Pink snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) is a valuable commercial species and is prized by recreational fishers for its delicious taste. Despite its name, it actually belongs to the sea bream family (Sparidae).
Quite simply, Red Snapper are one of the tastiest fish on the planet. They're easily the tastiest Snapper species. To make things even better, you get plenty of quantity as well as quality. You can catch fish weighing as much as 30 pounds if you head to the best fishing grounds offshore.
Snapper can be found in temperate Australian waters from coastal bays to oceanic waters upto 250m deep. Snapper is a key target of commercial and recreational fisheries around Australia, caught in all states except in Tasmania and Northern Territory waters.
White fish has at least as much protein as meat but much less fat. Good choices include King George whiting, flathead and snapper. Plus: It's official – all Australian fish species have now been analysed and every variety has enough omega-3s to be a 'good source'.
Snapper is known by multiple names, including tāmure, a word to describe adults, and karatī, a word describing juvenile fish. There are numerous traditional ways to prepare the fish. One specific to snapper was kaniwha, where the meat would be submerged in fresh water and squeezed numerous times, then eaten raw.
Description. Available wild-caught, it is a marine fish found near reefs and rocky bottoms, mainly near the coast and on the continental shelf from Townsville, Queensland, south to the central WA coast (including Bass Strait and around Tasmania), with juveniles mainly found in estuaries.
A snapper's diet consists of octopus, mussels, crustaceans, squid and small fish like bluebait, whitebait and pilchards. Additionally, Snapper have a special taste for prawn. This is a very inexpensive and accessible bait for all anglers around Australia.
Distribution and habitat
Pink snapper are found in coastal waters off New Zealand and Australia. In Western Australia, they are found in warm temperate to sub-tropical waters from north of Karratha southwards to the Great Australian Bight. Pink snapper typically live in waters 20-250 m deep.
THE FISH - New Zealand Red Snapper are akin to the revered Alfonsino. Also known as Golden Snapper, the Skin is a brilliant orange that is deliciously edible. The flesh is an opaque white with firm, yet silky attributes. The Japanese believe the consumption of this fish is for celebratory reasons.
Snapper is a highly prized fish, and a favourite on Australian plates for generations, which is why it is purchased in such high quantities at auction. Interestingly, these days a large amount of Snapper eaten in Australia are actually imported from our neighbours in New Zealand.
By far the most popular snapper in the U.S. is the Northern Red Snapper (Red Snapper for short). Red Snapper schools can be found around underwater structure at depths greater than 50 feet. They can live for more than 50 years and grow up to 40 inches and 50 lbs.
They both have a mild, sweet, and nutty flavor as well as a lean and moist texture. Though not much differs in their flavor profiles, many consider the red snapper to be far more superior among all snappers.
Snapper is slightly more delicate than Grouper and it produces a more profound and sweet flavor when it's grilled – one of the best and most popular ways to serve it.
The snapper measured 112cm and while shy of the 18.4kg Australian record, is believed to be the biggest ever caught off the rocks in Australia.
Red Snapper are a popular sports fish for all levels of fishing, known as a highly prized eating fish. They can be caught from shore or boat and are abundant throughout Australia. Snapper have a strong economic significance and are commercially fished and farmed.
Barramundi, also known as Asian sea bass, is a white-fleshed fish with a sweet, mild flavour and firm texture that resembles snapper, grouper, striped bass, and sole. It is indigenous to the Indo-Pacific region of the water and is caught between India, Southeast Asia, and Australia.
Other seafood with low mercury levels include: All prawns, lobsters and bugs. All squids and octopus. Snapper.
It is caught in the wild by a range of methods including trawling, longlines, handlines and gillnets, from southern QLD, south to central WA. Snapper is a marine fish, caught in both coastal and offshore waters. They are available year-round, though supply is greatest in the winter months.
The current national snapper record is 18.4kg for a fish caught at Outer Harbour Port Adelaide, South Australia in November 1994.
Whole Red Snapper typically runs around $12 per pound. This price variance is due to the amount of fish that is not editble once it's filleted.
Snapper is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Thanks to those fatty acids, The American Heart Association says eating fish regularly may significantly decrease your risk of heart disease, atherosclerosis and high blood cholesterol.