Percoidea, or Perch-like Fishes 



3 11 



First among the darters because largest in size, most perch- 

 like in structure, and least degenerate, we place the king darter, 

 Percina rex of the Roanoke River in Virginia. This species 

 reaches a length of six inches, is handsomely colored, and looks 

 like a young wall-eye. 



The log-perch, Percina caprodes, is near to this, but a little 

 smaller, with the body surrounded by black rings alternately 



FIG. 244. Log-perch, Percina caprodes (Rafinesque). Licking Co., Ohio. 



large and small. In this widely distributed species, large 

 enough to take the hook, the air-bladder is present although 

 small. In the smaller species it vanishes by degrees, and in 

 proportion as in their habits they cling to the bottom of the 

 stream. 



The genus Hadropterus includes many handsome species, 

 most of them with a black lateral band widened at intervals. 



Fia. 245. Black-sided Darter, Hadropterus aspro (Cope & Jordan). 

 Chickamauga River. 



The black-sided darter, Hadropterus aspro, is the best-known 

 species and one of the most elegant of all fishes, abounding in 

 the clear gravelly streams of the Ohio basin and northwestward. 

 Hadropterus evides of the Ohio region is still more brilliant, 



