PISCES 



247 



The sea basses {Setranidae) are mostly marine. The striped 

 bass and the black sea-bass are the most prized by fishermen. The 

 latter is said to reach a weight of 300 lbs. 



A small fish {Rhodeus amarus) lives in the embryonic state in the 

 gill cavities of the mussel ( Unto). 

 Thus a fresh-water mussel may 

 send out glochidia that attach to 

 an adult fish, which at the same 

 time sends its embryos to be shel- 

 tered by the mussel. 



The smallest fish in the world 

 is the Philippine goby {Pandaka 

 pygmaea), which is but five-six- 

 teenths of an inch long when full 

 grown. A slightly larger goby 

 {Mistichthys luzonensis) is also 

 found in Luzon, P. I. 



The perches {Percidae) include 

 the little used yellow perch and 

 the pike perch. The latter is con- 

 sidered a valuable species and 

 propagated by the U. S. Bureau of 

 Fisheries. 



The small-mouthed black bass Evolution^ after Doflein, (Courtesy of 

 ( Centrarchidae) is extremely gamy. The Macmillan Co.) 

 The common sunfish or ^^ pumpkin 



seed " is not to be confused with the Hawaiian " sun fish." (Figure 

 129, J and B.) 



The porcupine fishes {Diodontidae) are armed with movable 

 spines and when alarmed puff their bodies full of air, and float belly 

 upward. (Figure 130.) 



The head fish, or " sunfish " of Hawaii, is an odd appearing fish 

 (Figure 131), with a skeleton largely cartilaginous and with heavy 

 armor. The smooth skin is extremely thick. The body looks as 

 though it extended but a short distance beyond the head and lacked 

 a tail entirely. Some specimens are said to have reached a weight 

 of 2,000 lbs. (Zane Grey's record fish) and a diameter of 8 feet. 



The shark-suckers, or remoras {Echeneididae) (Figure 132), are 

 equipped with a modified anterior dorsal fin resembling a rubber 

 boot sole. It acts as a sucking disk, enabling the animals to attach 



Fig. 128. Seahorse, male, with 

 abdominal pouch. From Lull, Organic 



