3o6 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



Genus Roccus Mitchill. 



The Striped Bass. 



Roccus lineatus (Bloch).^ 



Plate 48. 



Rock Fish. Rock. Striped Bass. 



Head 3; depth 3%; D. IX-I, 12, i; A. Ill, 11, i; scales 

 56 in lateral line to base of caudal, and 5 more on latter; 

 8 scales between origin of spinous dorsal and lateral, line in a 

 vertical series; 12 scales in a vertical series between origin of 

 spinous anal and lateral line; mandible 2^/10 in head; fourth 

 dorsal spine 2^5 ; first dorsal ray 2; third anal spine 334 ; third 

 anal ray 2^ ; least depth of caudal peduncle y/2 ; upper caudal 

 lobe lYs ; pectoral 2J/2 ; ventral 2^/3 ; snout 4 in head measured 

 from tip of upper jaw; eye 3^^ ; maxillary 2j^ ; interorbital 

 space 4^. Body rather elongate, compressed, and greatest depth 

 at origin of spinous dorsal. Back little arched. Head subconical,. 

 profiles similar. Snout conic. Eye a little elongate, anterior- 

 Mouth large a little oblique, and mandible protruding. Maxil- 

 lary reaching past front rim of pupil or about first third of orbit, 

 and its distal expension 1^2 in pupil. Teeth fine, in bands in jaws. 

 Teeth on base of tongue in 2 parallel patches. Nostrils close to- 

 gether in front of eye above. Interorbital space wide and a little 

 convex. Margin of preorbital, subopercle and suprascapula entire. 

 Margin of preopercle weakly serrate. Gill-rakers 6+15, long, 

 slender and longest about equals pupil. Scales ctenoid, mostly 

 of even size, minute and reduced on base of caudal. Lateral line 

 of simple tubes mostly concurrent with back. Origin of spinous 

 dorsal midway between tip of snout and base of last dorsal ray,, 

 spines graduated from fourth which is longest. Rayed dorsal 

 inserted midway between posterior margin of preopercle and base 

 of caudal, and graduated down from first ray which is highest. 



^For an interesting account, see Mease, Trans. Lit. Philos. Soc. N. 

 1815, p. — . 



