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Species: Lutjanus mahogoni, Mahogany snapper

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large eye
grey, red edges to fins
juv: oblique head stripe
D usually 12
spot under soft D: 1/4-1/2 below LL
roof mouth tooth patch: anchor shaped
upper canines much larger
gill rakers 7-8+15-17
A end rounded
LL 47-49
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This Species (11) This Genus (11) Similar Species (4)

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Lutjanus mahogoni (Cuvier, 1828)

Mahogany snapper

Body oblong, compressed; eye large; 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, canines on top jaw much larger than those on bottom jaw; an anchor shaped patch of teeth with a short rear extension on center of roof of mouth; sides of roof of mouth with 1 pair of tooth patches; 7-8 + 15-17 gill rakers; preopercle serrated, with a prominent well serrated lower projection; dorsal continuous, often with slight notch behind spiny part,  usually X, 12 (rarely 11); anal III, 8, fin tip rounded; ends of dorsal and anal fin short and blunt; tail edge slightly forked; body, cheek and operculum scaly; snout, below eye and both jaws scale-less; lateral line scales 47-49; membranes of soft dorsal and anal fins scaly.

Back and upper sides olive to grey, with a bronze tint, sometimes with pale bars; reddish to coppery below; a dark spot on lateral line under last dorsal spines, 1/4-1/2 of spot is below lateral line. Juvenile: more strongly colored than adult; with a dark oblique stripe from snout through eye to top corner of operculum.

Reaches 48 cm; 1.3 kg.

A clearwater species; around reefs, also on sand and grass bottoms; juveniles in shallow water.

Depth range: 0-209 m.

N Carolina to the S Caribbean.

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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Submerged vegetation
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Rocks
  • Reef and soft bottom
  • Corals
  • Sand & gravel
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
  • Data
  • Bony fishes
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • All species.
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • GC non-endemic
  • Also in Brazil
  • All species..
  • Extends North of GC
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Island (s)
  • Extends South of GC
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 48
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 209