Snappers in Costa Rica

Snapper

Snappers in the marine belong to the fish family named “Lutjanidae”, also called “perciform fish” meaning the largest order of bony fish or fish with vertebrates. The word perciform literally means “perch-like”. This is the biggest order of vertebrate fish found all over the world, in all the oceans and seas. Perciform fish have several distinguishing characteristics from all the other fish present in the oceans. Some snappers prefer living in freshwater to salt or brackish water. Snappers are best known for their delicious meat which is why fishermen from all over the world come to the Pacific Ocean to fish for snappers. Snapper meat is popular all over the world and this is the most commonly preferred meat everywhere. One of the most commonly known snappers is the red snapper.

The red snapper is scientifically called “Lutjanus campechanus”. This is also called the Genuine Red and the North American Snapper. The red snapper inhabits most of the area of Costa Rica but sometimes prefers temperate waters over tropical waters. Red snappers typically inhabit shallow water areas off the coastline from the beaches where they can easily be seen if the water is clear enough. If the red snapper inhabits a larger bay area, it will tend to turn towards the deeper side of the water where it will make its home. Usually though, gray snappers are found more commonly in Costa Rica than red snappers which tend to flock to the Atlantic Coast from time to time. The red snapper’s body is brushed with a dark pinkish red color which appears very attractive. The canine teeth of the red snapper are not as prominent as those of other types of snappers. The red snapper’s eyes are also red in color. The fish’s anal fin is triangular in shape which sets it apart from most other fish in the sea. It usually weighs about 6 -8 pounds, maximum.

Another type is the Gray snapper which is scientifically labeled “Lutjanus griseus” and is also called the Mangrove snapper in some areas of Costa Rica. Usually, baby gray snappers are present nearly throughout the Pacific Ocean’s waters. They inhabit the shallower waters and leave the deep end until they are mature enough to inhabit the area. Fully grown gray snappers can grow up to a size of 10 – 12 inches and that’s when they are mature enough to inhabit the deeper waters of the Pacific Ocean. They inhabit coral reefs and even artificial reefs. Sometimes they are found in shipwrecks lost to sea and ledges near the coastline. If the gray snapper grows to a bigger size than usual and inhabits the deeper area of the sea it can also be called the “black Snapper” by some locals. The gray snapper’s upper body is covered with silvery gray or greenish scales and the underside of its body is lighter in color, almost a pale white. Sometimes, the scales reflect hues of a deep scarlet fading to a bright copper and then back to a brick red color. Thick black lines are present on the body, starting from just under the eye and reaching to almost the dorsal fin of the gray snapper. An interesting fact is that when the fish are feeding or emotionally excited, these lines get darker in color.

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Reference

http://www.theoutdoorlodge.com/fishing/species/snappers.html

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