5G GAME FISH OF FLORIDA. 



bottom, with cither clam, crab, or mullet bait. The 

 iigure in Norris book is accurate. 



RED SXAPPEH, OR GROUPER (Serranus erythogaster). 

 CUYIER. This fish seems to be called by both names in 

 different localities. In East Florida it goes by the name 

 of &quot; snapper,&quot; and is known by the large canine teetli 

 and by its rapacious habits ; when put with other fish alive 

 in a car it proceeds to devour those smaller than itself. 

 It has large scales, with spines in the dorsal fin, and has 

 been placed by Cuvicr among the perches. At Mos 

 quito Inlet they are small from one to three pounds, 

 but in the Indian Ilivcr Inlet I have taken them of ten 

 or twelve pounds weight, and I have seen them brought 

 in from the Gulf of double that size. The snapper 

 seems to be a wary fish, and requires finer tackle and 

 more careful fishing than most of the coast species. I 

 have found that a rather small hook, fine line, with mul 

 let bait cast from a reel, using a float so as to let the 

 line run off down the current thirty or forty yards from 

 the boat, was the most successful way to delude the 

 snapper. It bites sharply, fights hard, and is good eat 

 ing, either boiled or fried. Color, reddish brown on 

 the back and sides, growing darker after death ; belly 

 silvery. Ilolbrook, in his figure of this fish, gives it 

 rows of black spots on the back. 



BLACK GROUPER (Serranus nigritus). HOLBROOK. 

 Commonly known on the Florida coast as the 

 &quot;grouper&quot;; it is a perch also, and is of the very best 

 quality on the table, being rich and well flavored ti 

 better fish than the preceding, in my opinion. It is 

 shaped something like the black bass of fresh water, the 

 color tin olive brown, with dark mottled lines, resem 

 bling tortoise shell. At Mosquito Inlet it is taken from 



