Skip to main content
Unsupported Browser Detected

Internet Explorer lacks support for the features of this website. For the best experience, please use a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Mail |
SITE INDEX
CONTACT US
Close Promo Banner
NOAA Fisheries Home Logo
Menu
  • Find A Species
      • Find a Species
      • Managed Species
      • Highly Migratory Species
      • Invertebrates
      • Salmon & Steelhead
      • Sharks
      • Protected Species
      • All Threatened & Endangered Species
      • Corals & Other Invertebrates
      • Dolphins & Porpoises
      • Fish & Sharks
      • Sea Turtles
      • Seals & Sea Lions
      • Whales
      • Species By Region
      • Alaska
      • New England/Mid-Atlantic
      • Pacific Islands
      • Southeast
      • West Coast
      • Helpful Resources
      • Marine Life Viewing Guidelines
      • Marine Life in Distress
      • Report a Stranded or Injured Marine Animal
      • Species in the Spotlight
  • Fishing & Seafood
      • Sustainable Fisheries
      • Bycatch
      • Catch Shares
      • Fishery Observers
      • Illegal, Unregulated, Unreported Fishing
      • Magnuson-Stevens Act
      • Population Assessments
      • Resources for Fishing
      • Commercial Fishing
      • Recreational Fishing
      • Subsistence Fishing
      • Fishery Management Info
      • Permits & Forms
      • Rules & Regulations by Region
      • Sustainable Seafood
      • Aquaculture
      • Commerce & Certification
      • Seafood Inspection
      • Trade
      • Related Topics
      • Atlantic Highly Migratory Species
      • Cooperative Research
      • Enforcement
      • Financial Services
      • International Affairs
      • Science & Data
      • Socioeconomics
  • Protecting Marine Life
      • Endangered Species Conservation
      • Consultations
      • Critical Habitat
      • Endangered Species Act
      • Population Assessments
      • Species Recovery
      • Species in the Spotlight
      • Marine Mammal Protection
      • Health & Stranding Response
      • Marine Mammal Protection Act
      • Population Assessments
      • Take Reduction Plans
      • Marine Life in Distress
      • Report a Stranded or Injured Marine Animal
      • Bycatch
      • Ocean Acoustics/Noise
      • Unusual Mortality Events
      • Vessel Strikes
      • Related Topics
      • Marine Life Viewing Guidelines
      • Enforcement
      • Funding Opportunities
      • International Cooperation
      • Permits & Authorizations
      • Regulations & Actions
      • Science & Data
  • Environment
      • Ecosystems
      • U.S. Regional Ecosystems
      • Management
      • Science
      • Habitat Conservation
      • Habitat Restoration
      • Habitat Protection
      • Types of Habitat
      • Habitat by Region
      • Science
      • Consultations
      • Climate
      • Understanding the Impacts
      • Responding to Change
  • Regions
      • Our Regions
      • Alaska
      • New England/ Mid-Atlantic
      • Pacific Islands
      • Southeast
      • West Coast
      • Contact Us
      • Regional Offices
      • Science Centers
  • Resources & Services
      • Rules & Regulations
      • Fisheries Rules & Regs
      • Fisheries Management Info
      • Protected Resources Regs & Actions
      • Permits
      • Fishing & Seafood
      • Protected Resources
      • International & Trade
      • Funding & Financial Services
      • Funding Opportunities
      • Financial Services
      • Prescott Grants
      • Saltonstall-Kennedy Grants
      • Habitat Restoration Grants
      • Consultations
      • Habitat
      • Endangered Species
      • Tribal
      • Science & Data
      • Research
      • Surveys
      • Data
      • Maps & GIS
      • Publications
      • Published Research
      • Key Reports
      • Documents
      • Publication Databases
      • Laws & Policies
      • Magnuson-Stevens Act
      • Endangered Species Act
      • Marine Mammal Protection Act
      • Policies
      • Outreach & Education
      • For Educators
      • For Students
      • Educational Materials
      • Events
  • About Us
      • NOAA Fisheries
      • Our Mission
      • Who We Are
      • Where We Work
      • Our History
      • News & Media
      • News & Announcements
      • Bulletins
      • Multimedia
      • Science Blogs
      • Events
      • Video Gallery
      • Careers & More
      • Internships
      • Volunteering & Citizen Science
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Contact Us
      • National Program Offices
      • Regional Offices
      • Science Centers
      • Our Partners
      • Regional Fishery Management Councils
      • Marine Fishery Advisory Committee
      • Federal Partners
      • State Partners
      • Tribal Governments
      • Non-Government Organizations
    • Find A Species
        Back
        Find A Species
          Find a Species
        • Managed Species
        • Highly Migratory Species
        • Invertebrates
