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Schoolmaster; Caji
The schoolmaster is one of the most richly coloured and beautiful of the snappers, and is withal a very interesting and attractive fish. It is known from Bahia northward through the West Indies to southern Florida. It sometimes strays in the Gulf Stream to Woods Hole. It is found at Key West and in Indian River, but is not common in either place. It is one of the most abundant snappers about Porto Rico, where it is known as pargo amarilla. The species attains a weight of 7 or 8 pounds, though the average is 3 pounds or less. It takes the hook readily and with vigor, and good sport may be had with it "down the bay" near Key West.
Colour of adult, reddish brown on back and top of head, becoming brighter orange-red on side, more orange below; side with about 9 broad greenish white vertical bars from back to lower part of side; top of caudal peduncle with a large blackish blotch; a series of small round dark spots below eye; fins all greenish yellow, the caudal with some orange; young with a sharply defined blue stripe below eye from snout to angle of opercle.
Lutianus argentiventris, the pargo amarilla, is found on our Pacific coast from Mazatlan southward. It resembles the schoolmaster, the dog snapper, and the gray snapper, but is apparently distinct from all of these, the chief difference being that the scales above the lateral line are in series parallel with it.
It reaches a length of 2 feet, is generally common, and is a good food-fish.