Australasian Snapper

Fascinating facts about the Australasian Snapper

• A 40-year-old snapper caught off Bunbury in 2007 measured 93.5 cm, showing the species can live about 40 years while staying under a meter long.
• During spawning, snapper scales obtain a metallic green sheen which indicates a high concentration of acid buildup within the scales' infrastructure.
• Legal size limits for snapper range from 35 cm in Queensland to 50 cm in Western Australia, and the fish reach sexual maturity at about 30 cm.
• Snapper schools migrate between reefs and larger fish can enter estuaries such as Port Phillip Bay for seasonal runs.
• Catches of Australasian snapper between 2000 and 2009 fluctuated between 25,600 and 34,300 tonnes, with Japan and New Zealand reporting the largest catches.

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