A grey-green to reddish snapper with a slender body, large mouth and pointed snout, and rows of
orange-red spots along the sides; juveniles show a dark stripe running from the snout through the
eye. The Florida Museum gives a maximum recorded length of 24 inches, with most fish under 18 inches
and 10 pounds, a maximum age of about 25 years and maturity around age two. Juveniles grow up in
seagrass and mangroves; adults hold on reefs, rocky ledges and estuarine structure, feed at night on
small fish, shrimp, crabs and squid, and school by day. In the Lower Laguna Madre they are a fish of
the jetties, the Brownsville Ship Channel, dock pilings and the deeper cuts, and TPWD lists them
among the lagoon's characteristic species. Their tropical affinities show in the kill records: gray
snapper were one of the two dominant species in the small 2004 Christmas Eve freeze kill in the lower
lagoon.
Observe responsibly
Wildlife, tides and access conditions change. Keep a respectful distance, do not feed wildlife, stay out of dunes and marked nesting areas, and use current official rules before fishing or handling any catch.