(Bloch, 1791); LUTJANIDAE FAMILY; also known
as yellowtail, ciobo, saioba, sioba, rubia,
sad kol, rabo-aberto, sarde queue jaune,
colas
In the western Atlantic, yellowtail snapper
range from Massachusetts and Bermuda to
southwestern Brazil; including the Gulf of
Mexico. They are abundant in the Bahamas,
southern Florida and throughout the
Caribbean.
This colorful reef fish is easily
identifiable. The body is olive or bluish
gray above with olive-yellow spots and
blotches. It has a prominent, brilliant
yellow stripe running from the tip of the
snout through the eye to the tail; the
dorsal fin is also mostly yellow . The
deeply forked tail is bright yellow, hence
the name.
Yellowtail inhabit coastal water to a depth
of 300 feet (91.5 m) and are mainly found
associated with coral reefs. It can be found
well above the bottom in loose schools or
alone.
A common approach to catching yellowtail is
chumming at anchor. These finicky feeders
are attracted to the chum and then fished
with live or cut bait; even plugs and flies.
Many of the largest yellowtails are caught
bottom fishing in deep water with live
pilchards or other fish, even large
ballyhoo.
The immensely popular species is an
excellent sport fish and considered by many
to be the tastiest of all the snappers
