Schoolmaster snapper

The schoolmaster snapper, ''Lutjanus apodus'', is a colorful, subtropical fish that prefers coral reef areas along the coasts of Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean, though it can range northward along the Atlantic coast of the United States. Adults are 12-14 inches long and weigh one to two pounds , though rare individuals can reach 8 lb and 24 inches in length. It has a robust, slightly compressed body, with a pointed head. Its color varies from silvery to bronze. Fins and tails are yellow and the snout contains blue stripes. As the common name suggests, schoolmaster snapper live in groups of dozens of subjects. They keep a short distance from the seafloor at depths between 10 and 90 feet, prefer the cover provided by coral reefs during the day, and expand their range to seagrass beds at night. The schoolmaster snapper is sometimes called the barred snapper or the ''caji''. Like other snapper species, it is a popular food fish.