Ask our guests which fish they remember from their first dive in Punta Cana and many will describe the same one: a sleek, silvery fish with a bright yellow stripe and a deeply forked yellow tail that seemed to be swimming right beside them the whole time. That is the yellowtail snapper, and it really was following them.

Yellowtails are one of the most familiar fish on Caribbean reefs and one of the easiest to recognize. They are also a valuable food fish across the region, which is why it is a pleasure to see them in good numbers on our local sites, especially around our own coral nursery.

Quick Facts

Name: yellowtail snapper, Ocyurus chrysurus (in the Dominican Republic: colirrubia)
Size: most are under 40 cm (16 in); the largest recorded reach about 86 cm (34 in)
Lifespan: FishBase lists a maximum reported age of 19 years
Diet: plankton plus shrimp, crabs, worms, small fish, snails and squid, taken mostly at night; young fish eat mainly plankton
Depth: from near the surface to about 180 m (590 ft), most often in the top 70 m
Range: western Atlantic, from Massachusetts and Bermuda to southeastern Brazil, most common in the Bahamas, South Florida and throughout the Caribbean
Status: Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List, meaning there is not enough information to assess its global trend

How to Recognize a Yellowtail Snapper

Look for the stripe. A single yellow band runs along the middle of the body from the snout to the tail, getting wider as it goes, and merges into a completely yellow, deeply forked tail. The back above the stripe is olive to bluish with scattered yellow spots, the belly is silvery white, and the fins along the top are yellowish. The body is streamlined, built for open water rather than for hiding in holes.

The fish you are most likely to confuse it with is the yellow goatfish, which also has a yellow mid-body stripe and a yellow tail. The goatfish has two barbels under its chin, two separate dorsal fins and spends its time close to the sand. The yellowtail has no barbels and swims above the bottom, usually in the water column over the reef.

Juveniles look much like small adults and spend their early life in shallow seagrass and weed beds before moving out to the reef.

Behavior: Why Yellowtails Follow Divers

Yellowtails are social fish that gather in loose groups, cruising a few meters above the reef rather than hugging the coral. Unlike many snappers, which hide in caves and under ledges during the day, they are out in the open and easy to watch. Most of their feeding takes place at night, when they pick plankton and small animals from the water and the bottom.

On our dives, yellowtails very often fall in behind a group of divers and follow it along the reef, sometimes for most of the dive. We think the main reason is simple opportunism: fins and bubbles can disturb small animals, and a fish that stays close to a diver may get an easy snack. In many parts of the Caribbean, people have also fed reef fish for years, and fish learn quickly to associate humans with food. Please do not add to that. Feeding fish changes their natural behavior, crowds the reef with hungry fish and can attract bigger predators.

Yellowtails spawn in groups along the outer edges of reefs. Spawning has been recorded in every month of the year, with peak seasons that vary from place to place. Fertilized eggs and larvae drift with the currents before the young settle in shallow nursery habitats.

Where to See Yellowtail Snapper in Punta Cana

Yellowtails are common on almost every reef dive we do, but one site stands out. At Finger Coral Plantation, our coral nursery at 6 m (20 ft), yellowtail snappers are everywhere: hovering around the coral structures, weaving between divers and keeping close to the group for much of the dive. Because the site is shallow and calm, it is also one of our favorite places for first ocean dives.

You will also meet them at Rock City, where snappers and grunts gather around the canyons, and on our deeper reefs and wrecks. Look up from the coral now and then: yellowtails usually swim a little higher than you expect.

Find the yellowtail snapper on our species guide, together with the other fish our guides point out most often.

Photography Tips

Use their curiosity. Instead of chasing, hover still and let the group circle back; they usually come much closer on their own.
Shoot slightly upward. Getting below the fish puts their yellow tails against the blue water, the classic yellowtail image.
Wide angle works best. A group swirling around a coral head or a diver makes a better picture than a single fish.
Keep your buoyancy steady near the nursery structures at Finger Coral Plantation. The young corals there are fragile.
Never feed fish for a photo. It is the fastest way to turn a calm group into a pushy crowd.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do yellowtail snappers follow divers?

They are curious and opportunistic. Divers stir up small prey, and in places where fish have been fed, they learn to link people with food. Following you is normal; it does not mean they are aggressive.

Can you eat yellowtail snapper?

Yes. It is an important commercial and recreational food fish across the Caribbean, including in the Dominican Republic. As with many reef fish, cases of ciguatera poisoning have been reported.

Do yellowtail snappers bite?

They are not dangerous to divers. A fish that has learned to expect food may nip at fingers held out to it, which is another good reason to keep your hands to yourself.