What Snook did you catch?

Snook (Centropomus spp.) are distinctive fishes and of the species that swim in our waters, all share a few common characteristics: Perhaps most noticeable is the single, dark stripe running down the animal’s body along the lateral line.

Snook also have a longer lower jaw than upper jaw. Their teeth are quite small – what an angler would call a “rough” mouth, and they can be “lipped” like largemouth bass. Snook have two separate dorsal fins, the first with eight spines, and the second with one spine and eight-11 soft dorsal rays.

Snook in Florida and Texas are variable in coloration depending on habitat, among other possible factors, and may be yellow-brown to brown-green or even silvery above, and silvery or white on sides and below. Fins may be dusky to bright yellow.

Common Snook

Common snook, Centropomus undecimalis, are the largest and most slender species of snook in our range and are sought-after game fish as well as highly regarded table fare. The snout profile of common snook is slightly concave. The third dorsal spine is much higher than the fourth when erect. There are 10 dorsal fin soft rays, rarely 9 or 11. The tips of the pelvic fins never reach the anus in fish over about 4 inches long.

 

Smallscale Fat Snook

Smallscale Fat Snook, Centropomus parallelus, are medium-sized fish (maximum recorded length about 25 inches, usually less than half that) with comparatively deep bodies and straight or slightly concave snouts. The tips of the pelvic fins reach to or past the anus in all but the largest fish.

Largescale Fat Snook

Largescale fat snook, Centropomus mexicanus, reach a maximum length of about 17 inches and are moderately deep-bodied fish. Largescale fat snook and Smallscale fat snook are very similar in appearance, with C. mexicanus having larger and fewer scales, and can reliably be told apart only by counting scales or through genetic analysis.

Mexican Snook

Mexican snook, Centropomus poeyii, are not known from Florida but may occur in Texas, and are known to reach lengths of up to 35 inches. The second dorsal fin of the Mexican snook has one spine and nine soft rays (versus 10 in common snook).The tips of the pelvic fins never reach the anus in fish over about 8 inches.

Tarpon Snook

Tarpon snook, Centropomus pectinatus, reach a maximum size of about 20 inches Tips of the pelvic fins reach to or past the anus. The pelvic fins of tarpon snook sport a large dark spot near the tips.

Swordspine Snook

Swordspine snook, Centropomus ensiferus, are not known from Texas, and reach a maximum length of about 14 inches. Swordspine snook have eight spines in the first dorsal fin, and the fourth is higher than the third when erect.

 

From T.M. Orrell, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA

(revised from T.H. Fraser, 1977)