The lane snapper was first formally described in 1758 as Sparus synagris by Carolus Linnaeus in the 10th edition of the Systema Naturae with the type locality given as America septentrionali, i.e. the Bahamas.

[5] It has a sharply pointed snout,[6] With a pair of front and a pair of rear nostrils which are simple holes, it has a relatively large mouth with a moderately protrusible upper jaw which has most of its length below the cheek bone when the mouth is shut., Each jaw has one or more rows of sharp, conical teeth with a few of these being enlarged to form canines.

[1] It occurs over reefs and sandy bottoms with algae or sea grass at depths between 30 and 122 m (98 and 400 ft).

Lane snappers are opportunistic, nocturnal predators feeding on a diverse range of animals.

Known prey includes smaller fishes, cephalopods, gastropods, and crustaceans such as shrimps and crabs.

[8] The lane snapper is prized for its tasty, white meat, which is sold in supermarkets throughout Mexico.

[7] The lane snapper stocks have shown steep declines as a result of overfishing in much of its range.