442 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



This species is very common aloiij;<)iir South Atlantic and (Inlf coasts 

 and occasionally strays iiortliwar<l as far as New Jersey, being" the 

 northernmost in its range of any member of the genus in the Atlantic. 

 It is everywhere known as the "gray snapper." In Florida and the Ba- 

 hamas, where the coasts are lined l)y mangi-ovc bushes, among which the 

 young of this species abound, tlic name " mangrove snapper" comes into 

 use. The name "lawyer" is also occasionally heard, in allusion to the 

 skill shown by the species in clnding nets. To the Spanish fishermen 

 of Cuba and Key West the species is, as in the time of Parra, known 

 as cahallerote. It inhabits waters of varying- depths, large specimens 

 being often found very near the shore, while others may be taken in 

 waters of considerable depth, iu (;onii)any with Liiljimus ayu. These 

 latter individuals are much redder than those found in shoal water; 

 their color is paler and the body is in general a tritie less elongate. 

 Such correspond to the foiin named Lutjanus stearnsi. 



The synonymy of this species is considerable. It is evidently the 

 Cahallerote of Parra, as Professor Poey has shown, and therefore the 

 Anthias cahallerote of Bloch & Schneider. Earlier than this comes 

 Lahrus (jriseus L., based on the INFangrove Snapper of Catesby, a rough 

 and inaccurate figure, but still resembling this species, and like the 

 Cahallerote identifiable by the persistent vernacular name. Sparus 

 tetracanthuti ap])ears t(> be the same, as also BodkmuH riranet. Hfeso})- 

 rion fjyiseKs Cuv. & Val. is identified by Poey with Lutjadus caxis, but 

 to us tlie description resembles much more the present species, which 

 has thus twice received the specific name of griseus. Lohotes cmarf/in- 

 atuN is based on a young specimen of //«(/«?< ?/.s'</m'e»s, afterwards made 

 the type of the genus Neonuvnis. 



The identification by Poey of Lntjamis caxh with Mesoprion grisem 

 has led American writers to sui)pose this species tobethetruei></(/Vf/n<s 

 caxis, an error only recently corrected. The true L. caxis, the caji of 

 the Havana markets, has not yet been seen north of Key West. 



LutjamiH fitcarmi, described from Pensacola, we are unable to separate 

 from ordinary deei)-wa,ter specimens of L. griseus. So far as we can see, 

 the gradation is jterfect. This identity has been already recognized 

 by Dr. P>ean. 



Dr. (Jiinther identifies with his Mcsoprion griseus one or two species 

 described by (^uvier and Valenciennes from the west coast of Africa. 

 It is impossible from the brief descriptions to settle this question, and 

 the confusion in the synonymy giv<'n by Dr. (Jiinther shows that his 

 material was insufficient to form any definite ()])inions. 



This species is closely allied to L. caxis on the one hand, and to L. 

 cyanopterus on the other; the former is deeper and differently cohned, 

 as already stated; the latter is similar in form and color, but has the 

 dentition of lower jaw and vomer different. L. griseus rarely exceeds G 

 or 8 p(mnds in weight. Specimens are in the Museum at Cambridge 

 from Gouaives, Haiti, Maranhao, and the Bermudas. 



