THE ANIMAL LIFE OF THE GROUP. 2,77 



prefer shady, shig'gish walcr Avitli muddy hottoiiis, wlicfc tlioy feed voraciously 

 on small water animals and vegetable matlci'. particularly the leaves of 

 aquatic plants. 'IMic common carp is closely i-clatcd 1o tlie goldfish and was 

 originally a native of tlic rivci's of ('liina, wlici'c it has long been ai'tificially 

 reared by the inhalntants. Fi'om thci-c it was iiili-oduced into Eui'opc, pci-haps 

 three centuries ago, and has since Ijecoiiic naturalized and several varieties 

 produced in domestication. From Europe carj) were introduced into America, 

 and from America they were brought to Hawaii, thus eom|)letin^ tlieii' journey 

 around the globe. They attain a size of several pounds and ma\- be identified 

 as the only scaled fresh-water tish in Hawaii that have bai-bules on the upper 

 lip. A single specimen has been known to pioduee as many as seven liumlred 

 thousand eggs in a single season. 



Catfish. 



The common l)ullhead catfish, or horned pout,'* was introduced about 

 twenty years ago from California, Avhere it had been naturalized, and Avas 

 planted in ponds about Hilo, but it has not been seen since. In the meantime 

 it has been introduced on the Island of Oahu, where it has been secured 

 from the sam*^ ponds with the Chinese species. The Chinese cattish ^ was 

 introduced by the Chinese about a dozen yeai's ago from their country. It has 

 survived and is becoming ({uite common in the fresh-watei- j)onds and finds its 

 way to the markets, where it is sold under the name of Chinese catfish. 



Since both species occur about Honolulu in the same environment, it will 

 be well to know that the Chinese species have the dorsal and anal fins much 

 elongated, each with many rays, and extending throughout the greater length 

 of the trunk, while in the bullhead the dorsal and anal are nnich shorten', the 

 dorsal Avith one hard and seven soft rays. 



China Fish. 



Ti 



Easily mistaken for the Chinese cattish in the Avater, is the •'China lish, 

 which in I'eality is a snake-head mullet. They are long and cylindi'ieal. and 

 the head is coA^ered with scales. They are carnivorous and voracious in lial»it, 

 and are extremely tenacious of life, liA'ing for hours out of water when thi'own 

 on the banks of the ii'rii;ation ditches or when carried to market. Dr. A. (liinther 

 states that they ai'e able to survive drouth by living in the semi-lluid mud or 

 lying in a semi-torpid state below the hard snn-bak'ed crusi of the bottom of a 

 tank from \vhicli cA'ery di-o]) of watcn- has disappeared. 



Black Bass. 



The first attempt to establish black b;iss dates from the summer of 1897, 

 when a shipment Avas made from the California P^'ish Commission to a number 

 of citizens at Ililo. ITnfoi't unalely. oidy twenty-one of these eleizant sun fishes 

 suiwived the journey. Tliesi' were planted in Wailuku ri\(M' near Kainbow 



^ Ameriunm xrlnihisiiK. ^ Chirins i'l.iruK. ''OiihicriilKiJiis sti'idtus. 



23 



