Red Snapper: Ecology and Fisheries in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

<em>Abstract.</em>—The red snapper, <em>Lutjanus campechanus</em>, is one of the most economically important fish species in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Concerns over the declines in red snapper landings during the 1980s in the GOM exposed the paucity of information regarding the species’ age, growth, and population dynamics, all fundamental in fisheries management. This paper reviews the history of red snapper age and growth research in the GOM demonstrating an evolution of fisheries aging and validation techniques. These refinements in aging over time have also impacted management of the red snapper stock in the GOM. Also discussed are efforts to standardize aging techniques throughout the GOM in an effort to improve data accuracy. A number of studies have used the von Bertalanffy growth model to describe a pattern of rapid growth followed by slower growth after the age of ten years for red snapper in the GOM. Additional applications of the von Bertalanffy growth model have also been applied to corroborate red snapper age estimates derived from sectioned otoliths and to discern demographic differences in red snapper growth throughout the GOM.