1198 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



Paralabrax on the California Coast; an excellent food-fish, reaching a 

 weight of nearly five pounds and length of 18 inches. Here described 

 from San Diego specimens, (clathratus, latticed, from the lattice-like 

 markings, from /cA##pov, a bar.) 



Labrax clathratus, GIEARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1854, 143, San Diego. 



Paralabrax clathratus, GIRAKD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 131, 1856; GIRARD, Pac. R. R. Survey, 



34, 1858, pi. xn, fig. 5; GUNTHER, Cat., i, 63, 1859. 

 Atractoperca clathrata, GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1861, 164. 

 Serranus clathratus, STEINDACIINER, Ichth. Beitrage, in, 1, 1875; JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. 



Nat. Mus., 456, 1880; JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 535, 1883; BOULENGER, Cat., i, 279. 

 Paralabrax clathratus, JORDAN & EIGENMANN, I. c., 390, 1890. 



509. CENTROPRISTES, Cuvier. 

 (BLACK SEA BASS.) 



Centropristes, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., in, 36, 1829, (nigricans). 

 Cenfropristis, CUVIER, Regne Animal, Ed. n, 2, 145, 1829 (nigricans). 

 Triloburus, GILL, Cat. Fish. East. Coast U. S., 30, 1861, (name only; trifurca). 



Body robust, somewhat compressed, covered with rather large ctenoid 

 scales. Mouth large, formed as in Serranus and Paralabrax, the canines 

 small. Tongue smooth. Preopercle serrate, the lower teeth somewhat 

 antrorse. Gill rakers rather long and slender. Supraoccipital and parie- 

 tals with strong crests extending forward to between postfrontal pro- 

 cesses; frontals posteriorly with an angular transverse ridge in front of 

 supraoccipital connecting the parietal crests; posterior processes of pre- 

 maxillaries not reaching frontals. The characteristic smooth area on top 

 of cranium very short and small. Dorsal short, its rays X, 11 ; anal rays 

 III, 7; caudal usually 3-lobed or double concave; the canines very weak 

 and the top of the head naked. The ventrals as in Prionodes, close 

 together and inserted in advance of axil of pectoral; pectoral with 19 

 rays, its upper half truncate behind. The three species of Centropristes 

 are closely related, (/cevrpov, spine; TtpioTw, saw.) 



CENTROPRISTES: 

 a. Dorsal spines with dermal flaps, which scarcely project beyond the tip of the spine; longest 



dorsal spine less than half length of head. 

 b. Caudal fin more or less rounded; coloration in alcohol uniform; scales 5-50-13. 



RUFUS, 1586. 



bb. Caudal fin with its angles little produced, the longest ray not exserted for a distance 

 equal to the length of the fin; gill rakers x -f- 18; scales on cheek in more than 

 7 rows; dorsal spines rather strong, the middle ones rather higher than the pos- 

 terior, which are lower than the soft rays; highest dorsal spine 2 in head; none 

 of the spines filamentous; color dusky brown or black, with paler longitudinal 

 streaks; dorsal with oblique light and dark stripes; young with a black longi- 

 tudinal band, many dark cross shades, and a large black spot on last dorsal spines. 

 Sexes notably different, the fin rays longer in the male. STRIATUS, 1587. 



666. Caudal fin with its upper and lower lobes filamentous, much produced, the middle 

 rays still longer, length of longest ray in the adult 2 in body; gill rakers about 

 x + 12; scales on cheek in 7 rows; color grayish, each side with 3 longitudinal 

 rows of quadrate black blotches, the upper series obscure, the second from eye 

 below the lateral line to caudal quite distinct, the third series composed of 

 shorter spots on a level with the lower half of the pectorals; some jet-black 



