On a recent fishing trip, we were going through our Red Snapper catch and noticed one was slightly darker than the rest. When we looked closely, we found the fish had a few distinguishing marks. I was told it was a Blackfin Snapper, in the same genus as the Red Snapper. Even more exciting, it has a higher catch limit and no season! I found a really good article on these fish so I won’t rewrite what someone else has written well, so check it out at http://www.louisianasportsman.com/details.php?id=8055.
As you can see, the Blackfin Snapper is definitely a different color, but when by itself it is easy to assume it’s a Red Snapper at a glance.
Notice the black marking at the base of each pectoral fin and the yellow edge of the tail.
It also has the black smudgey inner mouth.
Way cool! Keep your eyes peeled and double check your catch before you throw that Red Snapper back!