BASS, PIKE, AND PERCH 



CHAPTER I 



THE SUNFISH FAMILY 

 ( Centrarchidce) 



THE sunfish family is composed entirely of 

 fresh-water fishes. They are characterized by 

 a symmetrically-shaped body, rather short and 

 compressed; mouth terminal; teeth small, with- 

 out canines; scales rather large; cheeks and gill- 

 covers scaly; scales mostly smooth; border of 

 preopercle smooth, or but slightly serrated; 

 opercle ending in two flat points, or in a black 

 flap; a single dorsal fin, composed of both spiny 

 and soft rays; anal fin also having both spines 

 and soft rays; the dorsal spines varying from 6 

 to 13 in the different species, with from 3 to 9 

 in the anal fin; sexes similar; coloration mostly 

 greenish. 



GENUS MICROPTERUS 



Micropterus dolomieu. Small-mouth Black-bass. Body ovate- 

 oblong; head 3; depth 3; eye 6; D. X, 13; A. Ill, 10; scales 

 11-73-17; mouth large, the maxillary reaching front of eye; 

 scales on cheek minute, in 17 rows ; teeth villiform, 



i 



