yellowtail snapper
Ocyurus chrysurus (Bloch, 1791)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus) is an abundant species of snapper native to the western Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Although they have been found as far north as Massachusetts, their normal range is along Florida south to the West Indies and Brazil. This species is mostly found around coral reefs, but may be found in other habitats. They occur at depths of from near the surface to 180 meters (590 ft), though mostly between 10 and 70 m (33 and 230 ft). This species can reach a length of 86.3 cm (34.0 in), though most do not exceed 40 cm (16 in). The greatest weight recorded for this species is 4.98 kg (11.0 lb). Yellowtail snapper is a commercially important species and has been farmed. It is sought as a game fish by recreational anglers and is a popular species for display in public aquaria. This species is the only known member of its genus.
Wikipedia contributors, Yellowtail snapper; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:35:10.628367+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Ocyurus chrysurus (Bloch, 1791)
- Name authority
- (Bloch, 1791)
- Common name
- yellowtail snapper
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Family
- Lutjanidae
- Genus
- Ocyurus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- familyLutjanidae Gill, 1861
- genusOcyurus Gill, 1862
- speciesOcyurus chrysurus (Bloch, 1791)
Close classified relatives
No other member of this genus is present in the selected snapshot.
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Mesoprion aurovittatus Agassiz, 1831 Agassiz, 1831 | synonym |
| Ocyurus chysurus (Bloch, 1791) (Bloch, 1791) | synonym |
| Ocyurus rijgersmaei Cope, 1871 Cope, 1871 | synonym |
| Sparus semiluna Lacepède, 1802 Lacepède, 1802 | synonym |
| Sparus chrysurus Bloch, 1791 Bloch, 1791 | synonym |
| Mesoprion chrysurus (Bloch, 1791) (Bloch, 1791) | synonym |
| Anthias rabirrubia Bloch & Schneider, 1801 Bloch & Schneider, 1801 | synonym |
| Lutjanus chrysurus (Bloch, 1791) (Bloch, 1791) | synonym |
| Ocyurus aurovittatus (Agassiz, 1831) (Agassiz, 1831) | synonym |
| Lutjanus melanurus Jordan & Gilbert, 1883 Jordan & Gilbert, 1883 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=159803 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:48MRB. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.