Fish and Seafood

The Spanish invaders were astonished by the wealth of fish and shellfish that they found in the province. Close offshore, there were ocean fish with sweet, tender flesh, such as snook, various Atlantic-Caribbean snappers, and mojarra, a group of fish somewhat resembling ocean perch or bass, as well as little anchovy-like fish. The coastal shallows, lagoons, and mangrove swamps contained other riches, including many kinds of crabs, shrimp, clams, and oysters. Deep-sea creatures like bonito, octopus, and squid could be fished in fantastic plenty almost within sight of the coast.