Nature Field Guide
Yellow Snapper
- Spanish name
- Pargo amarillo
- Scientific name
- Lutjanus argentiventris
What Do Pico & Tati Think?
Pico: “This snapper looks red and yellow!”
Tati: “Look below its eye for another small color clue.”
Species overview
About the Yellow Snapper
Adults combine a reddish head and front body with a yellow rear body and fins. A fine bluish mark below the eye adds another useful clue.
It feeds on fish and small marine animals. Its habitat includes reefs and estuarine settings, linking coastal habitats used at different life stages. Color alone should not replace a full identification check.
Identification
Key Features of the Yellow Snapper
Red front and yellow rear
Blue mark below the eye
Strong snapper body
Habitat & range
Pacific rocky reefs and nearby coastal marine habitats. Check the linked species reference for its wider range.
Local observations
Recorded at Cabo Blanco.
When to observe
Visibility depends on water clarity, currents, depth and conditions. No fixed local viewing or migration season is assigned.
Conservation & care
Observe with a qualified guide. Do not feed, chase or handle fish. Keep fins off the reef and take all litter home.
Threats & pressures
Habitat damage and degraded water quality are pressures to prevent in coastal fish habitats. This profile does not quantify a local decline.
Observation activity
Make a color map showing where red changes to yellow. Mark the small blue eye-area clue.
Explore by location
Guanacaste · Puntarenas & the Gulf Islands · South Pacific · Ocean & Coastal Life