APLODINOTUS RIVER DRUMS 323 



Found near sandy shores of all warm seas, none occurring in 

 deep water; a few species confined to fresh water; genera 30; 

 species about 150. Many of them reach a large size and most 

 are valued as food; all are carnivorous. 



GENUS APLODINOTUS RAPINESQUE 



RIVER DRUMS 



Body oblong, compressed, back elevated; mouth low, horizontal, the 

 lower jaw included; no barbels; preopercle slightly serrate; teeth in villiform 

 bands; lower pharyngeals very large, fully united, with coarse, blunt, paved 

 teeth; dorsals somewhat connected, the spinous with a scaly sheath at base; 

 second anal spine very strong; caudal double-truncate; air-bladder very large, 

 simple, with no appendages. Fresh waters of the United States; a single 

 species. 



APLODINOTUS GRUNNIENS RAPINESQUE 

 SHEEPSHEAD; FRESH- WATER DRUM; CROAKER; WHITE PERCH , 



(MAP CII) 



Rafinesque, 1819, Journ. de Physique, 88. 



G^ II. 297 and 298 (Corvina oscula and richardsoni); J. & G., 567 (Haploidonotus); 



M. V., 144; J. & E., II, 1484; N., 40 (Haploidonotus); J., 50 (Haploidonotus); 



F. F., I. 3, 64 (Haploidonotus); F., 62 (Haploidonotus); L., 30. 



Length 2 to 4 feet; body moderately elongate, robust but considerably 

 compressed, the back strongly arched forward and the profile steep, with 

 almost no angle at nape; depth 2.7 to 3.1; greatest width almost 2 in greatest 

 depth; depth caudal peduncle 2.2 to 2.5 in its length. Color plain silvery gray 

 on sides and back, white on belly; the gray everywhere with a liberal sprin- 

 kling of fine black dots ;, the white iridescent with pearly luster and the gray 

 changeable from light greenish to coppery; lower part of nose white in a broad 

 band plainly marked off from the upper olivaceous portion; iris brownish 

 metallic; fins plain except for dark smoky gray on membranes. Head sub- 

 conic, with blunt muzzle, 3.3 to 3.6; width of head 1.6 to 1.8; interorbital 

 weakly convex, 3.2 to 3.7, nose 3.1 to 3.7, longer than eye and decurved; 

 mouth subinferior, tip of upper lip below orbit; maxillary past middle of eye, 

 2.6 to 2.9; lower jaw shorter than upper; opercle emarginate, not ending in 

 sharp points; preopercle serrate; gill-rakers short and stoutish, 6 + 14. Dor- 

 sal VIII or IX, I, 25 to 31, spinous continuous with soft portion, the notch 

 gradual and deep, shortest posterior spine ^ of longest of spinous dorsal, 

 longest spine a little more than 2 in head; base of soft dorsal 1.4 times base of 

 spinous; caudal rounded or double-truncate; ventrals % to vent; pectorals 

 rather long, pointed, 1.2 to 1.3 in head. Scales 9-10, 50-56, 11-13, strongly 

 ctenoid; lateral line complete, much arched forward and parallel with the 

 dorsal outline, its pores extending on caudal fin; cheeks and opercles scaled. 



This remarkable species, particularly interesting because of 

 its food and feeding structures, and because also of the peculiar 



