328 



The Bass and their Relatives 



Serranus cabrilla is the Cabrilla of the Mediterranean, a 

 well-known and excellent food-fish, the original type of the 

 family of Serranida. Serranellus scriba is the serran, a very 

 pretty shore-fish of southern Europe, longer known than any 

 other of the tribe. On the coast of southern California are 

 also species called Cabrillas, fine, large, food-fish, bass-like in 

 form, Paralabrax dathratus, and other less common species. 

 The Cabrillas and their relatives are almost all American, a 

 few straying across to Europe. One of the most important 

 in the number is the black sea-bass, or black will, of our Atlantic 



FIG. 263. Hypoplectrus unicolor nigricans (Poey). Tortugas, Fla. 



coast, Centropristes striatus. This is a common food- and 

 game-fish, dusky in color, gamy, and of fine flesh. The squirrel- 

 fishes (Diplectrum) and the many serranos (Prionodes) of the 

 tropics, small bright-colored fishes of the rocks and reefs, must 

 be passed with a word, as also the small Paracentropristis of 

 the Mediterranean and the fine red creole-fish of the West 

 Indies, Paranthias furcifer. In one species, Anyperodon leuco- 

 grammicus of Polynesia, there are no teeth on the palatines. 



The barber-fish (Anthias anthias) of southern Europe, bright 

 red and with the lateral line running very high, is the type of 

 a numerous group found at the lowest fishing level in all warm 

 seas. All the species of this group are bright red, very hand- 



