# Blue Snapper?



## GAHUNTER (Jan 30, 2008)

I saw this fish in filet form (labeled "blue snapper") at Super H Mart in Johns Creek, GA (oriental supermarket). The flesh is fairly white, with some dark meet on the surface of the skin side.

It is a heavy-bodied fish, with a whole filet being 18-20 inches, and over an inch thick at the shoulder. In fact, they are closer to two inches thick at the shoulder. This rules out it being a blue-striped snapper, called blue snapper by some, as they are generally about the size of a porgy.

I bought two pounds and brought it home for fish tacos. It had a slight odor, which quickly disappeared when I applied lemon juice. I cut it into three-inch chunks and sauteed it in butter and Tony Cracheres seasoning. I quickly found out that this is the perfect fish for tacos, as it flakes completely apart when it approaches being done.

The flavor was quite mild, with no "fishy" aftertaste. I just wish I knew what the heck it was that I was eating.

Anyone have an idea as to what this fish could really be? I did a web search, but I only got hits on the blue-striped snapper being called blue snapper. You reckon it could be bluefish? Certainly bluefish caught on the Mid-Atlantic could produce filet's of this size, and I can see why they might be called "blue snapper," considering the chompers they sport.

Beyond that, I don't have a clue.


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## Yaksquatch (Mar 23, 2009)

Honestly without seeing the rest of the fish with fillets attached, there's no telling. There are so many marketing names for different fish on top of all the different regional nicknames.

Good luck!
Alex


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

Who knows what it was. I know that there is a lot of mislabeled and downright counterfeit fish that gets sold both at markets and in restaurants. I remember going to flounders several months ago and they had a fish on the menu called "pacific dory". Wondering what in the heck it was, I did a little research. While there is no such fish in existence that goes by that name, it is a slang term that simply refers to asian catfish.


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## GAHUNTER (Jan 30, 2008)

The more I think about it, the more I think it was/is most likely bluefish. I have found some references to bluefish as "snapper blues."

I have not eaten a lot of bluefish, and those that I have, were eaten within a few hours of being caught, so i can't compare. Also, Gulf bluefish tend to be considerably smaller than those from the Carolinas, which commonly go 10-15 pounds.


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