MASTERS OF THE WATER-BONY FISHES 



227 



lEWFISHES: Stereolepis, Promicrops, Garrupa 



These three largest of the basses are considered as a group although thev 

 are quite distinct from each other in appearance. They are separated from 

 the groupers by size chiefly. The habits of all three are rather similar. All are 

 somewhat clumsy-looking, extremely heavy, and rather sluggish. Nevertheless, 

 they are voracious, very powerful, and swift in short spurts as the large fins 

 would indicate. The jewfishes keep pretty much to the bottom, lurking in holes 

 in shallow to moderately deep water. Not much is known of their habits. 

 Jewfishes of large size are warv yet pugnacious fishes. Even small spotted jew- 

 fishes are known to snap if touched on the nose, but thev will not attack 

 if left unmolested. They learn very quickly that men with spears are up to no 

 good and will avoid them very efficiently. These fishes school when young and 

 are not often seen when small. Jewfishes are found in all tropical seas. The three 

 North American species are as follows:. 



SPOTTED jewfish: Prouiicwps itiara 



Size: Up to 8 feet. 



Weight: Averages 20 to 100 pounds. Up to 700 pounds. 



Distrihiitiori: West Indies to Florida. Gulf of California to Panama. 



Identification: The bodv, head, and fins are a drab brown with manv small 

 dark spots. The ground color is often broken up by blotches and is somewhat 

 \ariable. The tail fin is short and rounded and the spiny dorsal fin is long 

 and low and not separated from the soft dorsal by a notch. 



Similar Species: The huge Protnicrops lanceolata of the South Pacific reaches 

 a length of 10 to 12 feet and is the largest of the basses. 



F/g. 123. Spotted jewfish. 



BLACK JEWFISH (black grouper) : Ganupa nigrita 



Size: Up to 6 feet. 



Weight: Up to 500 pounds. 



Distrihtition: South Carolina to Brazil. Eastward to the Mediterranean. 



Identification: The dorsal fins are like those of Epinephehis species (see the 

 following pages on groupers) but are anteriorly high. The head is huge, and 

 the color is a uniform brown to blue-black. 



