Gray (Mangrove) Snapper

Gray (Mangrove) Snapper

Scientific Name

Lutjanus griseus

Common Names

Mangrove snapper

Grey snapper

Mango

Stock Status

Overfishing – No

Overfished – Unknown

Stock Assessment

SEDAR 51

Regulations

Recreational Commercial
Season Open year-round. If landings reach the stock ACL, harvest will be prohibited for the remainder of the fishing year. Season Open year-round. If landings reach the stock ACL, harvest will be prohibited for the remainder of the fishing year.
Minimum Size Limit 12 inches total length Minimum Size Limit 12 inches total length
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  2,230,000 Pounds

Description

Gray snapper, also called mangrove snapper or “mangoes,” are found throughout the Gulf of Mexico. They can vary in coloration, but are generally dark gray and brown on the upper half, with pink and orange coloration on the lower half of the fish. Their tail is broad and slightly forked. Males and females are largely indistinguishable from one another. Two stocks exist in the southeastern US: the Gulf of Mexico stock, and the Atlantic stock. The Gulf stock occupies the Gulf of Mexico east to approximately Biscayne Bay, near the Miami-Dade/Monroe County line in south Florida.

 

Maximum observed age: 32 years; 28 years1

Age at Maturity: 2 years2

Maximum weight: 48.83 lbs (22.15 kg) whole weight (West Florida/Alabama)3

Maximum length: ~35 inches (89 cm) FL4

Life History and Distribution

Gray snapper occur in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate waters from Brazil to Bermuda, and throughout the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Spawning occurs primarily in the summer months, between May and September. Gray snapper spend their first month of life in a larval phase, floating as plankton. As juveniles, gray snapper settle nearshore in estuaries, seagrass beds or shallow reefs, and gradually move offshore as they grow larger. Adults are often reef- or structure-associated5.

References

  1. SEDAR 51, Gulf of Mexico Gray Snapper Final Stock Assessment Report, April 2018.
  2. 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:10.1080/19425120.2015.1024359
  3. SEDAR 51, Gulf of Mexico Gray Snapper Final Stock Assessment Report, April 2018.
  4. SEDAR 51, Gulf of Mexico Gray Snapper Final Stock Assessment Report, April 2018.
  5. SEDAR 51, Gulf of Mexico Gray Snapper Final Stock Assessment Report, April 2018.