IDENTIFICATION OF MAINE FISHES 



The average fisherman pursuing the sport of fishing for pleasure is little 

 inclined to burden himself with the details of fish identification as practiced by 

 the professional ichthyologist. Unknown animals or plants are identified through 

 the use of keys defined as, "a tabulation of those characteristics which will most 

 readily and reliably distinguish the form." An effort has been made in the fol- 

 lowing keys to provide characteristics readily apparent to the fisherman and to 

 illustrate these characteristics whenever possible with line drawings emphasizing 

 the important points or "key characteristics." 



Since there is a great deal of confusion over common names of fishes it has 

 been the policy of this book to use the common name as proposed by the Amer- 

 ican Fisheries Society. The scientific names have been included since in most 

 cases they are standardized throughout the world. 



Before attempting to use the keys it is suggested that the fisherman acquaint 

 himself with the drawing on page 5 representing a generalized fish and show- 

 ing the location of the principal characters used throughout the keys. The keys 

 are set up to provide the observer with two choices. One of these choices will fit 

 the fish which you are trying to identify. Following the choices which fit the 

 fish at hand will lead to the name of the specimen. First determine the family 

 to which the fish belongs by consulting the key to families on page 6. Some of 

 the families of fish found in Maine have only a single representative so that 

 once the family is determined the name of the fish will be known. In other 

 cases the family may have several representatives among the Maine fishes. In 

 such an instance determine the family to which the fish belongs and then turn 

 to the page indicated and proceed through the key to the species of that family 

 until the correct identification is reached. Good practice in learning to use the 

 keys correctly would be the running through of a fish already known to the 

 observer. 



