common snook

{{redirect|Róbalo|the fish from southern South America|Eleginopidae|the fish consumed in South Africa ("snoek")|Thyrsites}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Centropomus.jpg

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Mendonça, J.T. |author2=Chao, L. |author3=Albieri, R.J. |author4=Giarrizzo, T. |author5=da Silva, F.M.S. |author6=Castro, M.G. |author7=Brick Peres, M. |author8=Villwock de Miranda, L. |author9=Vieira, J.P. |date=2019 |title=Centropomus undecimalis |volume=2019 |page=e.T191835A82665184 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T191835A82665184.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}

| taxon = Centropomus undecimalis

| authority = (Bloch, 1792)

| synonyms = Sciaena undecimalis Bloch, 1792

| synonyms_ref = {{FishBase|Centropomus|unidecimalis|month=December|year=2019}}

| range_map = Centropomus undecimalis mapa.svg

| range_map_caption = Range map of the common snook

}}

The common snook (Centropomus undecimalis) is a species of marine fish in the family Centropomidae of the order Perciformes. The common snook is also known as the sergeant fish or robalo. It was originally assigned to the sciaenid genus Sciaena; Sciaena undecimradiatus and Centropomus undecimradiatus are obsolete synonyms for the species.

One of the largest snooks, C. undecimalis grows to a maximum overall length of {{convert|140|cm|ft|abbr=on}}. The common length is {{convert|50|cm|ft|abbr=on}}. The IGFA world record is {{convert|24.32|kg|lboz|abbr=on}} caught in Parismina Ranch, Costa Rica, by Rafael Montalvo.{{cite web|url=http://wrec.igfa.org/WRecordsList.aspx?lc=AllTackle&cn=Snook,%20common|title=IGFA World Record - All Tackle Records - Snook, common|work=igfa.org|access-date=24 June 2016}} Of typical centropomid form, it possesses drab coloration except for a distinctive black lateral line. It can also have bright yellow pelvic and caudal fins, especially during spawn.{{cite web|url=http://eol.org/pages/205157/details#diagnostic_description|title=Common Snook - Centropomus undecimalis - Details - Encyclopedia of Life|work=eol.org|access-date=24 June 2016}}

General ecology

=Reproductive ecology=

The common snook is a protandric hermaphrodite fish species.{{cite journal|last1=Perera-García|first1=M.A.|last2=Mendoza-Carranza|first2=M.|last3=Contreras-Sánchez|first3=W.M.|last4=Huerta-Ortíz|first4=M.|last5=Pérez-Sánchez|first5=E.|title=Reproductive biology of common snook Centropomus undecimalis (Perciformes: Centropomidae) in two tropical habitats|journal=Revista de Biología Tropical|date=2011|volume=59|issue=2|pages=669–681|pmid=21717854 |url=http://www.scielo.sa.cr/scielo.php?pid=S0034-77442011000200011&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en}} Its spawning season spans from April to October. The peak spawning occurs during July and August.{{cite journal|last1=Tucker|first1=J.W.|last2=Campbell|first2=S.W.|title=Spawning season of common snook along the east central Florida coast|journal=Florida Scientist|date=1988|volume=51|issue=1|pages=1–6|url=https://84a69b9b8cf67b1fcf87220d0dabdda34414436b-www.googledrive.com/host/0B0PLtJjhTxnkZDAzOGQxY2EtOTIzOS00ZjlkLWJhYmMtYWYzY2QwYmQ2ZjFi/Books/F/Florida%20Scientist,%20QUARTERLY%20JOURNAL%20of%20the%20FLORIDA%20ACADEMY%20OF%20SCIENCES/Florida%20Scientist,%20QUARTERLY%20JOURNAL%20of%20the%20FLORIDA%20ACADEMY%20OF%20SCIENCES%20VOL%2051-1-1988.pdf#page=3|access-date=2014-07-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728092246/https://84a69b9b8cf67b1fcf87220d0dabdda34414436b-www.googledrive.com/host/0B0PLtJjhTxnkZDAzOGQxY2EtOTIzOS00ZjlkLWJhYmMtYWYzY2QwYmQ2ZjFi/Books/F/Florida%20Scientist,%20QUARTERLY%20JOURNAL%20of%20the%20FLORIDA%20ACADEMY%20OF%20SCIENCES/Florida%20Scientist,%20QUARTERLY%20JOURNAL%20of%20the%20FLORIDA%20ACADEMY%20OF%20SCIENCES%20VOL%2051-1-1988.pdf#page=3|archive-date=2014-07-28|url-status=dead}} Spawning typically occurs in near-shore waters with high salinities.{{cite journal|last1=Gracia-Lopez|first1=V.|last2=Rosas-Vazquez|first2=C.|last3=Brito-Perez|first3=R.|title=Effects of salinity on physiological conditions in juvenile common snook Centropomus undecimalis|journal=Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A|date=2006|volume=145|issue=3|pages=340–345|doi=10.1016/j.cbpa.2006.07.008|pmid=16934510}} Following the spawning period, the juveniles then migrate to the brackish waters of the nearby estuarine environments. When these juveniles mature, they return to the higher-salinity waters of the open ocean to join the breeding population.

