Weekend washout?

It looks like the next bacth of fair weather won't be with us until Monday so with many boats in Anna Maria still confined to their moorings, let's take a look at one of the common fish you are likely to catch in the crystal waters surrounding the island.
The snook, or to give it its Latin name, Centropomus undecimalis, is a species of marine fish in family Centropomidae of order Perciformes. The type species of its genus, it is native to the coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, from southern Florida to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

One of the largest snooks, C. undecimalis grows to a maximum overall length of 140 cm (4 ft 7 in) and a maximum recorded weight of 24 kg (54 lb).

Found in shallow coastal waters (up to 20 m [66 ft] depth), estuaries, and lagoons, the fish often enters fresh water. It is carnivorous, with a diet dominated by crustaceans such as shrimps and crabs, as well as other fishes.

Considered an excellent food fish, the common snook is fished commercially and raised in aquaculture although it is not available for sale in the US. It is also prized as a game fish.

Three United States Navy submarines have been named for this species, USS Robalo (SS-273) and USS Snook (SS-279) in the Second World War and USS Snook (SSN-592) in the 1950s.

The common snook is also known as the sergeant fish or róbalo. Here's a picture so you'll know if you catch one.

Tight lines...