SPAROID FISHES OF AMERICA AND EUROPE. 447 



13. LUTJANUS AYA. 



(Red Snapper; Pargo Colorado; Pargo Guachinango.) 



Acara nya Marcgrave, Hist. Brasil., 167, 168, 1618. 



Jiudianus aya Blocli, Ichtliyol., taf. 227, 1790 (based on Marcgrave); Lacdpede, iv, 



286, 287, 1803 (copied). 

 Lutjanus aya, Goode, Bull. U. S. N. M., v, 1876, 55 (Berinudas); Jordan, Man. Vert., 



ed. 5, 1888. 139. 

 L'odianus ruber Blocli & Schneider, Syst. Ichthy., 1801, 330 (based on Marcgrave). 

 Liitjaiins vivamts, Jordan & Swain, 1. c., 453 (not tyjie). 

 MeHiiprlon campeclianus Pooy, Mem., ii, 149, 1860 (Cuba). 

 Luljanus camjiechianus Poey, Syn., 294, 1868 (Cuba) ; Poey, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y., 



317, 1870 (Cuba) ; Poey, Euumeratio, 29, 1875 (Cuba) ; Poey, Bull. U. S. F. C. 



1882, 118 (Key West) ; Jordan & Gilbert, Syn. Fish. N. A., 1883, 921(copied) ; 



Jordan, Pro.'. U. S. N. M. 1884, 125 (Key West). 

 Liitjdjiiis bhickfordi Goodo & Bean, Proc. U. S. N. M. 1878, 176 (Pensacola); Goode, 



Proc. U. S. N. M. 1879, 114 (St. Johns River) ; Goode & Bean, oj). cit., 1879, 



137, 156 (Pensacola); Beau, up. cit., 1880, 96; Goode & Bean, op. cit., 1882, 



238; Jordan & Gilbert, op. cit., 1882, 275 (Pensacola); Jordan & Gilbert, 



Syn. Fish. N. A., 1883, 549; and of Goode & Bean and recent American 



writers generally. 



Habitat: Long Island to Brazil; especially abundant in the Gulf of 

 Mexico. 



Etymology: From tlie Portuguese name, Acara aya. 



This species, the most valuable food-fish of the genus in the waters 

 of the United States, is very abundant in rather dee]) water iu rocky 

 places around the Florida coast. At Pensacola it is taken iu great 

 numbers. It is one of the most important food fishes of our southern 

 coasts. About Key West it is also taken in large numbers, but only 

 in the deep waters, and it is taken thence alive in the wells of the 

 fishing smacks to the markets of Havana. On the American coast it 

 is known everywhere as " red snapper," or to the Spaniards as pargo 

 Colorado. In Havana it bears the name of pargo guachinango., " Mexi- 

 can snapi)er," because it is brought to that city from the Mexican coast. 

 According to Poey it is comparatively rare in Cuban waters, although 

 daily seen in the markets. Specimens are in the museum at Cambridge, 

 from Kio Janeiro; these seem to be entirely similar to the red snapper 

 of our markets; in some of tliese the stomach is wrong side out, indi- 

 cating that they came from deep water. 



The synonymy is somewhat complicated, and some doubt exists as to 

 thei)roper specific name. We identify the names aya and ruber, based 

 on the Acara aya of Marcgrave, as belonging to the common red snai^- 

 per. This is said to be a red Jjutjanus, 'A feet in length, and with a 

 red circle around its iris; it is therefore far more likely to have been 

 this species than the small Lufjanus vlvanus, with which it has been 

 identified by Cuvier. As this si)ecies occurs on the Brazilian coast, 

 and as it corresponds to Marcgrave's and Bloch's descriptions, there is 

 not much doubt as to its identity, the more so as it is probable that all 

 the large Luijani of our waters are now known. 



