- Check the sub-map for the specimen information files -
SNAPPERS - LUTJANIDAE
The Lutjanidae family are very common reef fish and are mostly found above forty meter mark. Some of the species live alone but most swim around in small or large schools among sandy bottoms and coastal reefs. Only a few species can be found in estuaries or mangrove swamps. Snappers are active at night and spend their days cruising. Most snappers are found on continental coastal reefs and less on oceanic islands. Around thirty two different species of the snapper family live in the Philippine and Indonesian waters, which accounts for 80% of all the Lutjanidae that live in the Indo-Pacific. Snappers typically live between fifteen and twenty years. It's sad to say though that these days most don't get the chance to reach this age because of overfishing. Most snappers feed on small fish, crustaceans and small cephalopods and only few feed on plankton. The snapper family is well known for their meat, but some are very dangerous to eat because of Ciguatera poisoning. This ciguatera poison (ciguatoxine) comes from one-celled organisms that can be found in benthic algae and on dead corals. These organisms get eaten by small fish, who, again get eaten by larger fish like snappers. This is how they build up this ciguatera poison. There are countries that don't permit the sale of certain snapper species due to the risk of poisoning.
- Check the sub-map for the specimen information files -