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SERBANiDa:. FISHES. LABRACtoa:. 
Perea and Labrax.” 'I’lie Sniootli Serrniiiis. accuid- 
ing- to Carolini and Cuvier, as well as some olliers of 
tills group, are true lierniaplirodites ; one portion of 
eacli lobe of roe consisting of true ova, the other 
having all the appearance of a perfect milt, and both 
advancing to maturity simultaneously. It is not 
conclusive that such Fishes have the power of im- 
pregnating their own ova. 
SOAP-FISH {PromicTopteriis maculatus [IIoU).), 
Gill). — 'I'liis is an unfamiliar Fish, ranging from 
Cape Hatteras to Florida. P. decoratus. Gill, re- 
corded as doubtful as to species, is accidental on our 
coast; once found at Newport, R. I . Hyporthodus 
davicauda, Gill, is recorded as the same. 
RED GROUPER {Epinephelus morio {Guv.), Gill). 
— 'I'he range of this Fish is from Cape Cod to Flor- 
ida. DeKay records a Serranus ery throgaster, with 
tlie trivial name The Grouper, which he says is 
“called by the fishermen Red Grouper. It is a 
Southern species, brought hither from the reefs of 
Florida. 1 have been assured by intelligent fisher- 
men that it has been occasionally but rarely taken 
off our coast.” This is jirobably the Fish which 
forms the stajile article of the Connecticut fishermen 
who visit the Florida reefs in the cold season to fish 
for the Havana market. 'I’he Grouper is there re- 
garded as a good Fish, though its fiesh is tough and 
dry. R nigritus (Holb.), Gill, doubtful as to genus, 
and F. oxypterus (DeKay), Gill, doubtful as to genus 
and species, are enumerated as accidental visitors; 
'I’risotropis acutirostris (Ciiv. and Val.), Gill, ranges 
from Cape Hatteras to Florida, ; Pomicrops guasa 
(Poey), Gill, called in Cuba, Guasa, is known in the 
Florida waters. 
BLACK SEA-BASS [Centropristis atrarius, [Linn .) — 
This Fish ranges from Cape Cod to Florida. It is 
named Sea-bass in New York ; Ri.aok-percii in 
Massachusetts; Bi.ack-bass and Bi.ack-fish in New 
Jersey; Blue-fish in Newport, and Black-will in 
Virginia. DeKay says it is one of the most savory 
and delicate Fishes that is found in our market from 
May to June. Mitchill described it as Perea varia. 
Storer says they are taken to Boston from New Bed- 
ford, but they seldom wander into Massachusetts 
Bay. Ti'iloburus frifurcus (Linn.), Gill, ranges I'rom 
Cape Hatteras to Florida. 
SERRANO [Diplectrnm fascicnlare {Guv. and Val.), 
Holb.) — 'I’liis is known to range from Cape Hatteras 
to Florida. 'I'he trivial name is common in Cuba. 
COACHMAN {Dales auriga, Guv. and Val .) — 
Called, also. Charioteer. Ranges from Cape Cod to 
Florida. DeKay remarks : “ 'I’his species can only 
be regarded in the light of an accidental visitor. It 
is a tropical species.” 
Family— L A BR A CID^. 
Pliny says: ‘‘Labrus, ii kind of ravenous Fish.” 
'I’his name has been perjietuated in the genus Labrax, 
or Labeo. 'I'his I'amily has the general chaiacters of 
the PercidcB, but has three anal sjiines, and the 
spines of the dorsal reduced in number, generally 
nine or ten. Teeth are situated on the tongue in our 
native species. 'I’here are fifteen genera and about 
thirty-five species, mostly found in Northern waters. 
The larger number are marine, though their habit is 
to enter the fresh-water streams. 
STRIPED BASS {Roccus lineatus {Bloch, Schn.),Gill). 
— Called Rock-fish in Pennsylvania; Missuckeke- 
KEQUOCK by the Narraganset Indians. Its range is 
from Nova Scotia to Florida. 'I’his is a highly- 
prized Fish for angling. Our markets are stored 
with them, says Dr. DeKay, throughout the year. 
'I'hey ascend high up the Hudson River, and have 
been taken under the Cohoes Falls on the Mohawk. 
'I’he larger ones, called Green heads, are never seen so 
far away from salt-water. 'I’his Bass is caught in 
Massachusetts Bay, and is not unfrequently taken by 
the hook from the rocks. We have taken them at 
Nahant, while angling for 'I’autog. Small ones are 
seined in considerable numbers near Chelsea and 
Nantucket. 'I’he Squid (Loligo) is used as a bait, 
and the Bass is said to feed upon them, giving rise 
to the trivial name of the Fish in Massachusetts 
Bay, Squid Hound. Dr. Storer saw one which 
weighed thirty-six pounds, which was taken from one 
of the city bridges. 'I’he largest individual he had 
seen weighed eighty-four pounds. 
WHITE PERCH [Morone americana [Gmelin), 
Gill). — Inhabits along the coast from Nova Scotia 
to Florida. DeKay figures and de.scribes the Little 
White Bass (Labrax pallidus), which we take to be 
this Fish. He says : “It is commonly known with 
lisas White Perch.” Mitchill records it as Morone 
pallida, and later as Bodianus. “ Being a diminutive 
Fish it is seldom brought to market.” Dr. Storer 
records under the head “White Perch” (Labrax 
rufus, DeKay), what iMitchill described as Red 
Perch (Bodianus rufus), and the same as DeKay 
gives as a second species, which he names Ruddy 
Bass (L. rufus). Dr. Storer says of the latter: “By 
the fishermen it is known as White Perch. Its 
usual weight is about a pound.” Di’. Storer regarded 
these as probably the same, and as Dr. Gill does not 
introduce two, it is reasonable to regard them as 
identical. 
Family— E PHI PPl IDAE. 
'I’his group has been included with the Ghetodons, 
but now forms a separate family. 'I’he genus Ephip- 
pus, the typical one, has Ihe dorsal fin deeply emai'- 
ginate between the sjiinous and soft rays; the 
spinous portion, which is scaleless, is fitted to fold 
into a groove formed by the scales of the back. 
MOON-FISH (Parephipjnts quudrahis [Gunth.), 
Gill). — Ranges from Gape Cod to Florida. DeKay 
I'ecords a species as “.Moon-fish” (Ephippus gigas, 
Cuv.), which is iiresumed to be this Fish. He says 
it is rare on our coast, but ranges to Rio Janeiro, 
and probably still fiirlher south. 
THREE-TAILED PORGEE (P../;«&ej' {Guv.), Gill).— 
'I’his is figured and described by DeKay as Ephippus 
faber. Mitchill described it as Gi.oudy Chetodon 
(Glietodon oviformis). Sloan, in History of Jamaica, 
names it Faber mariniis. In South Carolina it is 
called A NGEL-FisH, and 'I'hree-tailed Sheep’s-head 
