Vermilion snapper

The vermilion snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens), also called the clubhead snapper, night snapper, or beeliner, is a marine fish belonging to the snapper family Lutjanidae. It is the sole member of the genus Rhomboplites and lives in the western Atlantic Ocean.

Taxonomy

French zoologist Georges Cuvier first described the species in 1829, naming it Centropristis aurorubens based on specimens from Brazil, Martinique, and Santo Domingo. Theodore Nicholas Gill later placed it in its own genus, Rhomboplites, in 1862, within the subfamily Lutjaninae. The genus name combines rhombo (rhombus-shaped) and hoplites (armed), referring to the rhombus-shaped patch of teeth on the vomer bone. The species name aurorubens comes from aureus (golden) and rubens (reddish), describing the golden-red color the fish takes on when preserved in alcohol.

Description

The body is elongated and oblong, with a short snout, a slightly protruding lower jaw, and a small mouth. Two pairs of simple nostril holes sit on the snout. When the mouth closes, the upper jaw slides under the cheekbones. There are no enlarged canine teeth; the vomerine teeth form a triangular or rhombus-shaped patch with a wide rear extension, and the tongue has a patch of granular teeth.

The dorsal fin has 12 to 13 spines and 10 to 11 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays and is rounded. The pectoral fins have 17 to 19 rays and are relatively short, not reaching the anus. The caudal fin is forked but not extremely so.

Maximum total length is 60 cm (24 in), though 35 cm (14 in) is more typical, and the heaviest recorded weight is 3.2 kg (7.1 lb). Overall color is bright red, fading to pink on the lower sides and whitish on the belly. Short, wavy, oblique blue lines appear on the upper sides above the lateral line, formed by spots on the scales, and yellow streaks may occur below the lateral line. The anal fin is pinkish red; the caudal fin is red with a black margin; the dorsal fin is red with a yellow margin; and the pectoral fins are red.

Distribution and habitat

The species ranges from North Carolina and Bermuda south along the U.S. east coast to the Bahamas, then through the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, and down the South American coast to Santa Catarina, Brazil. It lives at depths of 20 to 300 m (66 to 984 ft).