88 



FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



Genus NOTEMIGONUS Rafinesque. Roaches. 



A strongly marked genus, with body greatly compressed and very deep, 

 the dorsal and ventral outlines being much curved; mouth small; teeth 5 — 5, 

 hooked, having grinding surface with a fluted edge; scales large; lateral line very 

 markedly curved; dorsal fin small, placed behind ventrals; anal base long, 

 its ['ays rather numerous; intestine short. One species, with several varieties. 

 [Xotemiyonus, sharp-backed.) 



64. NOTEMIGONUS CRYSOLEUCAS (Mitchill). 



"Roach"; "Shiner"; "Shiner Sun-fish"; "Shad Roach"; 



Golden Shiner; Bream; Dace; Chub. 



Cyprinus crysoleucas Mitchill, Report Fishes New York, 23, 1814; New York. 



Siilbe americana. Cope, 18706, 465; Catawba, Yadkin, and Neuse basins. 



Notemigonus chrysoleucus, Jordan, 18896, 126, 129, and 133; Tar, Neuse, and Cape Fear rivers. Smith, 1893a, 



191, 195, 199; Pasquotank River, Edenton Bay, Roanoke River at Plymouth and Weldon. 

 N otemigonus crysoleucas, Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River near Raleigh. 

 Abramis chrysoleucas, Smith, 1901, 134; Lake Mattamuskeet. 

 Abramis crysoleucas, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 250, pi. xlv, fig. Ill 



Diagnosis. — Body somewhat elongate, depth equal to .33 lengtli; head small, compressed, 

 conic, rather less than .25 length; eye .25 length of head; mouth oblique, small, upper jaw not 

 extending to front of eye; dorsal fin short, high, rays 7 or 8; anal rays 13 to 16 in North Carolina 

 specimens; scales 45 to 50 in lateral series, 10 above and 3 below lateral line. Color: pale 

 green, with uniform golden luster; fins yellowish, lower fins red or orange in breeding males 

 (and sometimes in females), (crysoleucas, golden-white.) 



Fig. 26. Roach. Notemigonus crysoleucas. 



This minnow is abundant in all parts of North Carolina east of the moun- 

 tains. It is one of the best known of the family, and may be readily distin- 

 guished by the greatly decurved lateral line and the golden or brassy color. 

 Cope reports it as common in still and sluggish waters in the basins of the 

 ('atawba, Yadkin, and Neuse; Jordan lists it from the Tar, Neuse, and Cape 



