356 



Surmullets, Croakers, etc. 



another large fish, similar in value to the red drum. Pseudo- 

 sciozna antar^aca is the kingfish of Australia. To Scicsna belong 

 many species, largely Asiatic, with the mouth inferior, without 

 barbels, the teeth small, and the convex snout marked with 

 mucous pores. Scicsna umbra, the ombre, is the common 

 European species, Scicsna saturna, the black roncador of Cali- 

 fornia, is much like it. Scicsna deliciosa is one of the most valued 



FIG. 293. Red Drum, Scicenops ocellata Linnaeus. Texas. 



food-fishes of Peru, and Scicsna argentata is valued in Japan. 

 Species of Scicsna are especially numerous on the coasts of India. 



Roncador stearnsi, the California roncador, is a large fish with a 

 black ocellus at the base of the pectoral. It has some importance 

 in the Los Angeles market. The goody, spot, or lafayette (Leio- 

 stomus xanthurus) is a small, finely flavored species abundant 

 from Cape Cod to Texas. Similar to it but inferior is the little 

 roncador (Genyonemus lineatus) of California. The common 

 croaker, Micro pogon undulatus, is very abundant on our Eastern 

 coast, and other species known as verrugatos or white-mouthed 

 drummers replace it farther South. 



In Umbrina the chin has a short thick barbel. The species 

 abound in the tropics, Umbrina cirrosa in the Mediterranean; 

 Umbrina coroides in California, and the handsome Umbrina 

 roncador, the yellow-tailed roncador, in southern California. 

 The kingfish, Menticirrhus, differs in lacking the air-bladder, 

 and lying on the bottom in shallow water the lower fins are 

 enlarged much as in the darters or gobies. All the species are 

 American. All are dull-colored and all excellent as food. Men- 

 ticirrhus saxatilis is the common kingfish or sea-mink, abundant 



