LAMPREYS AND FISHES OF INDIANA. 247 



Order 11. PERCESOCES. 



Ventral fins abdominal. Scales cycloid. Spinous dorsal present (in 

 ■our species, at least). 



Represented in Indiana by a single species belonging to the 



« 



Family ATHEEINIDiE. 



Small, slender fishes, having cycloid scales. No lateral line. Gill- 

 rakers slender. Two dorsal fins, which are well separated ; the anterior 

 composed of three to eight slender spines. Anal with a single slender 

 spine. 



The spines of some of these fishes are so slender and flexible that they 

 may be easily mistaken for soft rays. Such spines are not, however, 

 cross-jointed. 



Genus LABIDESTHES Cope. 



Body long, slender and compressed. Head with the jaws produced 

 into a beak. The margin of the upper jaw concave. Anal fin long. 

 Anterior dorsal of four or five slender spines. Gill-rakers long and 

 slender. 



Labidesthes sicculus Cope. 



Brook Silverside, 



Jordan and Gilbert, 1882, <<?, 406. 



A small, slender, compressed fish, resembling in appearance a small 

 pickerel. Depth in the length six to seven ; head in length four and two- 

 thirds. Snout long, two and one-half in head, narrow and pointed. 

 Commissure of the jaws considerably curved, with the convexity of the 

 curve upward. Eye large, three and one-half in head. Dorsal rays V, 

 11 or 12, a considerable space intervening between the two por- 

 tions. Anal I, 24 No lateral line developed. Scales small, about 

 eighty-five along the sides. The color of the back is a clear greenish, 

 sometimes becoming quite dark. Top of the head, base of the pectorals 

 and caudal, yellow. A black spot on the occiput. Sides silveiy, with a 

 conspicuous band of the same edged with black. Size about four inches. 



Distributed from Michigan to western Florida. A beautiful and grace- 

 ful fish, living in clear streams and ponds and swimming near the surface. 



Carroll and Marshall counties (2S, '88, 49, 55) ; Monroe County (1, 

 '85, 410) ; White River, at ludianapohs (1, '77, 376) ; Lakes of Laporte 

 County, Maumee River, Tippecanoe River (i, '77, 41) ; Logansport (4, 

 '88, 159) ; Lawrence County (23, '84, 204) ; Gibson and Posey coun- 

 ties (4, '88, 163) ; Vigo County (16, 95) ; Winamac, in Pulaski County ; 

 Eel R. Basin (4, '94, 88) ; Decatur and Laporte counties (24., '93, 96). 



Professor Forbes found this species to eat about equal quantities of in- 

 sects and crustaceans. 



