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See the fishing tripsThe Blackfin Snapper
All year
31 cm
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The Blackfin Snapper belongs to the Lutjanidae family. Its average size is 40 cm but some individuals can reach 75 cm. The biggest blackfin snapper recorded weighted 14 kg. It has an average lifespan of 10 years old. It spawns most of the year with a peak of activity from April to September. It can be fished all year round.
This snapper is similar to other members of the Lutjanidae family, as it has the same deep body and double dorsal fin. Its caudal fin is rather truncated and its pectoral fin is long. The anal fin is rounded. This snapper is often confused with the northern red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), but the black comma-shaped mark at the base of the pectoral fins is a distinctive feature of the black fin snapper. In addition, the blackfin snapper has a rounded anal fin that contrasts with the pointed anal fin of the red snapper. The black-finned snapper is usually red, silvery red below, with yellowish caudal, anal and pelvic fins. There is a distinct dark comma-shaped mark at the base of the pectoral fins, giving this fish its common name. Juveniles resemble adults, but have a large bright yellow area on the upper part of the caudal pendulum. The canines of the upper jaw are larger than those of the lower jaw.
The Blackfin Snapper Lifestyle
The blackfin snapper is a carnivorous predator that feeds on the ocean floor. It is an opportunistic food, attacking any small fish within its reach. Young blackfin snappers feed on shrimp, worms and other small invertebrates and then switch to small fish at maturity.
The blackfin snapper is known to spawn almost all year-round, with a peak in April and September, mainly off the coast of Jamaica. All snappers are oviparous, which means they lay their eggs. These eggs and larvae are pelagic and use ocean currents as a means of dispersal. Little is known about the development of larvae. Young juveniles (20 mm) are pale blue with a wide yellow band extending from the dorsal lobe of the caudal fin to the median or anterior end of the dorsal fin. There is a dark black spot on the axillary pectoral axillary axilla in older juveniles, but no dorsolateral spot.
Natural predators of all life stages of this snapper are numerous and include sharks, barracudas, groupers, morays and other snapper species.
The Blackfin Snapper habitat
Living on sandy and rocky bottoms near the edges, the blackfin snapper lives in waters 60 to 90 m deep. Adults live offshore near the continental shelf. Young people generally inhabit rock outcrops near reefs in shallow water 6 to 18 m deep. The blackfin snapper is often observed in formation in groups of 20 to 30 individuals.
The blackfin snapper is found in the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Brazil, although it is rare in northern North Carolina. It is also found near the coast in the Gulf of Mexico and common throughout the Caribbean.
The Blackfin Snapper Angling
It is fished with hand lines, rods and reels, traps and gillnets. It is mainly a recreational sport fish rather than a commercial fish.
