Ken Schultz's Field Guide to Saltwater Fish - Macaw Pets store

The Pacific cubera snapper closely resembles the cubera
snapper, the “river” or “mangrove red” snapper, and an
African snapper; this resemblance involves habitat and
behavior but extends as well to a similar appearance; they
each have a deep reddish body, four large canine teeth,
stubby gill rakers, and almost identical body and fin shapes.
This seems to suggest that large cubera-type snappers may
be more closely related to each other than are other members
of the Lutjanidae (snapper) family. Marketed fresh and
frozen, the Pacific cubera snapper is an excellent food fish
and is greatly prized as a sport catch.
Identification. The young Pacific cubera snapper is
purplish-brown with a light spot in the center of each scale,
whereas adults and older fish are almost a deep red. Occasionally,
a blue streak is evident under each eye, as are
roughly nine shaded bars on the flanks. The tail is very
slightly forked or lunate (crescent shaped), the dorsal fin is
made up of 10 spines and 14 soft rays, and the anal fin is
rounded and has 3 spines and 8 rays. The pectoral fins do
not extend to the anal fin or even as far as the vent in
adults. The most distinctive feature of the Pacific cubera
snapper is four uncommonly large canine teeth, two in the
upper jaw and two in the lower, which are somewhat larger
than the pupil of the eye. There is also a crescent-shaped
tooth patch in the roof of the mouth.
Size. The Pacific cubera snapper is the largest of nine snapper
occurring in its range, growing to at least 80 pounds.
The all-tackle world record is a 78-pound, 12-ounce fish
taken off Costa Rica.
Food and feeding habits. Carnivorous, Pacific cubera
snapper prey at night on big invertebrates such as crabs,
prawns, and shrimp, as well as fish.
Snapper, Pacific Cubera
Lutjanus novemfasciatus
OTHER NAMES
dog snapper, Pacific dog
snapper; Spanish: boca
fuerte, huachinango, panza
prieta, pargo jilguero, pargo
moreno, pargo negro.
Distribution. Pacific
cubera inhabit the eastern
Pacific from northern Mexico
to northern Peru.
Habitat. Pacific cubera
snapper are an inshore
species, preferring rocky and
coral reefs and caves in
shallow waters with depths
of 100 feet and possibly
deeper. Young fish are found
in estuaries near mangroves
and the mouths of rivers.
Snapper, Pacific Cubera 223