4 8 
AMERICAN FISHES. 
food even from the hand when offered, and always injuring such other 
species of fish as may be its fellow-captives.” 
It is often taken in the Gulf of Mexico and about the Florida Keys, 
and it is said also to be abundant along the whole coast of East Florida, 
and is often taken on the St. John’s bar. Mr. S. C. Clarke writes that 
it occurs in the vicinity of New Smyrna, Fla., where it spawns in bays 
and inlets in the months of May and June, as does also the Black Grouper. 
The only reliable study of its habits which has been made we owe to Mr. 
Silas Stearns, whose biographical sketch of this species may here be quoted 
in full: 
“ The Red Grouper is extremely abundant in the Gulf of Mexico in com¬ 
pany with the red snapper. It is most abundant on the South Florida 
coast, and is found throughout the year on the ‘ grounds ’ at sea, and in sum¬ 
mer in some of the bays. It probably spawns in both places, and in June 
and July. The young are often caught in Pensacola Bay. In June, 1880, 
I obtained a young one about one inch in length. The Grouper is more 
of a bottom fish than the red snapper, for it swims much more slowly and 
very seldom rises to the surface. It is very voracious, consuming, as is 
shown by an examination of the contents of its stomach, enormous quan¬ 
tities of crustaceans and small fish. Large horny crabs, in almost perfect 
condition, are often found inside of it. Its movements are rather slow, 
and when hooked it is hauled up more like a dead-weight than like a live 
fish. In South Florida it is extensively eaten when procurable, and at Key 
West it is particularly important, since a large fleet of smacks is constantly 
employed in carrying fares of Grouper to Cuba. In West Florida, where 
red snappers are more abundant, Groupers are not in demand and have but 
a small market value. After being taken from the water, the Grouper is 
remarkably tenacious of life, and will live several hours, even though ex¬ 
posed to considerable heat. This is one reason why the Key West fleet 
prefer Groupers for transportation to Cuba, since they are obliged to go a 
long way to market and through warm water, and no other fish of the kind 
would bear crowding and chafing in the wells of the smacks. The Grouper 
attains the weight of forty pounds, and is an excellent food fish.” 
In Cuba, this fish is called by the Spanish name “ Cherna.” The name 
“Grouper” is a corruption of Garoupa , a name given by the Portu¬ 
guese to similar species. In DeKay’s time, as has been remarked, this 
fish was not unusual in the New York market, where it sold for from six to 
