340 



FISHES. 



[* Fresh-water fishes ; +Fishes foimd in both fresh and salt ; rare 



fishes iu square braclcets.] 



CHAPTER I. THE PERCHES AND SEA- 

 BREAMS. 



I. The Perches. 



One of the most familiar of our fresh-water fishes, the 

 Perch is easily recognised by the prominent front dorsal 

 fin, which has usually fourteen rays, and the 

 five or more black bands on its sides. In 

 colour, it is bronze or green on the back and sides, white 

 below ; fins red. The perch is widely distributed through- 

 out these islands, being met with as far north at any rate 

 as the waters of Ross-shire,^ though it does not occur in 



a. Anal fin. 



c, Caudal fin. 



d d. Dorsal (intermittent ; ist dorsal, spinous) 



/, Pectoral. v v, Ventral (jugular). See p. 321. 



the Isle of Wight. It is not affected by brackish water ; 

 and I have caught large perch in the Baltic three or four 

 miles out at sea. The dorsal fin is so sharp that it is 



1 Harvie-Brown and Buckloy, Fauna of the Outer Hebrides, p. 1S4. 



