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Approximately what percentage of yield by weight should I expect to realize from a whole fish?

I plan to serve a whole, salt-crusted snapper or salmon to a sizeable group (about 12 guests) and am uncertain how large of a fish to purchase. Typically, I try to budget a little under 0.5 lbs of protein (uncooked weight) per person. I'm not sure how to account for all the unusable weight (bones, head, etc.) that a whole fish entails.

Try to keep it at about .75lb/person

Try to keep it at about .75lb/person (make that at least).

i think snapper has more waste than salmon.

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i used to milk cows

Generally speaking, yield from many whole roundfish is about 50%. Less than 50% if you're looking for skinless fillets. Many species such as grouper yield even less due to the large head. Flatfish average about 40% yield.

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"Playing the trumpet with The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is the most fun that you can have with your clothes on." Adolph "Bud" Herseth

Thanks all - very helpful.

So the key is to look for fish with small heads 'eh?

Actually, I've always wondered myself - thanks for the input. More often than not, I find myself buying whole fish because I like to fillet my own, sometimes grill the collars and make stock with trimmings. Now, I know a good price-point for comparison though with whole vs fillet. Any idea on yields for lobster (whole vs tails vs spiny crayfish vs Maine lobsters) and various types of crabs? It's crab season right now and Dungeness crab is the cheapest I've ever seen at $3.48/lb, however they're also offering Dungeness 6oz meat for $6.99 at some places.