Grunts & Snappers
Yellowtail Snapper
Ocyurus chrysurus
Species Overview
Blue to violet back with scattered yellow spots; prominent yellow mid-lateral band from snout to tail base; whitish lower sides with narrow reddish and yellow stripes; yellow dorsal and deeply forked yellow caudal fin; relatively small head.
- Size
- Typically 30-60 cm (1-2 ft) (ReefGuide); common length 40 cm TL (16 in); max recorded 86.3 cm TL (34 in) (FishBase).
- Depth range
- 3-18 m typical (ReefGuide); 0-180 m recorded, usually 10-70 m (FishBase).
- Habitat
- Coastal waters, mostly around coral reefs, usually swimming well above the bottom; juveniles over weed (seagrass) beds.
- Diet
- Feeds mainly at night on fishes, crustaceans, worms, gastropods and cephalopods, plus plankton; juveniles mainly planktivorous.
- Range
- Common in the Bahamas, south Florida and throughout the Caribbean; western Atlantic from Massachusetts and Bermuda to southeastern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) and Antilles.
Life stages
No life-stage photos on ReefGuide; young occur over weed beds and feed mainly on plankton (FishBase).
Explore reef conservation
Learn about Caribbean reef habitats, invasive lionfish and the work of the Caribbean Reef Fish Foundation.
TL means total length; SL excludes the tail fin; FL measures to the tail fork. These measurements are not interchangeable.