FISHES OF PENNSYLVANIA. 131 


Famity SERRANID~. 
Genus ROCCUS Mircuitt. 
149. Roccus lineatus Buocn. 
The Striped Bass. (igure 14.) 
The genus Roccus, to which the striped bass belongs, has two patches of small 
teeth on the base of the tongue, the anal spines increasing regularly in size back- 
ward, the lower jaw much longer than the upper, the scales on the cheeks nearly 
smooth along their margin and the dorsal fins separated by a narrow interspace. 
The body is moderately elongate and rather stout; the caudal peduncle is slender. 
The greatest depth of the body is two-sevenths of the total length without caudal 
and equals length of head. Eye small, one-half as long as the snout and one-sixth 
to one-eighth the length of the head. The eyes are placed near the top of the head ; 
the maxilla reaches to below the middle of the eye. The anal spines are slender, the 
third longest, about one-fifth length of head. The fourth and fifth dorsal spines are 
longest, about two-fifths length of head. Pectoral a little longer than ventral, one- 
half length of head. 
DPX h, Wi to las Aci 1Otomik Seales’ 7,65;, 19: 
Sides greenish above, silvery below, sometimes with a brassy lustre and marked 
by seven or eight longitudinal streaks none of which are half as wide as the eye, one 
ofthem passing along the lateral line; the lowermost stripe is somewhat below the 
middle of the depth. 
In the southern United States from New Jersey to Florida the striped 
bass is known as the rock or rockfish. In the northern states the name 
striped bass is more generally used than the other, especially along the 
coast. In the Delaware, Susquehanna and Potomac rivers it is called 
rockfish. Green head and squid hound are names applied to large 
individuals found in the sea in New England waters. One of the old 
names of the fish is streaked bass. 
The range of the striped bass or rockfish includes the entire Atlantic 
coast from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico, the fish enter- 
ing rivers and ascending them long distances. In the Alabama river 
this fish is known to be taken every year and some large individuals 
have been obtained from that stream. It has been captured also in the 
lower Mississippi. It is very abundant in the great bays and sounds 
from North Carolina to Cape Cod. In Albemarle sound many large 
individuals are said to occur. In the St. John’s river, Forida, according 
to Dr. Goode, the fish is rather rare. In the vicinity of Pensacola the 
late Silas Stearns occasionally obtained a specimen of the fish. 
The striped bass has been introduced into California and has now 
become fairly acclimated there. In the Delaware and Susquehanna 
rivers this is one of the common fishes and it is one of the most highly 
esteemed. 
This fish lives in the sea or in brackish or fresh water indifferently 
and it has been successfully kept in artificial ponds. In cold northern 
waters it becomes ice bound occasionally and is said to hibernate. It 
prefers cold water, is carnivorous and predaceous, feeding upon small 
