270 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



237. HYPOCLYDONIA BELLA Goode & Bean. 



Hypodydonia bdla Goode & Bean, Oceanic Ichthyology, 236, fig. 237, 1895; off Cape Fear and other parts of . 

 North Carolina coast, off South Carolina, etc. Jordan & Evennann, 1896 , 1115, pi. clxxix, fig. 475. 



Diagnosis. — ^Depth contained 3.66 times in length; head .33 length; eye large, .28 length 

 of head and .5 longer than snout; mouth large, maxillary reaching a point under middle of 

 pupU; miaute teeth in bands or patches on jaws, vomer, and palatines, with a few enlarged 

 canines on upper and lower jaws; scales in lateral series 29, in transverse series 2 + 7; dorsal 

 raysix + 1,9; anal rays ii, 7; caudal long and forked; pectorals and ventrals equal, about .6 

 head. Color: plain; head purplish brown above; a dark triangular blotch at apex of spinous 

 dorsal, (pella, beautiful.) 



Known from specimens collected by the steamer Albatross off the coast of 

 Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina, in depths of 90 to 259 fathoms, 

 and from a single example collected by the steamer Fish-Hawk off Cape Lookout 

 on August 27, 1902. The length of the species is under 4 inches. 



Family SERRANID^E. The Sea Basses, Striped Basses, Groupers, etc. 



A large and important family of carnivorous marine and fresh-water fishes, 

 with numerous representatives in American waters, including some of our most 

 valuable food-fishes, such as the striped bass, white perch, and sea bass. The 

 leading characters of the family are oblong, compressed body covered with per- 

 sistent scales (usually ctenoid) ; large or moderate mouth with protractile pre- 

 maxillary; supplemental maxillary bone either present or absent; pointed teeth, 

 in bands on jaws, vomerine, and palatines; long or short gill-rakers; 4 gills; large 

 pseudobranchiae; gill-membranes not connected, and not united to isthmus; 

 6 or 7 branchisotegals; single lateral line, not reaching caudal fin; scaly cheeks 

 and opercles; preopercular margin usually serrate; one or two flat points on 

 posterior margin of opercle; skull without spines; dorsal fin single or double, with 

 stiff spines 2 to 15 in number, and 10 to 30 soft rays; short anal fin, with 3 spines 

 (if any) and 7 to 12 soft rays; air bladder present; stomach with few or numerous 

 pyloric appendages; intestine short. The North Carolina serranids number 10 

 and belong in 7 genera. 



Key to the North Carolina genera of Serranidce, 

 i. Dorsal fins 2. 



a. Dorsal fins not connected; anal rays in,ll or iii,12 Roccus. 



aa. Dorsal fins connected; anal rays iii,8 or in,9 Morone. 



ii. Dorsal fin single, more or less divided. 

 6. Maxillary with supplemental bone. 



c. Anal rays iii,7 to iii,9; head narrow above; parietal crests not continued forward 



on the frontal boites Epinephelus 



cc. Anal rays iii, 11 or iii,12; head rather broad above; parietal crests continued for- 

 ward to middle of orbits ■ Mycteropekca. 



bb. Maxillary without supplemental bone. 



d. Caudal fin rounded or ending in 3 points, with middle rays produced; some of the 



dorsal spines with fleshy filaments Centropristes. 



dd. Caudal fin forked, concave, or square; dorsal spines without fleshy tips. 



e. Branchiostegals 7; caudal fin deeply concave Diplectrum. 



ee. Branchiostegals 6; caudal fin truncate Dtjles. 



Genus ROCCUS Mitchill. Striped Basses or Rock-fishes. 



American anadromous and fresh-water fishes, with elongate or moderate 

 body, projecting lower jaw, patches of teeth on base of tongue, unconnnected 



