The Porgies 



it is the porgy. In New England it is often called scuppaug, a cor- 

 ruption of the Narragansett Indian name mishcuppanog, and an 

 excellent name it is. Though somewhat erratic in its appearance, it 

 is usually quite abundant on our Northern coast. As a food-fish it is 

 one of the commonest and most esteemed. It is a bottom feeder, 

 depending largely upon mollusks of various kinds and worms and 

 small crustaceans. 



Colour, brownish, somewhat silvery below, everywhere with 

 bright reflections, but without distinct markings in adult; soft parts 

 of vertical fins mottled with dark in adult; young faintly barred; 

 axil dusky. 



The Southern porgy, Stenotomus aculeatus, is found from Cape 

 Hatteras southward and on the Gulf coast to Texas. It closely resem- 

 bles the Northern scup, which it replaces southward. 



The Porgies 



This genus contains some 12 species, all American, all shore- 

 fishes, all closely related, and all excellent food-fishes. 



a. Scales comparatively small, 54 to 58 in lateral line. 



b. Body very deep, the back elevated, the depth in adult about 2 in 



length. 



c. Preorbital with reticulations of the bluish ground colour around 



bronze spots calamus, 438 



cc. Preorbital region, snout, cheek, and opercles brassy, crossed by 



horizontal wavy, non-reticulating lines of violet-blue. 



proridens, 439 



bb. Body more elongate, the depth 2| to 2f- in length . .bajonado, 439 

 aa. Scales comparatively large, 45 to 53 in lateral line. 



d. Dorsal outline forming a comparatively regular arch . . . .pemia, 440 

 dd. Dorsal outline not forming a regular arch arctifrons, 440 



Saucer-eye Porgy 



Calamus calamus (Cuvier & Valenciennes) 



West Indies, north to the Florida Keys. It has been recorded 

 from Martinique, Jamaica, Porto Rico, Cuba, and various places in 



438 



