FISHES. 223 



or grayish on back and sides, and reddish below, and in those inhabiting rather deep 

 water the red suffuses the whole body ; the soft dorsal, anal, and caudal are blackish 

 tinged with vinous ; the anal fin is rounded at its middle. It is said to be " an excel- 

 lent food-fish, generally thought to be superior in flavor to the red-snapper." Occa^ 

 sionally it ascends on the coast as far as New Jersey. 



A singular representative of this family occurs in the Pacific. It is the Iliplopag- 

 rus guentheri, and its interests lie in the fact that its anterior nostrils are at the edge 

 of the snout, and the palatine bones are toothless, but several molar teeth exist on the 

 head of the vomer. Yet in most other respects it resembles quite closely the gray- 

 snappers. It is a very good food-fish. 



A family with numerous and striking species, the SEEEANiDiE, now comes up for 

 notice. These have the body compressed and generally oblong ; the scales are mod- 

 erate and mostly ctenoid; the head is conic, and the lower jaw projects more or less; 

 teeth are on the palate as well as jaws, usually in large numbers, and in most species 

 are interspersed large or canine teeth ; the dorsal fin, as a rule, is entire and composed 

 of an anterior spinous and a posterior soft portion ; the spines are pungent and nine to 

 twelve in number ; the anal fin is short and armed with three spines. A few only of 

 the numerous species, of which there are nearly 300, can be noticed. 



The name-giving genus of the family (Serranus) is composed of comparatively 

 few species, two of which are common and celebrated Mediterranean fishes, and others 

 are confined to tropical waters. The two Mediterranean species are /S. cabrilla and 

 S. scriha. 



Very nearly related to Serranus is Centropristis, containing several species found 

 along the eastern American coast. These all have the tail trifurcate, the middle rays 

 being about as much produced as the external. 



The common sea-bass of the north, Centropristis furvus, is the best known 

 species of the genus. It is also known as the black-fish. The body is of a dusky 

 brown and blackish, more or less mottled with pale spots arranged in longitudinal 

 sti'ipes along the rows of scales. The body is robust and the fins large, the dorsal 

 spines being simple and rigid. It is one of the most common fishes of northern 

 waters and is especially found on banks in company with the porgee. It is, howe^■er, 

 by no means confined to such places, but invades the estuaries and approaches the 

 shores, seeking shelter and protection under loose stones and in cavities among the 

 rocks. At the approach of cold weather it retires into water of greater depth and is 

 supposed to remain there in a torpid or quiescent state till the increasing warmth 

 develops its generative functions and desire for more food. It puts in its appearance 

 in numbers along the Massachusetts coast some time in May, although stragglers may 

 be caught still earlier. It is generally believed that its feeding time near shore " is dur- 

 ing the lull of the waters between the turn of the tides, when they are easily taken 

 by the angler." It is quite a voracious fish and not shy in taking the baited hook. 



A very near relation of the northern sea^bass (^Centropristis atrarius) replaces it 

 along the southern coast. 



The rock black-fish of the South, Centropristis philadelphicus is a much more slender 

 fish than its congeners and gayer in color. The back is. grayish, tinged with purple 

 reflections, and the sides are crossed by six dusky gray bars, which are continued over 

 the back ; the head is brown, relieved by blue stripes on the sides, especially in front 

 -of the eyes, and the dorsal fin is tinted with olive, and blotched by a conspicuous 

 irregular black spot near the middle ; the dorsal spines are elongated, and filamentous 



