Hawaii's Reef Fishes

Snappers (Lutjanidae)

Blacktail Snapper Lutjanus fulvus (Forster & Schneider, 1801)

The snappers are small to moderate in size with an ovate to somewhat elongate body; the mouth is fairly large; the upper part of the maxilla (posterior bone of upper jaw) slips under the preorbital bone when the mouth is closed; the dorsal fin is continuous, often notched, with 10-12 (usually 10) dorsal spines and 9-17 soft rays; the anal fin has 3 spines and 7-11 soft rays.

All of the species are carnivorous, and many are nocturnal. They are among the most important commercial fishes of tropical and subtropical seas. Hawaii has only two native shallow-water species, Aphareus furca and Aprion virescens; however, three species of Lutjanus have been introduced from French Polynesia.

One of these, the small Bluestripe Snapper (L. kasmira) has become extremely abundant in Hawaiian waters; fishermen believe it has caused a diminution in the populations of some native fishes of greater value than itself; also it is suspected of depleting the population of kona crabs.

Of special importance as food fishes in Hawai'i are the deeper water snappers Aphareus rutilans, two species of Etelis, and four species of Pristipomoides.

Green Jobfish

Aprion virescens (Valenciennes, 1830) Uku

Greenish gray dorsally, shading to silvery gray ventrally; a series of blackish spots, one per membrane, basally on posterior spinous portion of dorsal fin; body elongate; strong canine teeth anteriorly in jaws; caudal fin deeply forked.

Attains nearly 40 inches (100 cm). Indo-Pacific and tropical eastern Pacific; a roving open-water predator of reef fishes; occasionally takes crustaceans and octopus. Difficult to approach. One eaten by the author in Mauritius gave him ciguatera fish poisoning.

Smalltooth Jobfish

Aphareus furca (Lacepede,1802) Wahanui

Silvery lavender-brown on back, shading to silvery gray on side; edges of opercle and preopercle blackish; occasional individuals with a patch of yellow dorsally on head; mouth large but teeth very small; caudal fin deeply forked.

Attains about 15 inches (38 cm). Indo-Pacific; a free-swimming predaceous species that ranges over reefs in quest of its usual prey of small fishes.

Blacktail Snapper

Lufjanus fulvus (Forster& Schneider,1801) To'au

Yellowish; caudal fin black with a tinge of red and a narrow white posterior margin; dorsal fin dark orange-red, the remaining fins yellow; caudal fin slightly emarginate. Reaches 13 inches (33 cm). Indo-Pacific; introduced to Hawaii from Moorea in 1956 but not common; usually solitary. Feeds principally on crabs and small fishes. The young may be found in brackish water.

All information and pictures in this section are from John E. Randall's Shore Fishes of Hawai'i by permission of the author.