To avoid misidentifying small red snapper as lane snapper, note that red snapper have an angular anal fin and 14 soft dorsal fin ray. Fertilized eggs float on the surface and hatch within a day. Red snapper can grow to about 40 inches, weigh up to 50 pounds and live more than 50 years. Red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, is a popular game fish and delectable table fare sought after by commercial and recreational fishermen alike.Since red snapper were declared overfished in 1988, there has been major controversy over how to best manage the stock to allow it to be recovered by 2032, the goal of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. Red snapper are a deep rosy red color, with a dark fringe around the dorsal and tail fins. Adult specimens are commonly scattered along rocky areas, while juveniles prefer muddy or sandy ones of little depth.They usually stay in groups. Red snapper grow in length relatively fast during their first 10 years or so of life reaching, on average, a length of about 30 inches. Red snapper begin to reproduce when they are about two years old, spawning from May to October along rocky ledges or coral reefs. Lifespan Up to 121 years Range/Distribution From the Aleutian Islands to the Baja Peninsula Predators Other fish Reproduction Internal fertilization of large numbers of eggs (up to 2,700,000) followed by live birth Other Names Red snapper, Pacific red snapper, red rock cod, yellow belly, cowfish The Northern Red Snapper’s Habitat, Customs and Geographical Distribution. Adults average 2-4 pounds but can reach over 50 pounds. This is a fish of marine habits that is associated with coral reefs, specifically at depth ranges of between 10 and 190 meters.. Growth rate decreases drastically thereafter as they shift more energy into reproduction and less energy into growth.