Mahogany Snapper: Facts & Habitat

About Mahogany Snapper

The mahogany snapper is a western Atlantic reef fish with a dark spot high on its side. The Florida Museum describes fish living alone or in small groups around corals, caves, and crevices.

NativeSalt4 states

Appearance and size

Look for an olive or gray back, silvery lower sides, and a conspicuous black blotch below the soft dorsal fin. Fins may be reddish or yellowish. Large eyes, a pointed snout, and a projecting lower jaw provide additional clues. The museum reports an average length of 38 cm and a maximum of 48 cm.

Sources: Mahogany Snapper — Discover Fishes

Range and habitat

The reported range runs from the Carolinas to Venezuela, including the Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. Habitats include clear, warm water over reefs and rocky bottoms; sandy areas and seagrass are used less often.

Sources: Mahogany Snapper — Discover Fishes

Feeding and reproduction

At night, mahogany snappers eat small bottom fishes, shrimp, crabs, and cephalopods. The museum reports spawning from May through July. Eggs drift in open water and hatch within about a day; young fish later settle into protective habitat.

Sources: Mahogany Snapper — Discover Fishes

Guide sources

Research reviewed 2026-10-19.

Mahogany Snapper — Discover Fishes — Florida Museum of Natural History

Range

Where it lives

100%of mapped records

Share of 19,348 GBIF observation records with a state location, across 4 states.

Share of records by state

Habitat

Water and movement

Water: WoRMS records this species in the sea.

Classification

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Superclass: Actinopterygii
Class: Teleostei
Order: Perciformes
Family: Lutjanidae
Genus: Lutjanus
Species: Lutjanus mahogoni
ITIS TSN: 168858
WoRMS AphiaID: 159799
GBIF key: 2385023
Outside the US: ITIS also files it in Caribbean Territories, Mexico.

Common questions about Mahogany Snapper

What is the scientific name of Mahogany Snapper?

The scientific name is Lutjanus mahogoni, in the family Lutjanidae. Classification follows ITIS.

Does Mahogany Snapper live in fresh water or salt water?

WoRMS records this species in the sea.

Where has Mahogany Snapper been recorded in the United States?

GBIF has observations in 4 states, with the most records in Florida, Texas, Louisiana. The map shows observation records, which do not establish the complete natural range.

Closest relatives