222 Bass, Pike, and Perch 



It was first described by Bloch and Schneider, in 

 1 80 1, from the vicinity of New York. They 

 named it saxatilis, meaning " living among rocks," 

 which by the way it does not do, as it prefers 

 hard, sandy shoals. Its range extends along the 

 Atlantic coast south of Buzzards Bay, occasionally 

 straying to the Gulf of Mexico. It is most 

 abundant, however, between Montauk Point and 

 Cape Hatteras. 



It has a long, rather round body, not much 

 compressed, its depth being nearly a fourth of its 

 length. The head is long, with a blunt snout 

 projecting beyond the mouth, which is small, 

 with tough, leathery lips, and with a single barbel 

 on the chin. Both jaws have bands of small, 

 brushlike teeth, the outer ones in the upper jaw 

 somewhat longer. The upper angle of the caudal 

 fin is sharp, the lower angle rounded. 



Its color is gray with steely lustre on the back, 

 fading gradually to the belly, which is bluish 

 white. There are several dark, oblique bands, 

 running from the back downward and forward, 

 and one extending from the nape downward, form- 

 ing a broad " V " with the one next to it ; along 

 the border of the belly is a horizontal dark streak 

 running from the middle of the body to the tail. 



