Fish
Fish
Common Snook
Centropomus undecimalis
The Common Snook is a prized sport and food fish of Trinidad's rivers and coastal waters, easily recognised by the bold black lateral line running from gill to tail and a distinctive protruding lower jaw.
The Common Snook is a prized sport and food fish of Trinidad's rivers and coastal waters, easily recognised by the bold black lateral line running from gill to tail and a distinctive protruding lower jaw.
Identification
An elongated, laterally compressed fish that can reach over 1 m in length, with silvery-yellow to olive-green colouration and a striking black lateral stripe running the full length of the body. Its lower jaw projects noticeably beyond the upper, and it has a distinctly humped back near the head.
Ecology
A euryhaline species moving freely between fresh, brackish, and marine waters, often found around river mouths, mangrove creeks, and coastal lagoons where it ambushes smaller fish and crustaceans. It is capable of changing sex during its life cycle, typically maturing first as male before some individuals transition to female, a pattern seen in several Centropomus species.
Status in T&T
Present in rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters across Trinidad, an important species for both subsistence and recreational fishing. Not considered globally threatened, though locally vulnerable to overfishing and habitat loss along mangrove and river-mouth nursery areas.
Threats
- Overfishing
- Loss of mangrove and river-mouth nursery habitat
