Humpback red snapper (Lutjanus gibbus)

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 gibbus · Authority: (Forsskål, 1775) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 218480.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Anthias heraldi Schultz, 1953; Diacope axillaris Valenciennes, 1830; Diacope borensis Cuvier, 1828; Diacope coccinea Cuvier, 1828; Diacope lineata Quoy & Gaimard, 1824; Diacope melanura Rüppell, 1838; Diacope rosea Valenciennes, 1830; Diacope striata Cuvier, 1828; Diacope tiea Lesson, 1831; Genyoroge bidens MacLeay, 1882; Lutianus gibbus (Forsskål, 1775); Lutianus tahitiensis Seale, 1906; Lutjanus coccineus (Cuvier, 1828); Lutjanus comoriensis Fourmanoir, 1957; Mesoprion janthinurus Bleeker, 1854; Sciaena gibba Forsskål, 1775.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=218480 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 56.79999923706055 cm · Common length: 45 cm · Depth range: 1–150 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 33 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: public aquariums.

FishBase notes: Adults mainly inhabit coral reefs, sometimes forming large aggregations, which are mostly stationary during the day. Juveniles occur in seagrass beds, also in mixed sand and coral habitats of shallow sheltered reefs (Ref. 1602). Sub-adults commonly form very large schools that are stationary or drift slowly along slopes during the day. Large individuals along coastal slopes at moderate depths (Ref. 48635).

Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Feed on fishes, and a variety of invertebrates including shrimps, crabs, lobsters, stomatopods, cephalopods, echinoderms and ophiuroids (Ref. 55). Caught mainly with handlines, traps, and gill nets. Commonly sold fresh. Sometimes causes ciguatera poisoning, particularly around the Pacific islands (Ref. 9821).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 265) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Lutjanus-gibbus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

7,921 georeferenced occurrence records for Lutjanus gibbus are published through GBIF from 55 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 317 distinct locations from a sample of 3,000 records, omitting 30 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: Australia (1,274); Micronesia (Federated States of) (1,211); United States Minor Outlying Islands (1,035); Northern Mariana Islands (434); Seychelles (365).

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

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2385035) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2385035&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=218480 (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 gibbus (Forsskål, 1775) 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 194385) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/194385/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2385035) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2385035/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The Humpback red snapper was first formally described in 1775 as Sciaena gibba by the Swedish speaking Finnish born explorer and naturalist Peter Forsskål with the type locality given as the Red Sea. The specific name, gibbus means "humpbacked", a reference to high, steep dorsal profile on the head of the adults.

Description

Humpback red snapper has a body which is relatively with a standard length which is 2.2 to 2.5 times its depth, with a head which has a very steeply sloped forehead a well developed known and notch in the preoperculum. The vomerine teeth are arranged in a crescent shaped patch with no rearwards extension and the tongue is smooth, lacking any teeth. The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 13–14 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 8 soft rays.

The rear part of the dorsal and anal fins are pointed in shape. The pectoral fins contain 16 to 17 rays and the caudal fin is forked with rounded lobes. This fish attains a maximum total length of 50 cm, although 45 cm is more typical. The overall colour of this snapper is red or grey, darker on back and upper head.

There is an orange tint on the lower part of gill cover and on the axil of the pectoral fin. The fins may be red but the median fins are normally dark brown to blackish with the soft-rayed part of the dorsal fin, the anal fin and the caudal fin having a thin white margin. The juveniles have a sizeable circular black spot at base of caudal fin.

Distribution and habitat

Lutjanus gibbus ha a wide Indo-West Pacific distribution. It ranges from the eastern African coast and the Red Sea to the Society and Line islands and from Australia in the south to southern Japan in the north. It has also been recorded from the Marquesas and south to Rapa Iti. In Australia it is found from Houtman Abrolhos to the Dampier Archipelago and reefs off the northern coast of Western Australia, the Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea the on the eastern coast from the outer Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea reefs south to Moreton Bay in Queensland with juveniles occurring south to Sydney.

The humpback red snapper occurs at depths from 1 to 150 m. It is associated with reefs and during the day gathers in large, mostly stationary aggregations on coral reefs. The juveniles shelter in beds of sea grass in protected areas of sandy and muddy substrates, while the aggregations are dominated by subadults. The larger adults inhabit deeper waters on coastal slopes.

Biology

The humpback red snapper feeds on fishes and invertebrates, such as shrimps, crabs, lobsters, stomatopods, cephalopods, echinoderms and ophiuroids. Off East Africa most spawning takes place during the spring and summer. Sexual maturity occurs at two and a half years old and they form spawning aggregations.

Fisheries

The humpback red snapper catch in 2010 was estimated at 3,100 t, of which 2,500 t are unreported. It is an important species for fisheries in Japan.

It is taken mostly using handlines, traps, spearfishing, and gill nets. It is a common item in fish markets, normally being sold as fresh fish. In the Pacific part of its range consumption of this species has been linked to ciguatera poisoning.

Source: Wikipedia: Humpback red snapper — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpback_red_snapper (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.