APLODIXOTUS — RIVER DRUMS 323 



Found near sandy shores of all warm seas, none occurring in 

 deep water; a few species confined to fresh water; genera 30; species 

 about 150. Many of them reach a large size and most are valued 

 as food; all are carnivorous. 



Genus APLODINOTUS Rafinesque 



(river drums) 



Body oblong, compressed, back elevated; mouth low, horizontal, 

 the lower jaw included; no barbels; preopercle slightly serrate; teeth in 

 villiform bands; lower pharvmgeals very large, fully united, with coarse, 

 blimt, paved teeth; dorsals somewhat connected, the spinous with a scaly 

 sheath at base; second anal spine very strong; caudal double truncate; 

 air-bladder ver}' large, simple, with no appendages. Fresh waters of the 

 United States ; a single species. 



APLODINOTUS GRUNNIENS Rafinesque 

 (fresh-water drum; croaker; sheepshead; white perch) 



Rafinesque, 1819, Journ. de Physique, 88. 



G., II, 297 and 298 (Corvina oscula and richardsoni) ; ]. & G., 567 (Haploidonotus) ; 

 M. v., 144; J. & E., II, 14S4; N.. 40 (Haploidonotus); J., 50 (Haploidonotus); 

 F. F., I. 3, 64 (Haploidonotus); F., 62 (Haploidonotus); L., 30. 



Length 2 to 4 feet; body moderately elongate, robust but consider- 

 ably compressed, the back strongly arched forward and the profile steep, 

 with almost no angle at nape; depth 2 . 7 to 3 . 1 ; greatest width almost 2 

 in greatest depth; depth caudal peduncle 2 . 2 to 2 . 5 in its length. Color 

 plain silvery gray on sides and back, white on belly; the gray everywhere 

 with a liberal sprinkling of fine black dots; the white iridescent with pearly 

 luster and the gray changeable from light greenish to coppery ; lower part 

 of nose white in a broad band plainly marked off from the upper oliva- 

 ceous portion; iris brownish metallic; fins plain except for dark smoky 

 gray on membranes. Head subconic, with blunt muzzle, 3 .3 to 3 . 6; width 

 of head 1 . 6 to 1.8; interorbital weakly convex, 3.2 to 3.7; nose 3 . 1 to 

 3.7, longer than eye and decurved; mouth sub inferior, tip of upper lip 

 below orbit; maxillary past middle of eye, 2.6 to 2.9; lower jaw shorter 

 than upper; opercle emarginate, not ending in sharp points; preopercle 

 serrate; gill-rakers short and stoutish, 6-1-14. Dorsal VIII or IX, I, 25 

 to 31, spinous continuous with soft portion, the notch gradual and deep, 

 shortest posterior spine J of longest of spinous dorsal, longest spine a 

 little more than 2 in head; base of soft dorsal 1 .4 times base of spinous; 

 caudal rounded or double-truncate; ventrals f to vent; pectorals rather 

 long, pointed, 1.2 to 1.3 in head. Scales 9-10, 50-56, 11-13, strongly 

 ctenoid; lateral line complete, much arched forward and parallel with 

 the dorsal outline, its pores extending on caudal fin; cheeks and opercles 

 scaled. 



