Blue and gold snapper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blue and gold snapper |
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| Blue-and-gold snapper (L. viridis) | |
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The blue-and-gold snapper (Lutjanus viridis) is a type of fish that lives in the ocean. It is a ray-finned fish and belongs to the snapper family, called Lutjanidae. This fish naturally lives in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is an important fish for local people who catch it for food.
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What's in a Name? (Taxonomy)
The blue-and-gold snapper was first officially described in 1846. A French zoologist named Achille Valenciennes gave it the name Diacope viridis. He found the first example of this fish near the Galápagos Islands.
The name viridis means "green." This is a bit funny because Valenciennes described the fish as green with darker green stripes. However, this snapper is actually bright yellow with blue-white stripes that have black edges!
How to Spot a Blue-and-Gold Snapper (Description)
The blue-and-gold snapper has a body that is a bit long and oval-shaped. Its snout is pointed, and it has simple holes for its front and back nostrils. This fish has a fairly large mouth that can push its jaws forward.
Its teeth are shaped like cones, and some of the front teeth are larger, like fangs. Inside its mouth, it has V-shaped teeth on the roof, and small patches of teeth on each side. But it does not have teeth on its tongue.
The dorsal fin (on its back) has 10 stiff spines and 14 to 15 soft rays. The anal fin (on its belly) has 3 spines and 8 soft rays. The back edges of these fins can be rounded or pointed. Its pectoral fins (on its sides) have 16 to 17 rays. The caudal fin (tail fin) is either straight or slightly notched.
This fish can grow up to about 30 centimeters (12 inches) long. Its body is usually bright yellow, but sometimes it can look darker. It has five blue stripes with black edges running along its sides. Its belly is lighter in color and has many thin orange or yellow lines. Often, its face looks reddish.
Where They Live (Distribution and Habitat)
The blue-and-gold snapper lives in the eastern Pacific Ocean. However, it is not found everywhere in this area. You can find it near the mouth of the Gulf of California and southern Baja California. It also lives along the western coast of Mexico, stretching from southern Guatemala down to Panama and Colombia.
This fish also lives around several islands. These include the Revillagigedo Islands in Mexico, Clipperton Island, Cocos Island in Costa Rica, Malpelo Island in Colombia, and the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador.
They prefer places with rocky bottoms and coral reefs. They can be found in waters as deep as 55 meters (180 feet).
Their Daily Lives (Biology)
Blue-and-gold snappers sometimes gather in large groups during the day. They do this around rocky areas or coral reefs. For example, in Panama's Gulf of Chriqui, these fish are only found where there are branching corals.
At night, these snappers go out to find food. They eat crabs, mollusks (like snails or clams), cephalopods (like squid), shrimp, and small fish. During the day, they usually hide for safety.
Fishing for Snappers (Fisheries)
The blue-and-gold snapper is an important fish for people who fish to feed their families or local communities. They usually catch these fish using hooks and lines. Most of the fish caught are sold fresh in local markets.
