﻿56 
  

  

  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  GEOGRAPHIC 
  MAGAZINE 
  

  

  Photograph 
  by 
  L,. 
  F. 
  Williamz 
  

  

  SWELL 
  (PUFFER) 
  FISH 
  FOUND 
  IN 
  FLORIDA 
  WATERS 
  AND 
  ALL 
  WARM 
  SEAS 
  

  

  To 
  frighten 
  its 
  enemies, 
  this 
  fish 
  is 
  permitted 
  by 
  a 
  considerate 
  Nature 
  to 
  fill 
  itself 
  with 
  air 
  

   when 
  approached. 
  Sometimes 
  it 
  puffs 
  too 
  much 
  and 
  bursts. 
  

  

  pounds 
  being 
  a 
  high 
  weight 
  for 
  this 
  

   species. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  good 
  food-fish 
  and 
  is 
  beau- 
  

   tiful 
  in 
  appearance. 
  It 
  has 
  habits 
  similar 
  

   to 
  the 
  other 
  groupers 
  (Color 
  Plate 
  III). 
  

  

  The 
  gag, 
  a 
  smaller-scale 
  grouper, 
  is 
  not 
  

   only 
  esteemed 
  as 
  a 
  food-fish 
  wherever 
  it 
  

   may 
  be 
  found, 
  but 
  is 
  also 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  

   gamiest 
  of 
  the 
  family. 
  It 
  seldom 
  attains 
  

   a 
  greater 
  length 
  than 
  four 
  feet. 
  Its 
  hab- 
  

   itat 
  is 
  principally 
  along 
  the 
  Florida 
  reefs; 
  

   it 
  also 
  frequents 
  the 
  Bermudas 
  (Plate 
  IV). 
  

  

  The 
  gamiest 
  of 
  the 
  grunts, 
  the 
  margate 
  

   fish, 
  is 
  another 
  excellent 
  food-fish, 
  like- 
  

   wise 
  the 
  mutton-fish, 
  of 
  the 
  snapper 
  fam- 
  

   ily, 
  which 
  is 
  considered 
  the 
  best 
  fighter 
  

   of 
  that 
  clan 
  and 
  also 
  the 
  largest. 
  Some 
  

   mutton-fish 
  reach 
  a 
  weight 
  of 
  as 
  much 
  

   as 
  - 
  J 
  5 
  pounds 
  (Color 
  Plates 
  II 
  and 
  VI). 
  

  

  Tin; 
  MAJESTIC 
  MACKEREL 
  AND 
  HIS 
  

   KINGLY 
  COUSIN 
  

  

  Some 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  mentioned 
  are 
  

   popular 
  only 
  locally, 
  but 
  the 
  Spanish 
  

   mackerel 
  is 
  known 
  favorably 
  not 
  only 
  in 
  

   its 
  own 
  habitat, 
  but 
  wherever 
  shipping 
  

   facilities 
  arc 
  such 
  as 
  to 
  provide 
  for 
  the 
  

   transportation 
  of 
  tin's 
  sound, 
  finely 
  

  

  flavored 
  fish. 
  Millions 
  of 
  pounds 
  are 
  

   shipped 
  north 
  annually 
  from 
  the 
  State 
  

   of 
  Florida 
  alone. 
  From 
  one 
  market, 
  Key 
  

   West, 
  more 
  than 
  3,000,000 
  pounds 
  are 
  

   shipped 
  each 
  year. 
  They 
  are 
  surface- 
  

   living 
  fish 
  of 
  great 
  game 
  qualities, 
  elegant 
  

   in 
  form 
  and 
  color, 
  and 
  among 
  the 
  swift- 
  

   est 
  fishes 
  of 
  the 
  sea, 
  as 
  their 
  stream-like 
  

   line 
  and 
  tail 
  indicate. 
  They 
  appear 
  in 
  

   countless 
  numbers 
  in 
  southern 
  waters 
  

   from 
  November 
  to 
  March, 
  during 
  which 
  

   period 
  they 
  are 
  taken 
  in 
  great 
  quantities 
  

   for 
  the 
  market 
  (Color 
  Plate 
  VII). 
  

  

  Associated 
  with 
  the 
  Spanish 
  mackerel 
  

   is 
  the 
  kingfish, 
  which 
  is 
  somewhat 
  larger, 
  

   on 
  the 
  average. 
  Both 
  belong 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  

   family 
  and 
  are 
  much 
  alike 
  in 
  many 
  re- 
  

   spects. 
  As 
  a 
  food-fish, 
  the 
  kingfish 
  ranks 
  

   next 
  to 
  the 
  Spanish 
  mackerel, 
  and 
  nearly 
  

   a 
  million 
  pounds 
  are 
  shipped 
  each 
  year 
  

   from 
  the 
  Key 
  West 
  markets 
  (Plate 
  VII). 
  

  

  THL 
  NUMEROUS 
  JACK 
  FAMILY 
  

  

  Most 
  of 
  the 
  fishes 
  referred 
  to 
  are 
  car- 
  

   nivorous 
  and 
  are 
  not 
  frequently 
  seen 
  in 
  

   the 
  neighboring 
  waters 
  of 
  populated 
  sec- 
  

   tions. 
  It 
  is 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  a 
  rarity, 
  how- 
  

  

  