Silk snapper (Lutjanus vivanus) is a saltwater species recorded in the United States. It is mainly found over reef, at depths of 90–242 m.
Scientific name: Lutjanus vivanus · Water: Saltwater
Size: up to 83 cm
The silk snapper is a lutjanid whose adults are common near the edge of the continental and island shelves and also in deeper waters below 200 m, usually ascending to shallow water at night. They feed mainly on fishes, shrimps, crabs, gastropods, cephalopods and tunicates as well as some pelagic items including urochordates, and it is said to be a good food fish, marketed fresh. It is recorded from 90 to 242 m. Its range is the western Atlantic, from North Carolina and Bermuda to São Paulo in Brazil, and it is most abundant around the Antilles and the Bahamas. Maximum length is about 83 cm total length, commonly about 45 cm, and it matures at about 41.6 cm. It is a commercial species and a gamefish, with a high price category. Fishing vulnerability is moderate at 37 of 100 and resilience 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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