gray snapper
Lutjanus griseus · Lutjanidae · predator
The mangrove snapper of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Smart and wary, it lives among mangrove roots, rocks and reefs and feeds mostly at night. It does not occur in Brazil.
Also called: vermelho-do-mangue, caranha-do-mangue, mangrove snapper, gray snapper
- common size
- 25–50 cm
- maximum
- 89 cm
- common weight
- 0.5–3 kg
- record/max.
- 20.0 kg
- depth
- 0–180 m
- ideal water
- 24–30 °C
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
tap or drag on the chart to read each hour · on a keyboard, arrow keyssee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
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.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the gray snapper
who is the gray snapper
The vermelho-do-mangue (gray snapper), called pargo prieto or caballerote in Spanish-speaking countries and mangrove snapper in English, lives in the western Atlantic, from the US east coast and Bermuda to the Bahamas, the Gulf of Mexico and the whole Caribbean. Juveniles grow in mangroves, estuaries and the lower stretches of rivers; adults move to reefs, rocky shores and rock bottoms, usually down to about 50 m, sometimes in large groups. It feeds at night on fish, shrimp, crabs and squid. It lives up to 30 years. Early records in Brazil were confusion with other species, mostly the baúna (Lutjanus alexandrei). In the mangroves and reefs of the Caribbean and Mexico it is a classic target for live-bait and artificial-lure fishing.
fun facts
- In Florida, juveniles even enter freshwater.
- Can live up to 30 years.
identification
Greenish to bronze-gray body, sometimes with a reddish tone, with no clear bars in adults. Long snout and slightly concave head profile; two large upper canines. Juveniles have a dark band from the snout to the eye and a blue line below the eye. The dog snapper (dentão) has a triangular pale patch below the eye; the schoolmaster (cají) has pale bars on its body and yellow fins.
where found
Does not occur in Brazil: early records were misidentifications (Moura and Lindeman, 2007). Western Atlantic, from Massachusetts and Bermuda to the Bahamas, the Gulf of Mexico and the whole Caribbean, down to Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.
Habitat: Mangroves, estuaries and the lower stretches of rivers (juveniles); reefs, rocky shores, rock bottoms and wrecks (adults).
when to fish
best season
In the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, fishing improves in the Northern Hemisphere summer, when adults gather to spawn near the full moon.
best time of day
Night and twilight. Feeds mostly at night and at dusk; during the day it stays in groups near roots and rocks and is very wary.
what affects the gray snapper
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
Cold fronts shut down activity in shallow mangroves.
atmospheric pressure
Stable pressure helps; just after a front, fishing drops.
moon
Spawning happens near the full moon in the Northern Hemisphere summer.
rain
Heavy rain muddies mangrove channels.
water level
In the mangrove, the ebbing tide pulls fish out of the roots and carries them into the channels.
noise
Very wary: approach quietly and avoid knocking on the hull.
wind
Strong wind makes accurate casting into the roots difficult.
tide
A moving tide is essential; at slack tide fishing stops.
depth
Juveniles in the shallows of mangroves; adults from 5 to 50 m on reefs and rocks.
how to fish
- rod
- 6'6" to 7', 10 to 20 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 2500 to 4000
- line
- braided line 15 to 30 lb
- leader
- fluorocarbon 20 to 30 lb, 1 m
- hook
- circle 1/0 to 3/0
lures
- jig head 1/4 to 1/2 oz with artificial shrimp
- small midwater lure
- fly streamer
natural baits
- live shrimp
- live sardine or small fish
- caranguejo
accessories
- light sinker
- alicate
tip from an angler
A fine fluorocarbon leader and live bait with no sinker, let drift with the tide into the roots, will fool the most wary fish.
rules for the gray snapper
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Species outside the Brazilian fauna. We found no specific rule in the Caribbean countries consulted; each country's general rules apply.
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.
Hold it by the mouth and belly, remove the hook with pliers and release it near the root or rock.
in the kitchen
White, very good flesh, fried, baked or grilled. Ciguatera has been reported in Caribbean reef areas.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01514, b = 2.96; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana, comprimento total)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
- scientific FishBase — Lutjanus griseus (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship, country list and references. Page checked October 13, 2026. In the country list, Brazil appears as a misidentification.
- scientific Moura, R. L.; Lindeman, K. C. (2007). A new species of snapper (Perciformes: Lutjanidae) from Brazil, with comments on the distribution of Lutjanus griseus and L. apodus. Zootaxa 1422: 31-43.DOI verified in Crossref. Describes the baúna (Lutjanus alexandrei), previously confused with these species.
- scientific Moura, R. L.; Lindeman, K. C. A new inshore snapper species (Lutjanidae) from Brazil and the distributional status of gray snapper and schoolmaster, Lutjanus griseus and L. apodus. Proceedings of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute 60.The abstract states that L. griseus and L. apodus do not occur in Brazil's inland waters.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Lutjanus griseus (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 10/10/2015)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Allen, G. R. (1985). FAO species catalogue. Vol. 6. Snappers of the world: an annotated and illustrated catalogue of lutjanid species known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis 125(6). Roma: FAO.
- scientific Carpenter, K. E. (org.) (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 3: Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Roma: FAO.Chapter Lutjanidae (Anderson Jr., W. D.).
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: