What is snapper life-cycle?

[Jasonfish1234]

Please explain in detail. Since last year i went to fish for snapper in western port don't get much. So i want to know it migration and movement. Also how many year it can live and what biggest size it can reach.

[Sebb]

Probably best to read from a book if you want detailed info and factual. As in scientific book. There are some info in fishing books and fishing videos.

I'm no expert, but I know they spawn in Spring, hence the bigger snappers are coming to play in the shallows in Spring.
There are a lot of micro sized pinkies in summer usually (undersized).

[cobby]

Main spawn in bays and estuaries late spring/early summer and a smaller one early-mid autumn (now). Spawn floats around before settling on reefs and weedbeds (which is why scallop dredging was so destructive and the shellfish reef restoration project will do a million times more for fish in the bay than the ridiculous commercial buyouts....) where fingerlings feed on all sorts of organisms and microorganisms before growing to consume more substantial food like small fish. Growth is rapid in the first year before slowing down shortly after reaching legal size. Some fish, mostly the larger 70+cm specimens remain in the bays over winter, most leave post spawning. Some go east and some go west. Maximum known size is 1.3m long at over 20kg. They're a predator, not a scavenger and will take live baits free swimming at all depths (another reason why using soft plastics is so successful).

[cobby]

Oh and varies depending upon the fish. Some have been recorded at 4yo and only 28cm and immature (unable to spawn). Others have been found at 23cm, fully matured and only 2yo. Both fish from Coffs Harbour

[purple5ive]

Some great info there s usual Mr Cobb.
They are going well atm from what I can see down ppb south end
Cheers

[Sebb]

Wow, some info there Cobby. Learn something new everyday.

[smile0784]

Main spawn in bays and estuaries late spring/early summer and a smaller one early-mid autumn (now). Spawn floats around before settling on reefs and weedbeds (which is why scallop dredging was so destructive and the shellfish reef restoration project will do a million times more for fish in the bay than the ridiculous commercial buyouts....) where fingerlings feed on all sorts of organisms and microorganisms before growing to consume more substantial food like small fish. Growth is rapid in the first year before slowing down shortly after reaching legal size. Some fish, mostly the larger 70+cm specimens remain in the bays over winter, most leave post spawning. Some go east and some go west. Maximum known size is 1.3m long at over 20kg. They're a predator, not a scavenger and will take live baits free swimming at all depths (another reason why using soft plastics is so successful).

Great info

[AzCoy7]

Australia: cocknies (young smaller than legal size), red bream or pinkies (legal size), squire or squirefish (when bigger), snapper (at full size).

[AzCoy7]

After years of growth, some snapper develop a large hump on their head, and sometimes even a big fleshy nose. It is at this stage that they become known as an Old Man snapper. There is a suggestion snapper that are habitual diggers develop this nose, which is normally slightly hooked underneath. The nose may be the result of infection, a small piece of shell or grit penetrating the fish’s skin. But there is no proof of this. As for the hump, its sole purpose is to help stabilise the fish as it acquires the habit of feeding and moving nose down and tail up, groping for crabs and other bottom dwellers.

The growth rate of snapper is not as fast as most of us would like it to be. Water temperatures appear to influence the growth rate to some extent in that a series of warm summers will greatly increase it. Data from studies carried out by the Central Ageing Facility at the Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute, Queenscliff, show the age structure of snapper as follows:

1 year – 12-25cm, average 16cm
2 years – 15-25cm, average 21cm
3 years – 25-36cm, average 28cm
4 years – 29-44cm, average 35cm
5 years – 32-44cm, average 37cm
6 years – 27-47cm, average 42cm
7 years – 33-56cm, average 49cm
8 years – 46-63cm, average 54cm
10 years – 46-66cm, average 57cm
12 years – 52-71cm, average 61cm
14 years – 57-72cm, average 63cm
16 years – 59-80cm, average 68cm
18 years – 69-71cm, average 70cm
20-years – 72cm
24-years – 75cm