THE NEW YORK AQUARIUM 



or important facts about each species. The labels also in- 

 form the observer which species are suited to small aquaria, 

 for stocking small ponds or streams or for destroying mos- 

 quito larvae. The rock backgrounds provided for the tanks 

 aid in displaying the fishes to the best advantage. 



The fresh-water species for the most part North Amer- 

 ican or introduced and acclimatized in this country include 

 the rudd or pearl roach, an introduced fish now common in 

 New York State waters, and the yellow roach, its native 

 relative; the goldfish, of which several varieties are shown; 

 the short-nosed gar, lake sturgeon, bony gar and mudfish, 

 belonging to the group of fishes known as ganoids, of which 

 very few species survive to-day, though, to judge from fos- 

 sils, they appear to have been abundant in past ages, and 

 such well-known game fishes as the large- and small- 

 mouthed black bass, muskallunge, pike and landlocked 

 salmon and various species of trout. The crayfish, a fresh- 

 water crustacean, also occupies a tank in this series. 



A large tank, containing certain marine crabs and fishes, 

 including the horseshoe king crab, common on the Atlantic 

 coast but having no near relative except on the northeast 

 coast of Asia, the blue or edible crab, sturgeon, flounder, 

 spider crab, striped bass, codfish and whitefish, is also found 

 on this side of the main hall. 



The marine fishes include the following important food 

 fishes: sheepshead, red grouper, red snapper, Nassau 

 grouper and jewfish, one of the largest of the sea bass, 

 reaching gigantic size. The curious snake-like morays, 



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