=Habitat ecology=

The common snook is an estuarine and freshwater-dependent fish species.{{cite journal|last1=Taylor|first1=R.G.|last2=Grier|first2=H.J.|last3=Whittington|first3=J.A.|title=Spawning rhythms of common snook in Florida|journal=Journal of Fish Biology|date=1998|volume=53|issue=3|pages=502–520|doi=10.1111/j.1095-8649.1998.tb00998.x|bibcode=1998JFBio..53..502T }} Within estuaries, juvenile common snook are most often found inhabiting areas such as coastal wetland ponds, island networks, and creeks.{{cite journal|last1=Stevens|first1=P.W.|last2=Blewett|first2=D.A.|last3=Poulakis|first3=G.R.|title=Variable habitat use by juvenile common snook, Centropomus undecimalis (Pisces: Centropomidae): applying a life-history model in a southwest Florida estuary|journal=Bulletin of Marine Science|date=2007|volume=80|issue=1|pages=93–108|url=http://docserver.ingentaconnect.com/deliver/connect/umrsmas/00074977/v80n1/s5.pdf?expires=1406513293&id=78767465&titleid=10983&accname=Guest+User&checksum=93E9D1EFD64C8EE789C03A2BE2AB2B7F}} Despite being a euryhaline species of fish, the common snook shows a tendency to gravitate towards lower-salinity conditions in the early stages of its life.{{cite journal|last1=Peterson|first1=M.S.|last2=Gilmore|first2=G.R.|title=Eco-Physiology of Juvenile Snook Centropomus Undecimalis (Bloch): Life-History Implications|journal=Bulletin of Marine Science|date=1991|volume=48|issue=1|pages=46–57|url=http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/cv/peterson.mark/docs/2007.05.14%20Peterson%20and%20Gilmore%201991.pdf}} By being able to adapt and thrive in both high- and low-salinity conditions through osmoregulation, common snook display a high level of habitat plasticity.{{cite journal|last1=Rhody|first1=N.R.|last2=Nassif|first2=N.A.|last3=Main|first3=K.L.|title=Sarasota, FL, US, p. 30. Rhody, N. R., Nassif, N. A., and Main, K. L. 2010. Effects of salinity on growth and survival of common snook Centropomus undecimalis (Bloch, 1792) larvae|journal=Aquaculture Research|date=2010|volume=41|issue=9|pages=357–360|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2109.2010.02511.x|doi-access=free}}

Common snook are opportunistic predators whose feeding habits indicate a positive relationship between their size and the size of their prey, meaning that as the snook grows, it feeds on larger and larger prey.{{cite journal|last1=Blewett|first1=N.R.|last2=Hensley|first2=R.A.|last3=Stevens|first3=P.W.|title=Feeding habits of common snook, Centropomus undecimalis, in Charlotte Harbor, Florida|journal=Gulf and Caribbean Research|date=2006|volume=18|page=1|doi=10.18785/gcr.1801.01|url=http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/gulf_caribbean_research/docs/Abstracts%20from%20Vol%2018%202005.pdf|access-date=2014-07-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728100506/http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/gulf_caribbean_research/docs/Abstracts%20from%20Vol%2018%202005.pdf|archive-date=2014-07-28|url-status=dead}} Common snook occasionally engage in cannibalism.{{cite journal|last1=Adams|first1=A.J.|last2=Wolfe|first2=R.K.|title=Cannibalism of juveniles by adult common snook (Centropomus undecimalis)|journal=Gulf of Mexico Science|date=2006|volume=24|issue=1/2|page=11|url=http://fishermanscoast.com/research/Adams%20and%20Wolfe%20GOMS%202006%20snook.pdf}} This usually occurs during the winter when adults and juveniles are in close proximity to one another within their estuarine habitats. This form of cannibalism where the juveniles are fed on by the adults is referred to as intercohort cannibalism. The adult common snook that cannibalize juveniles most likely target them because the juveniles may be the largest of the available prey, so are nutritionally efficient to prey upon.

