24 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 



GENUS CENTROPRISTES. Cuvier. 



A single dorsal fin. All the teeth on the jaws, vomer and palatines, velvet-like. Preoperclc 

 serrated. Opercle spinous. The snout, jaw and branchial membrane without scales. 



THE BLACK SEA BASS. 



Centropristes nigricans. 



PLATE II. FIG. 5. — (STATE COLLECTION.) 



Perca, Black-fish in New-York. Schcepff, Beobacht. Naturf. Fr. Vol. 8, p. 164. 



Caryphama mgrescens. Bloch, Syst. posth. p. 297. 



Lutianus trilobus. Lacepede, Hist, Poiss. Vol. 4, p. 246, pi. 16, fig. 3. 



Perca varia. Mitchill, Report in part, etc. p. 10. 



P. id.. Sea Basse. Id. Lit. and Phil. Soc. N. Y. Vol. 1, p. 415, pi. 3, fig. 6. 



Le Centropristc noir, Centropristes nigricans. Ccv. et Val. Hist. Poiss. Vol. 3, p. 37, pi. 44. 



C. id., The Black Perch. Stop.er, Fishes of Massachusetts, p. 9. 



Characteristics. Uniform bluish-black. Dorsal fin mottled with white. Caudal fin, when 

 perfect, trilobate. Length, 6-12 inches. 



Description. Body oblong, compressed, somewhat carinated on the back before the dorsal 

 fin. Scales subquadrate, ciliate, with radiating plaits on the radical surface, and festooned 

 on the anterior margin ; they extend over the opercle, suborbitals, and high up on the caudal 

 fin ; eighteen are counted vertically, and fifty-four along the lateral line : this line is concur- 

 rent with the dorsal outline. Preopercle distinctly denticulated on its whole margin. Opercle 

 with a sharp spine, and above it another, which in young individuals is almost effaced. Eyes 

 large, and near the frontal outline. The nostrils are double, in the same plane with the 

 upper border of the orbits, and nearer to the orbits than to the snout ; the posterior largest, 

 oval ; the anterior with a valve. Teeth velvet-like throughout ; several series on the jaw, of 

 which the outer row is largest. Tongue pointed, smooth, free. 



The dorsal fin commences above the base of the pectorals, and ends beyond the termination 

 of the anal. The spinous rays have each of them a membranous slip attached to their tips ; 

 this portion of the fin is lower than the branched rays, which form an elevated and rounded 

 fin. The first two spinous rays are short ; the third longest. A series of scales rise up on 

 the membrane between the rays of this fin, for nearly one-fifth of its height ; and the same 

 occurs on the anal and caudal fins. The pectorals broad, and reaching to the vent. Ventrals 

 rounded. Anal fin with three spines and seven branched rays, which latter are high and 

 obtusely rounded. The caudal fin, although usually described as rounded, is in fact trilobed ; 

 but the rays of the tips are so exceedingly delicate, that they usually present a ragged appear- 

 ance difficult to describe. I searched among many individuals, before I could find one as 

 complete as the imperfect one figured above. In the youngest and smallest specimens, this 

 imperfection is quite as manifest as in others. When perfect, the tips end in a delicate 

 elongated point, and the middle of the fin is rounded. 



