# Australasian snapper

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Species of fish

Australasian snapper Australasian snapper, Chrysophrys auratus, at Melbourne Aquarium. Conservation status Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Acanthuriformes Family: Sparidae Genus: Chrysophrys Quoy & Gaimard, 1824 Species: C. auratus Binomial name Chrysophrys auratus (Forster, 1801) Distribution of Australasian snapper Synonyms Pagrus auratus (Forster, 1801)

The **Australasian snapper** (***Chrysophrys auratus***) or **silver seabream** is a species of [porgie](/source/Porgie) found in coastal waters of [Australia](/source/Australia), [Philippines](/source/Philippines), [Indonesia](/source/Indonesia), [mainland China](/source/Mainland_China), [Taiwan](/source/Taiwan), [Japan](/source/Japan) and [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand). Its distribution areas in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are disjunct.[2] Although it is almost universally known in Australia and New Zealand as **snapper**, it does not belong to the [Lutjanidae](/source/Lutjanidae) snapper family. It is highly prized as an edible fish, with a sweet sea taste and a firm texture.

It is the only species in the genus ***Chrysophrys***, but was previously placed in the genus *[Pagrus](/source/Pagrus)* as *Pagrus auratus*.[2][3][1]

## Regional variation in naming

Large snapper caught off [Frankston, Victoria](/source/Frankston%2C_Victoria), in 1893

Australia: **cocknies** (young smaller than legal size), **red bream** or **pinkies** (legal size), **squire** or **squirefish** (when bigger), **snapper** (at full size)

[Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia): "pink snapper"[4] to distinguish it from unrelated species[5]

Victoria: also **schnapper** (ref: Schnapper Point, Mornington)

South Australia: the name "ruggers" is often used for smaller fish of legal size

[Aboriginal people](/source/Indigenous_Australians) of the [Port Jackson](/source/Port_Jackson) area in Australia: they called it *wollamie*[6] (also spelt *wollamai*, and other variations). European colonists there knew it as the "light horseman", for the resemblance of the fish's skull to the helmet of a [light horseman](/source/Light_horseman).[7]

New Zealand: **snapper** (or **New Zealand snapper** when there is need to distinguish from other species of snapper). [Māori](/source/M%C4%81ori_language): *tāmure* (adult fish), *karatī* (juveniles)[8]

## Habitat

Capture of wild Australasian snapper in thousand tonnes, 1950–2010, as reported by the FAO[9]

The Australasian snapper is found on all coasts of New Zealand, especially in the north. In Australia, it is found along the south coast, mainly near [Kiama](/source/Kiama%2C_New_South_Wales), [Berry](/source/Berry%2C_New_South_Wales), [Gerringong](/source/Gerringong), [Gerroa](/source/Gerroa), [Huskisson](/source/Huskisson%2C_New_South_Wales), [Vincentia](/source/Vincentia%2C_New_South_Wales), and [Shoalhaven](/source/Shoalhaven). It is also found on the coast of [Tasmania](/source/Tasmania), but in smaller numbers. The fish spawn in inshore waters and live in rocky areas and reefs of up to 200 m (660 ft) deep. They school, and will migrate between reefs. Larger fish are known to enter estuaries and harbours, for example [Port Phillip Bay](/source/Port_Phillip_Bay) has a renowned seasonal snapper run.

Growth rates within the wild stocks vary with some (i.e. the Hauraki Gulf, NZ) growing rapidly and to a smaller maximum length, while stocks in east and west Australia are known to grow more slowly. The species is capable of living about 40 years throughout much of its range in Australia, and the Australian recordholder of 40 years and 10 months was a 93.5 cm (36.8 in) large-nosed male, caught on 1 September 2007 off Bunbury, Western Australia, and photographed on the day of capture.[10] Sexual maturity is reached at about 30 cm (12 in) long and a small percentage of the males will turn into females at puberty. Large individuals of both sexes develop a prominent hump on the head.[11] Anglers are advised not to take immature fish, so as not to reduce breeding stock. The legal size in Australia varies by state, from 35 cm (14 in) and a bag limit of five fish per person in [Queensland](/source/Queensland) to 50 cm (20 in) in [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia). During spawning, these fish obtain a metallic green sheen which indicates a high concentration of acid buildup within the scales' infrastructure. Minimum sizes are supposed to be designed to allow these fish to participate in spawning runs at least once before they become available to the fishery, but given the slow growth rates of this species, a need exists to consider area closures and/or further increase the minimum sizes in each state to reduce the chances of [growth overfishing](/source/Growth_overfishing) of the various populations of snapper throughout its range. This may be important with recent developments in technology such as [GPS](/source/Global_Positioning_System).