        • Salmon & Steelhead
        • Sharks
          Protected Species
        • All Threatened & Endangered Species
        • Corals & Other Invertebrates
        • Dolphins & Porpoises
        • Fish & Sharks
        • Sea Turtles
        • Seals & Sea Lions
        • Whales
          Species By Region
        • Alaska
        • New England/Mid-Atlantic
        • Pacific Islands
        • Southeast
        • West Coast
          Helpful Resources
        • Marine Life Viewing Guidelines
        • Marine Life in Distress
        • Report a Stranded or Injured Marine Animal
        • Species in the Spotlight
    • Fishing & Seafood
        Back
        Fishing & Seafood
          Sustainable Fisheries
        • Bycatch
        • Catch Shares
        • Fishery Observers
        • Illegal, Unregulated, Unreported Fishing
        • Magnuson-Stevens Act
        • Population Assessments
          Resources for Fishing
        • Commercial Fishing
        • Recreational Fishing
        • Subsistence Fishing
        • Fishery Management Info
        • Permits & Forms
        • Rules & Regulations by Region
          Sustainable Seafood
        • Aquaculture
        • Commerce & Certification
        • Seafood Inspection
        • Trade
          Related Topics
        • Atlantic Highly Migratory Species
        • Cooperative Research
        • Enforcement
        • Financial Services
        • International Affairs
        • Science & Data
        • Socioeconomics
    • Protecting Marine Life
        Back
        Protecting Marine Life
          Endangered Species Conservation
        • Consultations
        • Critical Habitat
        • Endangered Species Act
        • Population Assessments
        • Species Recovery
        • Species in the Spotlight
          Marine Mammal Protection
        • Health & Stranding Response
        • Marine Mammal Protection Act
        • Population Assessments
        • Take Reduction Plans
          Marine Life in Distress
        • Report a Stranded or Injured Marine Animal
        • Bycatch
        • Ocean Acoustics/Noise
        • Unusual Mortality Events
        • Vessel Strikes
          Related Topics
        • Marine Life Viewing Guidelines
        • Enforcement
        • Funding Opportunities
        • International Cooperation
        • Permits & Authorizations
        • Regulations & Actions
        • Science & Data
    • Environment
        Back
        Environment
          Ecosystems
        • U.S. Regional Ecosystems
        • Management
        • Science
          Habitat Conservation
        • Habitat Restoration
        • Habitat Protection
        • Types of Habitat
        • Habitat by Region
        • Science
        • Consultations
          Climate
        • Understanding the Impacts
        • Responding to Change
    • Regions
        Back
        Regions
          Our Regions
        • Alaska
        • New England/ Mid-Atlantic
        • Pacific Islands
        • Southeast
        • West Coast
          Contact Us
        • Regional Offices
        • Science Centers
    • Resources & Services
        Back
        Resources & Services
          Rules & Regulations
        • Fisheries Rules & Regs
        • Fisheries Management Info
        • Protected Resources Regs & Actions
          Permits
        • Fishing & Seafood
        • Protected Resources
        • International & Trade
          Funding & Financial Services
        • Funding Opportunities
        • Financial Services
        • Prescott Grants
        • Saltonstall-Kennedy Grants
        • Habitat Restoration Grants
          Consultations
        • Habitat
        • Endangered Species
        • Tribal
          Science & Data
        • Research
        • Surveys
        • Data
        • Maps & GIS
          Publications
        • Published Research
        • Key Reports
        • Documents
        • Publication Databases
          Laws & Policies
        • Magnuson-Stevens Act
        • Endangered Species Act
        • Marine Mammal Protection Act
        • Policies
          Outreach & Education
        • For Educators
        • For Students
        • Educational Materials
        • Events
    • About Us
        Back
        About Us
          NOAA Fisheries
        • Our Mission
        • Who We Are
        • Where We Work
        • Our History
          News & Media
        • News & Announcements
        • Bulletins
        • Multimedia
        • Science Blogs
        • Events
        • Video Gallery
          Careers & More
        • Internships
        • Volunteering & Citizen Science
        • Diversity & Inclusion
          Contact Us
        • National Program Offices
        • Regional Offices
        • Science Centers
          Our Partners
        • Regional Fishery Management Councils
        • Marine Fishery Advisory Committee
        • Federal Partners
        • State Partners
        • Tribal Governments
        • Non-Government Organizations
Species Directory

