Mangrove red snapper

The mangrove red snapper (Lutjanus argentimaculatus), also known as mangrove jack, grey snapper, creek red bream, Stuart evader, dog bream, purple sea perch, red bream, red perch, red reef bream, river roman, or rock barramundi (though it is not closely related to bream, jack, or barramundi), is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It has a wide Indo-Pacific range and has recently been recorded in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Distribution

The mangrove red snapper is native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean from the African coast to Samoa and the Line Islands and from the Ryukyus in the north to Australia in the south. It has also rarely been recorded in the Mediterranean Sea, having undergone Lessepsian migration from the Red Sea since at least 1979.

As its name implies, the mangrove red snapper is commonly found in mangrove-lined estuarine systems, however some make their way into complete freshwater systems, particularly at a juvenile age. They migrate to offshore reefs to spawn. As they mature, mangrove red snappers move into open waters, sometimes hundreds of kilometers from the coast to breed. These larger fish are sometimes caught by bottom-fishers with heavy tackle, though they remain difficult to land due to their speed and proximity to sharp reef bottoms.

Behaviour

The species is carnivorous; they are predators, feeding mainly at night on fish, crustaceans, gastropods, and cephalopods. As ambush predators, they often dwell around mangrove roots, fallen trees, rock walls, and any other snag areas where smaller prey reside for protection.