A large family of carnivorous reef fishes with a large mouth and a gill cover without spines.  Rovers are deepwater snappers with specialized jaw bones allowing the mouth to extend far forward.  Snappers are excellent eating and highly sought by fishers.  Only two native snappers occur on shallow Hawaiian reefs so several non-native species were introduced from French Polynesia in the 1950's by state fisheries managers, with unfavorable results.  The invasive Bluestripe Snapper became fully established in a short time, displacing valuable native marine species.  Hawaii most valuable and esteemed bottomfish species known as the Deep Seven includes six native deepwater snappers and one grouper.  These species have been depleted by overfishing and competition with the invasive Bluestripe Snapper.  Unfortunately the Bluestripe Snapper is largely rejected by the public despite being very good to eat, hampering efforts to reduce the population.

BLACKTAIL SNAPPER    to‘au

BLUESTRIPE SNAPPER     ta‘ape

GREEN JOBFISH or GRAY SNAPPER    uku

SMALLTOOTH JOBFISH

or BIGMOUTH SNAPPER    wahanui

 SILVERJAW SNAPPER or RUSTY JOBFISH     lehi

BANDED SNAPPER    gindai

PINK SNAPPER    ‘ōpakapaka

LAVENDER or SIEBOLD'S SNAPPER  kalekale

SHORT-TAIL RED SNAPPER

or YELLOWSTRIPED RED SNAPPER  ‘ehu

LONGTAIL RED SNAPPER

or RUBY SNAPPER    onaga

RANDALL'S SNAPPER

GOLDEN ROVER or GOLDEN KALEKALE

SAILFIN SNAPPER

YELLOW SNAPPER

BLUE & GOLD SNAPPER

GRAY SNAPPER, Juvenile

Lutjanus griseus

GRAY SNAPPER

SCHOOLMASTER

YELLOWTAIL SNAPPER

BLACKFIN SNAPPER