FISHES OF THE GULF OF MAINE 261 



Monomoy, but never, so far as wo can learn, has it been found in any numbers north 

 of Capo Cod. We have never seen it ourselves in the Massachusetts Bay region, 

 nor are fishermen of whom we have inquired familiar with it there. "Sea bass," 

 it is true, occasionally appear in the returns of the local pound nets, traps, etc. — 

 SO pounds, for example, at Provincetown in 1S96; 146 pounds at Truro in 1898; 101 

 pounds at the same locality in 1900; with odd fish at Eastham, Barnstable, Saga- 

 more, Manomet, Nahant, and Gloucester. It is doubtful, however, whether these 

 records can be accepted, for when the name "sea bass" is used along the northern 

 New England coast it usually proves that either striped bass, white perch (p. 257), 

 tautog (p. 2S6), or even rosefish (p. 304) are the species actually meant. 23 No sooner 

 do we round Cape Cod to the west, however, than we find the sea bass one of the 

 important ground fish, but it is generally reported as steadily decreasing on the 

 southern shores of New England, and this is borne out by statistics of the catch. 

 On the rare occasions when this fish strays past the elbow of Cape Cod it is apt to 

 be found near land, on rocky bottom, or around ledges, in water less than 10 to 15 

 fathoms deep, where it spends much of its time hidden in crevices among the stones. 



Food. — The sea bass is a bottom feeder, subsisting chiefly on crabs, lobsters, 

 shrimp, and various mollusks, and also eating small fish (e. g., launce and men- 

 haden) and squid on occasion. 



Habits. — Judging from its season at Woods Hole, where it is to be caught from 

 May to October (most abundantly in July, August, and September), sea bass are 

 to be expected in the Gulf of Maine in summer only, if at all. There is no reason 

 to suppose that they ever succeed in reproducing or in establishing even a tem- 

 porary foothold in the Gulf, even if the rare immigrants should spawn there. The 

 height of its spawning season falls in June along southern New England, and it 

 produces buoyant eggs. 24 



Commercial importance. — Too rare to be of any importance in the Gulf, the sea 

 bass is a very valuable food and game fish in more southern waters. 



THE CATALUFAS. FAMILY PRIACANTHID^ 



100. Big-eye {Pseudopriacanthus altus Gill) 

 Jordan and Evermann, 1896-1900, p. 1239. 



Description. — The most striking characters of this fish are its very large eyes 

 and brilliant red color. Apart from these it is distinguishable from the sea-bass 

 tribe by the fact that the whole head, as well as the body, is clothed with rough 

 scales and that the anal fin is longer than the soft-rayed portion of the dorsal. Its 

 compressed body, unusually stout dorsal spines, enormous ventral fins, and small 

 pectorals, are ready field marks to separate it from the rosefish, the only Gulf of 

 Maine species that rivals its brilliant red color. The big-eye is ovate in outline, 

 very thin, with rounded dorsal profile, large head, notably oblique mouth, and 

 enormous eye. The spiny (10 spines) and soft (11 rays) portions of the dorsal fin 



" 3,000 odd pounds of "sea bass" reported from Manchester, Mass., in 1911, were certainly not this fish. 

 " The early development ot the sea bass has been described by Wilson (Bulletin, U. S. Fish Commission, Vol. IX, 1889 

 (891), p. 209). 