## Relationship with humans

Snapper was an important traditional food for [Māori](/source/M%C4%81ori_people),[12] especially the tribes to the north of the [North Island](/source/North_Island), where snapper bones sometimes make up the majority of archaeological middens. Snapper is known by multiple names, including tāmure, a word to describe adults, and karatī, a word describing juvenile fish.[13][12]

There are numerous traditional ways to prepare the fish. One specific to snapper was kaniwha, where the meat would be submerged in fresh water and squeezed numerous times, then eaten raw. The nene (base of the tongue) was considered the most prestigious part of the fish to eat.[13]

## Fisheries

Aquaculture production of farmed Australasian snapper in thousand tonnes, 1950–2010, as reported by the FAO[9]

Capture (blue) and aquaculture (green) production of Silver seabream (*Pagrus auratus*) in thousand tonnes from 1950 to 2022, as reported by the [FAO](/source/Food_and_Agriculture_Organization)[14]

Catches of Australasian snapper have varied between 25,600 and 34,300 tonnes in 2000–2009, with Japan and New Zealand reporting the largest catches.[15]

## See also

- [Cape Woolamai](/source/Cape_Woolamai%2C_Victoria), named after the fish

- [Porgie fishing](/source/Porgie_fishing)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-iucn_status_11_November_2021_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-iucn_status_11_November_2021_1-1) Carpenter, K.E.; Buxton, C.D.; Russell, B.; Pollard, D. (2014). ["*Pagrus auratus*"](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/154734/47028414). *[IUCN Red List of Threatened Species](/source/IUCN_Red_List)*. **2014** e.T154734A47028414. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T154734A47028414.en](https://doi.org/10.2305%2FIUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T154734A47028414.en). Retrieved 11 November 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-fishbase_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-fishbase_2-1) [Froese, Rainer](/source/Rainer_Froese); [Pauly, Daniel](/source/Daniel_Pauly) (eds.). ["*Chrysophrys auratus*"](https://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?genusname=Chrysophrys&speciesname=auratus). *[FishBase](/source/FishBase)*. September 2012 version.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-CofF_3-0)** Fricke, Ron; [Eschmeyer, William N.](/source/William_N._Eschmeyer) & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). ["Species in the genus *Chrysophrys*"](http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatget.asp?tbl=species&genus=Chrysophrys). *[Catalog of Fishes](/source/Catalog_of_Fishes)*. [California Academy of Sciences](/source/California_Academy_of_Sciences). Retrieved 6 September 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Relationships among partial and whole lengths and weights for Western Australian Pink Snapper *Chrysophrys auratus* (Sparidae) - Department of Fisheries, Western Australia, Fish for the Future"](http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/frr/frr089/index.php?0401). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20060819200057/http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/frr/frr089/index.php?0401) from the original on 19 August 2006. Retrieved 2006-07-22.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Fishing Australia with the Definitive Aussie Interactive Sports Fishing Website! - Sportsfish Australia"](https://web.archive.org/web/20060703030859/http://www.sportsfish.com.au/pages/fishing/fish-saltwater/snapper.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.sportsfish.com.au/pages/fishing/fish-saltwater/snapper.html) on 3 July 2006. Retrieved 2006-07-22.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** *Australian Aboriginal Words in English*, [R. M. W. Dixon](/source/R._M._W._Dixon), [Oxford University Press](/source/Oxford_University_Press), 1990, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-19-553099-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-19-553099-3)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Matthew Flinders. *[A Voyage to Terra Australis, volume 1](https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/12929)* at [Project Gutenberg](/source/Project_Gutenberg), entry for 3 May 1802

