1200 Bulletin 4y, Untie ci Slates National Museutn. 



concave, with its angles little produced, the longest ray not exserted for 

 a distance equal to the length of the fin. Color dnsky brown or black, 

 more or less mottled, and with paler longitudinal streaks along the rows 

 of scales ; dorsal with several series of elongate whitish spots forming 

 oblique light stripes; other fins dusky, mottled; young with a black 

 longitudinal band, which later breaks up, forming dark cross shades; a 

 large black spot on last dorsal spines. Sexes notably diff"erent, the fin 

 rays longer in the male, which approaches the male of Centropristcs ocyu- 

 rus. Pyloric cojca 4 to 7. Length 18 inches. Atlantic Coast of United 

 States, Cape Ann to northern Florida ; common northward ; one of the 

 common food-fishes of our Atlantic Coast, reaching a weight of about 3 

 pounds ; its flesh excellent, {striatus, striped.) 



Lahnis striatus, Linn.'EUS, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, 1758, 285, " America," (description very brief, but 



not to be referred to any other fish). 

 Perca atraria, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., Ed. xii, 485, 1766, Carolina. (Coll. Dr. Garden.) 

 Blackfish, Schopf, Schriften der Naturforsch. Freiindc^, Berlin, viii, 164, 17.SS, New York. 

 Perca furva, Walbaum, Artodi Pisciuui, 336, 1792, New York (after Blackfish of ScuiJPF). 

 Gorijphmia mgrescew, Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 297, ISOl, New York. 

 Luljmms trilobns, Lac£pedk, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iv, 246, 1802, locality unknown. 

 Peixavaria, MiTCiiiLl, Report Fishes N. Y., 415, pi. 3, fig. 6, 1815, New York. 

 Ceiilroprisles nigricans, Cuviek & Valenpif.nnes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iii, 37, pi. 44, 1829, New York. 

 Sermnns nigrescens, Jord.^n & Gilbert, Synopsis, 917, 1883. 

 Centropristis alrarius, Gi'NTHER, Cat., I, 86, 1859; Hoi.BRGOK, Ichth. S. Carolina, 42, 1860; Boulen- 



OER, Cat, I, 303. 

 Serrmms airarivs, Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 533, 1883; Jordan & Swain, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 



231, 1884. 

 Serrannsfurintf:, Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 546, 1884. 

 Centropristis striatus, Jordan & Eigenmann, I. c, 391, plate 64, 1890. 



1588. CENTROPRISTES OCTURUS (Jordan & Evermann). 



Head 2|; depth 3. D. X, 11; A. Ill, 7; scales 5 or 6-50-14. Dorsal 

 spines not filamentous, the longest 2^ in head; pectorals l;f in head, 

 reaching a little past tips of ventrals. Scales on cheeks little larger 

 than in C. striatus, in about 7 rows. Serrae of preopercle smaller than in 

 C. striatus. Gill rakers shorter and farther apart than in Centropristes 

 striatus, only 11 or 12 developed. Color pale olive, somewhat darker on 

 the back ; each side with 3 longitudinal rows of quadrate black blotches ; 

 the uppermost series obscure, along base of dorsal fin ; the second dis- 

 tinct, and placed just below lateral line, the three anterior blotches of 

 this series somewhat confluent; the lower series very distinct jet black, 

 and not confluent, placed along side of belly, on the level of the axil 

 of the pectoral. The blotches in each series correspond in position to 

 those in the other series, so that, with dusky shades extending from 

 one to another, they form about 7 dusky cross bands ; some dark inky 

 spots on opercle and above base of pectoral ; opercle and preopercle 

 with dusky shades. Chin Avith some dusky ; spinous dorsal plain ; soft 

 dorsal with fine oblique bars on a pale ground, 2 of the dark blotches 

 on body extending on its base ; last ray with 2 or 3 dark spots. Caudal 

 fin with the middle rays black, the outer pale, all of them with darker 

 spots which become black on the median rays ; anal fin pale, slightly 



