Scientific Name

Ocyurus chrysurus

Stock Status

Overfishing – No

Overfished – No

Stock Assessment

SEDAR 64

SEDAR 64 Executive Summary

Additional Information

Recreational Regulations

Federal Regulations

  • Open year-round

  • 10 Bag Limit
  • 10 Aggregate Limit
  • Minimum Size: 12 in Total Length
  • Additional Licenses Required: Beginning July 1, 2020, anglers intending to land this species in Florida are required to sign up as a Florida State Reef Fish Angler if they fish from a private recreational boat and are 16 years of age and older. To sign up, call 1-888-347-4356.

  • Gear Description: 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. The use of circle hooks is not required while commercial fishing with natural bait for yellowtail snapper south of Cape Sable (the line extending due west from 25°09′ N. latitude off the west coast of Monroe County, Florida, to the Gulf and South Atlantic Councils’ shared boundary).

  • Notes: Anglers required to have a venting tool or descending device rigged and ready to use when fishing for reef fish species in Gulf of Mexico federal waters. For more information, see NOAA Descend Act.

    To see commercial regulations, download Fish Rules Commercial App for iOS devices or Android devices.

Commercial Regulations

Harvest Limits

Sector Annual Catch Limit
Stock   901,125 pounds

Additional Information

Description

Yellowtail snapper is found from Massachusetts to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico. This fish is easy to recognize because it has a distinctive yellow band that starts at the snout, getting wider as it extends to the forked tail. The entire tail fin becomes yellow starting at the base near the body of the fish. This snapper is a bluish olive color on its sides with yellow spots above the yellow lateral band.

Maximum observed age:  20 years, in Florida; 28 years (entire southeastern U.S. stock)1

Age at maturity:  100% mature at age 4 years2

Maximum weight:  10.19 pounds (4.62 kilograms) Ft. Myers; 11 pounds (4.98 kilograms)3

Maximum length:  33.98 inches (86.30 centimeters)4

Life History and Distribution

Despite its wide range, yellowtail snapper is most abundant in the Bahamas and throughout the Caribbean.  Spawning aggregations form offshore throughout the year in south Florida and the Caribbean, with peak spawning occurring generally when the water is warmest in a given location.  Eggs and larvae are pelagic until they settle out on suitable habitat; juveniles are most often found in seagrass beds.  Adults are found in coastal waters near reefs, usually well above the bottom, forming small schools.

References

  1. SEDAR 64, Southeastern US Yellowtail Snapper Final Stock Assessment Report, March 2020
  2. SEDAR 64, Southeastern US Yellowtail Snapper Final Stock Assessment Report, March 2020
  3. IGFA All Tackle Record, Bermuda
  4. Cervigón, F., 1993. Los peces marinos de Venezuela. Volume 2. Fundación Científica Los Roques, Caracas,Venezuela. 497 p.