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** *Snapper, New Zealand's Greatest Fish, Te Ika Rangatira o Aotearoa*, Sam Mossman, AUT Media, 2008, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-9582829-6-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-9582829-6-3)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FishStat_database_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FishStat_database_9-1) Based on data sourced from the [FishStat database](http://faostat.fao.org/site/629/default.aspx) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20121107001620/http://faostat.fao.org/site/629/default.aspx) November 7, 2012, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Norriss, J.V.; Crisafulli, B. (2010). "Longevity in Australian Snapper". *[Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia](/source/Journal_of_the_Royal_Society_of_Western_Australia)*. **93**: 129–32.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Dianne J. Bray & Martin F. Gomon, 2011, Snapper, Chrysophrys auratus, in Fishes of Australia, accessed 09 Sep 2014, [https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/678](https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/678)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_12-1) Leach, Foss; Boocock, Angela (1995-06-30). ["Estimating Live Fish Catches from Archaeological Bone Fragments of Snapper, Pagrus auratus"](https://tuhinga.arphahub.com/article/34121/). *Tuhinga*. **3**: 1–28. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.3897/tuhinga.3.e34121](https://doi.org/10.3897%2Ftuhinga.3.e34121). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [2253-5861](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/2253-5861).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Secrets_13-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Secrets_13-1) Vennell, Robert (5 October 2022). *Secrets of the Sea: The Story of New Zealand's Native Sea Creatures*. HarperCollins UK. pp. 154–159. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-77554-179-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-77554-179-0). [LCCN](/source/LCCN_(identifier)) [2021388548](https://lccn.loc.gov/2021388548). [Wikidata](/source/WDQ_(identifier)) [Q114871191](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114871191).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["Fisheries and Aquaculture - Global Production"](https://www.fao.org/fishery/en/collection/global_production?lang=en). *Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)*. Retrieved 2024-05-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FAO_15-0)** FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) (2011). [*Yearbook of fishery and aquaculture statistics 2009. Capture production*](https://web.archive.org/web/20170519070831/ftp://ftp.fao.org/FI/CDrom/CD_yearbook_2009/root/capture/yearbook_capture.pdf) (PDF). Rome: [FAO](/source/FAO). p. 162. Archived from [the original](ftp://ftp.fao.org/FI/CDrom/CD_yearbook_2009/root/capture/yearbook_capture.pdf) (PDF) on 2017-05-19.

- Allan, Richard (1990). *Australian Fish and How to Catch Them*. Landsdowne Publishing. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-86302-674-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-86302-674-6).

- ["Snapper"](https://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/snapper). *An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand*. 1966. Retrieved 2006-07-22.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Australasian snapper](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Pagrus_auratus).

- [Fisheries Western Australia - Pink Snapper Fact Sheet](https://web.archive.org/web/20140313194621/http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/Documents/recreational_fishing/fact_sheets/fact_sheet_pink_snapper.pdf)

- [Snapper](https://web.archive.org/web/20150322051906/http://www.fishfiles.com.au/knowing/species/finfish/snappers-emperors/Pages/Snapper.aspx), Fishfiles by Fisheries Research and Development Corporation

- Snapper Fishing Spots in Sydney - [Further Information](https://web.archive.org/web/20160206161154/http://www.charterfishingsydney.com.au/snapper/) [Red Snappers](/source/Red_snapper).

- [Fishes of Australia : *Pagrus auratus*](http://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/678)

Taxon identifiers Pagrus auratus Wikidata: Q1132480 Wikispecies: Pagrus auratus CoL: 75KB4 EoL: 344840 FishBase: 6426 GBIF: 9770885 iNaturalist: 108195 ITIS: 647881 IUCN: 154734 NCBI: 75562 NZOR: 64f004cd-6da4-4e23-b9de-5ecfb0deeafc Observation.org: 186155 OBIS: 398546 Open Tree of Life: 554560 WoRMS: 398546 Labrus auratus Wikidata: Q106407297 CoL: 3RKY6 GBIF: 2392383 IRMNG: 10135025 WoRMS: 303580

Authority control databases: National Israel

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Australasian snapper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australasian_snapper) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australasian_snapper?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.