Mutton Snapper
Pargo criollo
Lutjanus analis · Lutjanidae
- Category
- Snapper & Pargo
- Found in
- Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean
- IUCN status
- Near Threatened
About Mutton Snapper in Mexico
How to recognize it
A deep-bodied snapper with olive-green upper sides that shade to pinkish or reddish below, plus a small black spot above the lateral line, just under the soft dorsal fin. Thin, bright blue lines run across the cheek below the eye, and the anal fin comes to a sharp point. Those blue facial lines and the pointed anal fin separate it from the lane snapper, which also has a dark spot but shows yellow stripes and a rounded anal fin.
Where and when in Mexico
Pargo criollo is found from the Campeche Bank and the reefs off Veracruz through the Yucatán and down the Caribbean coast past Cozumel and Mahahual to the Chetumal area. Adults favor reef edges, ledges and patch reefs, but they also forage over shallow sand and grass flats, which is what makes them interesting to fly anglers in Ascension Bay and the Sian Ka'an reserve. Like several Caribbean snappers, they form spawning aggregations on reef promontories, generally around late spring and summer moons. Typical catches run 4–12 pounds.
How it's fished
Reef boats out of Cozumel, Isla Mujeres and Puerto Morelos bottom fish with cut bait, whole squid or live pilchards on fluorocarbon leaders, often with a little chum to bring fish up. On the flats, muttons are hunted much like permit with crab and shrimp flies, a demanding sight-fishing game.
Good to know
Mutton snapper make excellent table fare. Spawning aggregations are vulnerable to overfishing, so practice restraint around known spawning sites and release flats-caught fish when possible.
Fishing rules in Mexico
- General limit: 10 fish per angler per day, max 5 of one species
Source: NOM-017-PESC-1994 §4.9.1 (2013 mod.). Rules change; confirm current limits, seasons and permits with CONAPESCA before you fish.
