138 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



Atlantic coast. In New England, recorded only from Woods Hole 

 (Smith, 1898) and Narragansett Bay. It has been taken at the east 

 end of Long Island (Mitchill, 1815; De Kay, 1842). 



Habitat: On the Gulf coast it frequents wharves, rock piles, and wrecks. 

 It forms in large schools in October and November preparatory to 

 leaving the coast. 



Season in R. I.: Very rare. One specimen taken in Narragansett Bay 

 is in the possession of the Commission. 



Reproduction: Spawns from June to August; the eggs are buoyant, 

 1-20 inch in diameter, have an oil globule, and hatch in 24 hours in 

 water 78° (Brice, Report, U. S. Fish Com., XXIII, 1897, 247). 

 Spawns in Chesapeake in June and July (Ryder, Report, U. S. Fish 

 Com., XIII, 1885, 521). Larva measures 1-10 inch long (2.5 mm.) 

 when newly hatched. 



Rate of Growth: All specimens recorded from Narragansett Bay and 

 Woods Hole are about 16 or 18 inches in length. The species reaches 

 a length of 2 or 3 feet. Fifty-three hours after hatching, the larva is 

 ^ inch (4 mm.) long. Specimens ^ to Ij inches taken in Chesapeake 

 Bay. 



CILETODONTID^. The Butterfly Fishes. 



144. Chaetodon oeellatus (Bloch). Parche. 



Geog. Dist.: Common at West Indies, the young straying northward to 

 New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Cape Cod. In New England, recorded 

 only from Woods Hole (Smith, 1898) and Newport. At Woods Hole 

 a few are taken nearly every year in October and November. Rare on 

 Long Island. 



Season in R. I.: Gill describes a young specimen one inch long from 

 Newport. (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., 1861, 99.) A specimen 

 from Newport is referred to by Cope (1870). 



Rate of Growth: A specimen of this species H inches long was seined 

 at Beesley's Point, N. J., September 2nd. A specimen about two 

 inches long was taken near Clam Pond Cove, L. I., October 17, 1898. 



BALISTID^. The Trigger-Fishes. 



145. Balistes carolinensis (Gmelin). Trigger-fish; Leather-jacket. 



Geog. Dist.: Tropical parts of the Atlantic north in the Gulf Stream to 

 England and Nova Scotia. Specimen taken on Banquereau Banks, 

 .50 miles southeast of Canso (Cornish, 1907). In Massachusetts it has 

 been recorded from Squam River, Annisquam (B. S. N. H.), New 



