Red Snapper is a fish found in off the east coast of the US north to Massachusetts, but rarely north of the Carolinas. It is most common in the Gulf of Mexico. It has sharp, cone-shaped teeth, including one or two canine teeth on either side of the front of each jaw
CAMP Focus
to CAMP Focus
Lutjanus campechanus
The fish grows to 20 pounds; the record is over 45 pounds.
Length is two to three feet.
This fish lives to 15 years or mor
About 8 million pounds of snapper are taken every year in the U.S. and nearly 5 million pounds from Mexican waters.
Because young snappers live in shallow water, they are subject to capture through shrimp trawling. For example, each year in the Gulf of Mexico, shrimp trawlers catch around 35 million young red snapper that are discarded, usually dead. (A trawl is a net shaped like a large sock. It is dragged behind the boat, scooping up anything and everything in its path.)
Harvest
Sense the journey this fish has taken from the murky depths along the southeast coast or the Gulf of Mexico. This journey includes transportation to market as fresh or frozen.
A few of the hands that helped with this food are the watermen, the people in the fishery, the packers, the drivers and the market staff. Don’t forget the cook.
Know that you eat the muscles on the side of the body, the muscles that give the fish swimming power.
Feel the energy of the many other animals it has eaten, including worms and crabs, fish and squid.
Appreciate its sacrifice, along with the sacrifice of many of the young snappers that met an early death caused by fishing methods.
When You Eat...
Adults commonly found in the dark depths of 100 to 400 feet. Juveniles prefer shallower water.
Statistics
The Red Snapper has a wide and varied diet that includes other fish, shrimp, snails, crabs, worms, squid, and microscopic life.
Basically, the Red Snapper will eat almost anything.
