﻿284 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  24. 
  G-ray 
  Snapper, 
  Xcoma'nis 
  grisetts 
  (Linnteus). 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  abuiulant 
  species 
  

  

  oisna])p(:r 
  fouud 
  at 
  Key 
  West. 
  A 
  warm-water 
  fish, 
  found 
  most 
  al)undaiitly 
  

   iu 
  shallow 
  water 
  during 
  the 
  summer, 
  retiring 
  to 
  deeper 
  water 
  during 
  the 
  

   winter. 
  They 
  always 
  run 
  in 
  schools. 
  They 
  reach 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  3 
  feet 
  and 
  a 
  

   weight 
  of 
  18 
  pounds, 
  though 
  the 
  usual 
  weight 
  is 
  .5 
  pounds 
  or 
  less. 
  They 
  

   spawn 
  in 
  July 
  and 
  August, 
  usually 
  on 
  the 
  shoals. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  not 
  adhesive, 
  

   but 
  separate 
  from 
  each 
  otlier 
  at 
  spawning. 
  Sardines 
  and 
  jiilchards 
  are 
  the 
  

   bait 
  used 
  for 
  catching 
  this 
  fish. 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  fishing-grounds 
  is 
  in 
  Jack 
  

   Channel, 
  northwest 
  from 
  Key 
  West. 
  

  

  25. 
  Dog 
  Snapper, 
  Xeomantsjocti 
  (Bloch 
  & 
  Schneider). 
  Not 
  very 
  common. 
  Reaches 
  

  

  a 
  weight 
  of 
  20 
  pounds, 
  the 
  average 
  being 
  very 
  much 
  less. 
  It 
  is 
  found 
  most 
  

   frequently 
  in 
  the 
  fall 
  and 
  winter. 
  

  

  26. 
  Schoolmaster, 
  Xeomdiiis 
  apoda 
  (Walbaum). 
  This 
  fish 
  is 
  rather 
  scarce 
  at 
  Key 
  

  

  West. 
  The 
  maximum 
  size 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  7 
  or 
  8 
  pounds, 
  the 
  average 
  3 
  pounds 
  

   for 
  those 
  caught 
  on 
  the 
  reef, 
  or 
  one 
  third 
  of 
  a 
  pound 
  for 
  those 
  from 
  the 
  " 
  bay." 
  

  

  27. 
  Mutton-fish 
  or 
  Pargo, 
  X'^eoma'nis 
  aualis 
  (Cuvier 
  & 
  Valenciennes). 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  abundant 
  and 
  most 
  valued 
  food-fishes 
  of 
  Key 
  West. 
  They 
  pccasionally 
  

   reach 
  a 
  weight 
  of 
  25 
  pounds, 
  but 
  15 
  to 
  18 
  pounds 
  is 
  as 
  large 
  as 
  they 
  usually 
  

   get 
  ; 
  the 
  average 
  is 
  probably 
  not 
  over 
  5 
  pounds. 
  They 
  are 
  found 
  on 
  rock 
  

   bottom 
  in 
  3 
  to 
  9 
  fathoms 
  and 
  are 
  very 
  gamy, 
  taking 
  the 
  hook 
  promptly 
  and 
  

   and 
  fighting 
  well. 
  Fouud 
  throughout 
  the 
  year, 
  but 
  scarcest 
  in 
  July 
  and 
  

   August, 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  spawning 
  season. 
  They 
  school 
  at 
  spawning 
  time. 
  The 
  

   eggs 
  are 
  nonadhesive 
  and 
  are 
  about 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  a 
  rice 
  grain. 
  

  

  28. 
  Lane 
  Snapper, 
  Neoma'uis 
  synagris 
  (Linnaeus). 
  Abundant 
  about 
  Key 
  West, 
  

  

  reaching 
  a 
  weight 
  of 
  4 
  pounds, 
  the 
  average 
  being 
  about 
  half 
  a 
  pound. 
  The 
  

   best 
  season 
  for 
  catching 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  duriug 
  the 
  winter. 
  The 
  spawning 
  

   time 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  in 
  October, 
  at 
  which 
  time 
  they 
  gather 
  in 
  schools. 
  

