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Species: Lutjanus argentiventris, Amarillo snapper, Yellow snapper

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red & yellow
blue line under eye
roof mouth - tooth patch anchor shaped
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This Species (7) This Genus (9) Similar Species (1)

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Lutjanus argentiventris (Peters, 1869)

Yellow snapper, Amarillo snapper

Body moderately deep, snout pointed; front and rear nostrils simple holes; mouth relatively large and protractile; teeth conical to caniniform, those at front of jaws generally enlarged and fang-like; tooth patch at central roof of mouth anchor shaped, front curved or pointed; sides of roof of mouth with 1 tooth patch; 16-17 gill rakers; preopercle serrated, lower margin notched; dorsal rays X, 14, fin continuous; anal rays III, 8; soft dorsal and anal with angular ends; tail edge ~straight; bases of soft dorsal and anal fins scaly; scale rows on upper back parallel to lateral line .

Rosy red anteriorly becoming bright yellow to orange over most of body; fins mainly yellow or orange; a blue horizontal streak below eye.

Size: maximum size to about 66 cm.

Habitat: occurs over rocky bottoms, usually found close to shelter; juveniles common in estuaries; a nocturnal predator of fishes, shrimps, crabs, and molluscs.

Depth: 3-94 m.

Southern California to the Gulf of California to Peru, including all the oceanic islands except Clipperton.

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Species Data Create Report Export as Word File Export as Excel File
Salinity
  • Marine
  • Brackish
  • Freshwater
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom only
Habitat
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Rocks
  • Freshwater
  • Corals
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Estuary
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef and soft bottom
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Bony fishes
  • Data
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
  • Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Pelagic
  • No data
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • East Pacific endemic
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
  • All species
Regional Endemism
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • All species
  • Island (s)
  • TEP endemic
  • Continent
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
  • Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
  • North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
  • Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
  • Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 66
Depth Range Min
  • 3
Depth Range Max
  • 94