Snapper

Snapper (Lutjanus sp.)
Changi, 14th February 2014

This snapper likely originated from the fish farms situated off the northeastern coast of mainland Singapore; massive numbers of fishes being raised in these aquaculture facilities died during the mass mortality event which took place in the eastern Straits of Johor in early February.

Several species of snapper occur in Singapore’s coastal waters, and are also raised for human consumption in offshore fish farms. This particular snapper might belong to one of the following species:

Mangrove Red Snapper (Lutjanus argentimaculatus)

• A Guide to Common Marine Fishes of Singapore
• HandlineFishing.com
• Ecology Asia
• FishBase
• FAO species catalogue: Vol.6. Snappers of the world
• FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Fact Sheets
• Fishes of Andaman Sea
• Fishes of Bitung
• Fishes of Libong
• Coastal Fishes of Indonesia: Field Guide to Lombok Island
• Reef Fishes of India
• Australian Museum Fact Sheets
• Natural Spawning And Rearing Of Mangrove Red Snapper, Lutjanus argentimaculatus, Larvae In Captivity
• Broodstock development of Mangrove Red Snapper Lutjanus argentimaculatus in open sea cages

Malabar Blood Snapper (Lutjanus malabaricus)

• A Guide to Common Marine Fishes of Singapore
• Fish Species of Singapore
• FishBase
• FAO species catalogue: Vol.6. Snappers of the world
• Fishes of Andaman Sea
• Reef Fishes of India
• Genetic population structure of red snapper (Lutjanus malabaricus) and orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coiodes) in Brunei and Sabah
• Genetic population structure of red snappers (Lutjanus malabaricus Bloch & Schneider, 1801 and Lutjanus erythropterus Bloch, 1790) in central and eastern Indonesia and northern Australia
• Status of Key Australian Fish Stocks 2012

John’s Snapper or Golden Snapper (Lutjanus johnii)

• A Guide to Common Marine Fishes of Singapore
• HandlineFishing.com
• Fish Species of Singapore
• FishBase
• FAO species catalogue: Vol.6. Snappers of the world
• Fishes of Andaman Sea
• Reef Fishes of India
• Distribution and feeding habits of juvenile and young
  John’s Snapper Lutjanus johnii in the Matang mangrove estuary, west coast of Peninsular Malaysia

Crimson Snapper (Lutjanus erythropterus)

• HandlineFishing.com
• Fish Species of Singapore
• FishBase
• FAO species catalogue: Vol.6. Snappers of the world
• Status of Key Australian Fish Stocks 2012
• Population genetic structure of crimson snapper Lutjanus erythropterus in East Asia, revealed by analysis of the mitochondrial control region
• Genetic population structure of red snappers (Lutjanus malabaricus Bloch & Schneider, 1801 and Lutjanus erythropterus Bloch, 1790) in central and eastern Indonesia and northern Australia

Stinky mess: Dead fish floating at one of the fish farms in Tanjung Kupang in the Johor Straits near Gelang Patah.

Malaysia: Breeders: Project causing fish deaths
By Yee Xiang Yun, 14th February 2014;

Land reclamation around the Tanjung Kupang area has been causing mass deaths of fishes in farms, claim breeders.

At least 10 fish farms and 250 traditional fishermen are affected after fish started dying in large numbers since Monday.

Dead fish could also be seen floating along the waters from Puteri Harbour in Nusajaya to Tanjung Kupang, and these include jenahak (Snapper) (F. Lutjanidae), kerapu (Grouper) (F. Serranidae), senangin (Threadfin) (Eleutheronema tetradactylum) and ikan merah (Mangrove Jack) (Lutjanus argentimaculatus).

Fish farmer Lee Boon Hock, 30, said he suffered losses of more than RM150,000 in three days as more than 90% of his fish as well as 70,000 senangin fry had died.

“We can only salvage what is left but those fish still have to be tested to see if they are safe for consumption,” he said at his fish farm near Kampung Pendas, right below the Second Link here yesterday.

He noticed that the sea water had been polluted and turned brownish after the land reclamation project began about a month ago.

Kampung Ladang/Tanjung Kupang Fisher­men Club chairman Ibrahim Atan said he had received lots of complaints, especially from fishermen in Kampung Ladang, Tanjung Kupang, Kampung Poh and Tanjung Pelepas.

He said for many of them, fishing was their source of income and the incident had caused their catch to drop by 50% since Monday.

Source: The Star