Lutianidae

(snappers), a family of marine fishes of the order Perciformes. The maxillary teeth are differentiated: the anterior ones are sharp and adapted for grasping, and the posterior ones are blunt and adapted for chewing. There are 18 genera, embracing about 115 species. Snappers inhabit tropical waters of the world’s oceans, predominantly along coral reefs, mangrove thickets, and rocks. They feed on aquatic invertebrates and fishes. The most numerous genus is Lutianus, which includes 69 species. Forty-five Lutianus species are confined to the Indian Ocean and the western part of the Pacific Ocean. Lutianus reach a length of 80–100 cm and a weight of 10–25 kg (rarely up to 50 kg). Snappers are commercially valuable.