FISHES OF THE GULF OF MAINE 



305 



spiny head, large eye, more slender caudal peduncle, and larger pectoral; and from 

 the sea bass by its large spiny head, the small size and outline of its caudal fin, and by 

 the fact that its anal and the soft portion of its dorsal are relatively much lower. 



Color. — Orange to flame red, rarely varying to grayish or brownish red, with the 

 belly a paler red fading to white after death. Sometimes there is a dusky blotch on 

 the gill cover and irregular dusky patches on the back. The black ej'es make a vivid 

 contrast to its brightly colored body. 



Size. — On the other side of the Atlantic and in Arctic seas the rosefish grows to a 

 length of 3 feet or more,°^ but about 2 feet and a weight of 12 to 14 pounds seems to 

 be about the maximum off the American coast. In European waters there are two 

 forms of tliis fish (intergrading, however) — a larger offshore and a smaller in shoal 

 water inshore. American fish also run much smaller near the coast (usuall}' 8 to 

 12 inches long) than on the offshore banks. 



General range. — Both sides of the North Atlantic and in Arctic seas, north to 

 Spitzbergen, Nova Zembla, Greenland, Davis Straits, and Labrador. Off the 

 American coast it occurs as far south as New Jersey in deep water. 



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Fig. 141.— Roseflsh (Sfftasto marinus). 



Occurrence in the Gulf of Maine. — This is a fairly common fish in all but the 

 shoalest parts of the Gulf, alike on the offshore banks, in or over the deep central 

 basin, and along shore. To list its known occurrences would be to mention prac- 

 tically every station where hook-and-line or otter-trawl fishing is carried on at more 

 than 20 fathoms depth. Thus considerable numbers are sometimes taken on lines 

 or trawls in 15 to 20 fathoms or more in Massachusetts Bay both winter and summer, 

 especially on or near rocky bottom, wliile we ourselves have trawled it in 27 to 33 

 fathoms off Gloucester and off Boston Harbor. Manj' are caught along the northern 

 shore of the bay, also, as well as on and near Jeffreys Ledge and between Cape Ann 

 and Boon Island. The fact that the Grampus took rosefish in 6 out of 7 hauls in 25 

 to 60 fathoms between Cape Ann and Penobscot Bay in July, 1912, with a trawl 



63 It has been said to reach 4 feet. 



