2]

Habitat and behavior

Adults are generally found around rocky outcrops or coral reefs, while juveniles tend to remain primarily within estuaries and occasionally within rivers.[2] Solitary and wary of others, they prefer secluded areas. They are primarily nocturnal feeders, preying upon small fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. This species spawns from spring to fall in the waters around Jamaica and the northeast Caribbean.

References

  1. ↑ Lindeman, K., Anderson, W., Carpenter, K.E., Claro, R., Cowan, J., Padovani-Ferreira, B., Rocha, L.A., Sedberry, G. & Zapp-Sluis, M. (2016). Lutjanus jocu. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T190221A1944443.en
  2. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2013). "Lutjanus jocu" in FishBase. December 2013 version.
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