Vermilion Snapper, Rhomboplites aurorubens

Vermilion Snapper, Rhomboplites aurorubens. Fish caught from coastal waters off Sebastian, Florida, November 2021. Length: 20 cm (7.9 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, Sebastian, Florida.

Vermilion Snapper, Rhomboplites aurorubens. Fish caught from coastal waters off Deerfield Beach, Florida, August 2021. Length: 28 cm (11 inches).  Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Luke Ovgard, Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Vermilion Snapper, Rhomboplites aurorubens. Fish caught from coastal waters off Deerfield Beach, Florida, December 2020. Length: 28 cm (11 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, San Diego, California.

Vermilion Snapper, Rhomboplites aurorubens. Fish caught from waters of the Florida Middle Grounds in the Gulf of Mexico, March 2016. Length: 35 cm (14.5 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of George Brinkman, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Vermilion Snapper, Rhomboplites aurorubens. Fish caught from coastal waters off Galveston, Texas, October 2013. Length: 51 cm (20 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of  Eli (obsessiveangling.wordpress.com).

The Vermilion Snapper, Rhomboplites aurorubens, is a member of the Snapper or Lutjanidae Family, and is known in Mexico as besugo. Globally, there is only one species in the genus Rhomboplites, this species which is found in Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Vermilion Snapper has a streamlined body with a vivid red color that transitions to pink then to whitish ventrally. They have a series of short irregular diagonal blue lines on their sides above the lateral line formed by spots on their scales and sometimes have yellow streaks below their lateral line. Their anal fin is rounded and a pinkish red; their caudal fin is red with a black edge; their dorsal fin is red with a yellow edge; and their pectoral fins are red and short. They have a small head, a small mouth, a short snout, and a projecting lower jaw; the orientation of their mouth and eyes gives the appearance that they are looking upward. They lack large canine teeth and are one of the few red colored snappers that lack a dark lateral spot. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 8 rays; their caudal fin is deeply forked with pointed tips; their dorsal fin has 12 or 13 spines and 10 or 11 rays; and their pectoral fins are short, not reaching the anus. They are covered with scales.

The Vermilion Snapper is found in large schools throughout the Gulf of Mexico close to the continental shelf suspended over underwater structures such as reefs, shipwrecks, and oil rigs, and over sand and gravel bottoms at depths between 180 m (600 feet) and 300 m (1,000 feet). Juveniles are known to enter bays. They reach a maximum of 60 cm (2 feet 0 inches) in length and 3.3 kg (7 lbs 4 oz) in weight; however, fish measuring 30 cm (12 inches) and weighing less than 450 g (1 lb) are the normal catch. As of January 1, 2024, the International Game Fish Association world record stood at 4.20 kg (9 lbs 4 oz) with the fish caught in coastal waters off Keaton Beach, Florida, October 2022. They are non-migratory and often swim in large schools that include Atlantic Red Snappers. They feed predominantly on fish, shrimp, crabs, polychaete worms, other bottom-dwelling invertebrates, as well as cephalopods, and plankton. Females are significantly larger than males. They reproduce by releasing pelagic eggs to the ocean between April and September. They are slow-growing reaching 30 cm (12 inches) to 46 cm (18 inches) in length in ten years and have lifespans of up to twenty years.

The Vermilion Snapper is a resident of all Mexican waters of Atlantic including the Gulf of Mexico, were they are more abundant in the northern portions, and the in the Caribbean.

The Vermilion Snapper can be confused with the Atlantic Red Snapper, Lutjanus campechanus (smaller; lacks short irregular diagonal blue lines on scales above lateral line; triangular anal fin).

From a conservation perspective the Vermillion Snapper is currently considered to be Vulnerable which is attributed to heavy artisanal, commercial, and recreational fishing pressure. They are caught via hook and line, traps and trawls. They are considered to be a quality food but less popular than the Red Snappers. Along the United States Gulf Coast they are targeted by recreational fishermen including party boats. They are a very poor game fish due to their small size and the heavy tackle required to access the depths where they reside. In the United States they are caught by commercial fishermen at the level of 3,000,000 lbs annually and generate $2,000,000 to $4,000,000 in revenue. Interestingly, commercial fishermen send large amounts of bait to the bottom at significant depths and then slowly bring the bait back toward the surface to gain access to this species. Although they are an Atlantic Ocean only species they can be found in the Asian Seafood Markets of Southern California on occasion.