B-Liners, Red Snapper, Vermilion Snapper – its all the same thing.  The red snapper commonly inhabits waters thirty to two hundred feet deep, but some are reported to be caught at three hundred feet deep.  All feature a sloped profile, medium-to-large scales, a spiny dorsal fin and a laterally compressed body.  The maximum published age of a caught red snapper was reported to be fifty-seven years.  Coloration of the red snapper is light red, with more intense pigment on the back. A red snapper attains sexual maturity at 2–5 years old.  An adult snapper can live for more than 50 years and weigh 50 pounds. They inhabit tropical and subtropical regions of all oceans and can grow to about 3 feet in length.  Red snapper is the most commonly caught snapper in the continental USA (almost 50% of the total catch), with similar species being more common elsewhere.

There are approximately 100 species of Snapper and over 60 of them have “Snapper” in the name.  Most snapper feed on crustaceans or other fish, although a few are plankton-feeders.  Yellowtail snapper, red snapper and hog snapper are three common varieties that we often see in our local fishing waters.