Garrupa 



blance to the Nassau grouper, but the warm browns on the side of the 

 body and head are richer, while the general appearance is somewhat 

 coarser. It is one of the largest and most important food-fishes of our 

 tropical waters, reaching a length of 2 or 3 feet and a weight of 20 to 40 

 pounds. It is most abundant on the west coast of Florida, in company 

 with the red snapper. It is also abundant on the south coast of Florida, 

 where it is found throughout the year. The red grouper is more of a 

 bottom fish than the red snapper, and swims more slowly, seldom 

 rising to the surface. It is very voracious, consuming large quantities 

 of crustaceans and small fish. Large crabs and small fishes in perfect 

 condition have been found in their stomachs, and several new species 

 have been obtained in this way. On the Snapper Banks on the west 

 coast of Florida it is caught by the red-snapper fishermen in the same 

 manner in which the red snapper is taken, which is with hook and 

 line, a piece of bone-fish or other fish being used as bait. As a game- 

 fish it does not rank high, its movements being slow, and when 

 hooked it usually has to be hauled in as a dead weight. It will take 

 any kind of bait. When red snappers were more abundant the red 

 grouper did not find a ready sale in Northern markets, though it has 

 always been in good demand at Havana and Key West. The maxi- 

 mum weight of those taken about Key West is about 25 pounds and 

 the average only 8 to i s pounds. 



The red grouper is very tenacious of life, and will live several 

 hours after being taken out of the water, even though e.xposed to con- 

 siderable heat. This is one reason why Key West fishermen have 

 preferred red groupers for transportation to Cuba, since they must go 

 a long way to market through warm water, and the groupers bear the 

 crowding and chafing in the live-wells of the smacks better than other 

 species. 



GENUS GARRUPA JORD/IN 



This genus is closely allied to Epiiiepbeltts, but has the skull very 

 broad and flat; the interorbital little concave, and the median rid'Te 

 scarcely evident. 



The only known species is Garrupa iiigrita, known as the black 

 jewfish, black grouper, or mero de lo alto, which occurs from Charles- 

 ton and Pensacola south to Brazil and strays to Sicily. 



It is an immense fish, one of the largest known, reachino- a 



3S6 



