It has a yellow stripe along its sides, and a forked tail. The largest it will grow is about 30 inches (75 cm) long with a weight of 5 pounds (2 1/4 kilos), but the average size is 3 pounds (1 1/3 kilos.) At the end of its first year, it will be about 5 inches (13 cm) long, reaching 17 inches (43 cm) in length when it is 14 years of age.
Adult yellowtail snappers eat crabs, jellyfish and other smaller fish. They live in schools, and tend to hunt and eat at night.
They are a very popular eating fish in Florida.
Language Notes
The “snapper” name comes from their habit of snapping when caught on a hook and reeled in.