i 94 i CATALOGUE OF FISHES OF TORTUGAS H5 



Family LOBOTIDAE. Tripletails 



Lobotes surinamensis (Bloch) 



(Plate 8, figure 2) 



Only four observations of this species seem to be recorded in Dr. Longley's 

 notes. Twice it was observed while diving; one specimen, 155 mm. long, was 

 taken from underneath a floating box; and a young one, 40 mm. long, was taken 

 from floating Sargassum. 



There are in the collection 3 specimens, respectively 30, 36, and 154 mm. long. 

 The tripletail, then, seems to be rather rare at Tortugas. 



The largest specimen in the collection has the fin formulas D. XII,i6; A. 

 III,i2. The serrations at the angle of the preopercle are quite large, the longest 

 spine being rather more than half as long as the eye. 



Concerning the color of a fish 40 mm. long, Dr. Longley stated, "Shade highly 

 changeable. Nearly black in aquarium; much lighter in porcelain dish." In the 

 preserved specimens prominent dark spots are present on the base of the soft 

 dorsal. 



Atlantic coast of America from Uruguay, sometimes northward to Massachu- 

 setts. S. F. H. 



Family LUTIANIDAE. Snappers 



Lutianus griseus (Linnaeus). Gray snapper; mangrove snapper 



(Plate 9, figure 1; plate 13, figure 1) 



This is the commonest of Tortugas snappers and in many respects the dom- 

 inant fish in the local fauna. It gathers about all local wharves, along all sub- 

 merged ledges of beach rock, about all the greater aggregated coral heads off- 

 shore, and in some isolated gorgonian patches. 



Though the colonies on the reefs seek food only at night, at the Laboratory 

 wharf the fish are always ready to feed. They eat bread, boiled potatoes, and 

 beans as readily as fish or meat. They even rush out to intercept slowly falling 

 paper napkins, showing that they see out of the water. Floating Sargassum they 

 scrutinize intently, and they join carangids at the beach in a whirling, splashing, 

 and confused pursuit of schooling round herrings and hardheads, but seem to 

 catch few or none. 



Of 26 specimens taken on the reef with dynamite at 5:00 p.m., i had in its 

 stomach the two terminal joints of the large claw of a crab, Portunus sebae, the 

 others nothing identifiable. Of 27, 215 to 415 mm. long, taken between 5:00 and 

 5:30 a.m., 6 had empty stomachs, 2 contained little, and the others had recently 

 fed well. They had eaten at least 15 fishes up to 125 mm. in length, 10 crabs of 

 the average size of a quarter-dollar, many small shrimps, a squid, and a large 



annelid. 



The foregoing are representative observations, to which may be added the re- 

 sults of a few experiments and observations on the rate of digestion of food. A 



