Humphead snapper

Lutjanus sanguineus

Fish
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth10–40 m
Water temperature19–30 °C
Best monthsFebruary, June, and October
How commonOccasional

Photo credit: (c) Georgina Jones, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

About this species

Lutjanus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, snappers belonging to the family Lutjanidae. They are found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. They are predatory fish usually found in tropical and subtropical reefs and mangrove forests. This genus also includes two species that only occur in fresh and brackish waters.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Lutjanus”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 8 records
February: 18 records
March: 7 records
April: 12 records
May: 14 records
June: 26 records
July: 7 records
August: 11 records
September: 11 records
October: 24 records
November: 3 records
December: 7 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 10–40 m · Deepest record: 60 m

0–10 m: 1 records
10–20 m: 1 records
20–30 m: 4 records
30–40 m: 3 records
40–50 m: 1 records
50–60 m: 0 records
60–70 m: 1 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 19–30 °C

18–20 °C: 3 records
20–22 °C: 1 records
22–24 °C: 54 records
24–26 °C: 14 records
26–28 °C: 8 records
28–30 °C: 12 records

Names and classification

English: Humphead snapper, Bloodred Snapper, Blood Snapper, humphead snapper

Names in 3 more languages

Spanish: Pargo cabezón
French: Vivaneau têtu
Simplified Chinese: 紅笛鯛

Other scientific names: Diacope erythrina, Diacope sanguinea, Lutianus sanguineus, Lutjanus sanguiness

Similar species

Mangrove red snapper
Lutjanus argentimaculatus
Twinspot snapper
Lutjanus bohar
Blacktail snapper
Lutjanus fulvus
Humpback snapper
Lutjanus gibbus
Common bluestripe snapper
Lutjanus kasmira
Big-mouth Nannygai
Lutjanus malabaricus

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
160 open-data records from 1936 to 2011.
Species data updated November 4, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist