They include bluefish, grouper, halibut, mahi mahi, yellowfin tuna and snapper. Fish to avoid shouldn’t be eaten at all because they have the highest mercury levels….Is Snapper high in mercury?

Snapper is a reef fish that is harvested in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and South Atlantic waters. It’s a strange looking fish, with a bulgy look, big teeth, and mouth. Commonly, it inhabits waters from 30 to 200 feet, but you can find it as deep as 300 feet sometimes. You can find so many varieties of snappers.

Unlike its cousin, the red snapper, the yellowtail snapper is not in danger of being overfished, which also makes it a viable choice for restaurant and home cooks alike. The yellowtail snapper is similar to red snapper, and it has a mild flavor and firm flesh.

Red snapper is a low-calorie, high-protein fish that contains all nine essential amino acids. It’s also packed with Vitamins D and E, the minerals magnesium and selenium, and is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. But as long as you eat it in moderation, as with all high-mercury fish, red snapper is very healthy.

Healthy Fats Snapper is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Thanks to those fatty acids, The American Heart Association says eating fish regularly may significantly decrease your risk of heart disease, atherosclerosis and high blood cholesterol.

Overall, larger and longer-lived fish tend to contain the most mercury ( 4 ). These include shark, swordfish, fresh tuna, marlin, king mackerel, tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico, and northern pike ( 5 ). Larger fish tend to eat many smaller fish, which contain small amounts of mercury.

Fish absorb methylmercury from their food and from water as it passes over their gills. The older and larger the fish, the greater the potential for high mercury levels in their bodies. 4 . Fish are caught and eaten by humans and animals, causing methylmercury to accumulate in their tissues.