Gray Snapper juveniles and subadults encountered in Texas estuaries are generally associated with lower bays and offshore passes, and are more common in the late summer/early fall. Increasing Gray Snapper abundance in Texas was coupled with expansion of the population age structure in comparisons before and after 1993. Estuarine Gray Snapper were subsequently sampled from gill nets, and otolith age and gonad development were evaluated microscopically to assess patterns of age, growth, and maturity. Boosted regression trees (BRT) were used to evaluate factors (water quality, season, depth, bay and inlet distance) driving Gray Snapper presence in fishery independent samples of juveniles (seines) and subadults (gill nets) found in estuaries.
We assessed long term trends in distribution and abundance of Gray Snapper in Texas using fishery dependent and fishery independent data collected by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in the years 1980 - 2019. Recent population expansion of Gray Snapper, Lutjanus griseus, in the northern Gulf of Mexico is driving increasing catch in the recreational fishery in Texas. Estimates of F for gray snapper by area were 0.16 for north Florida and 0.66 for south Florida. Recruitment to the fisheries occurred between ages 5 and 8 for north Florida and ages 4 and 5 for south Florida. Estimates of Z averaged 0.34 for north Florida and 0.95 for south Florida. Estimates of M ranged from 0.14 to 0.43 for north Florida and from 0.29 to 0.38 for south Florida. Mean lengths at age from back-calculations to the last annulus ranged from 121 mm at the end of age 1 to 740 mm at age 24 for north Florida, and 227 mm at age 2 to 495 mm at age 15 for south Florida. Weight-length relations were significantly different (F=39.198, P<0.001, df=10,705) for fish measured from the headboat survey from 1982-97 between north Florida (W=8.4 × 10-9 × T元.08, n=4034) and south Florida (W=5.45 × 10-9 × T元.15, n=6670), where W = total weight (kg). Weight-length relations were not significantly different by sex. The oldest fish examined was 24 years old and measured 760 mm TL. Marginal increment analysis on sectioned otoliths (n=1243) confirmed annulus formation in June and July. Fish were weighed (g) and measured (total length, TL, in mm), and sagittal otoliths were removed for aging.
They feed mainly on fishes, but also shrimps, crabs, cephalopods and planktonic organisms.Gray snapper, Lutjanus griseus, were sampled from recreational headboat and commercial landings along the east coast of Florida, 1994-97. They are primarily solitary except when spawning in groups. Adult Uku inhabit open waters of deep lagoons, channels or seaward reefs. The pelagic larvae float in the ocean for about 25 days until they move to deeper water before settling down on the ocean floor where they will spend the remainder of their adult life. Their pelagic eggs are released into the water column. By November, most Uku have completed spawning. Like many other bottomfish, Uku reach peak spawning in the summer months, but spawn a little earlier, beginning in May and peaking in June. Uku reach sexual maturity at about 16 to18 inches in length, or four years old. They are one of the most popular deep-sea bottomfish harvested in Hawaii by landed weight. They have a heavy bony head with a distinct horizontal groove in front of the eye and large canine looking teeth. Uku have long slender bodies with a deeply forked tail. Uku is blue-green in color on the upper third of its body, fading to grey-white on the lower two-thirds. Like other Hawaii snappers, uku has clear, translucent pink flesh that is delicately flavored, moist, and firm.
This fish shares many of the same qualities that have given opakapaka and onaga their reputations as outstanding table fish. Uku is commonly known as the Hawaii blue-green snapper.