*Information from FAO Species Identification Guide Western Central Atlantic*
Size
Maximum to 91 cm, commonly to 35 cm; world game record 9.63 kg.
Habitat, biology, and fisheries
Inhabits inshore, rocky, and hard-substrate areas; freely enters brackish water. Feeds primarily on sessile invertebrates such as bryozoans, molluscs, barnacles, and crustaceans. Caught mainly with bottom longlines and trawls; prominent in the catch of anglers. An excellent foodfish; usually marketed fresh. The catch reported from Area 31 totaled 1 501 t in 2000 and has remained fairly stable over the last 10 years.
Distribution
Nova Scotia to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico; absent from the West Indies; a few scattered reports from Honduras to Rio de Janeiro.
