The Red Porgy, Pagrus pagrus, is also called pinky, pink porgy, and silver snapper.
Red porgy have reddish upper bodies transitioning to a silver-white on the belly. They have rows of small blue spots along the upper body. They have two blue streaks, one above and one below the eye. The teeth are pronounced and the back ones are molar-like. The average size is around 16-18 inches with a weight of 2 to 2 1/2 pounds.
Primarily living near reefs and the deeper part of continental shelves, red porgy tend to travel in schools. They are migratory, seldom staying in the same location for any period. Young red porgy are typically found closer to the shore at a depth around 60 feet and are usually found in grass beds. As they mature, the red porgy prefer deeper water between 200 and 600 feet.
They are bottom feeders and use their strong teeth to prey on snails, crabs and sea urchins. They also will eat worms and small fishes.
