It has a long, graceful body, nearly round, its depth a fourth of its length. It is elliptical in outline, tapering to a very slender caudal pedicle, which is strongly keeled. The mouth is large, with strong, conical teeth. The caudal fin is deeply forked, or swallow-like. Its color is dark steel-blue above, silvery below, with white belly. There are numerous dark oblique stripes running from the back downward and forward, by which it is easily recognized. The ventral fins are whitish, the other fins are bluish black.
The bonito is a pelagic fish, approaching the shores in search of food, which consists of small fishes almost entirely. It grows to a length of three or four feet, though it is usually taken of ten or twelve pounds in weight. It does not rank high as a food-fish, having rather dark flesh of a strong mackerel flavor, rather too pungent to be agreeable, but it is liked generally by sailors. There is another fish of the Atlantic coast (Gymnosarda pelamis), of the mackerel family, that is known as the oceanic bonito. It may be distinguished by its stripes being horizontal, instead of oblique; it is rather rare.
The bonito is taken only by trolling with a small fish for bait, or a block-tin, bone, or shell squid, from a sailing vessel, and with bluefish tackle. It is frequently caught by the Key West fishermen when trolling for kingfish with a bait of bacon-rind. It is a powerful fish, and withal a very game one, being a swift swimmer, and must be handled very carefully when hooked. The line should be a heavy one of braided linen or cotton, and a foot or two of brass or copper wire should be used as a snell to withstand its sharp and numerous teeth. A Sproat or O'Shaughnessy hook, No. 7-0, is about right when bait is used, and one of similar size with artificial squids, or spinners.
I was once trolling in the vicinity of the Dry Tortugas, and in a short time took four bonitos of about twelve pounds each. As the yacht was going at a spanking rate with a beam wind, the strain on the line was tremendous, and in each case the vessel had to be luffed up into the wind to enable me to land them. As one fish was more than enough for the crew, and as I had occasion to land at Fort Jefferson, on Garden Key, I resolved to donate the others to the garrison of the fortress. On going ashore I found the "garrison" to consist of one man, the corporal in charge of the property. He said he did not think he alone could get away with the fish, but as the lighthouse keeper of the fort would return from Loggerhead Key in the afternoon, he thought that they, together with his dog, might manage to dispose of them. Afterward he informed me that he and the light-keeper had finished one bonito, and the dog, whose name was Bonaparte, had made way with the others, or as he expressed it: "Bone eet two," and said this without any intent to pun on bon-i-to; he thought that I was amused at the capacity of Bonaparte as an ichthyophagist, being unconscious of his play on the words which caused my merriment.
CHAPTER XV
THE GROUPER FAMILY
(Serranidæ)
The fishes of this family are characterized by an oblong body, more or less compressed, covered with adherent scales of moderate or small size, which are usually ctenoid; the dorsal and ventral outlines do not usually correspond; premaxillaries protractile; teeth all conical or pointed, in bands, present on jaws, vomer, and palatines; pseudobranchiæ large; gill-membranes separate, free from isthmus; cheeks and opercles scaly; preopercle usually serrate; opercle ending in one or two flat spines; lateral line not extending on the caudal fin; lower pharyngeals narrow, with pointed teeth; gill-rakers armed with teeth.
Mycteroperca microlepis. The Gag. Body comparatively elongate and compressed; head 2-1/2; depth 3-1/2; eye 6; D. XI, 16 to 19; A. III, 11; scales 24-140-50; pores about 90; dorsal fin single, its spines slender and weak; head long and pointed; mouth large, the maxillary reaching beyond the eye; teeth in narrow bands, each jaw with two canines; gill-rakers few, 12 on lower part of anterior arch; scales very small, chiefly cycloid; preopercle with a shallow emargination above the angle, with radiating serræ; caudal lunate; lower jaw projecting.
Mycteroperca falcata phenax. The Scamp. Body elongate; head 3; depth 3-1/2; D. XI, 18; A. III, 11; eye 5; scales 24-135-43; dorsal fin single, the spines slender and weak; head pointed; mouth large, the maxillary reaching posterior border of the eye; teeth in narrow bands, each jaw with two strong canines, nearly vertical; preopercle finely serrate, a notch above the angle; scales mostly cycloid; outer rays of caudal produced.
Mycteroperca venenosa. The Yellow-finned Grouper. Body elongate; head 3; depth 3-1/4; eye 7; scales 24-125-x; D. XI, 16; A. III, 11; head rather blunt; mouth large, the maxillary reaching much beyond the eye; teeth in narrow bands, each jaw with two strong canines, not directed forward; preopercle without salient angle, its emargination slight; dorsal fin single, its spines not very weak; caudal fin lunate; anal rounded.
Epinephelus adscensionis. The Rock Hind. Body robust, little compressed; head 2-1/2; depth 3; eye 6; scales 12-100-40; D. XI, 17; A. III, 7; head subconic, acute; anterior profile straight; mouth large, the maxillary reaching beyond the eye; lower jaw strongly projecting; teeth in broad bands, the canines short and stout, those of the lower jaw the largest; preopercle finely serrate, convex, with but slight emargination; scales strongly ctenoid; dorsal fin single, its spines strong; caudal fin slightly rounded; gill-rakers short and thick.
Epinephelus guttatus. The Red Hind. Body rather slender, moderately compressed, the back somewhat elevated; head 2-1/2; depth 3-1/3; eye 4-1/3; scales 19-100-x; D. XI, 16; A. III, 8; head long and pointed; mouth moderate, the maxillary reaching below posterior margin of eye; lower jaw rather weak, its tip little projecting; teeth rather strong, in moderate bands, both jaws with two curved canines, those in upper jaw largest; preopercle weakly serrate, with a salient angle, which is armed with stronger teeth; caudal fin rounded.
Petrometopon cruentatus. The Coney. Body oblong, rather deep and compressed; head 2-1/2; depth 2-3/4; eye 5; scales 8-90-30; D. IX, 14; A. III, 8; head moderate, a little acute anteriorly, profile nearly straight; mouth large, the maxillary reaching