SILK SNAPPER
Lutjanus vivanus
English: Silky Snapper, Yellow-Eyed Snapper
Spanish: Huachinango ojo amarillo
The yellow iris identifies the silk snapper from its close relatives, the red snapper and the blackfin snapper, both of which possess a red iris. The blackfin also has a vey distinctive black spot at the base of the pectoral fin.
Another red-colored sapper, the vermilion snapper, is distigished by its more streamlined body and deeply forked tail. The body of the silk snapper is red overall, darker above and lighter below with fine wavy longitudinal yellow lines. The caudal fin has a dusky margin.