The Brazilian snapper was first formally described in 2007 by the Brazilian marine biologist Rodrigo Leão de Moura and the American marine scientist Kenyon C. Lindeman with the type locality given as Camurupim Reef near Tamandaré in Pernambuco State, Brazil.

[1] The specific name honours the pioneering Brazilian naturalist Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira.

The blue spots which are present on the faces of this species allow it to be identified in comparison with similar species, these run in an irregular line from the corner of the mouth to the edge of the operculum with another a brief row behind the eye and a small number dispersed on the cheek.

[5] The Brazilian snapper is found in the western Atlantic Ocean where it is endemic to the coast of Brazil.

[5] It can be found from the tidal shallows to a depth of 54 m (177 ft) on coral reefs, rocky shores, coastal lagoons with brackish water, mangroves and other shallow water habitats which have a mosaic of soft and hard substrates.