oea-bass 



From the common sea-bass this species may be readily distin- 

 guished by the much shorter and wider-set gill-rakers, and the colour, 

 which is a pale olive, somewhat darker on the back; side with 3 lon- 

 gitudinal rows of quadrate black blotches, the upper series obscurt 

 along base of caudal, the second distinct and placed just below lateral 

 line, the 3 anterior blotches of the series somewhat confluent; the 

 lower series very distinct jet-black and not confluent, pl?ced alongside 

 of belly; caudal fin with middle rays black, the outer pale, all with 

 darker spots. 



C. philadelphicus, the rock sea-bass, is found on rocky shores of 

 South Carolina, in rather deep water. It is rather common about 

 Charleston, but has not been seen elsewhere. It reaches 8 or 10 inches 

 in length, and may be known by the fleshy filaments on the dorsal 

 spines. 



Another species, C. rufus, has been described from Martinique, 

 but it is of doubtful validity. 



The genus Diplectrum is close to Prionodes, from which it differs 

 chiefly in the armature of the preopercle, which is provided in the adult 

 with i or 2 clusters of strong, straight, divergent spines; smooth area 

 on top of head large; profile of snout rounded; pectoral unsymmetri- 

 cally rounded, its upper rays longest; ventrals inserted somewhat 

 before axil of pectoral; dorsal spines slender, none of them much ele- 

 vated; soft dorsal short, the rays X, 12; anal III, 7; caudal lunate. 



Several species, all American, and all small, brightly coloured 

 fishes, none of much food-value. 



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