Red snapper in deeper waters tend to be redder than those caught in shallower waters. They have a long triangular face with the upper part sloping more strongly than the lower. Their jaws are equal, with the lower one sometimes slightly projecting. They have enlarged canine teeth, which is why they’re called “snappers.” Red snapper grow at a moderate rate, up to about 40 inches long and 50 pounds. They can live a long time—snapper as old as 57 have been reported in the Gulf of Mexico and as old as 54 in the South Atlantic. Females are able to reproduce as early as age two. Males and females spawn from May to October, depending on their location. Red snapper feed on fish, shrimp, crab, worms, cephalopods (for example, octopus, squid, etc.), and some plankton (tiny floating plants and animals). Young red snapper are food for the large carnivorous fish that share their same habitat, such as jacks, groupers, sharks, barracudas, and morays. Large marine mammals and turtles also eat snapper. Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9. Scale rows on back rising obliquely above lateral line. Specimens under 30 to 35 cm with large dark spot on the upper sides, located below the anterior soft dorsal rays.