Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Perciformes (Perch-likes) >
Lutjanidae (Snappers) > Lutjaninae
Etymology: Ocyurus: Greek, okys = quick + Greek, oura = tail.
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 180 m (Ref. 10795), usually 10 - 70 m (Ref. 55229). Subtropical, preferred 26°C (Ref. 107945); 42°N - 26°S, 98°W - 31°W (Ref. 55229)
Western Atlantic: extending northward to Massachusetts, USA and Bermuda and southward to southeastern Brazil, in Gulf of Mexico and Antilles (Anderson, pers. comm.). Most common in the Bahamas, off south Florida and throughout the Caribbean. Lutjanus ambiguus (Poey, 1860), an intergeneric hybrid with Lutjanus synagris (Linnaeus) as demonstrated by Loftus (1992: Ref. 33006), followed by McEachran &. Fechhelm (2005: Ref. 78464).
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 22.5, range 15 - 31 cm
Max length : 86.3 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9626); common length : 40.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 55); max. published weight: 4.1 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 14 years (Ref. 3090)
Dorsal
spines
(total): 10;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 12-14;
Anal
spines: 3;
Anal
soft rays: 8 - 9. Head relatively small, lower jaw projecting slightly beyond the upper. Scale rows on back rising obliquely above lateral line. Back and upper sides blue to violet with scattered yellow spots. A prominent mid-lateral yellow band running from the snout to the caudal fin base. The lower sides and belly whitish with narrow reddish and yellow stripes; the dorsal and caudal fins yellow; the anal and pelvic fins whitish.
Adults inhabit coastal waters, mostly around coral reefs. Usually seen well above the bottom, frequently in aggregations. They feed on a combination of plankton and benthic animals including fishes, crustaceans, worms, gastropods and cephalopods, mainly at night (Ref. 9987). Young individuals are usually found over weed beds. They feed primarily on plankton (Ref. 9710). Spawning occurs throughout the year, with peaks at different times in different areas (Ref. 26938). Marketed fresh and frozen (Ref. 9987). Has been reared in captivity (Ref. 35420).
Allen, G.R., 1985. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 6. Snappers of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of lutjanid species known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(6):208 p. Rome: FAO. (Ref. 55)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 30911)
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
Tools
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 1.0000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01514 (0.01333 - 0.01719), b=2.95 (2.92 - 2.98), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 4.0 ±0.3 se; Based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.10-0.16; tm=2; tmax=14).
Prior r = 0.62, 2 SD range = 0.35 - 1.10, log(r) = -0.48, SD log(r) = 0.29, Based on: 3 M, 15 K, 1 tgen, 2 tmax, records
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): High vulnerability (65 of 100) .
