Miscellaneous Fishes 371 



first described by Bloch, in 1790, from Surinam, 

 South America. He named it surinamensis, 

 from the name of the locahty whence his speci- 

 mens were procured. There is another species 

 on the Pacific coast, Lobotes pacifictis, that is 

 quite abundant at Panama, where it is known as 

 berrugate. 



The triple-tail is known in all warm seas. Its 

 range on the Atlantic coast extends from South 

 America north to Cape Cod, though it is not 

 abundant. I have taken it on both the east and 

 west coasts of Florida. At Tampa it is called 

 black snapper, and in South Carolina it is known 

 as black perch. I have never heard it called 

 flasher, which is said to be its name in the 

 markets of New York. 



It is a short, thick, robust fish, nearly half as 

 deep as long, with an elevated back, and with the 

 ventral outline corresponding with its dorsal 

 curve. The head is a third of the length of the 

 body, its profile concave, the snout prominent, 

 and the lower jaw projecting; the mouth is of 

 moderate size, with thick lips. 



The color of the back is dark, or greenish black, 

 the sides silvery gray, sometimes blotched and 

 tinged with yellow; the fins are dusky gray or 



