How to Identify a Snook (Centropomus undecimalis)

• Body markings: A distinct black lateral line extends onto the tail.
• Mouth position: A large mouth with a protruding lower jaw, the gape reaching to below the rear half of the eye.
• Fin shape: A tall dorsal fin that is divided (into two fully separate dorsal fins).
• Fin color: The pelvic fin is yellow.
• Body shape: A distinctly sloping forehead profile.

The fat snook has a notably stockier body, and its mouth reaches only to below the center of the eye (the common snook's mouth reaches to below the rear part of the eye). See the Snook page for its full mark list.

The swordspine snook's anal fin extends past the base of the tail fin; it is the smallest of the snooks and has the largest scales. See the Snook page for its full mark list.

A nearshore salt/brackish species found around mangrove shorelines, seagrass beds, beaches, and various structures; it also tolerates freshwater and occasionally moves upriver. In North America, centered on Florida (Atlantic coast from Cape Canaveral south through the Keys to the Dry Tortugas, and the Gulf coast north to Cedar Key), extending west along the lower Gulf coast of Texas and into tropical Gulf waters of Mexico.

Lay the fish flat on its side in even light and photograph the whole body first, then the details below. Get a close, sharp frame of the head: mouth, jaw length and any barbels. Raise the dorsal and anal fins fully; ray counts and fin edges only read when the fin is spread. Shoot the side of the body before the fish dries; spots and stripes fade fast out of water. The app reads the photo and names the likely species; use the marks on this page to confirm it.

Size and daily limits for this species differ by state and by water, and some waters are catch-and-release only. Check the current regulations for where you are fishing before keeping any fish; if you are unsure of the species, release it.