Cubera snapper

Last updated

Cubera snapper
Gfp-cubera-snapper.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Lutjanidae
Genus: Lutjanus
Species:
L. cyanopterus
Binomial name
Lutjanus cyanopterus
(G. Cuvier, 1828)
Lutjanus cyanopterus range.png
Synonyms [2]
  • Mesoprion cyanopterusG. Cuvier, 1828
  • Mesoprion pargusG. Cuvier, 1828
  • Lutjanus cubera Poey, 1871

The cubera snapper (Lutjanus cyanopterus), also known as the Cuban snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the western Atlantic Ocean. It is a commercially important species and is a sought-after game fish, though it has been reported to cause ciguatera poisoning.

Contents

Taxonomy

The cubera snapper was first formally described as Mesoprion cyanopterus in 1828 by the French zoologist Georges Cuvier with the type locality given as Brazil. [3] The specific name is a compound of cyano meaning "blue" and pterus which means "fin" as Cuvier described it as having bluish-black membranes on its median fins. [4]

Description

Jawbones of the cubera snapper Lutjanus cyanopterus jaws.jpg
Jawbones of the cubera snapper

The cubera snapper has an oval-shaped, rather streamlined, elongate body, which is less deep than many other snapper species. [5] It has a pair of front nostrils and a pair of rear nostrils that are simple holes in its snout. The mouth is relatively large [6] with thick lips. [7] The jaws are equipped with canine teeth, one enlarged pair being visible when the mouth is closed. [8] The vomerine teeth are arranged in a crescent-shaped or triangular patch with no central posterior extension, [7] with a tooth patch on each side of the roof of the mouth. [6]

The preoperculum has a weakly developed knob and notch. [7] This species has long pectoral fins, a continuous dorsal fin, and a truncated caudal fin. [8] The dorsal fin contains 10 spines and 14 soft rays, while the anal fin has three spines and seven or eight soft rays, [2] sometimes, a notch is seen behind the spiny part of the dorsal fin. [6] The maximum total length recorded for this species is 160 cm (63 in), although a length of 90 cm (35 in) is more typical; the maximum published weight is 57 kg (126 lb). [2] The overall colour of this species is grey to dark brown with pale to dark-grey flanks with some individuals showing a slight reddish hue on the body. The caudal fin is light grey, the pectoral fins may be translucent to pale grey, and a bluish hue is seen on the anal, pectoral, and pelvic fins. The juveniles show an indistinct barred pattern on their flanks. [5]

Distribution and habitat

The cubera snapper is found in the western Atlantic Ocean, from as far north as Nova Scotia to as far south as Santa Catarina in Brazil,and throughout the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico and around Bermuda. [1] It has been recorded from the Flores Islands in the Azores. [9] It occurs at depths between 1 and 85 m (3 ft 3 in and 278 ft 10 in). The juveniles shelter within beds of sea grass in in-shore waters or in mangroves, and have been recorded entering fresh water. The adults move off-shore, where they inhabit rocky ledge and reef habitats. [10]

Biology

Cubera snapper adults are solitary fish that have a maximum longevity of 55 years. [11]

Feeding

The cubera snapper is the largest species of snapper and is a predatory fish, its main prey being other fishes, with some crustaceans. [10] The large canine teeth allow this species to feed on large crustaceans such as lobsters and crabs. They forage near the bottom or in the vicinity of hard structures. The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeds on the newly laid pelagic spawn of cubera snappers, while the larger fish are prey to moray eels, barracudas, groupers, other snappers, and large sharks. [8]

Reproduction

Juvenile Lutjanus cyanopterus juvenile.jpg
Juvenile

The cubera snapper spawns from May until August, when their gathering into large spawning aggregations is determined by the lunar cycles. They gather in large numbers, up to 10,000 fish over shallow spawning sites in off-shore waters at places such as outer reef slopes and sandy drop-offs. [10] The eggs hatch within a day of fertilisation and the larvae are pelagic, drifting with the currents until they settle. [8]

Fisheries and conservation

The cubera snapper is considered to be a good-quality food fish, [7] although larger fish in some areas are known to cause ciguatera poisoning in humans who consume their flesh. [8] It is caught using hook-and-line with bottom longlines, gill nets, and bottom trawls, and occasionally by spearfishing. [7] In areas where the larger fish are ciguatoxic, no fishery exists, as in Puerto Rico and the Lesser Antilles, or only smaller fish are consumed, as happens in the Florida Keys. [1] In the United States, this species is subject to bag and size limits for both commercial and recreational fisheries. [11] The predictable and accessible spawning aggregations of this species make it vulnerable to overfishing, and the catch decreased by over 60% off the Atlantic coast of the United States in the 20 years up to 2015; the numbers spawning off Cuba and Brazil had also decreased. In Brazil, some stocks have declined so much that they are commercially extinct. The IUCN predict further declines unless aggregations are protected, so listed the species as vulnerable. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lane snapper</span> Species of fish

The lane snapper, the Mexican snapper, redtail snapper or spot snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the western Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mangrove red snapper</span> Species of fish

