Schoolmaster
Lutjanus apodus

f8 @ 1/60s, ASA 64, Ektachrome 64 film, Nikonos II w 15mm, Oceanic flash

Schoolmaster Snapper,\" Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.The schoolmaster snapper is a colorful, subtropical fish found over coral reef areas along the coasts of Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean, though it can range northward along the Atlantic coast of the United States. Adults are 12-14 in (30-35 cm) long and weigh 1.0-2.0 lb (0.4-0.8 kg), though rare individuals can weigh 8 lb at 24 in long. It has a robust, slightly compressed body, with a pointed head. Its color varies from silvery to bronze. Fins and tails are yellow and the snout contains blue stripes. As the common name suggests, schoolmaster snapper live in groups of dozens of subjects. They keep a short distance from the sea floor at depths between 10 and 90 ft, prefer the cover provided by coral reefs during the day, and expand their range to seagrass beds at night. The schoolmaster snapper is sometimes called the barred snapper or the caji. Like other snapper species, it is a popular food fish.

Salt River Canyon, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

00/00/0000