Cubera Snapper, Lutjanus cyanopherus
Cubera Snapper, Lutjanus cyanopherus, Juvenile. Fish caught from coastal waters off Jensen Beach, Florida, February 2023. Length: 16 cm (6.1 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Doug Bomeisler, Fort Pierce, Florida.
Cubera Snapper, Lutjanus cyanopherus. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off Bonaire, December 2019. Photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.
The Cubera Snapper, Lutjanus cyanopherus, is a member in the Snapper or Lutjanidae Family, and known in Mexico as pargo cubera. Globally, there are sixty-seven species in the genus Lutjanus, of which nineteen are found in Mexican waters, ten in the Atlantic and nine in the Pacific Ocean.
The Cubera Snapper has an oval more aerodynamic elongated body that is not as deep as most snappers. They are gray to dark brown in color with pale to dark gray sides with some fish having a slight reddish tinge on the body, a light gray caudal fin, translucent or gray pectoral fins and a bluish tinge on the anal, pectoral and pelvic fins. Juveniles have a faint barred pattern on their sides. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 7 or 8 rays; their caudal fin is slightly concave; their dorsal fin has 10 spines and 14 rays; and, their pectoral fins are long. Their mouth is large and protractile with thick lips and large prominent canine teeth and vomerine teeth arranged in a triangular shaped pattern on the top of the palate. They have 11 to 14 gill rakers on the lower arch. They are covered with scales.
The Cubera Snapper is normally a solitary reef dweller that can be found inshore or near shore that associate with ledges over rocky ledges and overhangs at depths up to 55 m (175 feet). Juveniles can be found inshore within estuaries, mangroves and seagrass beds. They are the largest snapper in the Atlantic reaching a maximum of 1.6 m (5 feet 3 inches) in length and 57 kg (125 lbs) in weight. As of January 1, 2024, the International Game Fish Association world record for weight stood at 56.59 kg (124 lbs 12 oz) with the fish caught in coastal waters off Louisiana in June 2007. The Cubera Snapper is an aggressive carnivore that feeds on fairly large bottom dwellers found within rocky reef structures including crabs, fish and lobster. In turn they are preyed upon by barracuda, grouper, moray eels, other snappers and whale sharks. Reproduction is oviparous in large aggregations with the release of pelagic eggs into offshore waters. All snappers are oviparous breeders, releasing pelagic eggs into offshore waters. The eggs hatch quickly producing pelagic larvae that are dispersed by the currents. The Cubera Snapper is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.
The Cubera Snapper is a resident of all Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Caribbean.
The Cubera Snapper is a straightforward identification with the exception of the Dog Snapper, Lutjanus jocu (white triangle under eye; transparent fin tips), and the Gray Snapper, Lutjanus griseus (more aerodynamic body profile, dark caudal fin, anchor shaped vomerine tooth patch at the top of the palate).
From a conservation perspective the Cubera Snapper is currently considered to be VULNERABLE. They are a popular food and game fish prone to overfishing during spawning season as they become sitting ducks. The larger fish are reported to contain ciguatoxin however.