86. SERRANIDiE — ROCCUS. 529 



conical, scaly above and on sides. IMoutli rather large, nearly horizon- 

 tal ; the jaws equal, or the lower projecting. Premaxillaries protrac- 

 tile; maxillaries large, without supplemental bone, only the edge of the 

 anterior jiart slipping under the preorbital. Teeth all villiform, in 

 bands, on jaws, vomer, palatines, and tong^ie. Eye large, orbital ridge 

 a little elevated. Preopercle serrate behind and below; the teeth of 

 its lower margin sometimes enlarged. Opercle with two tlat spines. 

 Preorbital narrow. Psendobranchiiio large. Scales large. Breast 

 scaly. Dorsal fins separate or connected at base, the anterior with 9 

 strong spines. Anal spines well developed. Caudal fin lunate. Pec- 

 torals small. Species about 6, in America and Europe, inhabiting both 

 fresh and salt waters. (Name derived from the vernacular " Eockfish.") 



a. Serra? on lower edge of preopercle small, not directed forw.ards. 



i. Teeth on base of tongue; anal spines graduated ; lower jaw projecting; scales 

 on cheeks almost cycloid ; dorsal fins separate, 

 c. Teeth on base of tongue in two patches ; body elongate, little compressed. 

 (Boccus Mitchill.) 



§30. R. lineatus (Bloch) Gill.— ■S'^rfjxjf? Bass; Bock-fish; BocJc. 



Olivaceous- silvery; sides and below silvery white or brassy; sides 

 marked with 7 or 8 longitudinal dark bands, one of which runs along 

 the lateral line; the stripes usually continuous. Body elongate, little 

 elevated; the young slender; axis of body about in the middle of the 

 depth of the body. Mouth hirge, oblique; the large maxillary reaching 

 to below the middle of orbit. Eye about half length of snout. Pec- 

 toral short, 1| in head. Spines slenderer than in the other species; the 

 second anal spine ^ length of head. Head 3 J in length; depth oi. D. 

 IX-I, 12; A. Ill, 11; Lat. 1. 65. L. 3-4 feet. Atlantic coast; entering 

 rivers ; one of the largest and finest of our game fishes. 



(Sciwna Vmeata Blocli. Ichth. ix, 53 : Boccus Uncatus Gill. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 

 1H60, 64 : Labrax Uneatus Holbrook, Ich. S. C. 1860,24 : Labrax Uncatm Giiuther, i, 64.) 



cc. Teeth on base of tongue in a single patch ; body oblong, compressed. {Lcpihema* 

 Kaf. ) 



831. R. chrysops (Raf.) GiW.— White Bass. 



Silvery, tinged with golden below the lateral line and with reddish 

 above; sides with blackish or dusky longitudinal lines, 4 or 5 above 

 the lateral line, one through which the lateral line runs, and a variable 

 number of more or less distinct ones below it, the latter sometimes 

 more or less interrupted or transposed. Dorsal outline much curved ; 



*Rafine8que, Ich. Oh. 1820, 23: type Perca chrysops. {Xenti, scale; ftrjtia, stair; 

 from " the scaly bases of the fins.") 



Bull. Kat. Mus. No. IG 34 



