Scientific Name
Lutjanus buccanella
Stock Status
Overfishing – No
Overfished – Unknown
2023 Regulations
| Recreational | Commercial | ||
| Season | Open. *If landings reach the stock complex ACL, harvest will be prohibited for the remainder of the fishing year. | Season | Open. *If landings reach the stock complex ACL, harvest will be prohibited for the remainder of the fishing year. |
| Minimum Size Limit | none | Minimum Size Limit | none |
| Bag Limit | Within the 10-snapper aggregate bag limit which includes gray, mutton, yellowtail, cubera, queen, blackfin, wenchman, and silk snappers. | Trip Limit | none |
| Permit | State issued recreational license/angler registry, federal angler registry or Federal charter/headboat permit for reef fish | Permit | Commercial vessel permit for reef fish is required. |
| Gear | Non-stainless steel circle hooks are required when fishing with natural baits. At least one dehooking device is required and must be used to remove hooks. | Gear | Non-stainless steel circle hooks are required when fishing with natural baits. At least one dehooking device is required and must be used to remove hooks. |
Harvest Limits
| Sector | Annual Catch Limit |
| Stock | Complex ACL for silk, queen, blackfin, and wenchman snapper – 166,000 pounds |
Description
Blackfin snapper live in tropical waters of the western Atlantic from North Carolina and Bermuda, including the Gulf of Mexico, south to Trinidad and Northeastern Brazil. It is a deep red color at the top and a pale reddish to silver on the sides. Its most prominent feature is a black blotch at the base of the pectoral fin and its eyes are yellow to orange.
Maximum observed age: 27 years1
Age at maturity: 2 years2
Maximum weight: 30.86 pounds (14 kilograms)3
Maximum length: 29.53 inches (75 centimeters)4
Life History and Distribution
Blackfin snapper is very common in the Caribbean, especially the Antilles. Adults prefer deeper waters 196.85 – 295.28 feet (60 – 90 meters) over sandy or rocky bottoms near ledges; juveniles prefer rocky areas near reefs in shallower waters 114.83 – 164.04 feet (35 – 50 meters). Adults spawn most of the year, with a peak in April and September. Little is known about its spawning behavior or early life history.
References
- Burton, M.L., Potts, J.C., and Carr, D.R. (2016), Age, Growth, and Natural Mortality of Blackfin Snapper, Lutjanus buccanella, from the Southeastern United States and U.S. Caribbean. Gulf and Caribbean Research, 27: 66-73. doi: 18785/gcr.2701.10
- Farmer, N.A., Malinowski, R.P., McGovern, M.F. and Rubec, P.J. (2016), Stock Complexes for Fisheries Management in the Gulf of Mexico. Marine and Coastal Fisheries, 8: 177-201. doi:1080/19425120.2015.1024359
- Lieske, E. and R. Myers, 1994. Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Harper Collins Publishers, 400 p.
- Lieske, E. and R. Myers, 1994. Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Harper Collins Publishers, 400 p.