The Channel Fishes 335 



ent above ; beginning at the vertical bar and 

 extending backward are half a dozen deep yellow, 

 longitudinal, and parallel stripes, the lower ones 

 reaching the caudal fin ; all of the fins are deep 

 yellow. 



The pork-fish resorts to the reefs and coralline 

 rocks, feeding on crustaceans, small marine inver- 

 tebrates, and small, soft-shelled mollusks, which it 

 crushes with the blunt teeth in its throat. Its 

 usual size runs from half a pound to a pound, but 

 occasionally grows to two pounds. It should be 

 fished for with very light tackle, about the same 

 as used for the pig-fish, but with smaller hooks, 

 No. 5 or 6, on gut snells, and cut-conch bait, 

 small shrimps, and beach-fleas. 



The pork-fish has been known from the time 

 of Marcgrave, over two centuries ago, from Brazil, 

 and from the West Indies for many years, but 

 was not recorded from the waters of the United 

 States until 1881, when I collected it near Key 

 West. As in the case of the yellow grunt and 

 the lane snapper, it is surprising that such long- 

 described and well-marked and beautiful species 

 should have been overlooked in our own waters 

 until my collection of that year. 