=Physiological ecology=

Common snook, like many species of fish, are very in tune with their environments. Even a slight change in their surroundings can have a significant impact on their behavior. For example, common snook are able to determine when to start and stop spawning based on the temperature and salinity of the water they inhabit, the amount of rainfall in the area, and whether or not the moon is full.{{cite journal|last1=Peters|first1=K.M.|last2=Matheson Jr.|first2=R.E.|last3=Taylor|first3=R.G.|title=Reproduction and early life history of common snook, Centropomus undecimalis (Bloch), in Florida|journal=Bulletin of Marine Science|date=1998|volume=62|issue=2|pages=509–529|url=http://docserver.ingentaconnect.com/deliver/connect/umrsmas/00074977/v62n2/s15.pdf?expires=1406518402&id=78767866&titleid=10983&accname=Guest+User&checksum=5D3BFB3208AF8C1FC4D577944D701AAC}}{{Cite journal |last=Aliaume |first=C. |last2=Zerbi |first2=A. |last3=Miller |first3=John M. |date=2005 |title=Juvenile snook species in Puerto Rico estuaries: distribution, abundance and habitat description |url=https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Juvenile-snook-species-in-Puerto-Rico-estuaries%3A-Aliaume-Zerbi/05b924fa4f8c8e3051adfb3791a563da69d47c26 |journal=Proc. Gulf Carib. Fish. Institute |volume=47 |pages=499–519}}

In some cases, disturbances in their environment can have very negative effects on the snook population. One example is the devastating results of a cold snap. Snook are very susceptible to cold temperatures, with the effects ranging from the complete halt of all feeding at a water temperature of {{convert|14.2|C|F}}, to the loss of equilibrium at {{convert|12.7|C|F}}, to death at a temperature of {{convert|12.5|C|F}}.{{Cite journal |last=Shafland |first=Paul L. |last2=Foote |first2=Karen Jo |date=1983-10-01 |title=A Lower Lethal Temperature for Fingerling Snook, Centropomus undecimalis |url=https://aquila.usm.edu/goms/vol6/iss2/12 |journal=Northeast Gulf Science |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=175–177 |doi=10.18785/negs.0602.12 |issn=0148-9836}} A cold snap in January 2010 resulted in a 41.88% decline in nominal abundance of the common snook population in southwest Florida from the previous year and a 96–97% decrease in apparent survival estimates.{{cite journal|last1=Adams|first1=A.J.|last2=Hill|first2=J.E.|last3=Barbour|first3=A.B.|title=Effects of a severe cold event on the subtropical, estuarine-dependent common snook, Centropomus undecimalis|journal=Gulf and Caribbean Research|date=2012|volume=24|pages=13–21|doi=10.18785/gcr.2401.03|url=http://www.fishermanscoast.com/research/adams_et_al_GCR_2012_snook-cold-kill.pdf}}

Distribution and habitat

C. undecimalis is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean, from the coast of the North Carolina to Brazil including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.{{cite web|url=http://eol.org/pages/205157/details#distribution|title=Common Snook - Centropomus undecimalis - Details - Encyclopedia of Life|work=eol.org|access-date=24 June 2016}}

Snook likely originated in Central America, and changes in the Earth's climate brought the snook to Florida. During a great warming trend after the Ice Age, snook moved northward along the Mexico shoreline. They followed the perimeter of the Gulf of Mexico, along the west and east coasts of Florida.{{cite web|title = Costa Rica Snook - Fish For Snook|url = http://www.fishforsnook.com/costa-rica-snook/|website = Fish For Snook|access-date = 2016-02-09|language = en-US|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160124101530/http://www.fishforsnook.com/costa-rica-snook/|archive-date = 2016-01-24|url-status = dead}}

Massive snook are found in Central America, although they seem to look a little different because of the weather and water quality, but they are the same. No restrictions exist in most of Central America on the size or quantity of snook one can keep, consequently many locals have been keeping and killing these large snook for quite a while.{{cite web|title = Costa Rica Snook - Fish For Snook|url = http://www.fishforsnook.com/costa-rica-snook/|website = Fish For Snook|access-date = 2016-02-09|language = en-US|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160124101530/http://www.fishforsnook.com/costa-rica-snook/|archive-date = 2016-01-24|url-status = dead}} Occurring in shallow coastal waters (up to {{convert|20|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} in depth), estuaries and lagoons, the fish often enter fresh water. They are carnivorous, with a diet dominated by smaller fishes, and crustaceans such as shrimp, and occasionally crabs.{{cite web|url=http://eol.org/pages/205157/details#trophic_strategy|title=Common Snook - Centropomus undecimalis - Details - Encyclopedia of Life|work=eol.org|access-date=24 June 2016}}

