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Related FAQs: Marine Life of the Tropical West
Atlantic, Tropical West Atlantic 2,
Related Articles: TWA
Invertebrates, Algae, Vascular Plants, ntroduction to Fishwatcher's Guide
Series Pieces/Sections, Lachnolaimus
maxiumus/Hogfish, Hogfishes of the Genus Bodianus,
The Tropical West Atlantic: Bahamas to Brazil,
Part 4
To:
Part 1, Part 2,
Part 3, Part 5,
Part 6, Part 7,
Part 8, Part 9,
Part 10, Part 11,
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by Bob Fenner
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Croakers and Drums, Family Sciaenidae. These fishes are notable for
their noise making capacity, value as food fishes, tremendous numbers of species
(seventeen genera in the TWA alone) and numbers of individuals. As aquarium
subjects the three TWA species of principal interest are non-aggressive
carnivores that spend most of their time hiding in dark caves you provide. These
are the Highhat, Pareques acuminatus (2) the Jackknife, Equetus
lanceolatus (2), and the Spotted Drum, E. punctatus (2). Make sure
and keep them with other peaceful fishes and assure they are getting enough to
eat (mostly nocturnal feeders), especially when you start with small
individuals.
Ecotype: In areas of reefs with sufficient cover to get under. They hide by
day.
| Equetus acuminatus (Bloch & Schneider 1801), the
High Hat. To 23 cm., 9 inches in length. Western Atlantic; North Carolina
to Brazil. Found over sandy and rocky bottoms in groups as young and
adults. Below: Aquarium specimens. An ideal size (three inch) individual
in a cubicle and batch in a wholesalers tank, and five inch individual. At
right, a seven inch adult off of St. Lucia. |
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| Equetus lanceolatus (Linnaeus 1758), the
Jackknife(fish). Tropical West Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Found in bays
and deep coral reefs. To ten inches in length. Like other TWA croakers,
feeds mainly on small shrimps, gastropod mollusks, crabs polychaete worms.
Not as often seen as the other two species listed. Distinguished from them
by a single black band starting at the tip of the dorsal and a lack of
dots on the tail. |
pic (yet) |
| Equetus punctatus (Bloch & Schneider 1801), the
Spotted Drum. To 27 cm. Tropical West Atlantic. Below: Three inch
individual off Cozumel, four and six inch ones in St. Lucia. At right,
four and a half inch individual in St. Lucia. |
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Some Not-So Aquarium Croakers: An example to show a
"typical" member of the family.
| Pogonias cromis (Linnaeus 1758), the Black Drum.
According to fishbase.org to 170 cm. and 42 kg... yes, five feet and
ninety pounds. And has lived for 43 years! Found in the Western Atlantic;
Nova Scotia to Argentina. One in the Florida Aquarium. |
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Snappers, Family Lutjanidae. Most of the snappers of the Tropical West
Atlantic shallows get too large and admittedly are too ugly for any other than
die-hard biotopic presentations. However a few do deserve consideration and so I’ve
listed and illustrated them here. The Dog Snapper, Lutjanus jocu (2) and
Schoolmaster, L. apodus (2) are characters and good looking when young.
My personal preferences aside, about the only snapper I’ve seen offered from
here is the Yellowtail, Ocyurus chrysurus (2). It even gets way too big
(more than two feet)
Ecotype: The first two in shallow to mid depth reefs near the bottom, the
latter in small associations mid-water above reefs.
| Anisotremus surinamensis (Bloch 1791), the Black
Margot. Tropical West Atlantic. To two feet in length. Feeds at night on
crustaceans, fishes, urchins... Cozumel image. |
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| Lutjanus adetii (Castelnau 1873), the Yellow-Banded
Snapper or Hussar. Western Pacific; east coast of Australia and New Caledonia. To
twenty inches maximum length. This one of
many in a school off Heron Island in Australian waters,
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Lutjanus analis (Cuvier 1828), (Cuvier 1828), the Mutton
Snapper. Western Atlantic; Massachusetts to Brazil, Gulf of Mexico. To 26 inches
maximum length. This one off of Belize.
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Lutjanus apodus (Walbaum 1792), the Schoolmaster
Snapper. Western Atlantic; Massachusetts to Brazil and the Eastern Atlantic;
Core d'Ivoire to Guinea. To nearly twenty seven inches total length. Here in the
Bonaire, seven and twelve inch individuals.
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| Lutjanus griseus (Linnaeus 1758), the Gray Snapper.
Tropical West Atlantic. Freshwater, brackish, marine. 89 cm., 20 kg.
maximum. Occasionally imported as juveniles for the aquarium interest.
Nocturnal feeder on fishes, crustaceans, worms. |
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| Lutjanus jocu (Bloch & Schneider 1801),
the Dog Snapper. Western Atlantic; Massachusetts to Brazil, including the
Gulf of Mexico, and the Easter Atlantic; St. Paul's Rocks and Ascension
Island. To Thirty two inches maximum length. A one foot specimen off of
Belize, another off of Cancun. |
 
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Lutjanus mahogani (Cuvier 1822), the Mahogany Snapper. Tropical West
Atlantic; N. Carolina to Venezuela. To 19 inches in length (most much smaller). This eight inch
individual off Bonaire.
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| Lutjanus synagris (Linnaeus 1758), the Lane Snapper.
Western Atlantic; North Carolina to Brazil, Gulf of Mexico. To two feet in
length, most under a foot. This pink tail spot-less phase one in the
Bahamas. |
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Ocyurus chrysurus (Bloch 1791), the Yellowtail Snapper.
Western Atlantic; Massachusetts to Brazil and Gulf of Mexico. Maximum length to
thirty four inches, most around a foot in length. One in the Bahamas and one in
Belize.
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To: Part 1, Part 2,
Part 3, Part 5,
Part 6, Part 7,
Part 8, Part 9,
Part 10, Part 11,
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