Robalos

Body elongate

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Body elongate, back considerably elevated, the ventral outline straight, angulated at the anal fin; scales ctenoid, varying in size; lateral line conspicuous, extending on caudal fin; head depressed, pike-like, the lower jaw projecting; villiform teeth, in bands, on jaws, vomer, and palatines; tongue smooth; maxillary broad, truncate behind, with a strong supplemental bone; pseudobranchiae small; preopercle with a double ridge, the posterior margin strongly serrate, with larger spines at the angle; preorbital and suprascapular serrated; opercle without true spines; dorsal fins well separated, the first with 8 spines, the first and second short, the third and fourth longest; anal with 3 spines, the second strong, the third long and slender; these fins moving in scaly sheaths; caudal forked; air-bladder well developed.

This family contains one genus with about 15 species, all American, and most of them game-fishes and of moderate food-value. The species are all of salt or brackish water, and their habits resemble those of the basses, as their common name, robalo, indicates, robalo being the Spanish name for the European bass. The majority of the species are of little value as food, the flesh being coarse and with little flavour.

Centropomus viridis, the Pacific robalo, occurs from Panama northward to Lower California. It is in most parts of its range a common fish, reaching a length of 2 to 4 feet, and is valued somewhat as a food-fish.

Colour, greenish on back; sides dull silvery; upper fins dusky, lower ones paler; ventrals plain yellowish, scarcely dotted with dusky; no yellow on other fins; lateral line black; some dusky at base of pectoral and behind second anal spine.

C. undecimalis, the common robalo or snook, is the best-known species of the family, as well as the largest and most abundant. It is common on sandy shores throughout the West Indies, and from Florida to Surinam. It occurs at Key West and is common about Porto Rico, entering the lower courses of the rivers, where it is sought by the local anglers. It attains a length of 3 or 4 feet, though examples of that size are not frequent; those usually taken or seen in the markets rarely exceed 2 feet in length. The flesh is white and flaky, and in Porto Rico is highly esteemed as food, but at Key West it is little valued.

We have never taken the snook with the fly or on the hook, but it is said to take the hook readily and even to rise to the fly. We have been told that the army and navy officers stationed at San Juan, Porto Rico, have good sport trolling for robalos in the mouths of the rivers along the north side of the island.

C. parallelus is known only from Cuba, Santo Domingo, Porto Rico, and Pernambuco. It enters rivers and lakes and may be found long distances from salt water. In Porto Rico it ascends the larger streams well toward the interior of the island. It reaches a foot in length, is a good food-fish, and possesses some game qualities. In Porto Rico it is sought by the local anglers in the lower parts of the Rio de la Plata, the Manati, and the Rio Grande de Arecibo.