Cubera snapper

The cubera snapper (Lutjanus cyanopterus), also known as the Cuban snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the western Atlantic Ocean. It is a commercially important species and is a sought-after game fish, though it has been reported to cause ciguatera poisoning.

Distribution

The cubera snapper is found in the western Atlantic Ocean, from as far north as Nova Scotia to as far south as Santa Catarina in Brazil, and throughout the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico and around Bermuda. It has been recorded from the Flores Islands in the Azores. It occurs at depths between 1 and 85 m (3 ft 3 in and 278 ft 10 in). The juveniles shelter within beds of sea grass in in-shore waters or in mangroves, and have been recorded entering fresh water. The adults move off-shore, where they inhabit rocky ledge and reef habitats.

Behaviour

The cubera snapper is the largest species of snapper and is a predatory fish, its main prey being other fishes, with some crustaceans. The large canine teeth allow this species to feed on large crustaceans such as lobsters and crabs. They forage near the bottom or in the vicinity of hard structures. The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeds on the newly laid pelagic spawn of cubera snappers, while the larger fish are prey to moray eels, barracudas, groupers, other snappers, and large sharks.