The mangrove red snapper, also known as mangrove jack, grey snapper, creek red bream, Stuart evader, dog bream, purple sea perch, red bream, red perch, red reef bream, river roman, or rock barramundi, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It has a wide Indo-Pacific range and has recently been recorded in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schoolmaster snapper</span> Species of fish

The schoolmaster snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean. Like other snapper species, it is a popular food fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mutton snapper</span> Species of fish

The mutton snapper is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bigeye snapper</span> Species of fish

The bigeye snapper, also known as the bigeye seaperch, red sea lined snapper, golden striped snapper, rosy snapper, yellow snapper, or simply snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. It is the type species of the genus Lutjanus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vermilion snapper</span> Species of fish

The vermilion snapper, the clubhead snapper, night snapper or beeliner is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the western Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Lutjanus</i> Genus of fishes

Lutjanus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, snappers belonging to the family Lutjanidae. They are found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. They are predatory fish usually found in tropical and subtropical reefs, and mangrove forests. This genus also includes two species that only occur in fresh and brackish waters.

<i>Lutjanus sebae</i> Species of fish

Lutjanus sebae, also known as red emperor, emperor red snapper, emperor snapper, government bream, king snapper, queenfish or red kelp, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Lutjanus agennes</i> Species of fish

Lutjanus agennes, the African red snapper, Guinean snapper or African cubera snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Lutjanidae, the snappers. It is native to the coastal Atlantic waters of Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog snapper</span> Species of fish

The dog snapper, also known as the dogtooth snapper, pargue or snuggletooth snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the Atlantic Ocean. It is a commercially important species, and is popular for display in public aquaria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humpback red snapper</span> Species of fish

The humpback red snapper, the paddletail, paddletail snapper or hunchback snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It has a wide Indo-West Pacific distribution. It is a commercially important species, as well as being sought after as a game fish. It is also a popular species for display in public aquaria. It has been reported to cause ciguatera poisoning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackfin snapper</span> Species of fish

The blackfin snapper, also known as the blackspot snapper, blackfin red snapper, gun-mouth backfin, gun-mouth snapper, redfish and wrenchman is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the western Atlantic Ocean. It is a commercially important species, though it has been reported to carry the ciguatera toxin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue and gold snapper</span> Species of fish

The blue-and-gold snapper is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean where it is important to local subsistence fisheries.

<i>Lutjanus rivulatus</i> Species of fish

Lutjanus rivulatus, the blubberlip snapper, Maori snapper, blue-spotted seaperch, Maori bream, Maori seaperch, multi-coloured snapper, scribbled snapper, speckled snapper or yellowfin snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the Indian Ocean and into the Pacific Ocean.

<i>Lutjanus madras</i> Species of fish

Lutjanus madras, the Indian snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the western Pacific and Indian Oceans.

<i>Lutjanus carponotatus</i> Species of fish

Lutjanus carponotatus, the Spanish flag snapper, stripey snapper, dusky-striped sea-perch, gold-banded sea perch, gold-stripe sea-perch, striped seaperch or stripey seaperch, is a species marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the western Pacific and Indian Oceans, from India to northern Australia.

<i>Lutjanus purpureus</i> Species of fish

Lutjanus purpureus, the southern red snapper or Caribbean red snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the western Atlantic Ocean as well the Caribbean Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African brown snapper</span> Species of fish

The African brown snapper is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa.

<i>Lutjanus novemfasciatus</i> Species of fish

Lutjanus novemfasciatus, the Pacific cubera snapper or Pacific dog snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silk snapper</span> Species of fish

The silk snapper, the West Indian snapper, yellow-eyed snapper or yellow-eyed red snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Lindeman, K.; Anderson, W.; Carpenter, K.E.; Claro, R.; Cowan, J.; Padovani-Ferreira, B.; Rocha, L.A.; Sedberry, G.; Zapp-Sluis, M. (2016). "Lutjanus cyanopterus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T12417A506633. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T12417A506633.en . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Lutjanus cyanopterus". FishBase . February 2021 version.
  3. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Lutjanus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  4. ↑ Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (5 January 2021). "Order LUTJANIFORMES: Families HAEMULIDAE and LUTJANIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Cubera Snapper". Mexican Fish. 25 December 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 "Species: Lutjanus cyanopterus, Cubera snapper". Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Gerald R. Allen (1985). FAO species catalogue Vol.6. Snappers of the world An annotated and illustrated catalogue of lutjanid species known to date (PDF). FAO Rome. pp. 72–73. ISBN   92-5-102321-2.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Rebecca Murray and Cathleen Bester. "Cubera snapper". Discover Fishes. Florida Museum. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  9. ↑ Ribeiro, Pedro; Gonçalves, João; Chavan, Govindraj; et al. (2017). "First record of the cubera snapper, Lutjanus cyanopterus (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Lutjanidae), from the Azores (NE Atlantic) and possible range extension for the East Atlantic". Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria. 47: 259–263. doi:10.3750/AIEP/02238. hdl: 10261/157627 .
  10. 1 2 3 "Cubera Snapper". National geographic. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  11. 1 2 "Cubera Snapper". Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.