PISHES OF CHESAPEAKE BAY 
251 
Family LXI.— SERRANID/E. The sea basses 
Body rather robust, compressed; teeth in jaws usually well developed, not depressible; maxil- 
lary without a supplemental bone; scales moderate or rather large. A single genus of this family is 
included in the fauna of Chesapeake Bay. 
10S. Genus CENTROPRISTES Cuvier. Sea basses 
Body robust, slightly compressed; mouth large; maxillary without a supplemental bone; 
canines small; no teeth on tongue; preopercular margin serrate, the lower teeth somewhat antrorse; 
gill rakers rather long and slender; dorsal fin short, the spines with fleshy filaments at tips; caudal 
fin round or slightly double concave; anal rays III, 7; ventrals close together, inserted under or 
slightly in advance of pectorals. A single species is included in the fauna of Chesapeake Bay. 
136. Centropristes striatus (Linnseus). Blackfish; Sea bass; “Black Will.” 
Labrus striatus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. X, 1758, p. 285; “America.” 
Centropristis striatus Bean, 1891, p. 91; Jordan and Evermann, 1896-1900, p. 1199, PI. CXC, fig. 500; Evermann and Hilde- 
brand, 1910, p. 161. 
Head 2.5 to 2.65; depth 2.4 to 2.95; D. X, 11; A. Ill, 7; scales 48 to 50. Body elongate, 
moderately compressed; back elevated; head rather thick; snout moderately pointed 3.35 to 
4.35 in head; eye 3 to 4.9; interorbital 6.65 to 9.75; mouth large, oblique; maxillary reaching 
about opposite middle of eye, 2.3 to 2.45 in head; teeth pointed, in bands on jaws, vomer, and 
palatines, no distinct canines; preopercular margin finely serrate; gill rakers scarcely longer 
than pupil, 17 or 18 on lower limb of first arch; scales moderate, ctenoid, reduced on head and 
cheeks, extending somewhat on the base of fins; lateral line complete, following the curvature of 
the back; dorsal fin continuous, the spines strong, the soft part elevated and notably higher than 
the spines in the adult; caudal fin round, large individuals with one of the upper rays produced; 
anal fin with three strong graduated spines, the soft rays very long in the adult; ventral fins mod- 
erate, inserted under base of pectorals; pectoral fins long, reaching beyond tips of ventrals, 1.35 
to 1.45 in head. 
Color of fish in the aquarium at Woods Hole, Mass., weighing from % to 3 pounds, blue-black; 
centers of scales pale blue or white, forming longitudinal stripes along back and sides; several 
bluish streaks in front of or below eye present or absent; dorsal blue-black, with several pale stripes 
extending along both spinous and soft part, the stripes more numerous on the latter; caudal dusky 
or dark blue, streaked or mottled with pale markings; anal almost entirely pale or streaked with 
darkdjlue; ventrals bluish gray, the rays pale; pectorals grayish. Females are lighter than males, 
usually gray-blue instead of blue-black. The male develops an adipose hump on the nape, which 
in the breeding season is often bright blue; this hump sometimes evident in males only 12 inches 
