This is the Lutjanus fulvus or Blacktail Snapper
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This fish is a Blacktail Snapper, also known by the Scientific name of Lutjanus fulvus. In Hawaii we refer to it as Toʻau.
However, that is not it's Hawaiia'n name, but rather a name born from a Tahitian word. Blacktail snappers were introduced to the Hawaiian Islands from French Polynesia. They were placed in into the Kāneʻohe area in the 1950’s. They were stocked by the Hawaii division of Fish and Game. They were introduced to be a food source. They found that these fish like to wander because they spread throughout the islands. In fact, after a few weeks they were spotted 27 miles away from where they were introduced. They never took off as a commercial food source, but they are hunted and eaten. Some people think of this species as invasive and dangerous to endemic fish species. There have been no conclusive studies to demonstrate that this is true or not true.
Here are some things to keep in mind when identifying a fish as a snapper.
Snappers have strong mouths that are full of sharp teeth. This snapper is gray with some yellow around it’s eyes and fins and lower area of its body. The dorsal/top fin is black with a little red and the tail fin is black with some dark red around the edges. They can grow between 9-16 inches. These fish can be solitary or in small schools and like to hang out in waters from 3-250 feet. They like to hang out near the bottom or right under ledges or caves. The snapper feeds at night and likes to eat crabs, shrimps, and small fish.
A fun fact about this fish is that the name snapper originated in the 1690’s.
It came from them closing or snapping their mouths rapidly. When they do this, it creates and audible snap. This is a valuable asset to the fish while catching prey.
The image above was taken during a Private Ocean Project Maui Snorkel Tour.
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