﻿FISHERIES 
  OF 
  THE 
  COASTAL 
  WATERS 
  OF 
  FLORIDA. 
  283 
  

  

  11. 
  Grass 
  Porgy, 
  Calamus 
  arctifrons 
  Goode 
  & 
  Bean, 
  This 
  species 
  is 
  also 
  commoa 
  

  

  about 
  Key 
  West. 
  W^hile 
  all 
  the 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  this 
  geuus 
  are 
  iisnally 
  

   found 
  on 
  rock 
  bottom, 
  this 
  is 
  most 
  abundant 
  on 
  grassy 
  bottom, 
  as 
  its 
  common 
  

   name 
  indicates. 
  It 
  seldom 
  exceeds 
  2 
  pounds 
  in 
  weight, 
  averaging 
  not 
  over 
  

   half 
  a 
  pound. 
  

  

  12. 
  Jolt-head 
  Porgy, 
  or 
  Bajonado, 
  Calamus 
  hajonado 
  (Bloch 
  & 
  Schneider). 
  This 
  is 
  

  

  the 
  most 
  important 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  Key 
  West 
  iiorgics. 
  It 
  reaches 
  a 
  

   weight 
  of 
  8 
  or 
  10 
  pounds, 
  and 
  an 
  average 
  of 
  ~> 
  or 
  G 
  pounds 
  on 
  the 
  reef, 
  but 
  

   smaller 
  in 
  the 
  "bay."* 
  Its 
  maximum 
  length 
  is 
  about 
  2 
  feet. 
  It 
  fre<iuents 
  

   smooth, 
  rock 
  bottom, 
  upon 
  which 
  it 
  spawns 
  in 
  July 
  and 
  August. 
  It 
  is 
  found 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  year. 
  At 
  Miami 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  this 
  lieh 
  is 
  by 
  some 
  corrupted 
  

   to 
  "juffle-head 
  porgy." 
  

  

  13. 
  Brea.m, 
  Lagodon 
  rhomhoidcs 
  {hinnams). 
  A 
  common, 
  small 
  pan-lish. 
  

  

  14. 
  Bream, 
  Archosartjus 
  unimavulatus 
  (Bloch). 
  Less 
  common 
  than 
  the 
  preceding. 
  

  

  15. 
  Chub, 
  Kyphosus 
  sectatrix 
  (Linnieus). 
  Not 
  widely 
  distributed 
  about 
  Key 
  West, 
  

  

  but 
  very 
  abundant 
  in 
  certain 
  places. 
  It 
  is 
  found 
  all 
  the 
  year 
  round 
  about 
  

   the 
  shoals 
  in 
  the 
  channels, 
  and 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  school 
  in 
  the 
  summer. 
  It 
  attains 
  a 
  

   w-eighfc 
  of 
  9 
  pounds, 
  with 
  an 
  average 
  of 
  3 
  or 
  4 
  pounds. 
  It 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  

   gamiest 
  fishes 
  of 
  Key 
  West 
  and 
  is 
  well 
  worth 
  the 
  angler's 
  attention. 
  

  

  16. 
  Rock 
  Hiud, 
  Epinephdus 
  udscensionts 
  (Osbeck). 
  .Said 
  to 
  be 
  very 
  common 
  on 
  rocky 
  

  

  elevations 
  in 
  deep 
  water. 
  It 
  reaches 
  a 
  maximum 
  weight 
  of 
  15 
  or 
  1(5 
  pounds, 
  

   but 
  the 
  average 
  of 
  those 
  brought 
  in 
  does 
  not 
  exceed 
  2 
  or 
  3 
  pounds. 
  It 
  will 
  

   take 
  any 
  kind 
  of 
  bait, 
  and 
  probably 
  spawns 
  in 
  the 
  fall. 
  

  

  17. 
  Nassau 
  Gvouper, 
  Epiiicphchiii 
  strtatus 
  {Bloch). 
  Common; 
  reaches 
  a 
  weight 
  of 
  50 
  

  

  pounds 
  or 
  more, 
  but 
  those 
  brought 
  to 
  the 
  market 
  seldom 
  exceed 
  10 
  pounds. 
  

   They 
  are 
  found 
  all 
  the 
  year 
  round 
  and 
  are 
  said 
  not 
  to 
  school. 
  

