530 NKW YORK STATE MUSEXiM 



supraoccipital connecting the parietal crests; posterior processes 

 of premaxillaries not reaching frontals. The characteristic 

 smooth area on toj. of cranium yerj short and small. Dorsal 

 short, its rays X, 11; anal rays III, 7; caudal usuallT 

 three lobed or double concave; the canines very weak and the 

 top of the head naked. The ventrals as in P r i o n o d e s , close 

 together and inserted in advance of axil of pectoral; pectoral 

 with 19 rays, its upper half truncate behind. The three -specie* 

 of Centro])ristes are closely related. 



204 Centropristes striatus (Linnaeus) 



Sea Bass; Blackfish 



Labriis striatus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. ed. X, 285, 1758, America. 



Perca atraria Linnaeus. Syst. Nat. ed. XII, 485, 1766, Carolina. 



Perm rnria Mitchilu. Rep. Fish. N. Y. 11. 1814; Trans. Lit. i^- V\\\\. Soc- 



N. Y. I, 415, pi. 3, fig. 6, 1815, New York. 

 Centropristes nigricans Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist." Nat. Poiss. Ill, 37,. 



pi. 44, 3829, New York; De Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 24. pi. 2, fig. 6 



1842; Bean, 10th Kep. Comm. Fish. N. Y. 266, pi. XVII, fig. 21, 1890. 

 Centropristes atrarius Guntheb, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 86, 1859; Goode fe 



Bean, Bull. Essex lust. XI, 19, 1879. 

 Serraniis atrarius Jordan & Gilbert, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 533, 1883. 

 Serrauu-'i nir/rcsrens Jordan & Gilbert, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 917. 1883. 

 Centropristes striatus Jordan & Eigenmann, Bull. U. S. F. C. Till, 391^ 



pi. 64. 1890; Jordan & Evermann, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1199, 189f., 



pi. GXC, fig. 500, 1900; Bean, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 366, 1897; 



H. M. Smith, Bull. U. S. F. C. 1897. 100, 1898; Bean, 52d Ann. Rep. 



X. V. State Mus. 105, 190O; Suerwood & Edwards, Bull. U. S^ F. C. 



T.MM, 28, 3901. 



Body ovate, robust, the back somewhat elevated; axis of 

 body brlnw III.- middle of the depth. The length of the body is 

 three times its de]ili iiud two and three fourths times the length 

 of IIk- luiid. Head large, thick, little compressed, somewhat 

 poinicil; io|) nf hcjid naked; cheeks and opercles scaly; scales on 

 <li<-.ks ill :il>oii| n rows. Mouth oblique, low, rather large, the 

 prema.xillaiy below the lovel of the eye; lower jaw prominent; 

 maxillary broad, its upper edge anteriorly slipping under the 

 ''K'' "f 111.' i.reorbital. wlii.li is nearly as wide as the 

 eye. !-:ye l:iri<', wider than iuterorbital space, less than 

 '"""" 'i '" 'i':"! '''ill rakers long, about 18 below the angle. 

 C'anine.s veiy sni.ill. scarcely differentiated. Teeth all fixed, the 