  

  29. 
  Yellow-tail 
  or 
  Rabirubia, 
  Ocimrus 
  chri/surns 
  (Bloch). 
  Even 
  more 
  abundant 
  

  

  than 
  the 
  lane 
  snapper, 
  and 
  the 
  principal 
  fish 
  served 
  at 
  the 
  Key 
  West 
  hotels 
  

   and 
  boarding 
  houses 
  in 
  the 
  fall. 
  Plentiful 
  throughout 
  the 
  year, 
  except 
  during 
  

   winter, 
  when 
  the 
  cold 
  drives 
  them 
  away. 
  During 
  the 
  warmer 
  weather 
  they 
  

   are 
  found 
  at 
  depths 
  of 
  2 
  fathoms 
  and 
  over; 
  the 
  best 
  depth 
  is 
  5 
  fathoms. 
  

   Generally 
  found 
  around 
  shoals 
  Avhere 
  there 
  is 
  some 
  mud 
  bottom. 
  July 
  is 
  

   the 
  principal 
  spawning 
  season, 
  wheu 
  they 
  are 
  found 
  about 
  the 
  reef 
  all 
  the 
  

   way 
  from 
  Miami 
  to 
  the 
  Tortugas. 
  The 
  yellow-tails 
  are 
  quite 
  g.imy. 
  They 
  

   are 
  caught 
  with 
  sardine 
  bait. 
  They 
  reach 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  2 
  feet 
  and 
  a 
  Aveight 
  

   of 
  3 
  or 
  4 
  jjounds 
  or 
  more. 
  The 
  average 
  weight 
  of 
  those 
  seeu 
  in 
  the 
  Key 
  West 
  

   market 
  is 
  not 
  over 
  a 
  pound. 
  

  

  30. 
  Hogfi.sh, 
  Lachnolaimus 
  maximiis 
  (Walbaum). 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  food-fishes, 
  

  

  reaching 
  a 
  weight 
  of 
  10 
  pounds, 
  or 
  an 
  average 
  of 
  about 
  3 
  pounds. 
  Found 
  

   all 
  the 
  year 
  round. 
  

  

  31. 
  Kingfish 
  or 
  Cero, 
  Scomheromorns 
  cavalla 
  (Cuvier). 
  This 
  is, 
  next 
  to 
  the 
  grunt, 
  

  

  the 
  most 
  important 
  of 
  the 
  Key 
  West 
  food-fishes. 
  Its 
  flesh 
  is 
  firm 
  and 
  of 
  

   excellent 
  flavor. 
  It 
  usually 
  ajjpears 
  in 
  large 
  numbers 
  from 
  November 
  until 
  

   April, 
  when 
  -it 
  is 
  caught 
  by 
  trolling. 
  The 
  usual 
  weight 
  is 
  about 
  10 
  pouud.s, 
  

   sometimes 
  reaching 
  50 
  pounds. 
  The 
  largest 
  of 
  which 
  there 
  is 
  any 
  record 
  

   dressed 
  52 
  pounds. 
  Examples 
  weighing 
  40 
  pounds 
  are 
  not 
  unusual. 
  Said 
  

   to 
  school 
  at 
  spawning 
  time, 
  which 
  is 
  believed 
  to 
  be 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  winter. 
  

  

  According 
  to 
  Mr. 
  William 
  H. 
  Abbott, 
  who 
  studied 
  the 
  fisheries 
  in 
  1891, 
  

   the 
  average 
  weight 
  of 
  kingfish, 
  as 
  caught 
  by 
  the 
  fishermen 
  of 
  Key 
  West, 
  is 
  

   about 
  G 
  pounds. 
  The 
  larger 
  fish, 
  weighing 
  from 
  15 
  2}ounds 
  upward, 
  are 
  never 
  

   as 
  abundant 
  as 
  those 
  weighing 
  under 
  15. 
  When 
  the 
  fisherman 
  desires 
  to 
  

   catch 
  large 
  kingfish, 
  he 
  directs 
  his 
  course 
  to 
  the 
  inshore 
  grounds, 
  lying 
  in 
  

   about 
  3 
  fathoms 
  of 
  water 
  and 
  from 
  lA 
  to 
  3 
  miles 
  from 
  shore, 
  where 
  the 
  

   water 
  is 
  muddy; 
  and 
  when 
  small 
  ones 
  are 
  desired, 
  the 
  fishing 
  is 
  done 
  farther 
  

   olVshore 
  along 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream, 
  where 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  much 
  clearer. 
  

  

  