Texas Gulf Coast Fishing

Schoolmaster Snapper

SCHOOLMASTER - Lutjanus apodus Family Lutjanidae, SNAPPERS

Descriptions: color olive gray on upper sides with yellow tinge, sometimes with reddish tinge around head; long triangular snout; eight pale vertical bars on the side of the body; yellow fins; blue stripe below eye, becoming interrupted in adults; no dark lateral spot.
Similar fish: dog snapper, L. jocu; other snappers.
Where found: juveniles in grass flats; adults NEARSHORE especially around elkhorn coral reefs; large adults sometimes found on continental shelf.
Size: usually less than 1 pound.
Remarks: spawns July and August; attain sizes of 8 pounds and 24 inches; slow grower; feeds on crustaceans, small fishes, and gastropods.