Latin Name: Pagrus auratus
Weight: 1–2.5kg, up to 19kg
Length: 30–50cm, reaching 100cm
Family: Snapper are members of the Sparidae family (seabreams, snappers).
- Wild Caught
- Farmed
Location
They are most common around the North Island and upper South Island, especially in Tasman Bay. The species is one of the largest and most valuable coastal fisheries. Snapper extend over a wide variety of habitats, including reefs as well as sand and mud bottoms. Juveniles range over large areas in water five to 50 metres deep. Adults are uncommon at depths of more than 100 metres. They group-spawn several times in spring and summer. The young live inshore in summer, in shallow, sheltered habitats, but move offshore in winter. This movement continues throughout their life. Snapper are slow-growing, long-lived (up to 60 years), and migratory.
Sustainability
Snapper is managed under the Quota Management System (QMS). Snapper abundance is monitored using commercial catch rates, catch-at-age sampling, trawl survey information and abundance estimates from the recapture of tagged fish.
Fishing Methods
Hook & Line
Seine
Trawl
Fishing Season
-
JAN
-
FEB
-
MAR
-
APR
-
MAY
-
JUN
-
JUL
-
AUG
-
SEP
-
OCT
-
NOV
-
DEC
Nutrition
Source: Thiamin (vitamin B1), Iodine, Magnesium, Potassium
Good Source: Niacin (vitamin B3), Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6, Phosphorus, Selenium, Omega-3 fatty acids
Seafood is a highly nutritious food and is a great source of protein. Many species are low in saturated fat and a number of them are a good source of Omega 3.
Did you know?
All Snapper begin life as females. During their third and fourth years of life, about half of them change sex, balancing the adult population evenly between male and female.
Cooking Tips
Snapper has tender white-to-pinkish flesh with a sweet, mild flavour and is highly versatile in cooking.
Try poaching it; cooking it on the bbq; baked; in a curry; marinated; smoked; using it in a soup/chowder; or frying snapper.
