Species: Lutjanus jocu, Dog Snapper

Lutjanus jocu (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Dog 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, 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 (rarely 13); anal III, 8, fin tip rounded; pectoral fin long, length >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 46-49; scales above lateral line 8-11, in oblique rows; membranes of soft dorsal and anal fins scaly.

Back and upper sides olive, with a bronze tint, sometimes with pale bars; reddish to coppery below; a pale triangle under eye; a blue line or series of blue spots below eye and across opercle. Juvenile: more strongly colored than adult, with a dark oblique stripe from snout through eye to top corner of operculum, NO dark bars on body.

Reaches 128 cm; 28.6 kg.

Adults on reefs; juveniles in estuaries and rivers – occasionally in fresh water.

Depth range: 5-181 m.

New England to SE Brazil.