466
12 Species Case Studies
12.10.4.2 Mutton Snapper – Lutjanus analis
The mutton snapper is distributed in the western Atlantic, where it occurs on the
continental shelf and clear water around islands, in bays, estuaries, mangrove and
reef areas. The species forms small schools during the day which disband during the
night, and juveniles are found in both brackish and marine waters. The species can
attain 94 cm TL, 40 years of age and at least 15 kg. Sexual maturation is reached at
about 40 cm FL in males and about 46 cm FL in females and the species is probably
gonochoristic ( Allen and Talbot 1985 ; Bortone and Williams 1986 ; Huntsman 1996 ;
Burton 2002 ; Cummings 2007 ; Murray and Bester 2009 ; www.fi shbase.org ).
The mutton snapper spawns in large transient aggregations offshore consistently
at the same sites year after year on outer reef slopes, reef promontories and drop-offs.
Aggregations last for several weeks in each of several months a year and have been
recorded from April to September during the full moon or third lunar quarter period
(Burton 2002 ; Claro and Lindeman 2003 ; Burton et al. 2005 ; Graham et al. 2008 ) .
The mutton snapper, sometimes marketed as ‘red snapper’, is fi shed commercially and recreationally with a wide range of fi shing gears. Its spawning aggregations have been targeted by commercial fi shers, including with the use of set nets in
some places. Aggregations contribute around 50% of the total annual catch of the
species in some areas. Annual landings of the species have declined substantially in
many countries, probably largely due to aggregation-fi shing but also because
juveniles are often taken in catches because of the large size of sexual maturation of
the species relative to most other species in the multi-species fi sheries of the region.
In Cuba, maximum catches were obtained in May and June, during the peak spawning
season, and declines in landings or catch per unit of effort, and sometimes in average
length taken, have been noted in Cuba, Belize, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Florida
(Thompson and Munro 1983, Claro et al. 2001 ; Cummings 2007 ; Graham et al.
2008 ; Claro et al. 2009 ) .
The species is little managed. Even where there are some management measures,
such as in Cuba and Florida, either they are not enforced or aggregation protection
has resulted in a shift of effort from spawning to non-spawning seasons. In one
protected reserve fi sh numbers in the aggregation increased after a number of years
of protection (Burton 2002 ; Burton et al. 2005 ) . The species can be produced in
hatcheries but there is no commercial production by culture (Watanabe et al. 1998 ;
Benetti et al. 2002 ) . The species was listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due
to overfi shing and lack of management and the species status is being updated
( www.iucnredlist.org ).
12.10.4.3 Cubera Snapper – Lutjanus cyanopterus
The cubera snapper is the largest lutjanid in the western Atlantic and is distributed
north to Nova Scotia, Canada, Bermuda, and south to the Brazilian coast of Santa
Catarina State. It reaches a maximum of 160 cm TL and 57 kg, is probably gonochoristic and reaches sexual maturity at about 65 cm TL. It is reef-associated with
12 Species Case Studies
12.10.4.2 Mutton Snapper – Lutjanus analis
The mutton snapper is distributed in the western Atlantic, where it occurs on the
continental shelf and clear water around islands, in bays, estuaries, mangrove and
reef areas. The species forms small schools during the day which disband during the
night, and juveniles are found in both brackish and marine waters. The species can
attain 94 cm TL, 40 years of age and at least 15 kg. Sexual maturation is reached at
about 40 cm FL in males and about 46 cm FL in females and the species is probably
gonochoristic ( Allen and Talbot 1985 ; Bortone and Williams 1986 ; Huntsman 1996 ;
Burton 2002 ; Cummings 2007 ; Murray and Bester 2009 ; www.fi shbase.org ).
The mutton snapper spawns in large transient aggregations offshore consistently
at the same sites year after year on outer reef slopes, reef promontories and drop-offs.
Aggregations last for several weeks in each of several months a year and have been
recorded from April to September during the full moon or third lunar quarter period
(Burton 2002 ; Claro and Lindeman 2003 ; Burton et al. 2005 ; Graham et al. 2008 ) .
The mutton snapper, sometimes marketed as ‘red snapper’, is fi shed commercially and recreationally with a wide range of fi shing gears. Its spawning aggregations have been targeted by commercial fi shers, including with the use of set nets in
some places. Aggregations contribute around 50% of the total annual catch of the
species in some areas. Annual landings of the species have declined substantially in
many countries, probably largely due to aggregation-fi shing but also because
juveniles are often taken in catches because of the large size of sexual maturation of
the species relative to most other species in the multi-species fi sheries of the region.
In Cuba, maximum catches were obtained in May and June, during the peak spawning
season, and declines in landings or catch per unit of effort, and sometimes in average
length taken, have been noted in Cuba, Belize, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Florida
(Thompson and Munro 1983, Claro et al. 2001 ; Cummings 2007 ; Graham et al.
2008 ; Claro et al. 2009 ) .
The species is little managed. Even where there are some management measures,
such as in Cuba and Florida, either they are not enforced or aggregation protection
has resulted in a shift of effort from spawning to non-spawning seasons. In one
protected reserve fi sh numbers in the aggregation increased after a number of years
of protection (Burton 2002 ; Burton et al. 2005 ) . The species can be produced in
hatcheries but there is no commercial production by culture (Watanabe et al. 1998 ;
Benetti et al. 2002 ) . The species was listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due
to overfi shing and lack of management and the species status is being updated
( www.iucnredlist.org ).
12.10.4.3 Cubera Snapper – Lutjanus cyanopterus
The cubera snapper is the largest lutjanid in the western Atlantic and is distributed
north to Nova Scotia, Canada, Bermuda, and south to the Brazilian coast of Santa
Catarina State. It reaches a maximum of 160 cm TL and 57 kg, is probably gonochoristic and reaches sexual maturity at about 65 cm TL. It is reef-associated with