  

  18. 
  Red 
  Grouper, 
  Ei)wephelu» 
  morio 
  (Cuvier 
  & 
  Valenciennes). 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  important 
  

  

  food-fishes 
  of 
  Key 
  West. 
  Found 
  at 
  all 
  times, 
  chiefly 
  on 
  rock 
  bottom 
  and 
  

   about 
  the 
  reef. 
  They 
  are 
  said 
  not 
  to 
  school. 
  The 
  maximum 
  weight 
  is 
  20 
  to 
  

   25 
  pounds, 
  the 
  average 
  from 
  8 
  to 
  15 
  pounds. 
  They 
  spawn 
  in 
  March 
  among 
  

   the 
  rocks. 
  They 
  are 
  voracious 
  and 
  will 
  take 
  any 
  kind 
  of 
  bait. 
  

  

  19. 
  Black 
  Grouper, 
  Garrupa 
  nigrita 
  (Holbrook). 
  This 
  large 
  grouper 
  is 
  not 
  uncom- 
  

  

  mon 
  about 
  Key 
  West. 
  It 
  reaches 
  a 
  weight 
  of 
  400 
  or 
  500 
  pounds. 
  

  

  20. 
  Jewfish, 
  Fromicrops 
  (juttatus 
  (Linmeus). 
  This 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  largest 
  fishes 
  of 
  

  

  this 
  region. 
  The 
  weight 
  of 
  those 
  caught 
  usually 
  runs 
  from 
  100 
  to 
  2,50 
  

   pounds, 
  though 
  the 
  maximum 
  is 
  as 
  great 
  as 
  400 
  or 
  500 
  pounds. 
  Those 
  

   weighing 
  more 
  than 
  250 
  pounds 
  do 
  not 
  sell 
  well, 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  too 
  

   coarse 
  and 
  dry, 
  without 
  much 
  fat. 
  Tliese 
  fish 
  are 
  common 
  in 
  summer 
  in 
  rather 
  

   shallow 
  water 
  about 
  rocky 
  shoals, 
  old 
  wrecks, 
  and 
  the 
  like. 
  Cold 
  weather 
  

   seems 
  to 
  drive 
  them 
  away 
  into 
  deeper 
  water. 
  They 
  probably 
  spawn 
  in 
  

   August, 
  when 
  they 
  collect 
  into 
  schools 
  and 
  go 
  to 
  some 
  place 
  with 
  rough, 
  

   rocky 
  bottom. 
  One 
  spawning-ground 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  located 
  in 
  the 
  channel 
  

   about 
  1 
  mile 
  from 
  the 
  fort. 
  They 
  feed 
  upon 
  crabs, 
  crawfish, 
  and 
  fish. 
  One 
  

   example, 
  weighing 
  about 
  250 
  pounds, 
  was 
  seen. 
  

  

  21. 
  Yellow-fm 
  Grouper, 
  Mycttropcrca 
  venenosa 
  (Linntcus). 
  This 
  grouper 
  is 
  not 
  

  

  uncouuuon 
  and 
  is 
  a 
  good 
  food-fish. 
  Its 
  maximum 
  weight 
  is 
  about 
  20 
  pounds, 
  

   the 
  average 
  about 
  6 
  pounds. 
  It 
  is 
  present 
  throughout 
  the 
  year. 
  

  

  22. 
  Scamp, 
  Myclvropa-ca 
  falcata 
  phenax 
  :ioTt\.an 
  & 
  Swain. 
  Common 
  throughout 
  the 
  

  

  year; 
  most 
  abundant 
  on 
  the 
  reef. 
  It 
  reaches 
  a 
  weight 
  of 
  10 
  or 
  12 
  pounds, 
  

   averaging 
  about2 
  or 
  3 
  pounds. 
  Nothing 
  was 
  learned 
  of 
  its 
  spawning 
  habits. 
  

  

  23. 
  Gag, 
  MijcUropcrca 
  mieroleph 
  (Cood(^ 
  A- 
  Bean). 
  Common 
  ; 
  reaches 
  a 
  weight 
  of 
  10 
  

  

  pounds 
  or 
  more, 
  the 
  average 
  being 
  about 
  2 
  pounds. 
  It 
  is 
  found 
  at 
  all 
  times, 
  

   and 
  is 
  a 
  good 
  food-fish. 
  

  

  * 
  At 
  Key 
  West 
  the 
  fishing 
  grounds 
  of 
  that 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  Hulf 
  of 
  Mexico 
  adjacent 
  

   to 
  the 
  Florida 
  coast 
  are 
  called 
  "the 
  bay." 
  

  

  