SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 



335 



Diagnosis. — ^Body short and deep, the depth contained 1 to 1.5 times in length, depend- 

 ing on age; head contained 3 to 3.5 times in length, the anterior profile very steep; mouth small, 

 maxillary extending barely as far as anterior margin of eye; snout .4 length of head; eye .3 

 length of head; scales in lateral series about 60; cheeks and opercles densely scaled; lateral 

 line arched like back, straight on the short caudal peduncle; vertical fins high and falcate; 

 dorsal rays viii+ i,20, the third spine more than .5 length of head; anal rays iii,18, the second 

 spine longest; caudal deeply concave; pectorals less than twice diameter of eye; ventrals much 

 longer than pectorals, with first soft ray produced as a filament; young with vertical fins lower. 

 Color: gray, with 5 dark vertical bands of different widths on head and body, becoming obscure 

 in old specimens; ventrals black, {fqber, a blacksmith.) 



Fig. 150. Spade-pish; Pohgeb. Choetodipterus faber. 



Under the name of "porgee" or "pogy" the North CaroUna fishermen recog- 

 nize this well-marked fish, which is known in South Carolina as angel-fish, and 

 elsewhere as moon-fish and spade-fish. Its range extends from Massachusetts 

 to South America, and it is particularly abundant on the southeastern coast of 

 the United States. 



The fish sometimes reaches a length of 3 feet, but does not average to exceed 

 a foot. It frequents rocky patches, wrecks, and piling in search of food, which 

 consists of small crustaceans, worms, etc. It is found on the North Carolina 

 coast only in summer, leaving as soon as the weather becomes cool. At Beau- 

 fort, ripe male and female fish have been found early in June. The eggs are 

 quite small, being less than 1 mm. in diameter. In the latter part of August 

 fish about 3 inches long, the young of the year, may be seined in Beaufort Harbor. 



