Snapper

Snapper, large-headed fish with a long dorsal fin and a deep body. There are over 250 warm water species. They live in shoals and feed on almost anything edible. Many have red bodies, and several kinds are marketed as red snapper. The fish is good to eat, and some of the inshore species are caught by anglers. Snappers get their name from a habit of suddenly shutting their mouths when dying—which can be painful for someone who has a finger in the way, for they have sharp teeth.