GRASS PORGY – Calamus arctifrons
Family Sparidae, PORGIES Description: pale tan to silvery; dark olive above; dark bar across nape extends through eye to corner of mouth; dark blotches on body, in about 5 vertical and 4 horizontal series, suggesting interrupted bars and stripes; blotch near front of lateral line most prominent; dark V at base of caudal fin; lobes […]
KNOBBED PORGY – Calamus nodosus
Family Sparidae, PORGIES Description: body deep; front profile very steep; nape projects strongly in large adults; body generally silvery, with a rosy cast; cheek and snout dark purplish gray, with many bronze spots; large blue spot at axil of pectoral fin. Size: to 46 cm (18 in.). Where found: hardbottom, reefs, ledges Mark MayoI research […]
JOLTHEAD PORGY – Calamus bajonado
Family Sparidae, PORGIES Description: generally silvery to brassy, with a bluish cast; front of head brown, with blue line along lower rim of eye; a whitish stripe below eye, and another between eye and mouth; corner of mouth orange. Size: to 60 cm (2 ft.) and 3.6 kg (8 lbs.). Where Found: coastal waters to […]
RED PORGY – Pagrus pagrus
Family Sparidae, PORGIES Description: the only American porgy with a rear nostril that is round (not slit-like); head and body silvery red, with many tiny blue spots. Size: to 91 cm (3 ft.). Where found: deeper part of continental shelf, but young occur in water as shallow as 18 m (60 ft.). Mark MayoI research […]
SHEEPSHEAD – Archosargus probatocephalus
Family Sparidae, PORGIES Description: basic silvery color, with 5 or 6 distinct vertical black bars on sides, not always the same on both sides; prominent teeth, including incisors, molars, and rounded grinders; no barbels on lower jaw; strong and sharp spines on dorsal and anal fins. Similar fish: black drum, Pogonias cromis; Atlantic spadefish, Chaetodipterus […]
GRAY TRIGGERFISH – Balistes capriscus
Family Balistidae, LEATHERJACKETS Description: entirely olive-gray; dorsal and anal fins marbled; caudal fin lobes elongate in large adults; one or more enlarged scales behind gill opening; 26 to 29 dorsal fin rays; 23 to 26 anal fin rays. Young: large darker saddles on back (these saddles sometimes persit in adults); blue spots and short blue […]
HOGFISH – Lachnolaimus maximus
Family Labridae, WRASSES Description: body deep, strongly compressed; color varies, but never bicolored; usually reddish, sometimes bright brick red; soft dorsal fin with a large dark spot at base; entire top of head nape purplish brown in large males; this patch of color continuous with blackish area that extends along entire base of dorsal fin; […]
YELLOWTAIL SNAPPER – Ocyurus chrysurus
Family Lutjanidae, SNAPPERS Description: back and upper sides olive to bluish with yellow spots; lower sides and belly with alternating narrow, longitudinal pink and yellow stripes; prominent mid lateral yellow stripe begins at mouth and runs to tail, broadening as it passes the dorsal fins; caudal fin yellow and deeply forked; no dark lateral spots. […]
VERMILION SNAPPER – Rhomboplites aurorubens
Family Lutjanidae, SNAPPERS Descriptions: color of entire body reddish,with a series of short, irregular lines on its sides, diagonal blue lines formed by spots on the scales above the lateral line; sometimes with yellow streaks below the lateral line; large canine teeth absent; orientation of mouth and eye give it the appearance of looking upward; […]
SILK SNAPPER – Lutjanus vivanus
Family Lutjanidae, SNAPPERS Descriptions: back and upper sides pinkish red, shading to silvery sides with undulating yellow lines; pectoral fins pale yellow; back edge of caudal fin blackish; anal fin pointed; no dark lateral spot; yellow eye. Similar fish: red snapper, L. campechanus. Where found: OFFSHORE over rocky ledges in very deep water; most common […]