Yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus) is a saltwater species recorded in the United States. It is mainly found over reef, at depths of 0–180 m.
Scientific name: Ocyurus chrysurus · Water: Saltwater
Size: up to 86.3 cm
The yellowtail snapper is a lutjanid whose adults inhabit coastal waters, mostly around coral reefs, and it is usually seen well above the bottom, frequently in aggregations. It feeds on a combination of plankton and benthic animals including fishes, crustaceans, worms, gastropods and cephalopods, mainly at night, while the young are usually found over weed beds and feed primarily on plankton. Spawning occurs throughout the year, with peaks at different times in different areas, and it is marketed fresh and frozen and has been reared in captivity. It is recorded from the surface down to 180 m. Its range is the western Atlantic, northward to Massachusetts and Bermuda and southward to south-eastern Brazil, in the Gulf of Mexico and the Antilles, and it is most common in the Bahamas, off south Florida and throughout the Caribbean. Maximum length is about 86.3 cm total length, commonly about 40 cm, and it can live 19 years, maturing at about 23.8 cm. It is a commercial species, a commercial aquaculture species, a gamefish and a public aquarium fish, with a medium price category. Fishing vulnerability is moderate at 38 of 100 and resilience low, and climate vulnerability is very high at 88 of 100. 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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