Due to their limited cold tolerance, snook have been physiologically restricted from inhabiting temperate climates. In Florida, northern limits in their geographic range have historically been Tarpon Springs along the Gulf Coast and Cape Canaveral on the east coast.{{cite web |last1=Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission |title=A Sketch of the Common Snook in Florida |url=https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/fish/snook/sketch-common-snook/}} Over the past 15 years, snook have extended their range as far north as the Suwannee River Estuary (~29°N), where an exponential increase in their population has occurred.{{cite journal |last1=Sinnickson |first1=Dylan |last2=Chagaris |first2=David |last3=Allen |first3=Micheal |title=Exploring Impacts of River Discharge on Forage Fish and Predators Using Ecopath With Ecosim |journal=Frontiers in Marine Science |date=2021 |volume=8 |doi=10.3389/fmars.2021.689950|doi-access=free }} Warmer winter temperatures resulting from climate change has been suggested as a likely cause.{{cite journal |last1=Purtlebaugh |first1=C.H. |last2=Martin |first2=C.W. |last3=Allen |first3=M.S. |title=Poleward expansion of common snook Centropomus undecimalis in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico and future research needs |journal=PLOS ONE |year=2020 |volume=15 |issue=6 |pages=e0234083 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0234083|pmid=32569296 |pmc=7307751 |bibcode=2020PLoSO..1534083P |doi-access=free }} There may be potential food-web effects, particularly for sea trout (Cynoscion species), related to the snook colonization.

Human interest

File:Jeff Snook.jpg

Three United States Navy submarines have been named for this species, USS Robalo (SS-273) and USS Snook (SS-279) in the Second World War and USS Snook (SSN-592) in the 1950s.

Considered an excellent food fish, the common snook is fished commercially and foreign-caught fish are sold in the US. When cooking snook, the skin must be removed, because it imparts an unpleasant taste, described as soapy, to the fish.{{cite web|url=http://www.naplesnews.com/community/bonita-banner/snook-rare-seasonal-treat-s-worth-effort|title=Snook: A rare seasonal treat that's worth the effort|work=naplesnews.com|access-date=24 June 2016}}

Snook are prized as game fish, being known for their great fighting capabilities.{{cite web|url=http://eol.org/pages/205157/details#benefits|title=Common Snook - Centropomus undecimalis - Details - Encyclopedia of Life|work=eol.org|access-date=24 June 2016}} The IGFA all-tackle world record for common snook stands at {{convert|53|lb|10|oz|kg|abbr=on}} caught by Gilbert Ponzi near Parismina Ranch, Costa Rica. Previous world records were caught in Fort Myers, Florida, and Gatun Spillway Canal Zone, Panama.{{cite web |title=Snook, Common |url=http://wrec.igfa.org/WRecordsList.aspx?lc=AllTackle&cn=Snook,%20common |website=igfa.com |publisher=International Game Fish Association |access-date=27 June 2018}}

Anglers regularly use a variety of lures to catch snook. Common lures include jerkbaits, bucktail jigs, topwater lures, spoons, and live bait.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

Protection in Florida Gulf Coast

"At the June 2012 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) meeting, Commissioners voted to keep the recreational harvest of snook in Gulf of Mexico waters closed through Aug. 31, 2013. This closure will offer the species additional protection after a 2010 cold kill detrimentally affected the population. Snook closed to harvest in Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic waters in January 2010 after a severe cold kill affected snook population number."{{cite web|url=http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/snook/ |title=Snook |website=Myfwc.com |access-date=2016-06-24}}

All snook were "catch-and-release only" in the Gulf of Mexico until August 31, 2013. At that time, the FWC could choose to open or close snook harvest for another season. The commercial harvest or sale of snook is prohibited by the same regulations.

At the June 2013 FWC meeting, commissioners voted to let the recreational harvest of snook reopen in Gulf of Mexico waters from September 1 that year. The next stock assessment for snook was scheduled for 2015, but had not yet occurred as of June 2016, effectively leaving the fish under a protected status.{{cite web|url=http://myfwc.com/news/news-releases/2013/june/12/snook-season/ |title=FWC News: Gulf recreational snook harvest to reopen Sept. 1 |access-date=December 12, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131128070015/http://myfwc.com/news/news-releases/2013/june/12/snook-season |archive-date=November 28, 2013 }}