FISHES OF PENNSYLVANIA. 39 


51. Notropis amarus Grrarp. 
The Gudgeon or Smelt. (Figure 37.) 
The gudgeon has a moderately elongate and compressed body and a slender 
caudal peduncle. The greatest depth equals one-fourth of the total length to base 
of caudal, and the least depth of the peduncle equals the length of the postorbital 
part of head. The head is rather short, with an obtuse short snout; the length of 
the head is nearly one-fourth of the total to base of caudal. The snout is one-fourth, 
and the eye one-third as long as the head. The maxilla extends to the vertical 
through the front of the eye; the lower jaw is slightly included ; the mouth is 
slightly oblique. The width of the head equals nearly two-thirds of itslength. The 
distance between the eyes equals the length of the orbit. The dorsal origin is over, 
and the ventral origin under the tenth scale of the lateral line. The length of the 
dorsai base equals two-thirds that of the head, and the longest dorsal ray is four-fifths 
as long as the head. The anal base is as long as the postorbital part of the head, and 
the longest ray is about two-thirds as long as the head. The ventral reaches nearly 
to the vent and the pectoral to below the eighth scale of the lateral line. The lateral 
line is very slightly bent downward over the pectoral. The caudal is moderate in 
size and deeply forked. D. ii, 7; A. ii, 7; V.8; P. 15; scales, 6-36 to 39-4; teeth, 1, 
4-4, 1 or 1, 4-4, 0 in the example described, from the Susquehanna river, length four 
and one-fourth inches. The teeth are slightly hooked, and two or three on each side 
have a developed grinding surface. The color in spirits is light brown, the sides of 
body and lower half of head silvery ; the young have a dusky median lateral band, 
which is sometimes continued on the snout, and a more or less distinct small dark 
blotch at the base of the caudal. The fins are all pale. 
The gudgeon or smelt of Pennsylvania is a variety of NV. hudsonius 
of Clinton, which ranges from Lake Superior to New York, and south 
in streams east of the Alleghenies to Georgia. The southern form is 
the variety amarus of Girard, which exhibits some difference in its 
pharyngeal teeth. The species is an extremely variable one. It grows 
to a length of about eight inches. Prof. Cope records it as abundant in 
the Susquehanna, especially in the lower part of the river. 
This is a handsome silvery fish, and is as much used for food as its 
associate, the silvery minnow. The name spawn-eater, sometimes ap- 
plied to it, indicates that the species is destructive to the eges of other 
fishes. 
The N. amarus is abundant in lake Erie, and grows to a large size, 
and is known there as the lake minnow. It is not common in small 
streams. 
52. Notropis whipplei Girarp. 
The Silver Fin. 
The silver-fin has a moderately elongate body, which is fusiform in the adult. 
The caudal peduncle is short and stout. The depth of the body at the ventral fin 
equals nearly one-fourth of the total length to the caudal base. The head is conical, 
compressed and with a pointed snouta little longer than the eye, which is two-ninths 
as long as the head. The mouth is moderate, terminal, slightly oblique, the jaws 
nearly equal, the maxilla reaching to vertical through front of eye. The head is 
two-ninths of total length without caudal. The dorsal origin is a little behind the 
ventral origin, and over the fifteenth Scale of the lateral line. The length of the dor- 
sal base equals one-seventh of the total without caudal, and the longest ray is as 
