THE CALIFORNIA^ BLUEFISH. 395 



of the rock-pools. The 'Bluefish' is entirely herbivorous. It is a food-fish of good quality, but the 

 flesh softens sooner after death than is usually the case with related fishes. It is very tenacious 

 of life. 



"The 'Half-moon,' more commonly known by its Spanish name, 'Medialuua,' Scorpis califor- 

 niensis, reaches a length of more than a foot, and a weight of three or four pounds. It ranges 

 from Point Concepcion southward, chiefly about the Santa Barbara Islands, where it is exceed- 

 ingly abundant, and, in the winter, forms the greater part of the catch at San Pedro. It feeds 

 chiefly upon crustaceans, but is, to some extent, herbivorous. It takes the hook readily, is an 

 excellent food-fish, and, in the Los Angeles market, is second only to the barracuda in impor- 

 tance." 



THE SNAPPER FAMILY PRISTIPOMATID^J. 



132. THE RED AND GRAY SNAPPERS. 

 THE RED SNAPPEE LUTJANUS BLACKFOBDII. 



The Red Snapper, although it has been for many years a favorite food-fish of the Gulf of 

 Mexico and Eastern Florida, has but recently become known in Northern markets. About 1874 

 individuals of this species were occasionally seen in New York and Washington, and shortly after 

 they began to come into notice in the cities of the Mississippi Valley. It was not even described 

 and named until 1877, when Messrs. Goode and Bean, having determined that it was distinct from 

 the West Indian form, which it resembles, deocribed it under the name Lutjaniis Blarifonlii, in 

 honor of Mr. Eugene G. Blackford, of New York City, who has for many years been prominent in 

 all matters relating to fish culture and the fish trade. By reason of its bright crimson color it is 

 the most conspicuous fish ever seen in our markets. 



Three years ago the geographical range of this species was supposed to be limited at the north 

 by Savannah Bank, but during the summer of 1880 several specimens were taken along the coast of 

 the Middle States; one, nine and a half pounds in weight, off Port Monmouth, New Jersey, October 

 5; another, about August 10, near Block Island. This northern extension of its range is quite 

 unexpected, and the fact that even stragglers find their way into our northern waters suggests 

 great possibilities for the future in the way of their artificial propagation and introduction along 

 the coast of the Middle States. In the South it is found associated on the same grounds with the 

 sea-bass, Serranus atrarius, which it resembles in habits and manner of feeding. The sea-bass 

 is abundant as far north as Cape Cod, and it is hard to understand why the banks, which are 

 farorite haunts of this fish, should not also be shared by the Red Snapper. In the Gulf of Mexico 

 the Red Snapper is exceedingly abundant in suitable localities from Key West to the Rio Grande. 



"About the Florida reefs and as far north as Temple Bay, where there are reefs and rocks, 

 they live in holes and gullies where all kinds of marine animals and fish are most abundant, and 

 sometimes, as I have noticed, off Charlotte Harbor numbers of them will congregate about a soli- 

 tary ledge protruding over a level bottom of white sand. Throughout this southern district the 

 fishing spots are small, but very numerous; and away from the reefs, where the bottom is chiefly 

 sand, it is only necessary to find rocks or a rocky bottom to find Red Snappers. Since it is 

 impracticable to make, use of bearings by which to find the fishing grounds, the fishermen sail 

 about, throwing the lead continually until it indicates the proper bottom. Along the coast from 

 Temple Bay to Texas the bottom declines very gradually to the hundred-fathom curve, forming 

 vast, almost level, plains of sand. In these barren wastes there are gullies of variable size, having 

 rocky bottoms and teeming with animal and vegetable life. These gullies occur at a depth of 

 from twelve to forty-live fathoms, the water in them being several fathoms deeper than the sur- 



