THE ROBALOS 



Family XLl^II. Centroponudce 



Body elongate, back considerably elevated, the ventral outline 

 straight, angulated at the anal fin; scales ctenoid, var^'ing in size; 

 lateral line conspicuous, extending on caudal fin; head depressed, 

 pike-like, the lower jav^ projecting; villiform teeth, in bands, on jaws, 

 vomer, and palatines; tongue smooth; maxillary broad, truncate 

 behind, with a strong supplemental bone; pseudobranchiae small; 

 preopercle with a double ridge, the posterior margin strongly serrate, 

 with larger spines at the angle; preorbital and suprascapular serrated; 

 opercle without true spines; dorsal fins well separated, the first with 

 8 spines, the first and second short, the third and fourth longest; anal 

 with 3 spines, the second strong, the third long and slender; these fins 

 moving in scaly sheaths; caudal forked; air-bladder well developed. 



This f^imily contains one genus with about i 5 species, all American, 

 and most of them game-fishes and of moderate food-value. The spe- 

 cies are all of salt or brackish water, and their habits resemble those 

 of the basses, as their common name, robalo, indicates, robalo being 

 the Spanish name for the European bass. The majority of the spe- 

 cies are of little value as food, the flesh being coarse and with little 

 flavour. 



Centropomiis viridis, the Pacific robalo, occurs from Panama 

 northward to Lower California. It is in most parts of its range a 

 common fish, reaching a length of 2 to 4 feet, and is valued somewhat 

 as a food-fish. 



Colour, greenish on back; sides dull silvery; upper fins dusky, 

 lower ones paler; ventrals plain yellowish, scarcely dotted with 

 dusky; no yellow on other fins; lateral line black; some dusky at 

 base of pectoral and behind second anal spine. 



C. Tindecimalis, the common robalo or snook, is the best-known 

 species of the family, as well as the largest and most abundant. 

 It is common on sandy shores throughout the West Indies, and from 

 Florida to Surinam. It occurs at Key West and is common about 

 Porto Rico, entering the lower courses of the rivers, where it is 

 sought by the local anglers. It attains a length of 3 or 4 feet, though 

 examples of that size are not frequent; those usually taken or seen in 

 the markets rarely exceed 2 feet in length. The flesh is white and 



368 