Red Snapper

Overview Resources

Red Snapper

Lutjanus campechanus

Red snapper
Also Known As
Snapper, Genuine red snapper, American reds, Spot snapper

Quick Facts

Region
Southeast
Fish Watch. U.S. Seafood Facts Logo

Photo courtesy of Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

About The Species

U.S. wild-caught red snapper is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed under rebuilding plans that allow limited harvest by U.S. fishermen.

Learn more about red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico

Learn more about red snapper in the South Atlantic

Population Status Icon

Population Level

Below target level in the Gulf of Mexico and fishing rate promotes population growth. Significantly below target population levels in the South Atlantic. Rebuilding plans are in place.

Fishing Status Icon

Fishing Status

At recommended level in the Gulf of Mexico. Reduced to end overfishing in the South Atlantic.

Habitat Impacts Icon

Habitat Impacts

Fishing gear used to harvest red snapper has minimal impacts on habitat.

Bycatch Icon

Bycatch

Regulations require modified fishing gear to reduce bycatch. Release techniques improve the chance of survival of unintentionally caught fish.

Status

  • According to the 2018 stock assessment of Gulf of Mexico red snapper the stock is not overfished. The stock is rebuilding and a rebuilding plan is in place. Regulations are in place to ensure that the combined commercial and recreational catches are low enough to prevent overfishing.

  • According to the 2016 stock assessment of South Atlantic red snapper, the stock is overfished and subject to overfishing. The stock is rebuilding and a rebuilding plan is in place. The overfishing determination was based on fishing mortality rates from 2012-2014 when fishing was occurring on the stock, and harvest was prohibited in the South Atlantic in 2015 and 2016. Spawning biomass has generally been increasing since the mid-1990s, but continues to be well below the target level (currently at 22 percent). It will take time for older, more fertile fish to rebuild; however, the numbers of red snapper predicted by the assessment are the highest on record since the 1970s.

Appearance

  • Red snapper in deeper waters tend to be redder than those caught in shallower waters.
  • They have a long triangular face with the upper part sloping more strongly than the lower.
  • Their jaws are equal, with the lower one sometimes slightly projecting.
  • They have enlarged canine teeth, which is why they are called “snappers.”

Biology

  • 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.
  • Females are able to reproduce as early as age 2.
  • Males and females spawn from May to October, depending on their location.
  • Red snapper feed on fish, shrimp, crab, worms, cephalopods (octopus or squid), and some plankton (tiny floating plants and animals).
  • Young red snapper are food for the large carnivorous fish that share their habitat, such as jacks, groupers, sharks, barracudas, and morays.
  • Large marine mammals and turtles also eat snapper.

Where They Live

  • Red snapper are generally found at 30 to 620 feet deep in the Gulf of Mexico and along the eastern coasts of North America, Central America, and northern South America.
  • They are rare north of the Carolinas.

