THE PERCHES 



Family XLl/I. Percidce 



THE Percidce comprise one of the largest and, from some points 

 of view, one of the most interesting groups of freshwater fishes. 

 Though represented in both Europe and America by numerous species, 

 the great majority are little known to any except to those who really 

 study fishes, while a few of the species are among the best known of 

 the inhabitants of our lakes and streams. These are our yellow 

 perch and wall-eyed pike. The vast majority of the species belong to 

 the subfamily of darters (Etheostomtna), all of which are American. 

 They are among the most singular and interesting of our fishes, all 

 being of very small size and most of them of very brilliant colouration. 

 None of the more than 80 species is of any value as food, but some 

 are used as live bait. Descriptions of all the species and much interest- 

 ing matter concerning their habits may be found in our " Fishes of 

 North and Middle America." In the following keys and descriptions 

 only those few possessing game qualities and food-value are considered. 



a. Canine teeth on jaws and palatines ; body elongate. Sti^ostedion, 360 

 aa. Canine teeth none ; body oblong Perca, 364 



GENUS STIZOSTEDION RAFINESQUE 



The American Pike-perches 



Body elongate, fusiform, the back broad; head subconical, long; 

 cheeks, opercles, and top of head more or less scaly; mouth large, the 

 jaws about equal; premaxillaries protractile, but little movable; teeth 

 in villiform bands, the jaws and palatines with long, sharp canines; 

 gill-rakers slender but strong; gill-membranes separate; preopercle 

 serrate, the serrse below turned forward; opercle with one or more 

 spines; dorsal fins well separated, the first with 12 to 15 spines, the 

 second with 17 to 21 rays; last dorsal spine not erectile, but bound 

 down by membrane; anal spines 2, slender, closely bound to the soft 

 rays, which are 11 to 14 in number; ventrals well separated; scales 

 small, strongly ctenoid, the lateral line continuous. 



360 



