THE SEA-BASS 



Family XLVllL Serranidce 



BODY oblong, more or less compressed, covered with adherent 

 scales of moderate or small size, which are usually but not always 

 ctenoid; premaxillaries protractile; teeth all conical or pointed, in 

 bands, present on jaws, vomer, and palatines; pseudobranchiae large; 

 gill-membranes separate, free from the isthmus; cheeks and opercles 

 always scaly; preopercle usually serrate; opercle usually ending in i 

 or 2 flat spines; nostrils double; lateral line single, not extending on 

 the caudal fin ; air-bladder present, usually small and adherent to the 

 walls of the abdomen. 



This is one of the largest as well as one of the most important 

 families of fishes. It contains about 75 genera and over 400 species, 

 all carnivorous fishes, mostly marine, and found in all warm and tem- 

 perate seas. Several genera are found in fresh water. In our waters 

 are found 29 genera and about 100 species, nearly all of which are more 

 or less valued as food. Only a few, however, are sufficiently abundant 

 or of sufficient size to justify detailed descriptions in this work. 



a. Dorsal fins 2, sometimes slightly joined. 



b. Dorsal fins well separated, the spines rather weak; anal III, 12, the 



spines graduated; lower jaw projecting; base of tongue with 

 teeth Roccus, 972 



bb. Dorsal fins joined, the spines strong; anal III, 9, the spines not 

 graduated; jaws subequal; no teeth on base of tongue. 



Morone, 376 



aa. Dorsal fin single, sometimes deeply divided. 



c. Maxillary with a distinct supplemental bone. 



d. Inner teeth of jaws not depressible or hinged. 



e. Soft dorsal longer than spinous part; vertebrae 10+14 = 24. 



/. Dorsal spines 9 ; caudal lunate Lwpropoma. 



ff. Dorsal spines 6; caudal truncate Chorististium. 



ee. Soft dorsal shorter than spinous part; vertebrae 2 5 to 36. 

 g. Head not armed with spinigerous ridges; dorsal fin deeply notched. 



Stereolepis, 377 

 gg. Head armed with rough spinigerous crests; dorsal tin low and 



continuous Polyprion. 



dd. Inner teeth of jaws depressible or hinged. 



h. Pectoral unsymmetrical, its upper rays longest. .Gonioplectrus. 



hh. Pectoral symmetrical, rounded, its middle rays longest. 



370 



