Japanese snapper

Paracaesio caerulea, the Japanese snapper, is a species of snapper native to the Western Pacific Ocean where it is known to occur in the waters around southern Japan, Taiwan and the Chesterfield Islands of New Caledonia. It is found in areas with rocky substrates at depths of over 100 m. This species can reach a length of 50 cm TL though most are around 30 cm. It is important commercially as a food fish.

Culinary use
Japanese snapper, known in sushi restaurants as "Tai," is the authentic species of Red Snapper served in traditional Japanese restaurants.

The common fare of "Red Snapper" in typical Sushi restaurants throughout the USA is actually a variety of Tilapia, known as "Izumi Dai" in Japanese. Not only are the tastes and textures of each form of fish significantly different, they also dwell in completely different aquatic environments, Tilapia being a fresh water fish and Japanese snapper inhabiting the Pacific Ocean.