BIOLOGY AND NATURAL HISTORY 267 



running somewhat smaller. Wilmington reports big ones taken from Wrights- 

 ville Beach to New River Inlet, and much surf casting. There they come 

 into the inlets at night, close to the shore, and are also caught from boats 

 anchored in the inlet. Shallotte reports them both inside and in the surf. 

 An unconfirmed report from the Wilmington region states that channel bass 

 there often contain roe weighing as much as five pounds. 



Whether these fish are spawning off North Carolina or whether North 

 Carolina is getting the results of the Chesapeake Bay spawning, or both, 

 it is probable that netting of females with ripe eggs and of indiscriminate 

 sizes of young will ultimately deplete the supply. 



*SEA BASS. ALSO CALLED BLACK BASS OR BLACKFISH 



Genus Centropristes 



Fishermen and anglers do not distinguish C. striatus from C. philadel- 

 phicus, both of which are present off this coast. C. striatus is concentrated 

 around Cape May, where it spawns, and runs down to Cape Hatteras, 

 probably straggling farther south. C. philadelphkus is concentrated in the 

 northern part of Florida and its spawning grounds are not known. It appar- 

 ently runs north to Cape Hatteras and probably farther. The fact that we 

 are here dealing with two species accounts for the lack of agreement in 

 reports of angling seasons. The Manteo-Hatteras section reports the fish 

 as present from July through December. It is known that commercial fish- 

 eries for sea bass are going on in January and February off Cape Hatteras 

 by out-of-state boats with out-of-state landings. 



The fish averages >4 pound, and some of greater weight have been infre- 

 quently taken. The ancient rod and reel record, caught off New York, 

 weighed 8 pounds 2 ounces and is suspect in the two most important ways 

 — manner of catch and weight! 



C. striatus is said to be mature at a length of about five inches. This is 

 not one of the most popular game fishes, due to its small size and the 

 customary presence of more popular game fishes on its grounds. It is 

 generally found around wrecks and over rocky bottom where it feeds on 

 the bottom on small fish, squid, and crabs. 



* STRIPED BASS, ROCK, OR ROCKFISH 



Roccus saxatilis (Walbaum) 



This anadromous fish is so widely distributed that its presence would 

 hardly lure anglers from any distance. It is, nevertheless, a very popular 

 game fish from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and from Oregon to the 

 southern part of California, In North Carolina it is present all year, and 

 although sometimes taken in salt water, it is more often trolled in the 

 Inland Waterway or tidewater streams. The rod and reel record catch 



