Common names
Gray snapper, Mango, Black snapper
Mangrove snapper
Lutjanus griseus
- Saltwater
- Least concern
Max length35 in
Common length15.75 in
Length typeTotal Length
Max weight44 lb 1 oz
Depth range17 - 591 ft
Max age21 years
Water typeSaltwater
Water temperature68 - 81 °F
Fish info
IUCN Vulnerability status
Short description
Mangrove snapper are dark brown or grey in colour, with red-orange spots in bars along the sides. They can change colour from bright red to copper red and have a dark stripe running across their eye if observed from the top when they are underwater. They have two large canine teeth near the front of the upper jaw, an anchor-shaped vomerine tooth patch, and dorsal fins with dark or reddish borders. Their dorsal fin is elongated and has prominent rays on the first half of the dorsal, with a rounder, smoother second half. Juveniles have dark stripes from the snout, through the eye, to the upper edge of the gill cover and are lighter in colour than adults.
Habitat
The mangrove snapper is one of the most common species of snapper in warmer regions. It can be found in many areas from canals to grass flats, as well as in open water. Mangrove snapper also prefer structures, such as docks, mangroves, shipwrecks, and debris. Most mangrove snapper in the open water are generally found near bottom structures or reefs.
Distribution
Native to the western Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean Sea.
Behaviour
Spawn June through August. The mangrove snapper feeds mostly on small fishes, crustaceans, cephalopods and gastropods.
Edibility
Mangrove snappers are excellent table fare and are prized for their mild, sweet flavor.
Lure suggestion
They can be caught on spoons, small topwater plugs, scented imitation shrimp on a jig head, and soft plastic shad with a paddle tail on a jig. But the best way to catch a mangrove snapper is to use a small hook like a #2 J hook or a 1/0 circle hook and a small piece of shrimp because these snappers are excellent bait stealers. Live or dead bait will outfish lures every time for this fish. Good lures: cigar minnows, pilchards, pinfish, mullet, shrimp, squid, ballyhoo and grunts.
Similar species
Other similar species
Schoolmaster, L. apodus (yellow fins and faint white bars), True Black snapper, Cubera snapper, L. cyanopterus (triangleshaped tooth patch and grow much larger than gray snapper)