174 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
127. Neomaenis aya (Bloch). Red Snapper ; Pargo Colorado; Pargo Guachinango ; Acara Aya. 
(Plate 20.) 
Head 2.6; depth 2.6; D. x, 14; A. hi, 9; scales (7) 8-60-15, pores 46. Body rather deep, 
moderately compressed, back well elevated, profile steep, and almost straight from snout to nape. 
Snout rather pointed, 2.8 in head; eye moderate, 5.5 in head (larger in young). Interorbital space 
angulate or strongly convex, 5 in head; occipital keel strong; preorbital rather broad, 5 in head; 
mouth rather large, maxillary reaching front of orbit, 2.5 in head; upper jaw with a narrow band of 
villiform teeth, outside of which is a row of larger but comparatively small teeth; 4 canines in front, 
2 (sometimes duplicate) of them larger, their length about one-third diameter of eye; lower jaw with 
a single row of rather small teeth, usually largest on side of jaw, where some of them are almost 
canine-like; within these is a very narrow band of villiform teeth in front of jaw only; tongue with a 
broad oval patch of teeth, scarcely twice as broad as long; in front of this patch is a small, irregular 
patch; vomer with a broadly arrow-shaped patch, with a rather short backward prolongation on 
median line, its length about equaling width of patch in front. Gillrakers moderate, their length 
about half diameter of eye, 8 on lower arch. Preopercle with its posterior margin about vertical, its 
emargination deep, its edge rather finely serrate above, coarser at angle, dentate on lower border. 
Scales rather large, rows horizontal below lateral line, rows above running backward and upward; 
6 rows of scales on cheek, 1 on interopercle, 1 on subopercle, and 7 on opercle; bases of soft dorsal 
and anal scaly; pores of lateral line branched; temporal region with a broad band of scales, with a 
few scattering ones below it; top of head, snout, and jaws naked. Dorsal spines rather strong, outline 
of fin moderately convex, fourth and fifth spines longest, 2.8 in head; tenth spine about 4 in. head; 
margin of soft dorsal nearly straight, fin pointed behind; middle rays little longer than first ray, 1.5 
length of last, 3 in head; caudal lunate, upper lobe scarcely longer than lower, its length 1.4 times 
length of middle rays, which are 1.86 in head; margin of anal strongly angulate, middle raj^s reaching 
nearly to base of caudal, 2.5 length of last ray, 1.8 in head; first ray reaches about to middle of last 
ray when fin is depressed; anal spines strong, second scarcely as long as third, 4 in head; ventrals, 
1.8 in head; pectoral reaching to front of anal fin, 1.2 in head. 
Color in life: Deep rose-red, paler on throat; bluish streaks along rows of scales, above becoming 
fainter and disappearing with age; fins brick-red; dorsal bordered with orange, with narrow blackish 
edge; caudal narrowly edged with blackish; eye red; a large blackish blotch above lateral line and below 
front rays of soft dorsal in the young, this spot usually disappearing with age; axil of pectoral dusky. 
A specimen 21 inches long taken at Aguadilla, and from which plate 20 was made, showed in 
life the colors faithfully portrayed by the artist. The following color notes were made upon this 
specimen at the time: Back and side down to lateral line rich rosy, scales edged with paler; side below 
lateral line and belly pale-rosy; a small black spot just above lateral line below second and third 
dorsal rays; dorsal fins pale-rosy on basal half, tips of rays and spines pale-yellowish; caudal red, 
lower lobe richest, upper yellowish on outer portion; anal rich-rosy on anterior outer part, rest of 
fin paler; ventral rosy; pectoral pale-rosy ; upper part of head rose-color, side paler; some irregular 
blue lines or spots about eye; inside of mouth white. The general color of the Porto Rican red 
snappers seems to be a decidedly paler red than that of Florida examples and the black spot on the 
side appears to be more persistent. Otherwise the colors are essentially the same. 
Found from Long Island to Brazil on rocky banks in rather deep water, especially abundant in 
the Gulf of Mexico, off Cape San Bias and about Yucatan, where the most important fisheries are 
located; also abundant on the banks off eastern Florida and Georgia. About Porto Rico it is said to be 
plentiful, though at the time of our visit it was seen only at Aguadilla, probably because the fishermen 
of that place go out toward Mona Island and fish in deep water. It reaches a length of 2 to 3 feet and 
a weight of 30 to 40 pounds, though the average weight of those caught on the Florida “Snapper 
Banks” is much less. Adams and Kendall give the weight of those examined on the banks from the 
Tortugas to the latitude of Charlotte Harbor at 5 to 20 pounds. The largest seen by them was 32 
inches long; one 30 inches long weighed 18 pounds. 
The red snapper is the most valuable food-fish of the genus in the waters of the United States. 
It is the object of the principal fishery of Pensacola, from which point it is shipped fresh to all important 
cities in the United States as far north as Boston, Chicago, and Minneapolis and west to Omaha and 
Denver. In Florida it is known everywhere as “red snapper,” or to the Spanish-speaking people as 
