Relevant synonyms None Misidentification None Meristic formula D, X+14-15; A, III+8; P, 16-17;V, I+5; LL, 46-49  photo : S. Wurtz

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body moderately deep. Large mouth, jaws reach back to vertical of the anterior of eye or slightly behind. Bare canine teeth; one pair enlarged, visible when mouth close. Pointed snout. Upper profile of head straight. Preoperculum serrated with a shallow notch above its angle. Posterior edge of operculum pointed, Single dorsal fin, the 3rd-5th spines are the larger. Posterior edge of dorsal and anal fins rounded. Caudal fin weekly forked. Pectoral and pelvic fins long and pointed, both reaching vertical of anus. color : back and flank olive-brown to grey becoming light-pink with copper touch on the belly. Fins are yellowish-orange. A slanted blue line stretching from above of the middle of upper jaw to the eye's lower margin. size : common 40-60 cm (max.128 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Lutjanus argentimaculatus: no slender blue line below the eye. Serranidae: three flat spines on the operculum Sparidae: deeply forked  caudal fin; preoperculum smooth. Carangidae: deeply forked caudal fin; no canine teeth. Other families: lack of three flat spines on the upper posterior corner of the operculum BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Feeds on fish and large invertebrates such as crustaceans and mollusks. habitat : in the vicinity of coral reefs. Young specimens are found in estuaries and often enter rivers.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD 2010, Ligurian Sea (specimen from 2005). DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : Mainly western Atlantic from Massachusetts to Brazil and St. Paul, Ascencion, Tinhose, Granada and Principe Islands in the central and eastern Atlantic. Mediterranean : Ligurian Sea. ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very rare. speculated reasons for success : MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via Gibraltar or ballast water. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None in the Mediterranean.

KEY REFERENCES Allen G.R., 1985. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 6. Snappers of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of lutjanid species known to date. Rome, Italy, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 208 pp + 27 color plates. Froese R. and Pauly D. (eds), 2013. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication: www.fishbase.org Vacchi M., Psomadakis P.N., Repetto N. and Würtz M., 2010. First record of the dog snapper Lutjanus jocu in the Mediterranean. Journal of Fish Biology 76: 723-728. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: November 2013 ©ciesm 2002