FISHERIES OF KEY WEST. 31 



uncommon, but the average weight is about 3 pounds. Fish weigh- 

 ing less than 1 pound are rarely seen in the markets. 



Range. — Beaufort (N. C.^ to West Indies; Bermuda; rare north of 

 Florida. 



70. Sparisoma viride (Bonnaterre). Parrot-fish. 



This fish is occasionally caught by hook-and-line fishermen and is 

 eaten to a small extent locally. Very little is known of its habits, 

 and its value is very slight. It is a rich bluish-green in color. 

 Maximum weight, 10 pounds; average, 2 pounds. 



Range. — Bahamas and Florida Keys to West Indies ; known from 

 Bermuda, Jamaica, Porto Rico, St. Thomas, and St. Croix. 



71. Sparisoma flavescens (Bloch and Schneider). Parrot-fish. 



This parrot-fish is common in the vicinity of Key West. It is 

 found in shallow water, chiefly on grassy bottom. Its color is mostly 

 olivaceous, flushed with pink or orange. Its flesh is soft and rather 

 poor, but it is used to a limited extent as food. Maximum weight, 

 1 pound ; average weight of market fish, one-half pound. 



Range. — Southern Florida to Brazil; found in the Bahamas and 

 throughout the West Indies. 



72. Pseudoscarus guacamaia (Cuvier). Green parrot-fish. 



Of the large parrot-fishes this is the most common species found 

 about Key West. In color it is mottled or barred with brown and 

 blue; its teeth are green. It is not held in high esteem as a food 

 fish, but is eaten sparingly in Key West. Maximum weight, 10 

 pounds; average, 1 pound. 



Range. — Florida to Eio de Janeiro, Brazil; recorded from St. 

 Augustine, Habana, Porto Rico, and Panama. 



73. Chastodipterus faber (Broussonet). Spadefish; Angelfish. 



The spadefish is found about Key West during most of the year 

 and is especially common during the summer and fall. It is gener- 

 ally found close to shore in shallow w T ater and travels in small schools. 

 It is frequently taken in wire crawfish traps. After hauling craw- 

 fish traps daily for a long time and catching no spadefish at all the 

 writer suddenly one day caught 18 of the fish in one trap, which 

 illustrates their habit of schooling. The young (less than 1 foot long) 

 are marked along the sides with six prominent black vertical bands 

 on a silvery ground, but in the adult the entire body coloration is 

 darker and the bands are less conspicuous. As a food fish it is held in 

 high esteem, but the annual catch at Key West is not large. Maxi- 

 mum weight, 20 pounds; average, three-fourths pound. In Chesa- 

 peake Bay, where this fish is known as " porgee and where small 

 numbers are taken from spring until fall, they generally w T eigh 

 between 3 and 12 pounds. 



Range. — Cape Cod to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ; rare north of Chesa- 

 peake Bay ; known from Cuba, Santo Domingo, Jamaica, Martinique, 

 Porto Rico, and Panama. 



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