Blue and gold snapper (Lutjanus viridis)

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 viridis · Authority: (Valenciennes, 1846) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 276552.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Diacope viridis Valenciennes, 1846.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=276552 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 30 cm · Depth range: 0–60 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 20 of 100 · Fishery importance: subsistence fisheries · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Adults are found in coastal waters, frequently around rocky and coral reefs (Ref. 9313). They occasionally occur in large schools (Ref. 9313). Also caught with nets and marketed fresh (Ref. 9313).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 183) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Lutjanus-viridis.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

2,557 georeferenced occurrence records for Lutjanus viridis are published through GBIF from 8 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 76 distinct locations from a sample of 2,557 records, omitting 13 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: Colombia (939); Ecuador (854); Mexico (437); Panama (167); Costa Rica (133).

The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2384958) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2384958&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=276552 (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 viridis (Valenciennes, 1846) as Least Concern (code LC). 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 183596) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/183596/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2384958) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2384958/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The blue and gold snapper was first formally described in 1846 as Diacope viridis by the French zoologist Achille Valenciennes with the type locality given as the Galápagos Islands. The specific name viridis means "green", Valenciennes described and illustrated this species with a greenish body marked with darker green stripes along the flanks although it is actually bright yellow with bluish-white, black-edged stripes.

Description

Blue-and-gold snapper has an oblong body. The pointed snout has front and rear nostrils which are simple holes. It has a relatively large mouth which has protractile jaws. The teeth are conical to canine like in shape, with the front teeth typically enlarged so that they resemble fangs.

The vomerine teeth are arranged in a V-shape with no rearwards extension and there is a patch of teeth at each side of the palate, but there are no teeth on the tongue. The preoperculum has a weakly developed incision and knob. The dorsal fin is continuous, containing 10 spines and 14-15 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays, the rear of the dorsal and anal fins may be rounded or pointed. The pectoral fins contain 16-17 rays and the caudal fin is truncate or weakly emarginate.

This species attains a maximum total length of 30 cm. The overall colour of this fish is bright yellow on the body, although this can be dark, with five black-margined blue stripes along the flanks. The abdomen is paler and is marked with many thin orange to yellow lines. They frequently show a reddish face.

Distribution and habitat

The blue and gold snapper is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean where it has a rather discontinuous distribution. It occurs at the mouth of the Gulf of California and southern Baja California, and along the western coast of Mexico, from southern Guatemala to Panama and Colombia. It also occurs at the Revillagigedo Islands of Mexico, Clipperton Island, Cocos Island of Costa Rica, Malpelo Island of Columbia and the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador. It is found where there are rocky substrates and coral reefs at depths down to at least 55 m.

Biology

The blue and gold snapper occasionally gathers in large daytime aggregations on rocky or coral reefs. In Panama's Gulf of Chriqui this species is restricted to areas where there are madreporite branching corals. At night this species forages for crabs, molluscs, cephalopods, shrimp, and small fish and they normally seek shelter during the day.

Fisheries

The blue and gold snapper is an important target species for subsistence fisheries, they catch it with hooks and lines. The catch is mostly sold as fresh fish.

Source: Wikipedia: Blue and gold snapper — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_and_gold_snapper (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.