FISHES OF NEW YORK 537 



bands rather broader than usual. Dorsal spines rather strong, 

 not filamentous, the middle ones rather higher than the pos- 

 terior, which are considerably lower than the soft rays, the 

 highest spine as long as from snout to middle of eye. Anal short 

 and high, its spines graduated. Pectoral very long, 1^ in head, 

 reaching vent. Ventrals long, nearly reaching vent, inserted 

 below front of the base of pectorals. Caudal slightly double con- 

 cave; fins little scaly except at base; a rudimentary gi'oove at 

 base of spinous dorsal, over which scales do not pass. Length 12 

 inches. D. X, 11; A. Ill, 7; Lat. 1. 50 to 55 pores; caeca 4-7. 



Dusky brown or black, adults often bluish; more or less 

 mottled, with traces of pale longitudinal streaks along the rows 

 of scales; young greenish, often with a dark lateral band, some- 

 times broken up forming crossbars; dorsal fin with several series 

 of elongate, whitish spots, forming interrupted lines; other fins 

 dusky, mottled. 



The sea bass is the Perca varia of Mitchiil, Fish. X. Y. p. 

 415. Common names given by this author are sea basse, black- 

 harry, hanna hills and bluefish. Schoepff (1787) gives the New 

 York name as blackfish; De Kay has it as the black sea bass, 

 also black bass and blackfish. Dr Storer records the Massachu- 

 setts name of black perch. Other common names on the coast 

 are black will (Middle States) and rock bass (New Bedford). 



The sea bass is found from Vineyard sound southward, its 

 southern limit not being accurately determined, but probably not 

 extending below Cape Hatteras. The southern form, which was 

 described by Linnaeus from South Carolina, may be distinct from 

 the northern, and if so it should be designated by the Lin- 

 naean name a t r a r i a . 



The northern form has been found occasionally north of Cape 

 Cod, at Nahant, Salem, and Beverly bar. Dr Smith reported it 

 as very common at Woods Hole in 1898, where it arrives in May 

 and departs from the inshore waters about October 1, being most 

 abundant from July to September. It spawns there in June. The 

 young are first seen about August 1. The maximum weight is 

 6 pounds. In 1900 the sea bass was said to be remarkably scarce 



