SIZE: 500-1000, 1000-2000G
METHOD OF CATCH: Sea Caught
NET WEIGHT:
A 100% N.W.
B 90% N.W. 10% Glazing
C 80% N.W. 20% Glazing
D Based on customer’s requirements
PACKING: 10 kg, 20 kg, 35 kg, 40 kg, carton Standard exporting package
The northern red snapper is a species of snapper native to the western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico, where it inhabits environments associated with reefs. This species is commercially important and is also sought-after as a game fish. Size: Red snapper grow at a moderate rate, and may reach 40 inches long and 50 pounds. They can live a long time—red snapper as old as 57 years have been reported in the Gulf of Mexico and as old as 51 years in the South Atlantic.
Product Profile: Red snapper is lean and moist, with a sweetly mild but distinctive flavor. The texture is lean but moist. The superb taste of this fish is evidenced by the number of other types of fish that, with just the slightest hint of red, masquerade in the marketplace as “red” snapper.
Red snapper is a deep rosy red color, with a dark fringe around the dorsal and tail fins. Adult’s average 2-4 pounds but can reach over 50 pounds. To avoid misidentifying small red snapper as lane snapper, note that red snapper has an angular anal fin and 14 soft dorsal fin rays. Lane’s snapper has a rounded anal fin, 12-13 soft dorsal fin ray and 8 narrow yellow stripes that fund the length of the fish.
Life History: Spawning occurs from June through September when adults are about 2 years old. Juveniles are widely distributed over muddy or sandy bottom and are caught in great numbers during shrimping operations. Growth is fairly fast, reaching 8 inches in the first year and gaining 3-4 inches each year thereafter.
Habitat: Although as young fish, they may be found on muddy bottoms or inshore, adult red snapper are located primarily near structure in deeper water. They feed on crab, squid, shrimp and small fish which they find near artificial reefs, oil rigs and other underwater structures.
How To Catch: Red Snapper are caught from reefs, rigs and banks along the entire Texas coast. Hand line, manual reels and electric reels are used, all equipped with heavy weights and multiple hooks. Bait with fresh squid or cigar minnows; live pinfish or pigfish will catch larger snapper. This is the most sought-after offshore fish, representing an important recreational and commercial fishery.
Where To Catch: Reefs, rigs, snapper banks offshore are the best places to catch red snapper.