# Bay Red snapper or Lane snapper question



## Fishermon

Run into a bunch of what it looked like Lane snapper , but with no yellow or blue lines on its side..just like the pics show. These were typical red snapper, but with a dark spot on its back (both sides) .... back below the dorsal fin... fish were 10 to 12" total lenght. . So my questions is, were these baby snapper? or mature Lane snapper....thanks in advance. ah...and what's the regulation again on both? wish I a took a pic..if you have one please post it.


----------



## JoeZ

The spot tells me juvi red snapper. I've caught them before in the grass so they'll pretty much roam where they want. 16 inches on those and 10 or 12 on the lane I think, can't recall.


----------



## amarcafina

Red snapper have red in the eyes !


----------



## Chris V

Both Lane and Red snapper juvies have a spot on the back so that doesn't really help as much. Without a pic its hard to say


----------



## Fishermon

cant post pics (how do u post a pic..there's gotta be a faster way) ....

these fish were on 60' of water JoeZ....wish i can find them in the shallow like that....


----------



## jdhkingfisher

little red snapper for sure


----------



## X-Shark

> but with a dark spot on its back (both sides)


I know a guy that just won a court case on this. They are Lane Snapper.

Lane Snapper

Fish and Wildlife Research Institute



> diffuse black spot, about as large as the eye;













Red Snapper

Fish and Wildlife Research Institute



> no dark lateral spot













I use to confuse them also. If they didn't have the Yellow stripes they were not Lane Snapper. That is not so. Not all Lane Snapper have Yellow stripes.


----------



## Fishermon

View attachment 10816


Thanks for the pics.. I added a spot to the red snapper to show what we got that day..so they are Lane snapper? appreciate the responses on this one. Thanks.


----------



## Jaw Jacker

Juvenile Red Snapper. I have caught them with black spots.


----------



## JD7.62

Just an observation from the pictures posted....

The lane snapper has a rounded anal fin and the red snapper has a pointed anal fin however these characteristics are not listed as an identifying characteristic on fishbase . Also, according to fishbase, lane snapper only have 12-13 soft rays in the dorsal fine where as redsnapper have 14, both represented in these pictures. However, fishbase lists says the spot is on both lane snapper and juvenile red snapper. Fishbase is not always 100% correct but it looks to me the safest bet is to count the soft dorsal spines.


----------



## kman

If they don't have any yellow on them then they are definetly juvenile Red Snapper. Our bay is loaded with juvenile Red Snapper. I catch them everytime I go fishing in the bay. I have never caught a Lane Snapper in the bay, but that doesn't mean there are none in the bay.


----------

