Schoolmaster snapper (Lutjanus apodus) is a saltwater, brackish species recorded in the United States. It is mainly found over reef, at depths of 2–63 m.
Scientific name: Lutjanus apodus · Water: Saltwater, Brackish
Size: up to 79.1 cm
The schoolmaster snapper is a lutjanid whose adults occur in shallow, clear, warm coastal waters over coral reefs, often near the shelter of elkhorn corals and gorgonians. Juveniles are encountered over sand bottoms with or without seagrass and over the muddy bottoms of lagoons or mangrove areas, and the young sometimes enter brackish water; it sometimes forms resting aggregations during the day. It feeds on fishes, shrimps, crabs, worms, gastropods and cephalopods, and it is considered a good food fish, marketed fresh or frozen. It is recorded from 2 to 63 m. Its range is the western Atlantic, from Massachusetts to Trinidad and northern Brazil. Maximum length is about 79.1 cm fork length, commonly about 35 cm, and it can live 42 years, maturing at about 25 cm. It is a commercial species and a gamefish, with a high price category. Fishing vulnerability is high at 62 of 100 and resilience very low. IUCN lists it as least concern.
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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