New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

🌊 Marine Least Concern 🎣 Game Fish 🌡️ Tropical 🎣 Game Fish

Deepwater red snapper

Etelis carbunculus Cuvier, 1828
Max Length
127 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
35 yrs
Trophic Level
4.5
Depth
90–400 m
Climate
Tropical
Resilience
Very low
Vulnerability
67.00/100
Typical Length
65 cm
Depth Zone
-

📖 Overview

Adults inhabit rocky bottoms . Benthopelagic . Feed on fishes and larger invertebrates such as squids, shrimps and crabs; also takes planktonic organisms, including pelagic urochordates. An important food fish in some areas. Marketed fresh or frozen .

Scientific Name
Etelis carbunculus
Authority
Cuvier, 1828
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Tropical
Body Shape
Fusiform / normal
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
127 cm
Lifespan
35 years
Depth Range
90–400 m
Latitude
25°S – 34°N
Trophic Level
4.5
Resilience
Very low
Vulnerability
67.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8. This species is distinguished by having the following characters: body relatively elongate, laterally compressed. Nostrils on each side of snout close together; lower jaw protruding slightly; premaxillae protrusible and maxilla extending to below middle of eye; both upper and lower jaws with conical teeth; 1 to several enlarged canines on each side of both jaws; vomer and palatines with teeth, those on vomer in a chevron-shaped patch; maxilla with scales, but without longitudinal ridges. Interorbital region flattened; gill rakers of first gill arch 5-8 + 11-14 = 17-22 (including rudiments; dorsal fin continuous, but spinous portion of fin deeply incised at its junction with soft portion; last soft ray of both dorsal and anal fins produced, longer than next to last ray; caudal fin forked, the lobes relatively short (about 25-30% SL) compared with its congeners; pectoral fins fairly long (in specimens > 19 cm SL), length of pectoral fins about 80-90% of head length, with 15-17 rays; membranes of dorsal and anal fins without scales; tubed lateral-line scales 48-50. Colour: mainly pink to red, becoming white on lower sides and belly (Rfe. 9821).: fusiform / normal; Cross section: oval.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Deepwater red snapper is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

small fish
crustaceans
cephalopods

🥚 Reproduction

Size at Maturity
61cm TL

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 90 - 400 m , usually 200 - 350 m . Tropical; 34°N - 25°S, 35°E - 150°W East Africa to the Hawaiian Islands, north to southern Japan, south to Australia.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine
Trophic Level
4.5±0.8
Food Items

fishes and larger invertebrates such as squids, shrimps and crabs; also takes planktonic organisms,

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.01549 × L2.95 (TL)
Max TL
127cm
Dorsal Spines
10
Dorsal Rays
11
Anal Spines
3
Anal Rays
8

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2015

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Very low
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
67.00/100
High vulnerability
Trophic Level
4.5
Apex / Top predator
Body Shape
Fusiform / normal
Climate Zone
Tropical
Latitude Range
34°N – 25°S
Described By
Cuvier, 1828

🎣 Angling Guide

Difficulty
Beginner
Fight Rating
strong pulls with head-shakes
Best Seasons
spring,summer,fall
Best Time
incoming tide, dawn and dusk
Line Weight
15-30
Rod Type
medium-heavy spinning
Hook Size
2/0-5/0
Catch & Release
✓ Recommended
Best Months
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Techniques
bottom fishing popping cork soft plastics live bait
Bait & Lures
live shrimp cut mullet soft plastic paddle-tails popping corks
Recommended Tackle
  • medium-heavy 7ft spinning rod
  • 30-50 lb braid
  • fluorocarbon leader
Where to Find Them
  • grass flats
  • oyster bars
  • marsh drains
  • deeper channel edges
Tips & Tricks
Popping cork technique attracts fish from distance. Fish moving tides.
Catch & Release Tips

Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.

Regulations Summary

⚠️ Slot limits protect breeding-size fish. Verify daily bag limits.

📊 Population Dynamics

Year Region Index Notes
- - -

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Etelis carbonculus Cuvier 1828 Synonym
Etelis marshi Jenkins 1903 Synonym
Eteliscus marshi Jenkins 1903 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 39 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Deepwater red snapper ↗
Suggest an Edit

Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.

Link to a scientific paper, FishBase, or other authoritative source
Report an Issue

Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.