Blue and gold snapper
A yellow snapper with blue stripes, important to subsistence fisheries.
The blue-and-gold snapper (Lutjanus viridis) is a marine fish in the snapper family, found in the eastern Pacific Ocean and valued in local subsistence fisheries.
This species was first scientifically described in 1846 by French zoologist Achille Valenciennes, who named it Diacope viridis. The specific name means "green," as Valenciennes depicted the fish with a greenish body and darker green stripes, though it is actually bright yellow with bluish-white stripes edged in black. The type location is the Galápagos Islands.
The fish has an oblong body and a pointed snout with simple nostril holes. Its mouth is relatively large with protractile jaws. Teeth are conical to canine-like, with front teeth often enlarged into fang-like shapes. The vomerine teeth form a V-shape without rearward extension, and there are tooth patches on each side of the palate but none on the tongue. The preoperculum has a weakly developed notch and knob. The continuous dorsal fin has 10 spines and 14–15 soft rays; the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays. The rear of these fins may be rounded or pointed. Pectoral fins have 16–17 rays, and the caudal fin is truncate or slightly notched. Maximum total length is 30 cm (12 in). The body is bright yellow, sometimes darker, with five blue stripes bordered in black along the sides. The belly is paler, marked with thin orange to yellow lines, and the face often appears reddish.
This snapper has a patchy distribution in the eastern Pacific. It occurs at the mouth of the Gulf of California, southern Baja California, and along Mexico’s western coast, from southern Guatemala to Panama and Colombia. It is also found at the Revillagigedo Islands, Clipperton Island, Cocos Island, Malpelo Island, and the Galápagos Islands. It inhabits rocky substrates and coral reefs down to at least 55 m (180 ft).
During the day, the blue-and-gold snapper sometimes gathers in large aggregations on rocky or coral reefs. In Panama’s Gulf of Chiriquí, it is limited to areas with madreporite branching corals. At night, it forages for crabs, mollusks, cephalopods, shrimp, and small fish, seeking shelter during daylight.
Subsistence fishers target this species using hooks and lines, and the catch is mostly sold fresh.
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Lutjanus viridis
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The blue-and-gold snapper was first formally described in 1846 as Diacope viridis by the French zoologist Achille Valenciennes, with the type locality given as the Galápagos Islands. The specific name viridis means 'green', as Valenciennes described and illustrated this species with a greenish body marked with darker green stripes along the flanks, although it is actually bright yellow with bluish-white, black-edged stripes. The overall colour of this fish is bright yellow on the body, though it can be dark, with five black-margined blue stripes along the flanks; the abdomen is paler and marked with many thin orange to yellow lines, and they frequently show a reddish face.
The species has an oblong body with a pointed snout, a relatively large mouth with protractile jaws, and conical to canine-like teeth, with front teeth typically enlarged to resemble fangs. The dorsal fin is continuous, containing 10 spines and 14-15 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays. The caudal fin is truncate or weakly emarginate. It is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean with a discontinuous distribution, occurring at the mouth of the Gulf of California and southern Baja California, along the western coast of Mexico, from southern Guatemala to Panama and Colombia, and at several islands including the Revillagigedo Islands, Clipperton Island, Cocos Island, Malpelo Island, and the Galápagos Islands. It inhabits rocky substrates and coral reefs at depths down to at least 55 m.
Reader's Guide
The blue-and-gold snapper is notable primarily for its role in local subsistence fisheries in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is caught with hooks and lines, and the catch is mostly sold as fresh fish. The species occasionally gathers in large daytime aggregations on rocky or coral reefs, and in Panama's Gulf of Chiriqui it is restricted to areas with madreporite branching corals. At night it forages for crabs, molluscs, cephalopods, shrimp, and small fish, normally seeking shelter during the day. Its discontinuous distribution across several island groups and coastal regions underscores its ecological niche in rocky and coral reef habitats. The species' description by Valenciennes in 1846, with a type locality at the Galápagos Islands, provides historical context, though his original description of a greenish body with darker green stripes contrasts with the actual bright yellow and blue coloration. The blue-and-gold snapper remains a target for subsistence fishers, and its fresh catch is a local market item.
Did You Know?
- The blue-and-gold snapper was first described in 1846 by French zoologist Achille Valenciennes as Diacope viridis.
- Its specific name viridis means 'green', though the fish is actually bright yellow with blue stripes.
- It attains a maximum total length of 30 cm (12 in).
- It is found at depths down to at least 55 m (180 ft) on rocky substrates and coral reefs.
More in Snappers and Grunts, Part 2 1-24
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