CHAPTER IX 



THE DRUM FAMILY (CONTINUED} 

 (Scicenidce) 



THE most conspicuous and characteristic fea- 

 tures by which the members of this family may 

 be known were given in the preceding chapter, 

 where the brackish-water and salt-water species 

 were described. There is but one species found 

 in fresh water, a description of which follows. 



Aplodinotus grunniens. The Fresh-water Drum. Body oblong, 

 much elevated, and compressed ; profile long and steep ; snout 

 blunt; head 3^; depth 2|; eye moderate; D. X, 30; A. II, 7; 

 scales 9-55-13 ; mouth small, low, and horizontal, lower jaw in- 

 cluded ; teeth in villiform bands, pharyngeals with coarse, blunt, 

 paved teeth ; preopercle slightly serrate ; the dorsal fins some- 

 what connected ; scaly sheaths at base of spiny portion of dorsal 

 and anal fins ; second anal spine very large ; gill-rakers short, 

 6 4- 14; pyloric cceca 7 ; caudal fin double truncate. 



THE FRESH-WATER DRUMFISH 



{Aplodinotus grunniens} 



This well-known fish of the Middle West is 

 also known as lake-sheepshead on the Great 

 Lakes, white-perch on the Ohio River, gaspergou 



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