Genus: Lutjanus, Common Snapper, Snappers

LUTJANUS

SNAPPERS

Varying body shapes; 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, with large canines among outer teeth, no molars; a patch of teeth of varying shape on roof of mouth; sides of roof of mouth with a pair of tooth patches; 16 or fewer (rarely 17) gill rakers; no enlarged pores on chin; preoperculum serrated, lower margin notched; dorsal continuous, often with slight notch behind spiny part, X-XII (rarely IX or XIII), 11-14 (rarely 10 or 15); tail edge straight to slightly concave or slightly forked; body, cheek and operculum scaly; snout, below eye, and both jaws scale-less; bases of soft dorsal and anal fins scaly.

This pantropical genus contains 67 species; 11 that enter shallow water are present in our region, 9 W Atlantic, 1 NW Atlantic and 1 probably endemic.