MARKET NAME: Snapper.

COMMON NAME: Pacific Snapper. See literature references.

NON-ENGLISH AND VERNACULAR NAMES: Estrella, Gringo, Huachinango, Pacific red snapper, Pargo gringo, Pargo rojo, Vivaneau garance. See literature references.

ORIGINAL REFERENCE: Neomaenis peru Nichols & Murphy, 1922, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 46 (9): 598 [Type locality: Lobos de Tierra, Peru].

SYNONYMS: None.

NAMED SUBSPECIES: N/A

DIAGNOSTIC FEATURES: Coloration: Color uniformly reddish to pink, lighter specimens often with a silvery hue; fins reddish. See literature references.

Morphology: Size - Maximum total length about 90 cm; common to 50 cm. See literature references.

Shape - Perchlike in general appearance; body oblong, moderately compressed, relatively deep; the greatest depth about 2.5 to 3 times in standard length. See literature references.

Head - Head long, triangular, naked above, except for a more-or-less isolated broad band of scales extending obliquely on each side of nape. Upper and lower profiles of head unequal, upper profile sloped, and lower profile flattened. Snout pointed. Mouth large, protractile, terminal. Maxilla slides under suborbital rim and is partially hidden when mouth is closed. Eye closer to upper profile of head than to lower, its lower edge generally above an imaginary line drawn from tip of snout to middle of caudal fin base. Nostrils close together, lacking tubular extensions; large specimens develop a groove from front of eye to nostrils, and on upper part of preopercle behind the eye. Preopercle with a shallow emargination; its posterior margin finely serrate. Gill rakers on lower limb of first arch 12 or 13, but only 7 or 8 distinct, the remainder in the form of low rudiments. Interorbital space convex; preorbital very broad in adults; suborbital relatively wide. See literature references and illustration.

Dentition - The teeth are conical and sharp, in few rows, the outermost largest, and never molarlike. There are 2 to 4 stronger teeth or canines in front of upper jaw, and teeth in the roof of the mouth (vomer and palatines with villiform teeth; usually one or more patches of granular teeth on the tongue in the adult; no teeth on pterygoids or ectopterygoids). Vomerine tooth patch roughly diamond-shaped. See literature references.

Osteology - Frontal narrowed anteriorly; fronto-occipital crest ceasing anteriorly far from front of frontal, usually behind eye; prefrontal with posterior areas impressed, long and cribriform, with articular facets arising from diverging V-shaped ridges. Basisphenoid with an anterior lobiform extension. Posterior margin of preoperculum serrate, with a weak notch or emargination on lower side. Preorbital very broad, suborbital generally wide. Large specimens develop a groove from front of eye to nostrils, and on upper part of preopercle behind the eye. Posterior end of maxilla slides under the suborbital rim and is partially hidden when jaw is closed. Branchiostegal rays 7; number of vertebrae 24. See literature references.

Dorsal fin - The dorsal fin is single and continuous, and the first half is spinous. The posterior profile of the fin is rounded, and there are 10 spines and 13 or 14 soft rays. The base of dorsal fin, especially the soft portion, bears a moderately wide covering of scales. The anterior portion of the soft dorsal fin is not significantly taller than posterior part, and neither the anterior nor posterior fin rays are elongated. See literature references and illustration.

Anal fin - Anal fin with 3 spines and 8 soft rays; anterior portion of soft anal fin not significantly taller than posterior part; first and last soft rays not produced into elongate filaments. Posterior profile of fin poined, and base of fin, especially soft portion, with moderately wide covering of scales. See literature references and illustration.

Pectoral fin - Pectoral fin with 15 to 18 rays. See literature references and illustration .

Pelvic fin - [Information pending]. See illustration.

Caudal fin - Caudal fin truncate to slightly emarginate. See literature references and illustration.

Lateral line - Between 46 and 54 lateral line scales. Lateral line scales extend onto the caudal fin base, but not to its edge. See literature references and illustration.

Scalation - Small ctenoid scales cover the body, except the top of the head, the snout, and the area around the eyes. A more or less isolated band of scales extends obliquely on each side of nape. There are 46 to 54 lateral line scales, which extend onto the caudal fin base, but not to its edge. The longitudinal scale rows above the lateral line rise obliquely; those below the lateral line are horizontal. A moderately wide sheath of scales is present at the bases of the dorsal and anal fins. See literature references and illustration.

Swim bladder - [Information pending]

Anal opening - [Information pending]]

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: [In preparation]

FISHERIES AND SEASONAL ABUNDANCE: [In preparation]

FISHING METHODS: [In preparation]

MARKETED PRODUCT FORMS: [In preparation]

NOTES: [In preparation]

LITERATURE: [In preparation]