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Curious Bohar

Twin-spot snappers are curious top predators on Pacific coral reefs, eating a variety of fishes, shrimps, crabs, and snails among others, and are usually around 2.5 feet long.
(Scott Hamilton)

The twin-spot snapper (Lutjanus bohar) is one of the more curious predators in the central Pacific, says marine ecologist Stuart Sandin of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. "It poses commonly for the camera but is also immediately on-hand whenever there is an opportunity to eat." These fish (also called bohars) are top predators on the reef, eating a variety of fishes, shrimps, crabs, and snails among others, and are usually around 2.5 feet long. However, they are frequently caught as game fish and sold for people to eat. In areas where they aren't fished, they are very common—more common than you would expect. Learn about this phenomenon in Dr. Sandin's blog post.