Jordan and Evertnann. — Fishes of North America. 



1199 



spots about opercle and above axil; dorsal with a series of jet-black spots along 

 its base; caudal with the middlo rays black at their tips, the outer pale; jut- 

 black spots on middle rays. ocvuRus 1588. 

 TRiLOBfRi'S {Tp(.l%, three; Ao/3os, lobe; oupa, tail): 



ofi. Dorsal spiiios, or some of them, tipped with flesliy filanKMits, wliicli project considerably 

 beyond the tip of the spiue; longest dorsal spine about half length of head; caudal 

 lobes more or less produced, 

 c. Body rather elongate, little compressed, the anterior profile nearly straight; eye large, 

 as long as snout, about 4 in head; mouth large, the lower jaw projecting; 10 rows 

 of scales on cheek; dorsal spines slender, graduated rajiidly to the third or fourth, 

 thence decreasing to the last; fourtli dorsal spine 2 in head; color olive gray; 

 sides with about 7 broad, ditfiise, brown bars extending from back obliquely for- 

 ward to level of pectorals; a large black spot on membrane of last dorsal spines; 

 dorsal filaments scarlet; caudal with irregular cross rows of round brownish siiots; 

 other fins similarly marked. Se.xes little different. philadeli'hicis, 15«9. 



Subgenus CENTROPRISTES. 



1586. CENTROPRISTES RL'FUS, Cuvier & Valenciennes. 



This species resembles very closely Cenfropristea striatus in all respects, the 

 only difteience that we can detect bein<; that the caudal fin is quite regu- 

 larly rounded instead of trilobate. Fourth dorsal spine longest, 2 in 

 head. Scales 5-50-13. Eye 4^ in head. Pectorals extending beyond 

 ventrals, 1^ in head. Color uniform dark — in alcohol. Known only 

 from the original types, two specimens in fair condition, from Martin- 

 ique, in the museum at Paris. The species is a doubtful one and its 

 characters need verification, {rufus, reddish.) 



Ccntropris(es rii/ns, CuviER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., in, 47, 1820, Martinique. (Coll. 

 Plee.) 



1587. CENTROPRISTES STRIATCS* (Linnaus). 

 (Black Sea Bass; Blackfish; T.\lly-Wao ; IIannahill; Black Will; Black Harry.) 



Head 2^ ; depth 2t to 3. D. X, 11 ; A. Ill, 7 ; scales 5-55 to 60-16 to 20, 

 pores 50 to 55. Body robust, the back somewhat elevated anteriorly ; 

 head large, thick, little compressed ; top of head naked ; eye large, nearly 

 5 in head : mouth obIi(iue, low, rather large ; lower jaw projecting; max- 

 illary broad, 2i in head; teeth in broad bands, the canines small, none 

 of the teeth movable; gill rakers long, about x-f-lS developed ; scales on 

 cheek in about 11 rows ; posterior border of preopercle finely serrate, the 

 angle and lower border with larger teeth, some of them turned forward ; 

 maxillary slipping anteriorly under the edge of the i^reorbital, which is 

 as broad as the eye; dorsal spines rather strong, the middle ones rather 

 higher than the posterior, which are lower than the soft rays; highest 

 dorsal spine 2 in head ; none of the spines filamentous, but provided 

 with short, lateral dermal flaps ; pectorals very long, li in head ; ven- 

 trals scarcely shorter; anal spines graduated; caudal slightly doable 



*Dr. Ilolbrook has maintained that the northern form of this fish {xtrii(tiis = furnai = nupicans) 

 is distinct from the southern alrarius. The northern form (Mrialtis) is said to have the air bladder 

 simple and the pectoral fin as long as the ventrals. In the southern fish (ulrariun), the air 

 bladder is sacculated and the pectoral longer than the ventral. Wc do not find that these 

 differences exist. 



