Species: Lutjanus vivanus, Silk snapper

Lutjanus vivanus (Cuvier, 1828)

Silk snapper

Body oblong, 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, upper canines much larger than lower 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; 16-17 lower gill rakers; preopercle serrated; dorsal continuous, often with slight notch behind spiny part,  X, 14 (occasionally 13); anal III, 8 (rarely 7), tip of fin pointed in fish >6 cm SL; tail edge slightly concave; body, cheek and operculum scaly; snout, below eye and both jaws scale-less; lateral scales 50-53; scales below lateral line 20-24; scales above lateral line 10-12; membranes of soft dorsal and anal fins scaly.