THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 431 
feature. The wild fish is largely olive in color, but through 
domestication various shades of color are induced, such as orange, 
silvery or black, together with abnormally shaped fins and eyes. 
It is the favorite aquarium fish and is also introduced into most 
ponds, reservoirs, fountains and lakes. It is said to breed in 
foul water during early spring. It reaches a length of a foot 
and is not used as food. 
Family SILURIDZ. 
The Cat Fishes. 
Represented by a single introduced species. 
Genus IctaLuRus Rafinesque. 
The Channel Cats. 
Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque). 
Spotted Cat Fish. 
Distinguished from any of our other fresh water cat fishes 
by the complete bony bridge from the head to the dorsal spine. 
Introduced from the Great Lakes and Mississippi valley region. 
It is generally abundant in the channels of the larger streams. 
An excellent food-fish reaching a weight of 25 pounds. It is very 
variable. 
Ichthelurus punctatus Abbott, Nat. Rambles, 1885, p. 479. 
Genus AmErIvurus Rafinesque. 
The Horned Pout. 
Ameiurus lacustris (Walbaum). 
Lake Cat Fish. 
This species may be distinguished from the channel or white 
cat, the only other forked-tailed species of the genus within our 
limits, by the more numerous anal rays, about 25 to 35 in 
number. 
