306 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



dorsal fin continuous, a notch between the two parts; dorsal spines 11, depressible 

 in a scaly groove; anal similar to soft dorsal; caudal forked, pectorals small; 

 ventrals posterior to pectorals. Five species are American. {Kyphosus, humped.) 



267. KYPHOBUS SEOTATRIX (Linnseus). 

 Rudder-fish; Ohub. 



Perca aectatrix LirmaeuB, Systema Natural, ed. x, 293, 1758; Carolina. 

 Pimelepterua boaci, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 379; Beaufort, 



Kyphosibs sectatrix, Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 00; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 

 1387, pi. coxix, fig. 559. Linton, 1905, 383; Beaufort. 



Diagnosis. — ^Body ovate, much compressed, depth slightly less than half length; length 

 of head contained 3.75 times in length of body; mouth quite small, maxillary barely extending 

 to eye; snout .25 head; eye equal to snout; interorbital area swoUen; preopercle with weak 

 serrations; gill-rakers long, about 16 on long arm of first arch; scales in lateral series 55, in 

 transverse series 10+16; dorsal rays xi,12, the longest spine .2 depth of body; anal rays in,!!, 

 second spine longest; soft dorsal and anal very low; lower caudal lobe longer. Color: bluish 

 gray, edges of scales on back and sides brassy, this color forming faint longitudinal streaks; a 

 pale stripe below eye, with a yellow one above and below; ventrals and anal fins blackish; fins 

 otherwise grayish, {secixttrix, a follower.) 



The rudder-fish is abundant in the West Indies, the Bermudas, and at Key 

 West, but is not common on our east coast and in Massachusetts occurs only as a 

 rare straggler. It is found occasionally in Beaufort Harbor, and is doubtless 

 uncommon outside. During 1906, 6 specimens were seined in the harbor, at 

 Bird Shoal and Town Marsh. On October 26, 1903, a Beaufort fisherman 

 caught one near Cape Lookout which was 14.5 inches long and weighed 1.75 

 pounds. 



The rudder-fish, named from its habit of following vessels, has very marked 

 game qualities, and is an excellent food fish. Considerable numbers are caught 

 at Key West, and in the Bermudas it is one of the leading economic species. 

 The maximum length is 18 inches. Four specimens examined at Beaufort by 

 Prof. Edwin Linton in August, 1902, contained crabs, small bivalve shells, 

 vegetable debris, and sand. 



Family SCLffiNID^. The Drums, Croakers, etc. 



The drums are a numerous and important family found in temperate and 

 tropical waters in all parts of the world, and well represented in America by 

 many valuable food species. The name drum is strictly applicable only to 

 certain members which have the power of producing a loud drumming or croaking 

 sound, and only a few of these bear popular names which relate to this function^ 

 The manner in which the drumming sound is made has been the subject of much 

 speculation, and is still not generally appreciated. From a recent discussion* 

 of this subject by the present writer, the following observations are extracted: 



It is rather remarkable that so common a function as the drumming of fishes should have 

 remained so long misunderstood; that so much speculation should have been indulged in 



* The drumming of the drum-fishes (Sciffinidte). Science, New York, Sept, 22, 1905, pp. 376-378. 



