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634 Featured Specimen
Yellowtail snapper

Details

Yellowtail snapper

Ocyurus chrysurus

Size
20–86 cm · 0.2–4.1 kg
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Sociality
Loose group
Lifespan

A slender reef snapper of the western Atlantic, recognized by its bright yellow tail and yellow stripe along the side.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
Atlantic OceanAtlantic OceanAtlantic OceanAtlantic OceanAtlantic OceanNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropical

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

Lives around Florida, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and northern Brazil on coral reefs, rocky reefs, and sandy reef edges.

Appearance

The body is silvery to bluish, with a yellow band running toward the tail. The deeply forked tail is vivid yellow.

Behavior

It often schools over reef tops and edges by day and feeds more actively at night, especially in areas with good water flow.

Feeding

It eats small fish, shrimp, crabs, and planktonic animals, taking both drifting prey and small bottom-dwelling animals.

Reproduction

Spawning occurs in warm seasons near outer reefs and current-swept areas. Eggs and larvae drift in the plankton.

Notes

Yellowtail snapper is an important food fish around the Caribbean, and its colors stand out in clear reef water.