They have well developed teeth and are capable of inflicting injury on uninformed fishermen. Most snappers have large eyes and a broken color pattern. Tarpon are silvery in coloration. They have a deep body with an upturned mouth for feeding above them. A female tarpon of typical size may have 12 million eggs, which drift in ocean currents far from shore.
Hatchlings are larval, almost transparent and look more like a clear strip of ribbon than a fish.
The young head to shallow water. At the time they reach approximately 3cm in length they metamorphose into tiny versions of their parents, actually decreasing in lenth to 1.5cm. Tarpon are a primitive fish, with a simple body shape and structure. They are a great sport-hunting fish, but are not considered to taste very good. Many triggerfish inhabit areas in coastal waters from New York to Brazil.