Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system

Español  Contact

Species: Rhomboplites aurorubens, Vermilion snapper

    Bookmode

Taxa

Next

Previous

Literature

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

oval, elongated
body and fins red
roof mouth: rhomboid tooth patch
D XII, 11, last ray not elongated
soft D & A scaled
C forked
sides roof mouth: 2 pr tooth patches
Images
This Species (11) This Genus (1) Similar Species (6)

Next

Previous

Rhomboplites aurorubens (Cuvier, 1829)

Vermilion snapper

Body an elongate oval; 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; jaws with distinct canines; a rhomboid-shaped patch of teeth on center of roof of mouth, its rear extension narrow in small fish, broad in large fish; each side of roof of mouth with 2 patches of teeth; 17-22 lower gill rakers; preopercle serrated, lower margin notched; dorsal continuous, often with slight notch behind spiny part, XII (rarely XIII), 11 (rarely 10 or 12), last ray not elongated; tail deeply forked, with pointed tips; last ray of dorsal and anal fins not elongate; body, cheek and operculum scaly; snout, below eye and both jaws  scale-less; membranes of soft dorsal and anal fins scaly.

Vermilion, darker above, paler below; iris red; faint brown lines obliquely forward and down from dorsal fin; sides below lateral line with narrow horizontal and oblique streaks of gold; dorsal fin with blotches of vermilion; tail fin vermilion; anal and pectoral fins pale rose; pelvics pale.

Reaches 63 cm.

On hard bottoms, and sand.

Depth range: 25-300 m.

North Carolina to Brazil.

High Resolution Map Download

Species Data Create Report Export as Word File Export as Excel File
Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Near Bottom
  • Bottom + water column
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Reef and soft bottom
  • Sand & gravel
  • Water column
  • Rocks
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Planktivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Zooplankton
  • Mobile benthic worms
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
  • Pelagic crustacea
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Bony fishes
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
Egg Type
  • Pelagic larva
  • Pelagic
  • Data
Global Endemism
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • All species.
Regional Endemism
  • Extends South of GC
  • Continent
  • Island (s)
  • All species..
  • GC non-endemic
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Extends N + S of GC
  • Extends North of GC
  • Also in Brazil
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Vulnerable
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 63
Depth Range Min
  • 25
Depth Range Max
  • 300