Golden African snapper (Lutjanus fulgens)

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 fulgens · Authority: (Valenciennes, 1830) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 276535.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Lutjanus maltzani Steindachner, 1881; Mesoprion fulgens Valenciennes, 1830.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=276535 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 60 cm · Common length: 50 cm · Habitat zone: demersal · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 44 of 100 · Fishery importance: subsistence fisheries · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Adults occur on rocky bottoms (Ref. 2683). Also found in deeper offshore waters. Feed on fishes and crustaceans.

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 1070) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Lutjanus-fulgens.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

695 georeferenced occurrence records for Lutjanus fulgens are published through GBIF from 20 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 42 distinct locations from a sample of 695 records, omitting 39 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 (83); Ghana (80); Côte d’Ivoire (75); Cameroon (68); Liberia (63); Sierra Leone (41); Guinea (36); Guinea-Bissau (24); Equatorial Guinea (20); Cabo Verde (17); Benin (15); Togo (15); Congo, Democratic Republic of the (12); Congo (11).

Marine regions with a valid WoRMS distribution record: Beninese Exclusive Economic Zone.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2384893) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2384893&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=276535 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Lutjanus fulgens (Valenciennes, 1830) 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 194389) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/194389/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2384893) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2384893/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The golden African snapper was first formally described in 1830 by the French zoologist Achille Valenciennes with the type locality given as Gorée in Senegal. The specific name fulgens means "bright" or "brilliant", a reference to the vivid colour of lower body as well as the shining background colour shining with its 15-56 horizontal golden-yellow stripes.

The golden African snapper has a moderately slender body with a short snouted, blunt head with very large eyes. The mouth extends back to below the centre of the eye. The vomerine teeth are arranged in a triangular patch which has an obvious posterior extension. The incision and the knob on the preoperculum are not well developed. The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 13-14 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 8 soft rays. The pectoral fins are relatively short and do not extend as far as the anus and the caudal fin is emarginate. This fish attains a maximum total length of 60 cm, although 50 cm is more typical. The colour of the back and upper flanks is bright pink and silvery white on lower flanks and abdomen, along the flanks there are a number of longitudinal golden stripes, one on each scale row.

The golden African snapper is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It ranges along the west coast of Africa from Senegal to Nigeria and then from the Gulf of Guinea south to Angola. It has been reported from Cape Verde and the islands in the Gulf of Guinea.This demersal species occurs at depths between 5 and 150 m, the adults over rock substrates.

The golden African snapper is a predatory species, feeding on other fishes and crustaceans.

The golden African snapper is targeted by subsistence and commercial fisheries, it is fished for primarily using trawl, hook and line and spearfishing. In Ghana it is one of the important fish species utilised in the coastal zone. It is mainly sold fresh.

Source: Wikipedia: Golden African snapper — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_African_snapper (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.