African red snapper (Lutjanus agennes)

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 agennes · Authority: Bleeker, 1863 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 276520.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Helotosoma modestus Bleeker, 1863; Lutjanus agenes Bleeker, 1863; Lutjanus modestus Bleeker, 1863.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=276520 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 139 cm · Common length: 50 cm · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 83.4 of 100 · Fishery importance: minor commercial · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Adults inhabit rocky bottoms and (inshore) coral reefs; also common in brackish lagoons and found in lower courses of rivers, particularly juveniles (Ref. 55, 57393, 81653). Marketed fresh.

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 1401) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Lutjanus-agennes.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

737 georeferenced occurrence records for Lutjanus agennes are published through GBIF from 19 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 31 distinct locations from a sample of 737 records, omitting 47 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 (134); Cameroon (110); Gabon (81); Ghana (77); Côte d’Ivoire (74); Liberia (63); Sierra Leone (41); Guinea (34); Congo, Democratic Republic of the (27); Guinea-Bissau (26); Benin (20); Equatorial Guinea (20); Togo (12); Congo (11); Senegal (2).

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

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2384911) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2384911&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=276520 (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 agennes Bleeker, 1863 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 194332) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/194332/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2384911) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2384911/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Lutjanus agennes was first formally described in 1863 by the Dutch physician, herpetologist and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker with the type locality given as "Ashantee in Guinea". Bleeker did not explain the derivation of the specific name but it may be from agenes, which means "of low family", possibly a reference to its similarity to L. modestus, the name modestus meaning the "modest or unassuming one". Bleeker also described L. modestus in 1863 and it is not clear whether this is a synonym of this species or L. endecacanthus.

Lutjanus agennes has a relatively deep body with a pointed snout and a rather angular forehead. The mouth extends back to below the centre of the eye. The vomerine teeth are arranged in a triangular patch which may have a 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 overall colour is reddish brown to slightly orange on the back and upper flanks, shading to pink or whitish on lower flanks and abdomen. The tips of the pelvic fins are rather dark because there is no blue line on the cheeks. The juveniles are marked with 6 to 8 vertical rows of small white spots or slender bars on their flanks. This fish attains a maximum total length of 139 cm, although 50 cm is more typical, and the maximum published weight is 60 kg.

Lutjanus agennes is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, where it occurs along the western coast of Africa from Senegal to Angola. It also occurs in the Cape Verde Islands and the islands of the Gulf of Guinea. It occurs from the surface down to 80 m, over rock substrates and reefs. It can also be found in brackish lagoons and estuaries, particularly in juveniles.

Lutjanus agennes, like other snappers, is predatory and feeds mainly on fish and crustaceans. This species may form large spawning aggregations away from the coasts, in the open sea. Larger individuals have been observed by fishermen to congregate in large numbers in areas of rocky reefs to spawn. It is thought that the West African snapper is a long-lived species with a lifespan that may exceed 20 years.

Lutjanus agennes is an important fish for fisheries throughout its range, especially for subsistence fisheries, and it is caught using handlines and fixed bottom nets. The catch is normally sold fresh. It is also caught commercially, and the commercial catch is both consumed internally in West Africa, especially in the Gulf of Guinea and Cape Verde. Some of the catch from Ghana and Senegal is exported to Europe. This species is taken in mixed catch fisheries, and no separate catch statistics are available. Potential spawning aggregations are thought to be targeted in at least one part of their range. Despite the fishing pressure, the African red snapper appears to be common, juveniles are not caught throughout the range of this species. There is some evidence of overfishing as the size of the fish caught is declining in some areas. An example of this is in Ghana, where the average catch sizes are no greater than 60 cm. The IUCN has listed it as Data Deficient as there is a paucity of information. They suggest that this species should be carefully monitored, as fishing practices in the region, in conjunction with modelling results, predict that there has been a major reduction in the overall biomass of the stocks of this species, and they suggest that it may qualify to be assessed as Near Threatened or worse when more data becomes available. It is a quarry species for recreational anglers in some parts of its range.

Source: Wikipedia: Lutjanus agennes — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutjanus_agennes (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.