484 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



251.— MICROPTERliS Lac^pMe. 



Blade Bass. 



{Huro and Gnjstes Cuvier and Valenciennes: CalUurus, Dioplites, Lepomis, etc., Rafiu- 



esque.) 



(Lac^pMe, Hist. Nat. Poiss. It, 325, 1802: type Micyropterus dolomieu Lac.) 



Body elongate-ovate, compressed, the back not mucli elevated. Head 

 oblong-conic. Mouth very large, oblique, the broad maxillary reaching 

 nearly to or beyond the posterior margin of the eye, its supplemental bone 

 well developed. Lower jaw prominent. Teeth on jaws, vomer, and pala- 

 tines; usually none on the tongue. Preopercle entire; operculum end- 

 ing in two flat points, without cartilaginous flap. Branchiostegals nor- 

 mally 0. Scales rather small, weakly ctenoid. Lateral line continuous. 

 Dorsal fin divided by a deep notch, the spines low and rather feeble, 10 

 in number; anal spines 3; the anal fin much smaller than the dorsal; 

 caudal flu emarginate. Size large. Two species, among the most im- 

 portant of American "game-fishes." [ixty.poq^ small; -—^oov, fin; the dor- 

 sal fin in the typical specimen having been injured, its posterior rays, 

 detached and bitten oft' short, were taken by Lacepedefor a separate fin.) 



a. Mouth very large, the maxillary in the adult extending beyond the orbit; scales 

 rather large, 65-70 in the lateral Hue; 7-8 series above lateral line. 



"759. M. salmoides (Lac.) Heushall. — Large-mouthed Black Bass; Oswego Bass; 

 Green Bass; Bayou Bass. 



Body ovate-fusiform, becoming deeper with age, moderately com- 

 pressed. Head large. Mouth very wide, the maxillary in the adult 

 reaching beyond the eye; in the young shorter. Scales on the cheek 

 in about 10 rows; scales on the trunk comparatively large. Lingual 

 teeth sometimes present. Dorsal fin very deeply notched. Colora- 

 tion of the young dark-green above; sides and below greenish-silvery; 

 a blackish stripe along the sides from opercle to the middle of the 

 caudal fin; three dark oblique stripes across the cheeks and opercles; 

 below and above the lateral band some dark spots; caudal tin pale at 

 base, then blackish, whitish at tip; belly white. As the fish grows 

 older the black lateral band breaks up and grows fainter, and the color 

 becomes more and more of a uniform pale dull green, the back being 

 darker; a dark opercular blotch usually present. Head 3|; depth 3. 

 D. X, 13; A. Ill, 11; scales 8-68-16. L. 1-2 feet. Elvers of the 

 United States, from the Great Lakes and Red Eiver of the North 

 to Florida and Texas; everywhere abundant, preferring lakes, bayous, 



