54 FISHES OF PENNSYLVANIA. 

tail; the head is contained four and two-thirds times in this length. The eye is con- 
tained three and one-half times in the length of the head. The mouth is small, 
oblique, the maxillary not reaching to vertical through front of eye. 
The dorsal fin is much higher than long, its base is equal to the least depth of the 
caudal peduncle or twice the diameter of the eye, situated on middle of body oppo- 
site the space between the ventral and anal fins. Anal longer than dorsal, its long- 
est ray slightly exceeding the length of the base. Caudal forked. Lateral line 
much decurved on lower half of body behind pectorals. 
D. 8; A. 13; scales, 10-53-3 ; teeth, 5-5, hooked and with grinding surface. 
The roach, shiner, golden shiner or bream is one of the commonest 
fishes of Pennsylvania. It is found from New England to Minnesota 
and southward. A variety of the roach replaces the common northern 
form from North Carolina to Texas. 
The roach grows to a length of one foot and a weight of one and one- 
half pounds. It frequents sluggish waters, abounding in bayous and 
weedy ponds, as well as in tidal waters. According to Jordan its favor- 
ite shelter is the yellow pond lily. It may be readily distinguished by 
its shape, which resembles that of the shad, and by the very long anal 
fin, which contains from fourteen to seventeen rays. The colors of this 
fish are greenish above, and the sides silvery with golden reflections. 
Fins usually yellowish; lower fins scarlet in breeding males. Although 
the roach is not a good food fish, it is taken by the hook in large num- 
bers, and is a very useful species for bait. 
Genus CARASSIUS Nitsson. 
74. Carassius auratus (Linyzvs). 
The Gold Fish. (Figure 43.) 
The body of the gold fish is oblong in shape, stout, with the back elevated and 
compressed. Its depth at dorsal origin is contained about two and one-half times in 
the total length without the tail; the head is contained three and one-third times in 
this length. The head is smallin front of eye, being depressed on snout and the 
dorsal profile from tip of snout to dorsal fin is very steep. The rather small eye 
equals one-fifth or less length of head. The mouth is rather small, the maxilla not 
reaching vertical from front of eye, oblique and terminal. No barbels. Teeth com- 
pressed, 4-4. The dorsal fin is high and long, commencing over the seventh scale of 
the laterai line and running back to near the caudal. Its longest rays, first and 
second, a little longer than the spine, equal to one-half depth of body, or length of 
head from pupil to its posterior end. From the third to the last the rays gradually 
decrease in size, the last being less than one-half the length of the longest. The first 
dorsal spine is minute, one-fourth length of second, which is strongly and coarsely 
serrated. The anal is short, the length of its base being but two thirds length of its 
longest rays; firstspinesmall, one-third length of second, which is stout and serrated. 
Pectoral fin broad and rounded, its length three-fifths that of head, or equal to longest 
anal ray. It reaches to ventral, which is placed well forward. Caudal fin large. 
Seales large, deeper than long; lateral line median, complete, almost straight. D. 
TI, 18; A. II, 7; V. 9. Scales, 5-30-6. The specimen described, No. 22,107 U.S. Nat. 
Mus., from the carp ponds at Washington, D. C., is eight inches long. 
The common gold fish or silver fish is a native of Asia, from whence 
it was introduced into Europe, and from there into America, where it is 
