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442 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
This species is very common along our South Atlantic and Gulf coasts 
and occasionally strays northward as far as New Jersey, being the 
northernmost in its range of any member of the genus in the Atlantie. 
It is everywhere known as the “gray snapper.” In Florida and the Ba- 
hamas, where the coasts are lined by mangrove bushes, among which the 
young of this species abound, the name “‘ mangrove snapper” comes into 
use. The name “lawyer” is also occasionally heard, in allusion to the 
skill shown by the species in eluding nets. To the Spanish fishermen 
of Cuba and Key West the species is, as in the time of Parra, known 
as caballerote. It inhabits waters of varying depths. large specimens 
being often found very near the shore, while others may be taken in 
waters of considerable depth, in company with Lutjanus aya. These 
latter individuals are much redder than those found in shoal water; 
their color is paler and the body is in general a trifle less elongate. 
Such correspond to the form named Lutjanus stearnsi. 
The synonymy of this species is considerable. It is evidently the 
Caballerote of Parra, as Professor Poey has shown, and therefore the 
Anthias caballerote of Bloch & Schneider. Earlier than this comes 
Labrus griseus ., based on the Mangrove Snapper of Catesby, a rough 
and inaccurate figure, but still resembling this species, and like the 
Caballerote identifiable by the persistent vernacular name. Sparus 
tetracanthus appears to be the same, as also Bodianus vivanet. Mesop- 
rion griseus Cuy. & Val. is identified by Poey with Lutjanus caxis, but 
to us the description resembles much more the present species, which 
has thus twice received the specific name of griseus. Lobotes emargin- 
atus is based on a young specimen of Lutjanus griseus, afterwards made 
the type of the genus Neomenis. 
The identification by Poey of Lutjanus caxis with Mesoprion griseus 
has led American writers to suppose this species to be the true Lutjanus 
caxis, an error only recently corrected. ‘The true LZ. caxris, the cajt of 
the Havana markets, has not yet been seen north of Key West. 
Lutjanus stearnsi, described from Pensacola, we are unable to separate 
from ordinary deep-water specimens of L. griseus. Sofaras we can see, 
the gradation is perfect. This identity has been already recognized 
by Dr. Bean. 
Dr. Giinther identifies with his Mesoprion griseus one or two species 
described by Cuvier and Valenciennes from the west coast of Africa. 
It is impossible from the brief descriptions to settle this question, and 
the confusion in the synonymy given by Dr. Giinther shows that his 
material was insufficient to form any definite opinions. 
This species is closely allied to L. caxris on the one hand, and to L. 
cyanopterus on the other; the former is deeper and differently colored, 
as already stated; the latter is similar in form and color, but has the 
dentition of lower jaw and vomer different. L. griseus rarely exceeds 6 
or 8 pounds in weight. Specimens are in the Museum at Cambridge 
from Gonaives, Haiti, Maranhao, and the Bermudas. 
