SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 



281 



Spawning occurs in spring, off the North Carohna coast, probably in May. 

 The eggs, which float at the surface, are .04 inch in diameter, and hatch in 5 days 

 in water of 59° or 60°F. The male during the spawning season develops a promi- 

 nent hump on the nape and assumes a beautiful bright blue color. The young, 

 which are common around the shores, have a broad black longitudinal stripe on 

 the side. Fish 4 to 5 inches long are abundant in Beaufort Harbor in summer. 



The catch of sea bass in this state during 3 years was as follows: 1889 — 

 28,900 pounds, $939; 1897—189,225 pounds, $5,564; 1902—57,250 pounds, 

 $1,929. The bulk of the product comes from Carteret and New Hanover coun- 

 ties. 



246. CENTROPRISTES PHILADELPHICUS (Linngeus.) 

 Rock Sea Bass. 



Perca philadeiphica linnseus, Systema Naturae, ed. x, 291, 1758; America. 



Perca trifurca Linnteus, Systema Naturae, ed. xii, 489, 1766; Carolina. 



Lutjanus tridens Lacepede, Histoire Naturelle des Pois.son.s, iv, 246, 1802; Carolina. 



Serranus philadelphicus, Jenkin.s, 1887, 89; Beaufort. 



Centroprisles philadelphicus, Jordan & Evennann, 1890, 1201, ]j1. cxci, fig. ,001. 



Fig. 124. Rock Se.\ Bass. Centropristes phikulelphiciis. 



Diagnosis. — Form rather elongate, depth contained 3.33 to 3.66 times in total length; 

 head contained 2.75 times in length; maxillary extending to posterior edge of pupil; teeth in 

 bands on jaws, some of them enlarged, a patch of teeth on vomer and on palatines; eye con- 

 tained 4.75 tunes in head; preopercular margin serrate, the teeth enlarged on and below angle; 

 subopercle and interopercle finely serrate; gill-rakers .5 length of eye, 10 below angle of first 

 arch; scales strongly ctenoid, those in lateral series 50 to 55, in transverse series 20; scales on 

 opercle of same size as those on body, in 8 or 9 rows; scales on cheeks smaller, in 9 to 11 rows; 

 dorsal rays x,ll, the spines with long hair-like processes, third and fourth spines longest and 

 .5 length of head; anal rays iii,7; upper, middle and lower. caudal rays elongated; pectoral long 

 and broad, contained 1.3 times in length of head. Color: greeniL-h above, white below; 6 or 7 

 broad brown bars on back and sides; upper part of head and snout with many brownish red 

 spots and lines; upper lip reddish, tip of lower jaw purple; spinous dorsal translucent, with 

 white and dusky streaks, a large black blotch on membranes between last spines, a few dark 

 spots on spines; filaments on dorsal spines scarlet; soft dorsal with bluish white and reddish 

 spots; caudal translucent, spotted like soft dorsal, with brownish red margin; anal wliite, with 

 yellow streak and terminal black bar; ventrals whitish or blackish; pectorals plain. (Named 

 after the city of Philadelphia, for no obvious leason.) 



