Red snapper (fish)

Northern snapper ( Lutjanus campechanus )

The Northern snapper ( Lutjanus campechanus ), known in English as Red Snapper, lives in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coast of the United States north as Massachusetts. North of North Carolina, he is, however, becoming increasingly rare.

Features

The Northern gate is 60 cm long usually, is a maximum length of one meter, with a weight of 22.8 kg possible. It is relatively high backs. The eyes are small, the head about 6.5 times longer than the eye diameter. The pectoral fins are long, but do not reach the anus. Above the side line the scales in oblique, ascending to the dorsal fin rows below in rows parallel to the side line. The color of the Northern snapper is scarlet to brick red, specimens have a length of 30 to 35 cm have a large dark spot below the soft-rayed part of the dorsal fin.

• Fins formula: Dorsal X/14, Anal III / (8 ) -9, 17 pectoral

Way of life

The Northern snapper inhabits rocky reefs at depths of 10-190 meters. He usually stays in depths of 30 to 130 meters and in the northern parts of its range lower than in the south. It feeds mainly on small fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, worms, snails and other invertebrates. He planted from April to December, continuing. The spawning activities of the northern Gulf of Mexico from June to August and in front of the southwestern Florida from August to September the most intense. The Northern gate is old usually ten to 16 years. The statements made in the open water, eggs have a diameter from 0.77 to 0.85 mm, and the larvae hatch at a water temperature of 23 ° to 27 ° C after 20 to 27 hours.

Fishing

The Northern gate is an excellent food fish and one of the main fishing fish in the Gulf of Mexico. He is caught with longlines and bottom trawls. In America, it is referred to and sold as "Red Snapper ", while in Germany only the Malabar snapper ( Lutjanus malabaricus ) may be described in the fish trade as Red Snapper.