Fishing in Tiri Channel today caught 4 Johnnies ,they had tiny snapper in their stomachs ( approx 5 cm). Is it unusual for these tiny snapper to be in the channel in July?

Suspect small snapper of that size are normal in coastal waters where you found them,and probably normal part of J.D diet.

In early June i encountered numbers of similar size snapper in the gut of a number of larger snapper and also large Kahawai.
Contacted the Leigh Marine research centre.

Despite hundreds of hours of video footage trying to capture predation of small snapper by larger ones they had never witnessed it,and extensive research of gut content had found this type of predation on only a couple of occasions.

Small snapper of the size you encountered would be first year class,spawned around December last year.
Comment i received was that at this time of year baby snapper are likely moving out of estuaries ,harbors , and into coastal waters and vulnerable  to predation.

Its interesting, I wonder what the predation percentage is, must be millions of the little buggers.

juvinile snaps is nectar to jd,s.. fact

Mt Steiny has a lot to answer for. Far too many drunked tonight

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HI Fishos I have the photograph proof of a JD swallowing a baby snapper.I was out fishing on Bazza boat yesterday at Shag Rock when I pulled the JD up(after a small tangle with Barry's line),the snapper 130mm was in its mouth and when I filleted it there was a 50mm snapper inside it's stomach.
PS the small snapper was returned to the water.
Cheers Baitcatcher