430 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



weighing about 350 pounds, on the Grampus on 

 August 26, 1914, in a set of one hour off Marthas 

 Vineyard in 105 fathoms. In 1915, the Bureau 

 undertook to popularize the tilefish in the market, 

 believing it numerous enough to support an im- 

 portant fishery, and knowing it to be an excellent 

 food fish. It proved so plentiful and so easily 

 caught on long lines that the first trip stocked 

 38,383 pounds in 27 days. A.nd the landings for 

 the first 8 months after the inception of the fishery 

 aggregated upward of 4,388,500 pounds, with a 



grand total of 11,641,500 pounds from July 1, 1916 

 to July 1, 1917. But for some reason the demand 

 did not hold up; the catches diminished; and in 

 1947 (most recent year for which information is 

 available) only 441,000 pounds were landed. 13 

 The tilefish continues, however, to offer a potential 

 supply of perhaps two to three million pounds 

 yearly, of fish that is good boiled or baked, and that 

 is delicious for chowder. It also makes a good 

 smoked fish, and its sounds are of value for 

 isinglass. 



THE ROCKFISHES. FAMILY SCORPAENIDAE 



The rockfishes are perch-like or bass-like in 

 general appearance. But they are related to the 

 sculpins (p. 439) and to the sea robins (p. 467) by 

 having a bony stay (an extension of one of the 

 suborbital bones) stretching across the cheek, 

 giving the latter a characteristic bony appearance. 

 Furthermore their cheeks are spiny, and in most 

 of the species the top of the head is marked by 

 ridges that terminate in spines. Both the spiny 

 portion and the soft portion of the dorsal are 

 well developed, either as a continuous fin or sub- 

 divided by a deep notch. The ventral fins are 

 on the chest ("thoracic"). In most of the rock- 

 fishes (including the rosefish) the eggs are retained 

 within the mother until they hatch. There are 

 many species, the temperate Pacific being espe- 

 cially rich in them. Only one, however, occurs 

 regularly in the Gulf of Maine, though the range 

 of another includes its offshore rim. 



Key to Gulf of Maine Rockfishes 



1. The lower rays of the pectoral fins, like the upper rays, 

 are connected nearly to their tips by the fin mem- 

 brane: There are 14 or 15 dorsal fin spines 



Rosefish, p. 430 



The lower 7-9 pectoral fin rays are free for the outer 



half of their length; there are only 12 dorsal fin 



spines Black-bellied rosefish, p. 437 



Rosefish Sebastes marinus (Linnaeus) 1758 



Ocean perch; Redfish; Red sea perch; Red 

 bream; Norway haddock 



Jordan and Evermann, 1896-1900, p. 1760. 



Description. — The rosefish is perchlike in its 

 general appearance, moderately flattened side- 

 wise, about one-third as deep as it is long (to 

 base of tail fin), with a large bony head; and its 

 trunk tapers back from the shoulders to a moder- 



ately slender caudal peduncle. The dorsal pro- 

 file of the head is concave, the mouth is large, very 

 oblique, and gapes to below the eyes, the lower 

 jaw projects beyond the upper, and there is a 

 bony knob at its tip that fits into a corresponding 

 notch in the upper jaw. Both of the jaws are 

 armed with many small teeth. The eyes are very 

 large and set high. The sides of the head are 

 armed with spines, the most prominent of which 

 are two near the rear angle of each gill cover, and 

 a series of five confluent ones on each cheek. 

 These, with a ridge behind and above each eye 

 socket, give the head a bony appearance that is 

 extremely characteristic. 



The gill openings are very wide, with pointed 

 gill covers. There is one continuous dorsal fin 

 running from nape of neck to caudal peduncle; 

 the spiny part (14 or 15 spines) is considerably 

 longer than the soft part (13 to 15 rays), but the 

 latter is higher than the former. The precise 

 outline of the fin is easier illustrated (fig. 222) 

 than described. The anal fin, consisting of three 

 graduated spines and 7 or 8 longer rays, is shorter 

 than the soft portion of the dorsal, under which it 

 stands. The caudal fin is noticeably small, its 

 rear edge moderately concave, and with angular 

 corners. The pectoral fins are very large, and the 

 smaller ventrals are situated below them. Both 

 head and body are clad with scales of moderate 

 size. There are about 60 to 70 oblique rows of 

 scales from the gill opening to the origin of the 

 caudal fin, just below the lateral line. 



The rosefish agrees with the cunner, tautog, and 

 sea bass in the union of the spiny and soft portions 

 of its dorsal into a single long fin, and in its gen- 

 's 52,700 pounds in Massachusetts ports; 128,400 pounds in Rhode Island 

 and Connecticut; 186,700 pounds in New York and 53,300 pounds in New 

 Jersey. 



