New Brazil Snapper Species Identified

New Brazil Snapper Species Identified



March 2007 – A large fish 
mistaken by scientists as a dog snapper, a popular commercial 
fish in Brazil, is actually a new species identified among the 
reefs of the Abrolhos region of the South Atlantic Ocean. 
Researchers Rodrigo Moura of Conservation International and 
Kenyon Lindeman of Environmental Defense made the discovery, 
identifying the fish as Lutjanus alexandrei, a new snapper 
species that belongs to the Lutjanidae family. 
"This discovery that a large, popular fish is a species new to 
science shows how little we know about the oceans that 
surround us," Moura said. 
The new species has been mistaken for Lutjanus jocu, known as 
the dog snapper. 
"It looks like other snapper species found in the Caribbean 
and eastern United States, as well as the dog snapper caught 
by fishermen here in Brazil, but it is a distinct species with 
different markings and color," Moura said. 
The new snapper, Lutjanus alexandrei. 
The new species is named for 18th century naturalist Alexandre 
Rodrigues Ferreira, whose extensive work in the Brazilian 
interior remains largely unknown. 
Moura and Lindeman spent five years observing Lutjanus 
alexandrei to analyze its characteristics and determine the 
distinct features. 
They found that it occurs from the state of Maranhao to the 
southern coast of the state of Bahia, and its habitats include 
coral reefs, rocky shores, coastal lagoons with brackish 
water, mangroves, and other shallow habitats. 
Juveniles requiring more food and protection live in 
mangroves, then migrate to reef habitat and deeper areas as 
adults. 
"Several species spend some of their lives in these different 
yet connected habitats," Lindeman said. "That’s why it’s so 
important to develop integrated conservation strategies that 
include mangroves, deep reefs, and other interdependent 
ecosystems." 
The discovery made by Moura and Lindeman is published in the 
peer-reviewed international science journal "Zootaxa." The 
study provides a revised key for identifying all Lutjanus 
species in the western Atlantic. 
It also offers evidence that the new species completes its 
life cycle in different but interdependent marine habitats, 
such as coral reefs and mangroves. 
Twelve species of the family Lutjanidae, including the new 
discovery, are now identified in the western Atlantic Ocean. 
They include Lutjanus griseus and Lutjanus apodus, two species 
restricted to the Caribbean and eastern coast of the United 
States but previously believed to occur in Brazilian waters 
until the discovery of Lutjanus alexandrei. 
According to Moura and Lindeman, the discovery shows the need 
for more comprehensive studies of Brazil’s reef fish 
populations, particularly in the northeastern region that 
includes the Abrolhos area, which contains the nation’s 
largest concentration of coral reefs. 
Some of the research was conducted under the Marine Management 
Areas Science program, a Conservation International initiative 
intended to improve marine biodiversity conservation and the 
welfare of local communities. 
In Brazil, the Marine Management Areas Science program was 
established in the Abrolhos region in October 2005. 





 

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