Gary's Seafood Specialties

"Famous By Word Of Mouth"

Florida Seafood

Catfish, Lake Okeechobee - Clams, Cedar Key - Cobia - Crabs, Florida Stone Crabs - Dolphin - Escolar - Flounder - Frog Legs - Golden Tile - Grouper, Black - Grouper, Red - Grouper, Scamp - Grouper, Snowy - Grouper, Wreck - Grouper, Yellow Edge - Kingfish - Lobster, Spiny Lobster - Mahimahi - Pompano - Sheephead - Shrimp, Head On, Fresh - Shrimp, Rock Shrimp - Snapper, Atlantic Lane - Snapper, Beeliner - Snapper, Brazilian - Snapper, Dog - Snapper, Genuine American Red - Snapper, Hog - Snapper, Mangrove - Snapper, Margate - Snapper, Mutton - Snapper, Porgy - Snapper, Yelloweye - Snapper, Yellow Tail - Sturgeon, Mote Marine Aquarium - Swordfish - Tuna, Albacore - Tuna, Bluefin - Tuna, Yellowfin - Trigger Fish - Tripletail - Wahoo

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(Everything is subject to government regulations and weather)

Genuine American Red Snapper

Lutjanus Campechanus

Florida is synonymous with Snapper. There are 15 species of Snapper that live in Florida. Although the Genuine American Red Snapper can be found in the Atlantic as far north as Massachusetts, and as far south as Brazil, the greatest concentrations are found mainly in the northern and western Gulf of Mexico. Snappers get their common name from the “snapping” motion that their jaw makes when they are hooked.

American Red Snapper are considered a reef fish, although, they do not feed from the reefs. Smaller Snapper enjoy the safety of the reefs, as well as rocky ledges, ship wrecks and oil platforms. Snapper that get to be 10 pounds or more are likely to venture into open water along the muddy bottom.

Snapper feed on food found on the muddy bottom. Their diet consists of pipefish, striped anchovies, snake eels, sea robins & pig fish. In the summer, they eat Stomatopods (king shrimp, or sea lice), crabs & worms. Larger snapper that venture out into open water eat a diet that consists mostly of fish. Their diets change with the seasons.

Most Red Snapper are caught in the cooler months, when the fish head out into deeper water which is warmer than the cooler coastal water. Most fish are caught in 50-300 feet of water. Juvenile snapper (10” or less), prefer the safety of shallow water. Commercially, Red Snapper are generally caught using electric or hydraulic reels with 2-40 hooks. Ladyfish and squid are the bait of choice. Other methods include hand-lines, bottom long-lines and bottom trawls. 8 million pounds of Red Snapper are caught in the United States each year.

Snappers become sexually mature at 2 years of age. They grow about 4” per year for the first 6 years of their lives. After this time, they continue to grow but, at a much slower rate. Snapper have a life span of 40-50 years. Snapper were originally thought to live in one general area their entire life. In the 1990’s a study was done, and it was found that they have an average range of about 20 miles. Red Snapper are most active during hurricanes. During the study, one fish was caught 219 miles away from where it was originally tagged. Fish reaching over 20 pounds are referred to as “sow” snapper. The world record for a Genuine American Red Snapper is 50 pounds, 4 oz.

Snappers spawn on the muddy bottoms of the sea from the end of May until October, with the peak of the spawning season being June – August. Smaller fish produce 500 eggs, and larger fish can produce well over 2 million eggs. Snappers spawn 20 times per year in 4-6 day intervals. The eggs are .8mm in size, and float to the surface of the water, where they are carried by wind and the tides. The eggs hatch between 20-27 hours after fertilization. Snappers continue to spawn their entire lives.

Natural predators of the Red Snapper are shark and other large piscivorous fishes.

Snapper is an excellent fish for frying, sautéing, grilling and braising.

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