|
|
The Saucer-Eye Porgy fish identification, habitats, characteristics, Fishing methods
Saucer-Eye Porgy, Calamus calamus, also known as Big-eye Porgy, Pez De Pluma is called "saucer-eye," owing to its having a larger eye than the other porgies. It is abundant in the West Indies, and is common in the Florida Keys and the Bahamas, but not as plentiful as the Jolt-head or Little-head porgies.
|
Saucer-Eye Porgy is a silver-colored fish with no dramatically distinctive markings. The name is derived from a blue line below the eye that causes the eye to appear larger. Color usually is silvery, with the blue streaks that are common to several of the Porgies. Common size is 2 - 3 lbs; reaches up to 7 – 8 lbs.
|
Description
The body is oval and short, compressed and very deep, its depth about half its length. Its head is steeply sloped, short and deep, with a thin and gibbous profile, and small mouth. It is very similar in conformation to the Jolt¬head porgy, but is more humpbacked, being quite, elevated above the shoulder.
The color is generally silvery with bluish reflections. The scales are bluish in the center and having a brassy golden edge, forming longitudinal stripes, with pearly-bluish interspaces. A blue saucer shaped line is found under the each eye and the unscaled portions of the cheeks and snout are purplish blue with round yellow to brassy spots. Also the corners of the mouths are yellow. They can occasionally have a yellow wash over their head and may display a striped or blotched pattern when feeding.
Habitats
Saucer-eye porgies found in offshore waters of 30-250 feet deep. They are usually found in waters as steep as 70ft but also as shallow as just a few feet. Adults are more common in the deeper waters, on coral or other reef structures. Saucer eyed porgy are relatively uncommon in most of the tropical waters to the Americas. When you find one it will usually be swimming or just hovering above the sand or corral. They are bottom-feeders, dining on worms, clams, mussels, snails, brittle stars, crabs, mollusks, hermit crabs and sea urchins on or near the coral reefs on which they live.
Spawning
There is no much information on the reproduction of saucer eyed porgies except that they are protogynous hermaphrodites. This means that all fish start out life as females and turn into males as they mature and reach a size of about 8 or 9 inches in length. During spawning males will gather a harem of females and spawn with several females from the harem every day during the breeding season. Eggs are fertilized externally and allowed to drift with the currents until they hatch.
Fishing Methods include Drifting or Still Fishing with light spinning and baitcasting tackle, with live or dead shrimp and various cut baits. The saucer-eye grows up to 15 inches in length but can reach a size of 16 to 20 inches, is a very strong puller and is considered a good panfish, commanding a ready sale. It is found in the same situations as the other porgies, grunts, and snappers, and is equally voracious, taking the proffered bait eagerly. Most are caught deep by anglers seeking Grouper and Snapper with heavy tackle. Light bait-casting or spinning rods are good choice. Cut fish or squid are the best bait to use, but almost any bait will work, as sea¬-crawfish, cut conch, or fish.
|
|
|
