On Fri, 29 Mar 2002 09:50:35 -0600, Steven Catron <stepan-
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>What sort of fish in South Florida water has black and white horizontal
>bands along the lower 3/4s of its body, with more colorful (blue and/or
>yellow comes to mind) bands on the top 1/4?   I saw one of those off
>Boynton Beach, but had forgotten it until now.

The verbal description could fit many fishes.  It sounded almost like the
"Giant Hawkfish" that came up in recent thread elsewhere.

Steve Kramer <[log in to unmask]> wrote in message
news:<[log in to unmask]>...
>
> I enlarged and enhanced it with PhotoShop, and it appears to be a
> juvinile ov the Balistidae (trigger fish) family. The urchin growing out
> of its forehead doesn't help...

Is it anything like these?

http://www.graphic.com.br/reef/rivulatus.htm

http://bajadestinations.com/fishid/hawkfishclown/clownhawkfish.htm

Those pages were provided by one Forest Aten.  After seeing that,
I wrote in response to Kramer,

RF>That was my first impression, that it was me (Nassau Grouper) with a
RF>triggerfish face, when I read Dan's report with that pic.

Now it appears I was EXACTLY right.  In Spanish, it's "Chino Mero",
a "Chinese Grouper".  Of course.  :-))

In the webpage description, it translated "Chino Mero" as a
"Chinese Jewfish" which is no longer a politically correct name to
use for any Jewfish
.  :-)

In any event "Mero" is a "grouper" since I know Pasqual's boat
and nickname are both "Mero Gordo" meaning the "Fat Grouper".

So, Steve, was it or wasn't it ME?   -:-)

-- Bob.