| Lutjanus agennes | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Lutjanidae |
| Genus: | Lutjanus |
| Species: | L. agennes |
| Binomial name | |
| Lutjanus agennes Bleeker, 1863 | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
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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.
Lutjanus agennes was first formally described in 1863 by the Dutch physician, herpetologist and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker with the type locality given as “Ashantee in Guinea”. [3] Bleeker did not explain the derivation of the specific name but it may be from agenes, which means “of low family”, possibly a reference to its similarity to L. modestus , the name modestus meaning the “modest or unassuming one”. [4] Bleeker also described L. modestus in 1863 and it is not clear whether this is a synonym of this species or L. endecacanthus . [2]
Lutjanus agennes has a relatively deep body with a pointed snout and a rather angular forehead. The mouth extends back to below the centre of the eye. The vomerine teeth are arranged in a triangular patch which may have a posterior extension. The incision and the knob on the preoperculum are not well developed. [5] The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 13–14 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 8 soft rays. The overall colour is reddish brown to slightly orange on the back and upper flanks, shading to pink or whitish on lower flanks and abdomen. The tips of the pelvic fins are rather darks from there is no blue line on the cheeks. The juveniles are marked with 6 to 8 vertical rows of small white spots or slender bars on their flanks. This fish attains a maximum total length of 139 cm (55 in), although 50 cm (20 in) is more typical, and the maximum published weight is 60 kg (130 lb). [2]
Lutjanus agennes is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean where it occurs along the western coast of Africa from Senegal to Angola, it also occurs in the Cape Verde Islands and the islands of the Gulf of Guinea. It occurs from the surface down to 80 m (260 ft), [1] over rock substrates and reefs. It can also be found in brackish lagoons and estuaries, particularly juveniles. [5]
Lutjanus agennes, like other snappers, is predatory and feeds mainly on fishes and crustaceans. This species may form large spawning aggregations away from the coasts, in the open sea. Larger individuals have been observed by fishermen to congregate in large numbers in areas of rocky reefs to spawn. It is thought that the West African snapper is a long lived species with a lifespan which may exceed 20 years. [1]
Lutjanus agennes is an important fish for fisheries throughout its range, especially for subsistence fisheries, and it is caught using handlines and fixed bottom nets. The catch is normally sold fresh. [5] It is also caught commercially and the commercial catch is both consumed internally in West Africa, especially in the Gulf of Guinea and Cape Verde. Some of the catch from Ghana and Senegal is exported to Europe. This species is taken in mixed catch fisheries, and no separate catch statistics available. Potential spawning aggregations are thought to be being targeted in at least one part of its range. In spite of the fishing pressure the African red snapper appears to be common, juveniles are not caught throughout the range of this species. There is some evidence of overfishing as the size of the fish caught is declining in some areas. An example of this is in Ghana where the average catch sizes are no greater than 60 cm (24 in). The IUCN has listed as Data Deficient as there is a paucity of information. They suggest that this species should be carefully monitored, as fishing practices in the region, in conjunction modelling results predict that there has been major reduction in the overall biomass of the stocks of this species, and they suggest that it may qualify to be assessed as Near Threatened or worse when more data becomes available. [1] It is a quarry species for recreational anglers in some parts of its range. [6]
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.
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.
The cubera snapper, 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 as well as being a sought-after game fish, though it has been reported to cause ciguatera poisoning.
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.
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.
Lutjanus quinquelineatus, the five-lined snapper, blue-striped snapper, blue-banded sea-perch, five-lined seaperch or gold-striped sea-perch, is a species of ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
Lutjanus adetii, the yellow-banded snapper or hussar, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the southwestern Pacific Ocean. This species is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries and is sought after as a game 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.
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.
Lutjanus fulviflamma, the dory snapper, blackspot snapper, black-spot sea perch, finger-mark bream, long-spot snapper, Moses perch or red bream, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Lutjanidae, the snappers. It has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution.
Lutjanus erythropterus, the crimson snapper, crimson seaperch, high-brow sea-perch, Longman's sea perch, red bream, saddle-tailed perch, small-mouth nannygai or smallmouth sea perch is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Lutjanus vitta, the brownstripe red snapper, brownstripe snapper, broadband seaperch, brownstripe seaperch, one-band sea-perch, one-lined snapper or striped seaperch, 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.
Lutjanus lemniscatus, the yellowstreaked snapper, darktail snapper, darktail seaperch or maroon sea-perch 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.
Lutjanus johnii, John's snapper, the golden snapper,big-scaled bream, fingermark bream, fingermark seaperch, John's sea-perch, or spotted-scale sea perch, 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.
Lutjanus decussatus, the checkered snapper, checkered seaperch or cross-hatched snapper, is a species marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the western Pacific and Indian Oceans.
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.
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.
Lutjanus endecacanthus, the Guinea snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is found on the west coast of Africa in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
The golden African snapper is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
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.
