CHAPTER XL 



THE SEA BASS. Centropristis atrarius Linn. 



The sea bass, a coast fish that never exceeds three pounds, is rarely 

 caught nowadays except in the ocean. It used to frequent the es- 

 tuaries and bays about New York, but now is seldom seen there,* 

 and when they are taken are very small, averaging about half a 

 pound. 



The sea bass has many different colors scattered over its body. 

 The prevailing tint is blue and black-blue ; the gills are a bright 

 scarlet and the inside of the mouth lined throughout with a brilliant 

 yellow. The deep blue of the dorsal gradually merges into a 

 lighter blue on the ventral region. 



All along the coast these sea bass, like the kingfish, are getting 

 scarcer and scarcer, whether as one of the results of the bluefish at- 

 tacks I do not know. As I have said, they are rarely caught by 

 New York fishermen ; when I have taken them it has been at the 

 end of the summer fishing in the coolish days of October and 

 November. 



The sea bass makes less resistance to capture than any salt water 

 fish I know of. Even the flounder will curl himself up until he be- 

 comes like an umbrella, coming up through the water wrong side up, 

 but the sea bass allows himself to be drawn right along, and when 

 once in the boat dies very quickly. One would expect from his 

 great stretch of fins a stout fighter. The sea bass has a very large 

 mouth and big eye, and a heavy coat of large scales covers his body. 



Although generally small it sometimes reaches the weight of 

 three pounds, and is caught of that size off Montauk Point, Long 



