THE ROSE-EISH, ANT) ITS ALLIES. 269 



is known as " Boccacio " or " Boccac " (bocatc/i) to the Italians, and as 

 "Merou" {maroo) to the Portuguese. American fishermen use the name 

 "Jack," and those who fish for the young from the wharves call them 

 "Tom-cod." The name "Boccacio" (Big-mouthed) is very appro- 

 priate; "Merou" is transferred from Atlantic species of Epinephelus ; 

 "Jack" comes from the species of Esox and Stizostedium, which in the 

 Southern States are called by that name. This species is one of the largest 

 of the group, reaching the weight of twelve to fifteen pounds. Its average 

 size in the markets is greater than that of any of the others. It ranges 

 from the Santa Barbara Islands to Cape Mendocino. It inhabits reefs in 

 deep water, only the young coming near the shore. It is rather more 

 abundant southward than about San Francisco. It is, however, a common 

 market-fish, and its flesh is considered excellent. It is probably the most 

 voracious of the family. 



Five species of the genus Scbastichthys, namely, S. mclanops, S. caurinus, 

 S. maliger, S. proriger, and S. ciliatus, attain to large size and consider- 

 able commercial importance in Alaska, and are discussed by Dr. Bean in 

 his paper on the " Shore Fisheries of Alaska " in another section of this 

 work. S. mclanops is called " Black Bass" at Sitka. 



The Rock Trouts, Chirida, a family of fish of considerable importance 

 on our Pacific coast, is that of the Chiridcz, or Rock Trouts, no representa- 

 tives of which are known in the Atlantic. One or two species of the 

 family occur in the sea of Japan. 



The Boregata, Hexagrammus Stclleri, is known in Puget Sound by the 

 Italian name of " Boregata" or " Boregat." The name "Starling" is 

 applied to some fish, supposed by us to be this species, in the Straits of 

 Fuca. It reaches a length of fifteen inches and a weight of three pounds. 

 It ranges from Puget Sound to Kamtchatka. In Puget Sound it is com- 

 paratively abundant, living about rocks. It spawns in July. It feeds on 

 crustaceans, worms, and fishes, and apparently gets its food on the bottom 

 in deep water, as the animals taken from its stomach are often of a kind 

 not seen near shore. Its intestines are very often full of long taenioid 

 worms, supposed to be parasitic. As a food-fish, it ranks with the other 

 Rock-trout, being of fair quality, but inferior to Opliiodon and Sebastichthys. 



The name "Boregata," is applied to the Green Rock Trout, Hexa- 

 gramnuis decagrammus, by the Italians on Puget Sound. The name 

 " Rock Cod " is also given to it. From San Francisco southward, the 



