FISHES OF NEW YORK 539 



t)ass may be taken in a day, and it is difficult to find a locality 

 which is free from them. Their food cnnsi^ts of shrimp, crabs, 

 sea worms, squid, small fishes and all other anima's of suitable 

 :size. The species is sluggish in its habits and resembles the tau- 

 tog in its tendency to hide in rock crevices. The sea bass breeds 

 in the summer months and the young grow rapidly. The eggs 

 have been hatched artificially, and when it becomes desirable the 

 fry can be produced in vast quantities. The eggs are -h inch in 

 diameter and hatch in 5 days in water at the temperature of 

 59° or 60° F. At Woods Hole Mass. they are deposited in June. 

 This is a valuable food fish, reaching a length of 18 inches 

 .:and the weight of 6 pounds. 



Genus dules Ouvier 

 This genus is close to P r i o n o d e s , from which it differs 

 in the possession of but six branchiostegals, and in the truncate 

 form of the caudal fin. In one species the third dqrsal spine 

 is prolonged in a whiplike spine. Three American species. 



265 Dules auriga (Cuv. & A^al.) 

 Coachman 



Dvlrs aiirlga Cuvier & Valenciennes, Mist. Nat. Pqiss. Ill, 112, pi. 51, 

 182a Brazil; De Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 34, pi. 19, fig. 54, 1842. New 

 York harbor, perhaps erroneously so ascribed, but given on the author- 

 ity of Mr Hamilton; Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 266, 18-59; .Jor- 

 dan cVc Gilbert, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 542, 1883; Jordan & Ever- 

 MANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1220, 1896. 



Serraiius hrasUiensis Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 533, 1886. 



Serranvs ffaviventris .Jordan & Eigenmann, Bull. U. S. F. C.YTII, 406, 1890. 



Body rather deep and compressed, its depth contained two 

 and four fifths times in total length without caudal, and equal 

 to the length of the head; anterior profile steep and nearly 

 straight; mouth rather small, the lower jaw projecting; pre- 

 orbital rather narrow, as broad as pupil; eye two sevenths as 

 long as the head; snout one fourth length of head; top of head 

 naked; the frontal area large and well defined, broader than 

 long; occipital crest low and short, shorter than the frontal 

 area; teeth small, with no marked canines; length of maxillary 

 "five twelfths length of head; gill rakers short and slender, nine 



