82 



BOOK OF THE BLACK BASS. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES OF MICROPTERUS. 



Common Characters. Body elongated, ovate-fusiform; slightly 

 * compressed ; arched and thick along the back, thinner 



and straight along the belly ; lower jaw longest ; both 

 jaws armed with broad bands of small, pointed, re- 

 curved, card-like teeth of uniform size ; villiform teeth 

 on vomer, palatine and pharyngeal bones; teeth on 

 gill-rakers; spinous and soft portions of dorsal fin 

 partly divided by a notch; anal fin with three spines; 

 caudal fin emarginate; opercule emarginate behind, 

 ending . in two flat points ; supplemental maxillary 

 bone well developed. 



* Mouth large ; angle of mouth anterior to the posterior border 

 of the eye. 



t Third dorsal spine only one-half higher than the first. 



a. Notch between spinous and soft rays of dorsal comparatively 

 shallow. 



