Species Focus- Golden Snapper

(Well, neither is our more eminent snapper Chrysophrys auratus), but rather a relative of the deeper water alfonsinos (Order: Beryciformes), which includes the orange roughy and squirrelfishes.
More specifically the golden snapper is one of seven species in the genus Centroberyx, a primitive group of fishes where fossils of the genus have been dated from the Cretaceous period. Centroberyx affinis has a relatively wide geographical range in the southwestern pacific region and is found throughout most of New Zealand albeit much more commonly north of East Cape and Cape Egmont. In addition it lives on the east coast of Australia right down to Tasmania, and also they have been found more recently as far north as New Caledonia.

Golden snapper are bright orange-red, though when lit up by artificial light they can show flashes of silver. The reddish colour makes them more invisible at depth which explains why many deeper sea inhabitants are also this colour. Being longer wavelengths, reds and oranges are the first colour on the light spectrum to be absorbed by the water which leaves red objects, at even moderate depths, a dark colourless black.

Other characteristics include a stout, laterally compressed body covered in rough scales with the patterns on these scales forming thin stripes that run the length of the fish. The head is large and spiny, and with large eyes and mouth, indicating its nocturnal, predatory nature. Large nostrils also indicate a strong olfactory capacity. A particularly large, red and strongly forked tail is quite distinctive compared to other, surrounding fishes in the low light.

Golden snapper are typically found in deeper reefs ranging far down into the mesopelagic to depths of over 400 metres. During the day they form schools near the bottom, seeking refuge near structures or, in deeper depths in the open they form larger schools. At night they spread out to forage on a wide variety of prey, including mobile invertebrates and smaller fishes. They can however also be seen in shallower depths where light is limited, for instance in archways and caves where some individuals are known to have set up residence for years on end. Juveniles are known to inhabit much shallower waters, including estuaries and bays, moving deeper as they grow larger.

FACTS: Golden Snapper ~Centroberyx affinis

1 Otherwise known as red snapper, redfish, koarea, and eastern nannygai (in Australia).2 The gold/red colour makes them less visible at depth.
3 Related to the orange roughy.
4 Often seen at diving depths in caves and overhangs.
5 Large individuals can reach 50cm and over 2 kg.
6 Known to live for over 40 years.
7 Nocturnal.
8 Members of this genus have been found as fossils from the time of dinosaurs