Identifying and Eating Snapper in Key West: A Fishing Q&A

Question
Not sure if its bluelined snapper or yellow tail snapper but it does have a few blue lines running accross the fish.  Just trying to figure out it we can eat it?  This was caught right behind our condo in Key West in the shallow water.  Thank you

Doogie

Answer
doogie,

sorry--have been travelling.  yes you can eat any small snapper.  when they get over 3 or 4 pounds, I would not.  but the question is, are you talking about a blue-striped grunt or not?  the yellow-tail snapper has a yellow stripe running from the eye on to the tail--excellent eating.  the grunt has slightly under-slung mouth compared to the snapper.  grunts are not the best eating, but many people do eat them.  Boris