SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 227 



195. CORYPH2ENA EQUISETIS Linngeus. 



Small Dolphin. 



Coryphama equisetis Linnaeus, Systema Naturae, ed. x, 261, 1758; high seas. Jordan & Evermann, 1896,952. 

 Linton, 1905, 375; ofif Cape Lookout. 



Diagnosis. — Depth contained 3.4 to 4 times in length; head contained 4.2 to 4.6 times 

 in length; profile of head oblique; maxillary extending to front of pupil; dorsal rays 51 to 55; 

 anal rays 24 to 26. Color: brilliant and evanescent; brownish green on back, white or golden 

 below, back and sides with blue spots; dorsal blue, with pale stripes; caudal yellow; other fins 

 blue tinged, (equisetis, horse-tail.) 



This small species inhabits the open Atlantic, and apparently has not 

 previously been recorded from the coast of the United States. On August 21, 

 1902, 3 specimens 20 to 24 inches long were caught by the steamer Fish-Hawk 

 about 28 miles off Cape Lookout. They agree very well with the published 

 descriptions as regards frontal profile, length of maxillary, dorsal and anal rays, 

 etc. 



Family CENTRARCHIDiF. The Fresh-water Basses and Sun-fishes. 



This strictly American family includes some of the best known and most use- 

 ful of our fresh-water fishes, and is represented by numerous species east of the 

 Rocky Mountains, only a single species being found beyond the mountains. 

 Nearly all the species have nests and guard their eggs and young with great care. 

 Anatomical characters by which the family is distinguished are a compressed and 

 rather short body; a large or small terminal mouth well supplied with villiform 

 teeth in bands on jaws, vomer, palatines, etc.; protractile premaxillaries; maxil- 

 laries with a supplemental bone, obsolete in small-mouthed species; opercular 

 margin with 2 points or with a single long flap; preopercle entire or slightly 

 serrate; pseudobranchise small; branchiostegals usually 6; gill-membranes not 

 connected (except in Elassoma) and not attached to isthmus; gill-rakers mostly 

 short, with teeth; body, opercles, and cheeks scaly; lateral line present and 

 usually perfect; two dorsal fins connected, the anterior with 6 to 13 spinous 

 rays (4 or 5 in Elassoma); anal fin large, with 3 to 8 spines and numerous soft 

 rays; intestine short; pyloric coeca 5 to 10 (absent in Elassoma). Of the 12 or 13 

 genera recognized, the following 10 are represented in North Carolina by 17 



species : 



Key to North Carolina genera of basses and sun-fishes. 



i. Dorsal spines 4 or 5; pyloric coeca absent Elassoma. 



ii. Dorsal spines 6 to 13; pyloric coeca present. 

 a. Dorsal fin about same size as anal. 



b. Dorsal spines 6 to 8; anal spines 6; body and fins profusely and irregularly spotted 



with black Pomoxis. 



bb. Dorsal spines 11 or 12; anal spines 7 or 8 Centrarchus. 



aa. Dorsal fin much larger than anal. 



c. Body comparatively short and deep, depth usually exceeding .4 length; no deep 



notch between two dorsal fins. 

 d. Teeth on tongue and pterygoids; mouth moderate, the maxillary extending be- 

 yond middle of eye. 



e. Scales cycloid; caudal fin rounded Acantharchus. 



ee. Scales etenoid; caudal fin concave. 



