Top target

Yellowtail Snapper

Rubia

Ocyurus chrysurus · Lutjanidae

Category: Snapper & Pargo
Found in: Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean
IUCN status: Data Deficient

About Yellowtail Snapper in Mexico

How to recognize it

A slim, streamlined snapper with a bluish-olive back marked by scattered yellow spots, a whitish belly and a vivid yellow stripe running from the snout to a deeply forked yellow tail. That stripe-and-tail pattern is unmistakable, and the fish's shape, closer to a jack than a typical pargo, reflects its habit of feeding up in the water column rather than hugging bottom.

Where and when in Mexico

Called rubia in Mexico, this snapper is abundant along the Mexican Caribbean, from Isla Mujeres and Cancún to Puerto Morelos, Cozumel and Mahahual, and it also occurs on reefs of the Campeche Bank and southern Gulf. It schools over coral reefs and reef drop-offs from fairly shallow water to moderate depths, and it is caught throughout the year. Most fish run 1–3 pounds, with occasional larger "flags."

How it's fished

Anchoring or drifting over reef with a steady chum slick is the classic method. As the fish rise into the chum, anglers drift small hooks baited with pieces of sardine, squid or shrimp back on light spinning tackle and fluorocarbon leaders, keeping weight to a minimum. Small jigs and flies fished in the slick also work, and reef boats out of Cozumel and Puerto Morelos often mix yellowtail snapper into half-day bottom trips.

Good to know

Rubia are sharp-eyed, and heavy line or bulky rigs cut the bite noticeably. They are excellent eating, with delicate white meat best cooked soon after the catch.