Species: Rhomboplites aurorubens, Vermilion Snapper

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.