Species: Lutjanus griseus, Gray Snapper

Lutjanus griseus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Gray Snapper

Body relatively slender (depth 32-37% SL), compressed, head relatively pointed; 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, strong canines at front of top jaws; 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; 12-14 lower gill rakers; preopercle serrated, lower margin weakly notched; dorsal continuous, often with slight notch behind spiny part, usually X, 14; anal III, 8 (7-8), fin tip rounded; pectoral fin short, length ~same as distance from snout tip to rear edge of preopercle; tail edge slightly concave; body, cheek and operculum scaly; snout, below eye and both jaws scale-less; lateral line scales 43-47; membranes of soft dorsal and anal fins scaly.

Variable: back and upper sides grey-green to dark olive, with a reddish tinge; lower parts paler; often a broad oblique dark bar from tip of snout through eye to origin of dorsal fin; sometimes with pale bars on upper body. Juvenile: more prominently barred than adult, often with a blue line on cheek; outer edge of dorsal fin blackish.

Reaches ~66 cm. (Larger records likely are L. cyanopterus).

Mangroves, sloughs, estuaries, reefs, lower reaches of rivers, occasionally in fresh water.

Depth: 1-180 m.

Both sides of the Atlantic; Massachusetts south throughout the Caribbean. Records of this species in Brazil refer to L. alexandrei.