Saltwater Fish Illustrations - Redfish

This plate depicts a Redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus), rendered in careful lateral profile against a loosely washed ground of pale blue and teal. The specimen — noted as an 8 lb. catch taken at Aransas Pass in the Gulf of Mexico, Texas — is illustrated with the characteristic copper-red flanks, spined dorsal fin, and the single ocellated spot at the base of the tail that gives the species its other common name, Red Drum. The coloration moves from warm rust along the dorsal line through amber-pink flanks to a pale cream belly, rendered with the observational precision that defines the best American ichthyological illustration of the period.

Published by Armstrong & Co. at The Riverside Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, this plate belongs to a body of natural history printing that combined scientific rigor with a practiced artistic hand. The soft watercolor ground, clean profile composition, and italic taxonomic notation beneath the common name are hallmarks of the series.

The palette — burnt sienna, warm copper, and dusty teal — translates naturally into coastal, nautical, or naturalist interiors. This print is part of a broader Gulf of Mexico series that includes Speckled Trout, Pompano, Sheepshead, Snook, Tarpon, and others, all available individually or as curated sets.