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Pigfish; Hogfish
This is the most important food-fish of the genus. It reaches a length of 12 to 15 inches, and occurs on the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, ranging as far north as Long Island and south to the mouth of the Rio Grande. It is especially abundant on sandy shores, where it is taken in haul-seines. Large numbers are taken along the Carolina coast. It is very highly valued as a pan-fish, and is known in some places as the sailor's-choice.
Colour in life, light blue above, shading gradually into silvery below; preorbital and snout clear sky-blue; a dash of blue on each side of upper lip; each scale on body with a blue centre, the edge with a brown spot, these forming on back and sides very distinct orange-brown stripes along the rows of scales, those above the lateral line extending obliquely upward and backward, those below nearly horizontal; snout with bronze spots; one or two cross-lines connecting front of orbits; 2 or 3 oblique lines on preorbital, besides numerous bronze spots larger than those on body; dorsal translucent with about 3 longitudinal bronze shades, composed of spots, those of soft dorsal most distinctly spot-like; caudal plain, yellowish at base, dusky toward tip; pectorals and ventrals yellowish, the latter darker at tip.