Mutton Snapper Regulations

Mutton Snapper

Lutjanus analis

AKA:

Muttonfish

Managed by:

SAFMC

Physical description:

Color olive green on back and upper sides, all fins below the lateral line having reddish tinge; bright blue line below eye, following contour of operculum; anal fin pointed; small black spot below dorsal fin; V-shaped tooth patch on roof of mouth.

Biological description:

Found INSHORE associated with grass beds, mangroves, and canals; larger adults found on OFFSHORE reefs. Spawns in July and August; feeds on fish, crustaceans, and snails.

South Atlantic Federal Regulations

Commercial:

• OPEN
• Minimum Size Limit: 18-inch total length.
• Trip Limit:
  • January - March: 500 pounds whole weight
  • April- June: Spawning Season- 5 mutton snapper per person per day or 5 mutton snapper per person per trip (whichever is more restrictive)
  • July-December: 500 pounds whole weight
  • Limited access permit required
• Regulatory Remarks:
  • All species must be landed with head and fins intact.
  • Recreational and commercial fishermen are required to use dehooking tools when fishing for snapper grouper species.
  • The use of non-stainless steel circle hooks (offset or non-offset) is required for all species in the snapper grouper complex when using hook-and-line gear with natural baits in waters North of 28 degrees N. latitude.
  • After the commercial annual catch limit is met, all purchase and sale is prohibited and harvest and/or possession is limited to the recreational bag limit (while recreational harvest is open). This prohibition does not apply to fish harvested, landed, and sold prior to the annual catch limit being reached and held in cold storage by a dealer.
  • Charter/Headboat and Commercial snapper grouper vessels must have onboard NMFS approved sea turtle release gear and follow smalltooth sawfish release protocol. Click here to learn more or call 727-824-5312.
  • Annual Catch Limit (ACL) – This species is managed under an ACL. See current information on Commercial ACLs (quotas) from NOAA Fisheries.
  • Allowable Gear:
    • Vertical hook-and-line including hand-held hook-and-line and bandit gear. Spearfishing gear without rebreathers.
    • Powerheads, except where expressly prohibited in Special Management Zones (SMZs) and in the EEZ off South Carolina.

Recreational:

• OPEN
• Minimum Size Limit: 18-inch total length
• Bag Limit: 5 mutton snapper per person per day (included in 10 Snapper aggregate bag limit)
• Regulatory Remarks:
  • Included in Aggregate Snapper Bag Limit of 10 snapper per person/day (excluding red snapper and vermilion snapper) – Note: cubera snapper less than 30-inches total length are included in this limit.
  • All species must be landed with head and fins intact.
  • Recreational and commercial fishermen are required to use dehooking tools when fishing for snapper grouper species.
  • The use of non-stainless steel circle hooks (offset or non-offset) is required for all species in the snapper grouper complex when using hook-and-line gear with natural baits in waters North of 28 degrees N. latitude.
  • The sale of bag-limit caught snapper grouper species is prohibited.
  • Charter/Headboat and Commercial snapper grouper vessels must have onboard NMFS approved sea turtle release gear and follow smalltooth sawfish release protocol. Click here to learn more or call 727-824-5312.
  • Annual Catch Limit (ACL) - This species is managed under an ACL. See current information on Recreational ACLs from NOAA Fisheries.