Blackfin snapper (Lutjanus buccanella) is a saltwater species recorded in the United States. It is mainly found over reef, at depths of 20–200 m.
Scientific name: Lutjanus buccanella · Water: Saltwater
Size: up to 75 cm
The blackfin snapper is a lutjanid whose adults inhabit deeper waters over sandy or rocky bottoms and near drop-offs and ledges, with the young in shallower water often between about 35 and 50 m. It feeds mainly on fishes, and it is a good food fish marketed mostly fresh. It is recorded from 20 to 200 m. Its range is the western Atlantic, from North Carolina and Bermuda south to Trinidad and northern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, and it is very common in the Caribbean, particularly the Antilles. Maximum length is about 75 cm total length, commonly about 50 cm, and it matures at about 28.7 cm. It is a commercial species and a gamefish, with a high price category. Fishing vulnerability is high at 62 of 100 and resilience medium. IUCN lists it as data deficient.
Caution: large individuals carry a ciguatera risk. Heat, cold and marinating do not remove the toxin, which concentrates in the liver, roe and head, so avoid eating those parts. Seek medical help if numbness, tingling or a reversed sense of hot and cold follows a meal.
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