Dog snapper

The dog snapper (Lutjanus jocu) goes by several common names, including dogtooth snapper, pargue, and snaggletooth snapper. This marine ray-finned fish belongs to the snapper family Lutjanidae and is found in the Atlantic Ocean. It holds commercial value as a food fish and is also frequently kept in public aquariums.

Taxonomy

German naturalists Marcus Elieser Bloch and Johann Gottlob Schneider first described the species in 1801, naming it Anthias jocu. No specific location was given for the type specimen, though it is believed to have come from Havana. The species name jocu comes from the local Cuban name for the fish, as recorded by Portuguese naturalist Antonio Parra.

Description

The body of the dog snapper is relatively deep and compressed. It has long pectoral fins, a slightly forked tail fin, a rounded anal fin, and a dorsal fin divided into two lobes. Its nostrils are simple tubes arranged in front and rear pairs. The mouth is fairly large, with an upper jaw that can be pushed forward slightly and slides under the cheekbone when closed.

Two enlarged, canine-like teeth in the upper jaw remain visible even when the mouth is shut. The teeth on the vomer bone form a chevron or crescent shape, with a long extension toward the rear that gives an anchor-like appearance. Additional tooth patches sit on each side of the roof of the mouth. The preoperculum has a weakly developed notch and knob.

The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 14 to 15 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays. The long pectoral fin reaches as far as the anus and contains 16 to 17 rays. The maximum recorded total length is 128 cm (50 in), though 60 cm (24 in) is more typical, and the heaviest published weight is 28.6 kg (63 lb). Adults have olive green upper flanks and backs, sometimes marked with thin, light-colored bars.

The lower flanks and belly are pale red and copper. A white triangular bar sits beneath each eye. The pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins, along with the outer parts of the soft-rayed portion of the dorsal fin and the tail fin, are reddish; the rest of the dorsal and tail fins are olive green. Juveniles have a blue line running lengthwise under the eye and onto the gill cover, which breaks into a line of spots in adults.

Distribution and habitat

In the western Atlantic, the dog snapper ranges from Massachusetts south to São Paulo, Brazil, including Bermuda, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico.