The Gray Snapper 47 



May, but I never saw a young red snapper at this 

 point. On the upper coast Silas Sterns has 

 found them with well-developed ovaries in April, 

 May, June, and July. 



On the reef about Marquesas, between Key 

 West and Tortugas, and at the latter key, I have 

 taken large specimens of what the fishermen 

 called the green snapper, Lutianus analis (Cu- 

 vier and Val.). It has much the range of the 

 gray snapper, and is a hard-fighting fish, attain- 

 ing forty pounds, though I recall but one fish of 

 this size, the average being much smaller. It is 

 a very attractive fish, richly colored, the general 

 tone a dark olive-green, but subject to much 

 variation, red, blue, purple, rose, and even scarlet 

 being conspicuous colors in its make-up. The iris 

 is brick-red, the eye large, the head larger than 

 in the gray snapper. The fins are also red in 

 color, and at times the fish appears to be spotted 

 blue, red, and white with indistinct horizontal 

 bars and a black spot near the tail; again it 

 is severely olive above and white below. The 

 dorsal is often beautifully tinted, roseate at its 

 base, golden green at the tips altogether a 

 radiant creature, yet lacking the grace of form 

 of the gray snapper. It is a valuable food fish 



