Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North. America. \ \ !M) 



spots about opercle and above axil; dorsal with a series of jet-black spots along 

 its base; caudal with the middle rays black at their tips, tho outer pale; jet- 

 black spots on middle rays. OCYURUS, 1588. 



TniLonriu's (rpci?, three; Ao/86?, lobe; ovpa, tail): 



on. Dorsal spines, or Pome of them, tipped with fleshy filaments, which project considerably 

 beyond the tip of tho spine; longest dorsal spino about half length of head; caudal 

 lobes more or less produced. 



c. Body rather elongate, little compressed, the anterior profile nearly straight; eye large, 

 as long as snout, about 4 in head; month large, the lower jaw projecting; 10 rows 

 of scales on cheek; dorsal spines slender, graduated rapidly to tho third or fourth, 

 thence decreasing to the last; fourth dorsal spine 2 in head; color olive gray; 

 sides with about 7 broad, diffuse, brown bars extending from back obliquely for- 

 ward to level of pectorals; a largo black spot on membrane of last dorsal spines; 

 dorsal filaments scarlet; caudal with irregular cross rows of round brownish spots; 

 other fins similarly marked. Sexes little different. PHILADELPHICUS, 1589. 



Subgenus CENTROPRISTES. 

 1586. CENTROPRISTES RUFUS, Cuvier & Valenciennes. 



This species resembles very closely Centropristes striatus in all respects, the 

 only difference that we can detect being that the caudal fin is quite regu- 

 larly rounded instead of trilobate. Fourth dorsal spine longest, 2 in 

 head. Scales 5-50-13. Eye 4 in head. Pectorals extending beyond 

 ventrals, li in head. Color uniform dark in alcohol. Known only 

 from the original types, two specimens in fair condition, from Martin- 

 ique, in the museum at Paris. The species is a doubtful one and its 

 characters need verification, (rufus, reddish.) 



Cenlropristes rufus, OUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., in, 47, 1829, Martinique. (Coll. 

 Plee.) 



1587. CENTROPRISTES STRIATUS* (Linnseus). 

 (BLACK SEA BASS; BLACKFISH; TALLY- WAG ; HANNAHILL; BLACK WILL; BLACK HARRY.) 



Head 2| ; depth 2 to 3. D. X, 11 ; A. Ill, 7 ; scales 5-55 to 60-16 to 20, 

 pores 50 to 55. Body robust, the back somewhat elevated anteriorly ; 

 head large, thick, little compressed ; top of head naked ; eye large, nearly 

 5 in head: mouth oblique, low, rather large; lower jaw projecting; max- 

 illary broad, 2 in head; teeth in broad bands, the canines small, none 

 of the teeth movable; gill rakers long, about x-f-18 developed ; scales on 

 cheek in about 11 rows ; posterior border of preopercle finely serrate, the 

 angle and lower border with larger teeth, some of them turned forward ; 

 maxillary slipping anteriorly under the edge of the preorbital, which is 

 as broad as the eye ; dorsal spines rather strong, the middle ones rather 

 higher than the posterior, which are lower than the soft rays ; highest 

 dorsal spine 2 in head; none of the spines filamentous, but provided 

 with short, lateral dermal flaps ; pectorals very long, li in head ; ven- 

 trals scarcely shorter ; anal spines graduated ; caudal slightly double 



*Dr. Holbrook has maintained that the northern form of this fish (striaii<*fun-ns 

 is distinct from the southern atrariw. The northern form (slriatm) is said to have the air bladder 

 simple and the pectoral fin as long as the ventrals. In tho southern fish (alrariw), the air 

 bladder is sacculated and the pectoral longer than the ventral. We do not find that these 

 differences exist. 



