244 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



other counties in the extreme eastern section, comparatively large quantities 

 of "robins" are taken in seines, fykes, and other nets, the principal catch being 

 in Currituck Sound. The annual product is now 40,000 to 50,000 pounds, for 

 which the fishermen receive 1.5 to 3 cents a pound. 



Genus MICROPTERUS Lac^pfede. Black Basses. 



The largest and most highly developed fishes of the family, characterized 

 by an elongate, moderately compressed body; stout caudal peduncle; long head; 

 large, oblique mouth, wath long and broad maxillary and strong, projecting 

 lower jaw; supplementary maxillary very broad; bands of fine teeth on jaws, 

 vomer, and palatines; posterior margin of opercle with 2 broad points; preopercle 

 entire; gill-rakers long and slender; scales small, ctenoid; lateral line complete; 

 dorsal fins continuous, a deep notch at their junction; dorsal spines 10, rather 

 low; anal fin similar to soft dorsal, the spines 3; caudal fin concave behind. 

 The genus has only 2 members, both represented in the North Carolina fauna; 

 they closely resemble one another but may be distinguished as follows: 



i. Inhabits cold, clear running water; maxillary not reaching beyond eye; scales in lateral 

 series 70 to 85, in transverse series about 36; scales on cheek small, in about 17 rows; color 



nearly uniform green, the young barred or spotted dolomieu. 



ii. Inhabits chiefly sluggish, warmer waters; maxillary reaching beyond eye; scales in lateral 

 series 65 to 70, in transverse series 23 to 28; scales on cheek large, in about 10 rows; 

 a distinct black lateral band in young and in adults of moderate size, being obsolete in old 

 specimens salmoides. 



{Micropterus, small-finned, an inappropriate name based on a specimen with 

 mutilated dorsal fin.) 



211. MICROPTERUS DOLOMIEU Lacepede. 

 Sniall-nioutlied Black Bass. 



Micropterus dolomieu Lacep6de, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, iv, 325, 1802; locality doubtful. Jordan, 

 18896,130,152; basins of Neuse and French Broad. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1011, pi. clxii, figs. 

 430, 430a. 



Micropterus fasciatus, Cope, 18706, 450; French Broad River. 



Diagnosis. — Depth of body and length of head about .33 total length without caudal, 

 depth increasing with age; maxillary extending to or in advance of posterior margin of eye; 

 teeth in villiform hands on jaws, vomer, and palate; eye about .5 length of snout and .16 to 

 .20 length of head; gill-rakers long, 16 or 17 in number, about 10 on upper portion of arch; 

 scales small, about 77 in lateral series, about 25 in transverse series; about 17 rows of fine 

 scales on cheeks; lateral line slightly arched anteriorly; dorsal rays x,13 to x,15, the longest 

 spine (fifth) about equal to snout and about half longest soft ray; anal rays in, 10 to iii,12, 

 the first and second spines very short; bases of soft dorsal and anal scaly; pectorals and ventrals 

 short and rounded; caudal slightly concave behind. Color: body dull green, with golden or 

 brassy lustre, white below; 3 dark bands radiating posteriorly from eye; caudal yellowish- 

 green, with blackish margin; young with dark spots, which never form a lateral band but 

 sometimes collect into vertical bands. (Named in honor of M. Dolomieu, a French naturalist.) 



This species was originally found from Vermont through the Great Lakes 

 basin to Manitoba, and thence southward to South Carolina, Mississippi, and 

 Arkansas, being confined mostly to the mountainous parts of the southeastern 

 states. By artificial means, the range has been considerably extended. In 



