Species: Lutjanus buccanella, Blackfin Snapper

Lutjanus buccanella (Cuvier, 1828)

Blackfin Snapper

Body relatively deep, compressed; front and rear nostrils simple holes; mouth relatively large, top jaw moderately protrusible, slips under cheek bone for most of its length when mouth is closed; one or more rows of pointed conical teeth on jaws, some as canines; an anchor shaped patch of teeth with a rear extension on center of roof of mouth; sides of roof of mouth with 1 pair of tooth patches; 17-19 lower gill rakers; preopercle serrated, lower margin weakly notched; dorsal continuous, often with slight notch behind spiny part, usually X, 14; anal III, 8 (rarely 9), fin tip rounded; tail edge slightly concave; body, cheek and operculum scaly; snout, below eye and both jaws scale-less; lateral line scales 47-50; membranes of soft dorsal and anal fins scaly.

Upper head and body scarlet to orange; iris yellow to orange; a large pronounced dark spot on inner and outer base of pectoral; a dark area on scales at base of soft dorsal fin; upper tail base, most of soft dorsal, most of anal and all of tail fin yellow to greenish yellow. Juvenile: grey brown, with yellow tail base and tail fin; pectoral with black base.

Reaches 75 cm; 14 kg.

Sandy and rocky bottoms and near dropoffs.

Depth range: 15-273 m; juveniles usually 35-50 m, adults below 60 m.

N Carolina to NE Brazil.