FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 44 1 



This is an excellent food fish, and grows to the length of 15 inches. The mark- 

 ings of the young are very different from those of the adult, as they have a black 

 stripe along the median line, and the sides have several broad dark bands. The fish 

 makes a croaking sound when captured. 



Family SPARIDiE. Porgies. 



163. Scup ; Porgy {Stcnotoiiius chrysops Linnaeus). 



The Scup is described by both Mitchill and DeKay as the Big Porgee. The 

 name is sometimes spelled Pogy. Scup is an abbreviation of Scuppaug, which in 

 turn is a short form for the Narragansett name Miscuppaucg. 



The Scup seldom migrates north of Cape Cod, although it has been taken 

 occasionally off Cape Ann. Attempts to introduce it into Massachusetts have been 

 unsuccessful. The fish come into our northern waters in great schools. The large 

 spawning fish come first, making their appearance in New York waters in May. 

 The fish feeds upon small crustaceans, moUusks and annelids, and is a very free 

 biter. The fishery fluctuates greatly; in some years the Scup is comparatively 

 scarce and in others extremely abundant. The young are devoured in large num- 

 bers by the Cod, Weakfish, Bluefish, and other predaceous species. 



According to DeKay the Scup is also called Sand Porgee. It occurs on the 

 south side of Long Island in July and August and is caught in seines. Its name of 

 Sand Porgee, among fishermen, is derived from its being mostly found on sandy 

 bottoms. 



In the Old Man's Harbor region Ayres recorded the Scup as generally abundant 

 through the summer, and rarely exceeding 9 inches in length. In September Ayres 

 has seen hundreds of them, not more than 2 inches long, brought in at one haul of 

 the net. In 1840, the Scup arrived about June i and remained until October. 



In Gravesend Bay the Scup arrives in May and remains until November. In 

 August, 1898, adults were caught in moderate numbers off Southampton. Half- 

 grown fish were taken at Islip in the same month. The young of the year were 

 scarce in 1898; one was seined at Nichols's Point, September i, and a moderate 

 number of fish about 2 inches long were obtained at Fire Island Inlet September 16. 

 In 1901, the very young Scup were not seen at all, and few of the larger size were 

 taken. 



164. Sailor's Choice {Lagodon rhomboides Linnaeus). 



The Sailor's Choice is the Salt-water Bream of Schcepff and the Rhomboidal 

 Porgee of DeKay. In Chesapeake Bay it is the Fairmaid. It is also called Pinfish, 



