Home · Lutjanidae · Dusky snapper
Dusky snapper (Paracaesio sordida) — Lutjanidae

Dusky snapper

Paracaesio sordida
Family: Lutjanidae

The Dusky snapper (Paracaesio sordida) is a saltwater fish of the family Lutjanidae that grows up to 48 cm.

Length
48 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
5–200 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Range
Asia: American Samoa, Solomon Is., Brunei Darsm, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, China and others
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Want the complete picture on the Dusky snapper?

Description

The dusky snapper is a snapper (Lutjanidae) from the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 48 cm and has a streamlined, blue-grey body with a forked tail. As a fast, schooling fish it hovers in open water above steep coral reef slopes and wrecks and picks zooplankton and small fish from the current. It is a food fish. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Dusky snapper?

The Dusky snapper has a torpedo-shaped body and is mainly blue.

Where does the Dusky snapper live?

The Dusky snapper lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground. Asia: American Samoa, Solomon Is., Brunei Darsm, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, China and others

How big does the Dusky snapper get?

The Dusky snapper grows to a maximum of about 48 cm. On average the species is around 28 cm.

Is the Dusky snapper dangerous to humans?

No, the Dusky snapper is harmless to humans. This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status.

Is the Dusky snapper edible?

Yes, the Dusky snapper is commonly eaten.

More photos

Dusky snapper (Paracaesio sordida) — Lutjanidae — 2
Williams, Jeffrey T. (CC0 1.0) via GBIF — USNM
Dusky snapper (Paracaesio sordida) — Lutjanidae — 3
Wikimedia Commons — Fanchon Varenne (IFREMER, Délégation océan Indien (DOI), Département Ressources Biologiques et Environnement (RBE), F-97420 Le Port, France) (CC BY 4.0)
Dusky snapper (Paracaesio sordida) — Lutjanidae — 4
iNaturalist ((c) Mark Rosenstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Dusky snapper (Paracaesio sordida) — Lutjanidae — 5
iNaturalist ((c) jeyre, some rights reserved (CC BY))

Want the complete picture on the Dusky snapper?

Point your camera at the fish and Fin names the species in seconds. Free, and the Dusky snapper is one of 12,519 species in the app.

All data

Identification

English name
Dusky snapper sourced
Scientific name
Paracaesio sordida
Family
Lutjanidae
Other names
Blue snapper; Dirty ordure snapper; Fusilier snapper; Smallscale snapper; Snapper verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
48 verified
Average length (cm)
27.5 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Blue sourced
Tail shape
Forked

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
5 verified
Max depth (m)
200 verified
Natural range
Asia: American Samoa, Solomon Is., Brunei Darsm, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, China and others sourced
Origin
Native

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore
Diet (detail)
Small fishes, crustaceans and invertebrates
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No
Reproduction
Separate sexes
Sexual dimorphism
No
Seasonality
Present year-round in its habitat; no pronounced seasonality known.

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten
Fishing method
Fishing with natural bait (fish, shrimp, worm) or lures close to reef and rock structures.
Regulations source

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified
First aid
This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status. verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Paracaesio

More from the family Lutjanidae

Want the complete picture on the Dusky snapper?

Point your camera at the fish and Fin names the species in seconds. Free, and the Dusky snapper is one of 12,519 species in the app.

Is this the Dusky snapper?