Saltwater · Year-round deep fishing in the Nansei Islands; weather windows rule the season

Longtail & Ruby Snappers

Etelis coruscans / Etelis carbunculus

A merged page for the two deep-slope Etelis snappers of Japan's southern islands: the longtail snapper (onaga, trade name hamadai) and the ruby snapper (akamachi). Both are red deepwater snappers fished with electric reels at 200 m and more. They are told apart mainly by tail shape and body depth.

Seasons · Peak

Jan

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Longtail & Ruby Snappers — Photo: Jerome Huet (IFREMER, Délégation océan Indien (DOI), Département Ressources Biologiques et Environnement (RBE), F-97420 , CC BY 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons

Identifying features

Onaga: deeply forked tail with very long lobes, especially the upper lobe
Akamachi (ruby): shorter, less deeply forked tail and a deeper, shorter body
Both are red to pink-red deepwater snappers with large eyes
Onaga is more elongated; ruby is deeper-bodied and more compact
Both lack the black throat of the rosy seabass and the huge golden eye of the alfonsino

Habits

Live on deep outer slopes and rise only a little off the bottom
Feed on small fish, squid and deep shrimp and crustaceans
Taken only in good weather windows — deep island grounds are weather-limited
Form loose groups over steep rocky slopes
Onaga can exceed 22 lb (10 kg); ruby snapper is generally smaller

Distribution

Regional coverage expanding

Where to find them

Deep slopes off Okinawa in the Nansei Islands
Deep grounds around the Ogasawara Islands
Deep slopes off the Amami Islands

Where they live

Deep outer reef slopes at about 650 ft (200 m) and deeperSteep drop-offs around the Nansei Islands and OgasawaraRocky deep ground on island slopes

How to catch them

Electric-reel deep drop Boat

Rig: Multi-hook deep rig with an electric reel and heavy sinker, lowered to deep island slopes from a boat

Bait/lure: Squid, mackerel or bonito strips

Key tip: Keep the rig just off the steep rocky bottom and retrieve steadily over a long ascent.

Deep slope drifting Boat

Rig: Drifting deep rig along outer reef slopes in a calm weather window from a boat

Bait/lure: Squid and fish strips

Key tip: Fish only in settled weather and keep firm bait on for the long drop.

Best baits & lures

Squid stripsMackerel stripsBonito strips

Techniques for Longtail & Ruby Snappers →

Baseline setup

Rod: Stiff deep-water boat rod with an electric reel
Line: 40-60 lb braid
Terminal: Multi-hook deep rigs, heavy sinkers for 650 ft (200 m) and deeper

Recommended gear for this species

Rod · Best value

9' 5-weight fly rod outfit

≈ US$180-260

Covers chironomid lakes and small rivers with one setup.

Flies · Budget

Chironomid assortment (30 patterns)

≈ US$25-40

Chironomids are 60% of a lake rainbow's diet in spring.

Picks come from our rule library — never paid placements. Prices are guides; affiliate links may earn us a commission.

Typical size

Common 16-28 in (40-70 cm); onaga large to about 47 in (120 cm) and over 22 lb (10 kg), ruby snapper generally smaller — the pair is classed medium with onaga the large exception

On the table

Excellent — prized red-snapper flesh, white and sweet, from professionally handled deep fish.

Similar species

Rosy SeabassRosy seabass is a smaller deep fish of mainland slopes with a black-lined mouth and throat; these Etelis snappers are southern-island deep-slope fish with forked tails, no black throat, and onaga grows far larger

Regulations vary by area and can change in-season — always check the official rules for your area before you fish. Regulations guide →

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