Management

  • NOAA Fisheries with the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils manage red snapper in the United States.
  • In the Gulf of Mexico, managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico:
    • A rebuilding plan was implemented in 2005 with the goal of rebuilding the Gulf of Mexico red snapper stock by 2032.
    • Annual catch limits for the commercial and recreational fisheries.
    • Commercial fishermen must have a permit to harvest red snapper. Through the individual fishing quota (catch shares) program, they may harvest their quotas whenever they choose and must report how much they harvest.
    • A minimum size limit protects the spawning stock and juveniles.
    • For more information, visit NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office’s Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Management website.
  • In the South Atlantic, managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region:
    • A rebuilding plan was implemented in 2010 with the goal of rebuilding the South Atlantic red snapper stock by 2044. It allows for limited harvest of red snapper as the population continues to grow. 
    • In 2010 and 2011, regulations prohibited harvest of red snapper in the South Atlantic to protect the population from too much fishing pressure and to allow the number of fish to increase.
    • Limited harvest was allowed in 2012-2014. Harvest was prohibited in 2015 and 2016.
    • For more information, visit the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Red Snapper Regulations website or NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office’s South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper Management page.
  • State management consistency with federal management
    • In the Gulf of Mexico, recreational state management measures are very different from recreational federal management measures.
    • In the South Atlantic, state management measures are fairly consistent with the federal management measures noted above. Some states, such as South Carolina and Georgia, automatically adopt federal regulations while others have separate regulations.

Featured News

2371x1581 roklees FDD GoM NOAA Sea Grant.jpg
Feature Story

NOAA and the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission Partner to Restore Recreational Fish

Southeast
recreational-angler-red-snapper-fish-and-wildlife-research-institute.jpg
Feature Story

NOAA Fisheries, Gulf States Prioritize Integrating, Calibrating Recreational Red Snapper Data

Southeast
View More News

Recreational Fishing Regulations

Commercial Fishing Regulations

Subsistence Fishing Regulations

Science Overview

Research & Data

Gulf Shrimp Closures to Reduce Red Snapper Bycatch Fishery Management Area Map & GIS Data

Map and GIS Data representing the Gulf shrimp fishery closures to reduce…
Google Earth File Shapefile
June 25, 2019 - Map ,
Southeast
This a map showing Gulf shrimp fishery closures to reduce red snapper bycatch in the Gulf of Mexico.
View More

Documents

Document

2020 Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Recreational Season Length Estimates for the Federal For-Hire Component

The purpose of this report is to project the 2020 recreational red snapper federal for-hire fishing…

Southeast
Document

Investigating the Impact of Carrying Over Multiple Theoretical Landings Underages on the Ability to Achieve Rebuilding Targets for Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper

Report for requested simulations of carry-over for Gulf of Mexico red snapper and additional…

Southeast
Document

2019 Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Recreational Season Length Estimates for the Federal For-Hire Component

LAPP-2019-01 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Southeast Regional Office

Southeast
More Documents

Data & Maps

Map

Gulf Shrimp Closures to Reduce Red Snapper Bycatch Fishery Management Area Map & GIS Data

Southeast
More Data and Maps

Research

State Recreational Red Snapper Management Exempted Fishing Permits

Five exempted fishing permits (EFPs) were issued to allow limited state management of recreational red snapper. The EFPs were issued to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources,…

Southeast
More Research
Scroll to Top Icon
Sign up for our newsletter
Stay informed of all the latest regional news around NOAA Fisheries
Sign Up Now!
  • NOAA Fisheries
    • About Us
    • Laws & Policies
    • FishWatch
    • NOAA
    • Department of Commerce
    • Site Index
  • For Researchers
    • Published Research
    • Science & Data
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Us
    • Media Inquiries
    • Report a Violation
    • Report a Stranded or Injured Marine Animal
    • NOAA Staff Directory
Follow Us
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube
Can't Find What You Need?
Tour Our Site
How are we doing? Send us your feedback
NOAA Logo
Science. Service. Stewardship.
Accessibility
|
EEO
|
FOIA
|
Information Quality
|
Policies & Disclaimer
|
Privacy Policy
|
USA.gov