Silk snapper

The silk snapper (Lutjanus vivanus), also called the West Indian snapper, yellow-eyed snapper, or yellow-eyed red snapper, is a marine ray-finned fish in the snapper family Lutjanidae. It lives in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

Taxonomy

French zoologist Georges Cuvier first formally described this species in 1828, naming it Mesoprion vivanus based on a specimen from Martinique. The species name vivanus comes from the local French names vivaneau and vivanet, which may trace back to vivax, meaning "lively."

Description

The silk snapper has a moderately deep, oblong body that is laterally compressed, with a fairly sharp snout. Its front and rear nostrils are simple holes. It has a large mouth with a protruding upper jaw that slides under the cheek bone when closed.

Each jaw holds one to two rows of conical teeth, with the front teeth enlarged into canines. On the roof of the mouth, the vomerine teeth form an anchor-shaped patch with a rearward extension, and there are tooth patches on each side. A deep notch marks the lower edge of the preoperculum.

The continuous dorsal fin has no incision, with 10 to 11 spines and 13 to 14 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 7 to 8 soft rays; both fins are scaled. The pectoral fins are long, about as long as the head in adults, and the caudal fin is emarginate. Overall, the fish is red to pinkish-red, paler on the belly. Some individuals have very thin, wavy yellow lines on their flanks.

Its vivid yellow iris sets it apart from similar snapper species in the same area. The fins are reddish, with the anal and dorsal fins tinted yellow; the caudal fin has a dark edge, and the pectoral fins are light yellow. Juveniles have a black or red spot on the upper flanks just below the start of the dorsal fin.

Distribution and habitat

This species ranges from North Carolina and Bermuda through the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, south to São Paulo, Brazil, including Trindade Island. It lives at depths of 9 to 450 meters (30 to 1,476 feet), along the edges of continental and island shelves over sand, gravel, and coral bottoms. Juveniles stay in shallower waters than adults.

Biology

During the day, the silk snapper stays in deeper water, moving up at night to hunt. It mainly eats fish, but also preys on crabs, isopods, octopus, and shrimp. It can live up to 33 years.