African brown snapper (Lutjanus dentatus)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Eupercaria incertae sedis · Family: Lutjanidae · Genus: Lutjanus.

Accepted name: Lutjanus dentatus · Authority: (Duméril, 1861) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 276531.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Lutjanus eutactus Bleeker, 1863; Mesoprion dentatus Duméril, 1861.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=276531 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Lutjanus dentatus. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 150 cm · Common length: 50 cm · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 90 of 100 · Fishery importance: subsistence fisheries · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Adults inhabit rocky bottoms and coral reefs (Ref. 55, 57393, 81653). Also common in brackish lagoons and occasionally in rivers (Ref. 55, 81653), especially juveniles (Ref. 57393). Feed on fishes and crustaceans (Ref. 55, 81653).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 1429) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Lutjanus-dentatus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

678 georeferenced occurrence records for Lutjanus dentatus are published through GBIF from 19 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 35 distinct locations from a sample of 678 records, omitting 43 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Nigeria (119); Gabon (86); Ghana (79); Liberia (73); Côte d’Ivoire (72); Cameroon (44); Sierra Leone (43); Guinea (34); Congo, Democratic Republic of the (31); Benin (23); Guinea-Bissau (22); Equatorial Guinea (19); Togo (12); Congo (11); Senegal (4).

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2384945) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2384945&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=276531 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Lutjanus dentatus (Duméril, 1861) as Data Deficient (code DD). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 194394) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/194394/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2384945) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2384945/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The African brown snapper was first formally described in 1861 as Mesoprion dentatus by the French zoologist Auguste Duméril with the type locality given as Gorée in Senegal. The specific name dentatus means "toothed" and refers to the large teeth possessed by this species. An examination of a specimen of a vagrant cubera snapper (Lutjanus cyanopterus) from Flores Island in the Azores with a vagrant specimen of this species from Gran Canaria suggested that these may be conspecific, if that is the case then L. dentatus will be a junior synonym of L. cyanopterus. The little known Guinea snapper (Lutjanus endecacanthus) is considered by some authorities to be synonymous with L. dentatus.

Description

The African brown snapper has a relatively deep body with a slightly rounded head. Its mouth extends as far as the centre line of the eye and has thick lips. The notch and knob on the preoperculum are weak.

The vomerine teeth are arranged in a triangular patch in adults, chevron shaped in juveniles and the adults sometime have a small rearwards extension. The dorsal fin contains 10 spines and 13-14 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays. In adults the pectoral fins do not extend as far as the anus and contain 17 rays.

The maximum total length recorded for this species is 150 cm although 50 cm is more typical, the maximum published weight is 50 kg. The back and upper flanks of adults are dusky grey in colour fading to whiteish pink on the lower flanks and abdomen. The juveniles have alternating light and dark vertical bars of roughly equal widths on their flanks.

Distribution and habitat

The African brown snapper is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It occurs along the western coast of African from Senegal to Angola, including Bioko and São Tomé and Príncipe. It has occurred in the Canary Islands. This species is found in relatively shallow waters at depths between 2 and 50 m normally over rocky and coral reefs but it is also found in brackish lagoons, mangroves and occasionally in rivers.

Biology

The biology of the African brown snapper is little known, it is known to feed on smaller fishes and crustaceans.

Fisheries and conservation

The African brown snapper is fished for by commercial fisheries, along with its congeners. Although it commands high prices it is not as sought after as the African red snapper (Lutjanus agennes). Separate data is not collected on the catch of this species but the fish stocks in West Africa are known to be overexploited.

Both commercial trawlers and artisanal fishers fish for this species and some of the catch is exported to Europe. It is also likely that spawning aggregations of snappers are being targeted. The IUCN classify this species as Data Deficient because no separate data is available but they do consider that because of intense fishing pressure and declines in all West African snapper stocks that it may actually be Near Threatened or Vulnerable.

Source: Wikipedia: African brown snapper — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_brown_snapper (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.