Blue and gold snapper

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.

Taxonomy

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.

Description

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.

Distribution and habitat

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).

Biology

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.