Family: LUTJANIDAE, Snappers, Jobfishes, Rabirrubias, Snapper

FAMILY LUTJANIDAE

SNAPPERS, JOBFISHES, RABIRRUBIAS

Lutjanids vary in size from small to large (to 1.7 m), and in shape from ovate to elongate; the body is moderately compressed; top jaw moderately protrusible, slips under cheek bone for most of its length when mouth is closed; jaws with distinct canines, but no incisors and rarely molars; front and sides of roof of mouth usually with small conical teeth; no enlarged pores on chin; preoperculum serrated; one continuous dorsal fin  X, 8-18, that may be notched between the spiny and soft parts, sometimes with deep notches between the spines; anal fin III, 7-11; tail fin with a straight to deeply forked edge; scales rough, moderate sized; body, cheek and operculum scaly; snout, below eye and lower jaw scale-less; pelvic axillary scale process usually well-developed; lateral line complete.

The approximately 108 members of the 17 genera in the family are distributed in all tropical seas, but the majority inhabits the Indo-Pacific. The genus Lutjanus is the largest containing 67 species. In the Greater Caribbean there are 17 species from 5 genera.