424: 



FISHING IN AMERICAN WATERS. 



quently the shape and character of the scales, the character 

 of the gills, and the number of the gill-openings. 



The most important and easily recognized of these features 

 are the fins; and in describing them the names are given, 

 and the number of spines or rays in each. 



FIRST CLASS OF FISHES. 



SPINE-RAYED BONY FISHES. (Acanthopterygii.} 



Scale of Inches. 



THE PERCH FAMILY.!. American Yellow Perch, Ferca flavescens. 2. Striped Sea Bass, 

 Labrax lineatus. 3. Black Bass, or Black Perch of Lake Huron, Huro nigricans. 4. 

 Growler, or White Salmon of Virginia, Grystes salmoides. 5. Black Sea Bass, Cen- 

 tropistex nigricans. 6. Mediterranean Apogon, Apofion trimacrtlatus. 7. Two-band- 

 ed Diploprion, Diploprion bifaciatum. 8. One-spotted Mesoprion, Mesoprion unino- 

 tatus. 9. Ruby-colored Etelis, Etelis carbunculus. 10. Armed Enoplossus, Enoplos- 

 sus armatus. 11. Lettered Seri'anus, Serranits scriba. 12. Spined Serrauus, Serramm 

 anthias. 13. Red Surmullet, Mullus barbatus. 



THE PERCH FAMILY. 



The spine -rayed bony fishes comprise more than three 

 fourths of all the various kinds that are known. From four- 

 teen to seventeen different families, some of them embracing 

 several hundred species each, have been included in this di- 

 vision. At the head of the whole stands the Perch family, 

 the most numerous of all. Most of them are salt-water fish, 



