This is an excellent game fish with tenacious fighting ability and tasty flesh. Range is Bermuda, New England to Brazil, and the Gulf of Mexico. This fish is named for its elongated canine teeth at the front of the upper jaw. It is solitary and wary and stays in the deep reef or submerged wreck areas. Not very common anywhere.
Edibility is good if the fish is small.
However, a large dog snapper may contain a fatal toxin. These fish repeatedly snap their jaws shut after removal from a hook or net. Range is New England to Brazil and the Gulf of Mexico.