The Striped Bass 



GENUS ROCCUS {MITCHILL 



The Striped Bass 



Body rather elongate; scales smooth; spines slender; base of 

 tongue with I or 2 patches of teeth; anal spines graduated; dorsal fins 

 entirely separate; anal rays III, n or 12; lower jaw projecting. Only 

 2 species, both American and both valued food-fishes. 



a. Teeth on base of tongue in a single patch; body rather deep and 

 compressed, the depth more than | the length; back arched. 



chrysops, 372 



aa. Teeth on base of tongue in 2 parallel patches; body rather slender, 

 the depth less than ^ the length; back not arched. 



lineatus, 373 



White Bass; White Lake Bass 



Roccus chrysops (Rafinesque) 



The white bass is found throughout the Great Lakes region from 

 the St. Lawrence to Manitoba, and south in the Mississippi Valley to 

 the Ouachita River in Arkansas. It is generally abundant in the Great 

 Lakes, rare in the Mississippi basin, and not found at all east of the 

 Alleghenies. It does not occur in salt water, but frequents the d ^p, 

 still waters of the lakes, seldom ascending small streams. It reaches 

 a length of a foot to 18 inches and a weight of i to 2 pounds. 

 It is a good food-fish and ranks well as a game-fish. It readily takes 

 the hook when baited with grub, angleworm, or small minnow, 



372 



