The Channel Fishes 343 



length equal to the depth of the body, with a 

 pointed snout, large mouth, and straight profile. 

 The color of the red snapper is a uniform rose- 

 red, paler on the throat; fins all red, the vertical 

 fins bordered with dusky blue; there is a dark 

 blotch under the front of the soft portion of the 

 dorsal fin, except in the oldest and largest fish; 

 the iris of the eye is scarlet. 



The red snapper, being a deep-water fish, is 

 seldom found along the shores, and is of no im- 

 portance to the angler. It is a bottom fish, feed- 

 ing in company with the large groupers on small 

 fishes and crustaceans. It grows to twenty or 

 thirty pounds, but its usual size is from five to 

 ten pounds. It spawns in summer. 



The commercial fishing for the red snapper 

 is done on the " snapper banks " in very deep 

 water. Strong hand-lines and codfish hooks are 

 used, with cut bait. By the time the fish is 

 brought to the surface from the bottom it is 

 almost exhausted, and would afford no sport to 

 the angler. The bringing of the fish from depths 

 where the pressure of the water is so great, to the 

 surface, where it is comparatively so much less, 

 causes the fish to swell up, and the air-bladder to 

 be so filled that the fish would float ; it is there- 



