small toothed jobfish
Aphareus furca
Snapper of reefs and clear lagoons, considered a sport fish. In Latin America it occurs in Panama, and there are reports of ciguatera: be careful when eating it.
Also called: pargo-boca-doce, pargo boquidulce, small toothed jobfish
- maximum
- 70 cm
- record/max.
- 0.9 kg
- depth
- 0–122 m
who is the small toothed jobfish
The sweetmouth snapper belongs to the family Lutjanidae and reaches 70 cm, weighing up to 906 g. It lives near coral and rocky reefs and in the clear waters of lagoons, on bottoms from 0 to 122 m. Adults stay on coastal reefs, alone or in small groups, and feed mainly on fish but also eat crustaceans. They tend to be curious and easy to approach. It occurs in the Indo-Pacific, and in the eastern Pacific of Latin America it appears in Panama. It is sold fresh and has value as a sport fish. There are reports of ciguatera, so care is advised when eating it.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the small toothed jobfish.
identification
Snapper with a spindle-shaped body and oval cross-section, with a forked tail, living near coral and rocky reefs and in clear lagoons. Individuals with bright yellow on the head may be males during the spawning season. It is curious and tends to approach divers, which helps identify it.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
In Latin America it occurs in Panama, on coral reefs and in clear lagoons.
Habitat: Coral and rocky reefs, clear lagoons and bottoms from 0 to 122 m.
rules for the small toothed jobfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
There are reports of ciguatera, a food poisoning, so the main care is with eating it. When fishing, handle it with wet hands and release it quickly if you are not keeping it.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh, but there are reports of ciguatera, so care is advised when eating it.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01738, b = 2.95; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Aphareus furca (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Aphareus furcaNames by country and language.