304 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



abdominal region silvery. Dorsals and anals tinted with dusky, 

 spotted with brownish-dusky on rayed dorsal. On membrane 

 between each dorsal spine an oblique dusky line from base of each 

 preceding spine to distal end of each succeeding. About 6 vertical 

 cross-bars on caudal. Base of anal tinted with dusky. Pectoral 

 and ventral tinted with pale greenish. About 9 pale or indistinct 

 brownish saddles along middle of back, and each also reflected 

 more or less on dark lateral band. Wading River at Speedwell, 

 April 30th, 1904. Several were taken in the dense sphagnum 

 beds and did not appear especially active. 



This little fish is found commonly in the lowlands. 



Boleosoma fiisiforme Baird, 9th An. Rep. Smiths. Inst., 1854, 

 p. 328. 



Hololepis fusiforme Abbott, Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 808. 



Poecilichthys fusiforme Abbott, Nat. Rambles, 1885, p. 477. 



Boleichthys fusiforme Bean, Bull. U. S. F. Com., VII, 1887, 

 p. 144. 



Hololepis erochrous Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1864, 

 p. 233. — Abbott, Am. Nat., IV, 1870, p. 718. 



Poecilichthys coemieus Abbott, Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 808, evi- 

 dently lapses for erochrous. 



Poecilichthys erochrous Cope, 1. c, 1883, p. 132. — Abbott, Nat. 

 Rambles, 1885, p. 477. 



Microperca pumtulata Abbott, Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 808, evi- 

 dently young. 



Family SERRANID^. 

 The Sea Bass. 



Body oblong, more or less compressed. Caudal peduncle stout. 

 Dorsal and ventral outlines usually not perfectly corresponding. 

 Mouth moderate, or large, not very oblique. Premaxillaries pro- 

 tractile, and broad maxillary usually not slipping for its whole 

 length into a sheath formed by preorbital, which is usually nar- 

 row. Supplemental maxillary present or absent. Teeth all coni- 

 cal or pointed, in bands, present on jaws, vomer and palatines. 

 Nostrils double. Preopercle with its margin more or less serrate, 



