MARKET NAME: Snapper.

COMMON NAME: Lane Snapper. See also literature references.

NON-ENGLISH AND VERNACULAR NAMES: Biajaiba, Chino, Manchego, Pargo biajaiba, Pargo guanapo, Rayado, Red-tail Snapper, Redtail Snapper, Rouge, Scude, Silk Snapper, Spot Snapper, Villajaiba, Vivaneau gazou. See also literature references.

ORIGINAL REFERENCE: as Sparus synagris Linnaeus, 1758. Systema Naturae, 10th edition, p. 280. [Type locality: Bahamas].

SYNONYMS: Sparus vermicularis Bloch and Schneider, 1801. Lutjanus aubrieti Desmarest, 1823. Mesoprion uninotatus Cuvier, 1828. Lutjanus uninotatus (Cuvier ) Poey, 1868. Lutjanus brachypterus Cope, 1871. Neomaenis synagris (Linnaeus) Jordan and Evermann, 1898. Neomaenis megalophthalmus Evermann & Marsh 1900. See also literature references.

NAMED SUBSPECIES: N/A.

DIAGNOSTIC FEATURES: Coloration: Back and sides pink to reddish, with a greenish or olivaceous tinge and a large dark blotch centered above lateral line in the area below the anterior soft dorsal rays. Diffuse vertical bars visible in some. Sides of body with a series of 8 to 10 pinkish, yellowish, or coppery longitudinal stripes. Belly and lower sides silvery with a yellowish tinge. Head with 3 or 4 yellow or golden longitudinal stripes, the upper running from snout to eye. Lips red, maxilla yellowish, tongue yellowish, eye red. Dorsal fin reddish, with yellowish margins; spinous portion nearly transparent. Pectoral fins usually pinkish to reddish. Pelvic fins and anal fin yellowish. Caudal fin pinkish to red with black margin.. See also literature references.

Morphology: Size - Usually 14 in. (36 cm ) or less in length. Maximum total length about 20 in. (50 cm). See also literature references.

Shape - [Information pending ].

Head (including superficial bones of head ) - Head relatively long, fitting about 2 3/5 times in total length. Upper and lower profiles unequal, the upper profile evenly rounded (not indented above eye), and the lower profile flattened. The mouth is moderately large, terminal, and protractile, and the lower jaw projects slightly. The chin has no barbels or pores. The snout is rather pointed, its angle acute, and the snout length fits about 3 times into the head length. The anterior nostril does not open through a tube. The eye is moderately large, its diameter fitting about 5 times into the head length, and is closer to upper profile of head (its lower edge is generally above an imaginary line from the tip of the snout to the middle of the caudal fin base). The interorbital area is slightly convex , its width fitting approximately 5 3/4 times into the head length, and it is not separated from the occipital region. The fronto-occipital crest ceases far from the front of the frontal (which is narrowed anteriorly ), usually behind the eye, and the occipital keel is not prominent. The maxilla slides under the suborbital rim, instead of outside it, when the mouth is closed (a diagostic feature for the family Lutjanidae ). The maxilla fits 2 3/5 to 2 3/4 times into the head length and reaches to below the front of the eye. The opercle lacks spines, and the preopercle is finely serrate on its posterior margin, with the serrations largest on the posterior angle. The notch which is present in on the opercle of some lutjanids for the reception of a knob on the interopercle is shallow and broad, sometimes obsolete, in Lutjanus synagris. The knob of the interopercle is weak or absent. The suborbital space generally wide, and the lacrimal (preorbital ) is rather broad. There are 6 or 7 gill rakers rakers on the upper limb of the first gill arch, and 13 or 14 (rarely 11 or 15 ), including rudiments, on the lower limb. See also literature references and illustration.

Dentition - Both jaws bear narrow bands of villiform teeth, outside of which is a single series of enlarged teeth. The upper jaw has 4 rather small canines in front, 2 of which are larger, and none of them are visible when the mouth is closed. The lower jaw has a band of villiform teeth in front only, with the single row of larger teeth nearly equal in size, and none of them developed into canines. There are no molar teeth on either jaw. The vomer bears a /\ or /|\-shaped patch of villiform teeth, with the median backward prolongation very slight or absent. The palatines also bear villiform teeth, and there is a single oval patch of villiform teeth on the tongue in adults. No teeth are present on the pterygoids or ectopterygoids. See also literature references.

Osteology - Prefrontal with posterior areas impressed, long and cribriform; articular facets of prefrontals arising from diverging V-shaped ridges; frontal narrowed anteriorly; fronto-occipital crest ceasing anteriorly far from anterior margin of frontal, usually behind eye; occipital keel weak; preorbital rather broad, its width fitting approximately 4 3/4 times into head length; basisphenoid with an anterior lobiform extension; Preopercle with its posterior margin slanting downward and forward, with a broad and moderately deep emargination; preopercle rather finely serrate above, with coarser teeth at the angle; maxilla reaches front of orbit, its length fitting approximately 2 3/5 to 2 3/4 into head length, and sliding under suborbital rim when mouth is closed; branchiostegal rays 7; number of vertebrae 24. See also literature references.

Dorsal fin - Dorsal fin single and continuous, with ten spines and 12 (rarely 11 or 13) soft rays; fourth spine longest, last rays not elongate. Base of dorsal fin, especially of soft portion, scaled. See also literature references and illustration.

Anal fin - Anal fin low, rounded, with 3 spines and 8 ( rarely 9 - soft rays. Middle rays longest. Last soft rays not elongate. Base of fin, especially of soft portion, covered with scales. See also literature references and illustration.

Pectoral fins - Pectoral fins relatively short, not reaching level of anus, with 15 or 16 rays. See also literature references and illustration.

Pelvic fins - Pelvic fins fitting about 1 3/4 times in head length. See also literature references and illustration.

Caudal fin - Caudal fin emarginate to slightly forked. Middle rays of caudal fin fitting about 2 times in head length. See also literature references and illustration.

Lateral line - There are about 50 pores in the lateral line. The pores are simple. The lateral line scales extend onto the caudal base. See also literature references and illustration

Scalation - Small ctenoid scales cover most of the head and body. The snout and the area around the eyes are unscaled. A broad, oblique band of scales is present in the temporal region, and there are six rows of scales on the cheek, 1 row on the interopercle, 1 on the subopercle, and 6 on the opercle. The bases of the dorsal and anal fins have a moderately wide covering of scales. There are about 60 scales along the lateral line. The lateral line scales extend onto the caudal base. There are usually 7 or 8 rows of scales between the base of the dorsal fin and the and the lateral line, and 15 rows between the lateral line and the base of the anal fin. The scale rows above the lateral line rise obliquely; those below are almost horizontal. See also literature references and illustration.

Swim bladder - [Information pending].

Anal opening - [Information pending].

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: [In preparation.]

FISHERIES AND SEASONAL ABUNDANCE: [In preparation.]

FISHING METHODS: [In preparation.]

MARKETED PRODUCT FORMS: [In preparation.]

NOTES: [In preparation.]

LITERATURE: [In preparation.]