THE SEA-BASS 



FISH families often include members of 

 strikingly diverse appearance. The sea- 

 bass is a near relative of the striped bass, 

 and yet it resembles the groupers more 

 strongly and would not at once be associated with 

 the striped bass, the white bass, the yellow bass, 

 and the white perch. Its back-fins are scarcely 

 notched; the tail-fin is three-lobed or double con- 

 cave; the anal fin has few soft rays; the belly-fins 

 begin in advance of the breast-fins ; and the colora- 

 tion is very diflTerent from that of the striped-bass 

 tribe. 



Description 



The sea-bass has a stout, ovate body with the 

 back somewhat elevated. The depth is one third 

 of the length without the tail-fin and nearly equals 

 the length of the head. The mouth is rather large 

 and very oblique; the upper jaw extends beyond 

 the level of the front of the eye; the lower jav/ 

 projects forward beyond the upper. The eye is 



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