144 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 
water, and frequenting lagoons and kelp. It often comes to 
the surface, and, according to report, goes to sleep there. It 
bites readily at the hook, and may be taken with harpoons. 
The meat is very good. 
§ 116, Sun-2ish—The sun-fish ( Orthagoriscus analis) is 
found occasionally south of Point Conception, where it is seen 
floating on the surface, in accordance with the habits of the 
genus everywhere. It weighs from one to a hundred pounds. 
Its form suggests the idea that the body has been cut off near 
the broadest part, and the tail sewed on. 
§ 117. Green-Fish.—The green-fish (Opplomona pantheri- 
na), generally called cod in the San Francisco market, but 
having no relationship to the true cod, is abundant along the 
coast. It grows to be about two feet in length. The meat is 
coarse, and green in color; and the fish has little commercial 
value. 
§ 118. Sea-Bass.—The sea-bass (Johnius nobilis) is a plain, 
oval fish, bluish-gray in color above, silvery below, weighing 
from fifteen to forty pounds. It is closely related to the weak- 
fish of the New York market. The meat is white and deli- 
cate, and always commands a high price in the market. It is 
a surface-fish, and sometimes enters the bays, but is not abun- 
dant anywhere. It is caught from March to November. 
8119. Sheepshead—The Californian sheepshead (Labrus 
pulcher) is a black fish, with a broad, bright-red band sur- 
rounding the body, and weighs from one to twelve pounds. 
It has white, broad, projecting teeth, like those of a sheep. It 
has no relationship to the Atlantic sheepshead, but is a conge- 
ner of the black-fish of the New York market. The meat has 
a very fine flavor when fresh, but loses its delicacy after being 
dead a day or two. It is found south of Point Conception, 
on rocky and kelpy bottoms, from April to October. Its food 
is chiefly shell-fish. 
$120. Simelts—We have four species of fish called smelts 
(Atherinopsis californiensis, Atherinopsis affinis, Osmerus 
prectosus, and Osmerus similis). The Atherinopses are not 
