REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 123 



place in 1877 (Amer. Jour. Sci. and Arts, XVII, 1879, 545). Also 

 three other specimens of this species from Rhode Island are in the U. S. 

 National Museum; one 2^ inches long is from Tiveiton, the other two, 

 3, and 31 inches long, taken at Point Judith. 



123. Centropristes striatus (Linnaeus). Sea Bass; Black Bass. 



Geog. Dist.: Atlantic coast, M3.ine (Matinicus Island) to Northern 

 Florida. Common along Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Con- 

 necticut shores. 

 Migrations: Probably spends the winter in a torpid state around rocky 

 bottoms without extensive migrations (Goode). Appears on the 

 Jersey coast in April, at Woods Hole about the first or second week of 

 May. In 1898, arrived on May 10th, and were taken in large numbers 

 on the 12th. 

 Habitat: Rocky bottom in cavities and under stones. 

 Season in R. I.: Arrives in May and is then most abundant. Leaves in 

 October. June 5, 1906, Hazard's Quarry trap, a dozen specimens were 

 taken. In 1907, first specimen in the traps off Newport was taken 

 May 8; in 1908, first specimen taken May 5; in 1909, first specimen 

 taken May 4. 

 Reproduction: Spawns in June. Eggs are J,-inch in diameter, and 

 hatch in 5 days in water of 60°. (Brice Report, U. S. Fish Com. XXIII, 

 1897, 223.) (For embryological development of this species see Wilson, 

 Bull. U. S. Fish Com. IX, 1889, 209.) Sexual differences are very 

 marked, especially during the breeding season. 

 Food: Bottom feeder. The various Crustacea are its most important 



food; crabs, lobsters, shrimp; also squids, moUusks, small fishes. 

 Rate of Growth: Young |-inch long seined at Woods Hole, July 31. 

 Young two or three inches long were taken in October. Eigenmenn 

 (1901) took the following specimens, July 24, 1899: nine, one inch 

 long (ranging from 23mm. to 26 mm.); August 22, 1900, specimen 

 If inches long (67 mm.); September 15, 1900, three specimens tlu-ee 

 inches long (ranging from 73 mm. to 82 mm.). 



134. Rypticus bistrispinus (Mitchill). 



Geog. Dist.: South Atlantic coast of the United States in rather deep 



water, strays north to Newport, R. I.; not otherwise recorded north 



of the Carolinas. 

 Season in R. I.: One specimen was taken at Newport by Samuel Powell 



and described by Cope in 1870. (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., 1870, 



119.) 



