Lutjanus griseus
(Linnaeus 1758)
Family Lutjanidae
The gray snapper is a member of the snapper family. It has a moderately compressed body and pointed snout, and the color of the head and body is gray to green-gray or coppery and varies with life stages. The scales on the side are marked with light orange to reddish-orange spots that form rows, and there is a dark stripe typically extends through the eye from the snout upward towards the first dorsal fin. All jaw teeth are canine or canine-like, and a single canine tooth on either side of the upper jaw is large and conspicuous. The gray snapper is a marine species that enters lower reaches of rivers, nearshore springs and canals. In some large river systems, it can be found far inland.
Status & distribution
- Status — Marine invader
- Florida Distribution — Western and North Central drainages, the Gulf Coast, South Florida and the Atlantic Coast