{{Short description|Species of fish}} {{Speciesbox | image = FMIB 45828 Lutjanus eutactus.jpeg | status = DD | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |author=de Morais, L. |author2=Sidibé, A. |author3=Nunoo, F. |author4=Camara, K. |author5=Djiman, R. |author6=Sagna, A. |author7=Sylla, M. |author8=Williams, A.B. |author9=Montiero, V. |author10=Lindeman, K. |author11=Quartey, R. |author12=Carpenter, K.E. | display-authors = 3 |year=2015 |title=''Lutjanus dentatus'' |volume=2015 |article-number=e.T194394A2330500 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T194394A2330500.en |access-date=7 June 2021}}</ref> | taxon = Lutjanus dentatus | authority = (Duméril, 1861) | synonyms = * ''Mesoprion dentatus'' <small>Duméril, 1861</small> * ''Lutjanus eutactus'' <small>Bleeker, 1863</small> | synonyms_ref = <ref name = Fishbase>{{FishBase|Lutjanus|dentatus|month=February|year=2021}}</ref> }} The '''African brown snapper''' ('''''Lutjanus dentatus''''') is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa.

==Taxonomy== The African brown snapper was first formally described in 1861 as ''Mesoprion dentatus'' by the French zoologist Auguste Duméril with the type locality given as Gorée in Senegal.<ref name = CofF>{{Cof genus | genus = Lutjanus | access-date = 7 June 2021}}</ref> The specific name ''dentatus'' means "toothed" and refers to the large teeth possessed by this species.<ref name = ETYFish>{{cite web | url = https://etyfish.org/lutjaniformes/ | title = Order LUTJANIFORMES: Families HAEMULIDAE and LUTJANIDAE | work = The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database | editor1 = Christopher Scharpf | editor2 = Kenneth J. Lazara | name-list-style = and | date = 5 January 2021 | access-date = 7 June 2021 | publisher = Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara | archive-date = 12 April 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210412135037/https://etyfish.org/lutjaniformes/ }}</ref> An examination of a specimen of a vagrant cubera snapper (''Lutjanus cyanopterus'') from Flores Island in the Azores with a vagrant specimen of this species from Gran Canaria suggested that these may be conspecific, if that is the case then ''L. dentatus'' will be a junior synonym of ''L. cyanopterus''.<ref name = RGCF>{{cite journal | author1 = Ribeiro, Pedro | author2 = Gonçalves, João | author3 = Chavan, Govindraj | author4 = Fricke, Ronald | author5 = A.M., García-Mederos | author6 = Tuset, Víctor | author7 = Barreiros, João | display-authors = 3 | year = 2017 | title = First record of the cubera snapper, ''Lutjanus cyanopterus'' (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Lutjanidae), from the Azores (NE Atlantic) and possible range extension for the East Atlantic | journal = Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria | volume = 47 | pages = 259–263 | doi = 10.3750/AIEP/02238| hdl = 10261/157627 | hdl-access = free }}</ref> The little known Guinea snapper (''Lutjanus endecacanthus'') is considered by some authorities to be synonymous with ''L. dentatus''.<ref name = iucn2>{{cite iucn | author1 = de Morais, L. | author2 = Sidibé, A | author3 = Nunoo, F. | author4 = Camara, K. | author5 = Djiman, R. | author6 = Sagna, A. | author7 = Sylla, M. | author8 = Williams, A.B. | author9 = Montiero, V. | author10 = Lindeman, K. | author11 = Quartey, R. | author12 = Carpenter, K.E. | display-authors = 3 | year = 2015 | title = ''Lutjanus endecacanthus'' | article-number = e.T194388A2329203 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T194388A2329203.en | access-date = 8 June 2021}}</ref>

==Description== The African brown snapper has a relatively deep body with a slightly rounded head. Its mouth extends as far as the centre line of the eye and has thick lips. The notch and knob on the preoperculum are weak. The vomerine teeth are arranged in a triangular patch in adults, chevron shaped in juveniles and the adults sometime have a small rearwards extension.<ref name = FAO>{{cite book | author = Gerald R. Allen | year = 1985 | title = FAO species catalogue Vol.6. Snappers of the world An annotated and illustrated catalogue of lutjanid species known to date | pages = 75–76 | publisher = FAO Rome | isbn = 92-5-102321-2 | url = http://www.fao.org/3/ac481e/ac481e20.pdf}}</ref> The dorsal fin contains 10 spines and 13-14 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays.<ref name = Fishbase/> In adults the pectoral fins do not extend as far as the anus and contain 17 rays.<ref name = FAO/> The maximum total length recorded for this species is {{cvt|150|cm}} although {{cvt|50|cm}} is more typical, the maximum published weight is {{cvt|50|kg}}. The back and upper flanks of adults are dusky grey in colour fading to whiteish pink on the lower flanks and abdomen. The juveniles have alternating light and dark vertical bars of roughly equal widths on their flanks.<ref name = Fishbase/>

==Distribution and habitat== The African brown snapper is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It occurs along the western coast of African from Senegal to Angola, including Bioko and São Tomé and Príncipe.<ref name = iucn/> It has occurred in the Canary Islands.<ref name = Canary>{{cite journal | author1 = Antonio M. García-Mederos | author2 = Victor M. Tuset | name-list-style = and | year = 2014 | title = First record of African brown snapper Lutjanus dentatus in the Canary Islands (north-eastern Atlantic Ocean) | journal = Marine Biodiversity Records |volume = 7 | issue = e65 | doi =10.1017/S1755267214000682| hdl = 10261/101569 | hdl-access = free }}</ref> This species is found in relatively shallow waters at depths between {{cvt|2|and|50|m}} normally over rocky and coral reefs but it is also found in brackish lagoons, mangroves and occasionally in rivers.<ref name = iucn/>

==Biology== The biology of the African brown snapper is little known, it is known to feed on smaller fishes and crustaceans.<ref name = Fishbase/>

==Fisheries and conservation== The African brown snapper is fished for by commercial fisheries, along with its congeners. Although it commands high prices it is not as sought after as the African red snapper (''Lutjanus agennes''). Separate data is not collected on the catch of this species but the fish stocks in West Africa are known to be overexploited. Both commercial trawlers and artisanal fishers fish for this species and some of the catch is exported to Europe. It is also likely that spawning aggregations of snappers are being targeted. The IUCN classify this species as Data Deficient because no separate data is available but they do consider that because of intense fishing pressure and declines in all West African snapper stocks that it may actually be Near Threatened or Vulnerable.<ref name = iucn/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|From=Q3753400}}

African brown snapper Category:Fish described in 1861