Book excerpt: "This guide is intended for the identification of early life history (ELH) specimens of snappers (Lutjanidae) collected principally by plankton nets from marine waters of the western central Atlantic. This area is bounded by 35° north latitude on the north, 50° west longitude on the east, the Equator on the south, and the continental margins on the west. It is basically the area defined by FAO as the Western central Atlantic Fishing Area 31 which includes the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. The region is tropical and subtropical with important fishing areas and a high diversity of species. The area is also characterized by a large number of coral reefs"--Introduction, paragraph 1