126 FISHES OF ILLINOIS 



ABRAMIS CRYSOLEUCAS (Mitchill) 



(golden shixer; roach; bream) 



Mitchill, 1814, Rep. Fish. X. Y .. 23 (Cyprinus). 



G.. VII. 305 (americanus). 306 (leptosomus) ; J. & G .. 249 (Notemigonus leptosomus), 

 250 (N. chrysoleucusi; M. V.. 68 (Notemigonus); J. & E., I, 250; X.. 48 (Note- 

 migonus americanus); J., 61 (Notemigonus); F. F.. I. 6. SI (Notemigonus 

 chrysoleucus) ; F., 74 (Notemigonus); L., 15. 



The small, pointed head, greatly compressed form, strongly decurved 

 lateral line, and the sharp keel on the belly behind the ventral fins, will 

 as a rule distinguish this species with readiness from all other Illinois 

 species of its family. Length 6 to 8 inches; body moderately elongate 

 in the young, in adults becoming very deep and' strongly compressed, 

 the thickness in the predorsal region contained sometimes nearly three 

 times in the greatest depth in fully adult specimens ; depth 3 to 3 . 6 in 

 length; caudal peduncle short, its greatest depth 1 .4 to 1 . 7 in its length. 

 Color a clear dark greenish olive above, becoming steel-blue in some 

 lights; sides silvery, with bright golden reflections; a half-diamond- 

 shaped or triangular spot of dark color more or less evident at base of 

 exposed portion of each scale; dorsal and anal fins tipped with dusky; 

 lower fins yellow, the ventrals bright orange at tips in breeding individ- 

 uals of both sexes; young with a faint vertebral streak and a distinct 

 dark band along sides. Head small, subconic, flattened on the sides, 4 to 

 4.5 in length; width of head 1 . 7 to 1 . 9 in its length; interorbital space 

 2 .4 to 2 . 7 in head, markedly convex; eye 3 .4 to 4.4 in head, within the 

 anterior half of the head, and rather low, about as near chin as crown; 

 nose sharply pointed, appreciably longer than eye, 3.2 to 3.8 in head; 

 mouth rather small, terminal, oblique, tip of upper lip even with top of 

 pupil; maxillary not reaching past anterior nostril; 3.5 to 3.9 in head; 

 jaws about equal; isthmus less than pupil. Teeth 5-5 to 4-4, constricted 

 at base and sometimes slightly hooked ; intestine from 1 to 1 . 8 times 

 length of head and body; peritoneum lightly specked with dusky. Dorsal 

 fin with 8 rays, set distinctly behind ventrals, its first ray about equi- 

 distant between upper comer of gill-opening and base of caudal; longesl 

 dorsal ray 1 to 1.3 in head; anal rays 11 to 14; pectorals 1.1 to 1.3 in 

 head, reaching about § to ventrals; ventrals falling short of vent in 

 adults. Scales 9 to 11, 45 to 52, 3 ; lateral line complete, broadly and 

 deeply decurved, and often flexuose from back of opercle to a point about 

 midway of caudal peduncle, its distance from the back in the middle of 

 the body 2 A times the interval below. 



This extremely abundant species occurs from New Brunswick 

 and the Province of Quebec southward to St. Johns River and the 

 lakes of Orange county, Florida, westward to the branches of the 

 Missouri in the Dakotas, and southwesl to the Nueces River in Texas. 

 Ii is not reported from the Greal bakes. Professor Hay says that 

 it prefers slow streams and grassy ponds, and is sometimes found in 

 large numbers in the muddiest and most uninviting holes. In 



