SCALES

breaks down the difference between a mutton snapper and a red snapper.

The mutton snapper has a distinct dark spot near its tail and blue streaks along its face that no other snapper species carries. Adult males develop vibrant red tones around their fins that cause them to be regularly misidentified as red snapper, which have completely different regulations. 

Research using ear bone sections has revealed mutton snapper have a significantly longer and more complex life history than previously understood.  The bigger the fish the more critical it is to the population. The large ones are almost always females.

Know what you’re handling before it comes over the rail.

Florida Keys. Offshore.