ACANTHOPTERYGIANS. 93 



Cuv. and Val. Ill, pi. xliv. (The Black Perch). Blackish brown; 

 the caudal fins trilobate when young. It becomes large, and is 

 found in the United States*. 



Gristes, Cuv. 



The Growlers only differ from Centropristis in the margin of the preo- 

 perculum, which is entire and without dentations y. 



Here the genus Perca, such as it was defined by Artedi and Linnaeus, 

 terminates; but there remain many fishes which approach it, although 

 peculiar characters compel us to arrange them in separate genera. 



We begin with those Perches which have less than seven branchial rays. 

 We may also subdivide them according to the number of their dorsal fins, 

 and the nature of their teeth. 



Of those with a single dorsal fin, some have hooked teeth among the 

 others: they are the 



Cirrhites, Commers. 



The Cirrhites, which have the preoperculum, as in Mesoprion, dentated, 

 and the operculum terminating in an obtuse angle ; distinguished by the 

 inferior rays of their pectoral fin, which are stouter and not branched, ex- 

 tending a little beyond the membrane. They have six rays to the branchiae. 

 They all inhabit the Indian Ocean J. 



Others of the Perches, with less than seven branchial rays, have only 

 the teeth dense as the pile on velvet, or, at least, have no hooked ones. 



Chironemus, Cuv. 



The Chironemes have the inferior part of the pectoral fins with the 

 same simple rays as the Cirrhites §. 



POMOTIS, Cut. 



The Pomotis are fishes with a compressed and oval body, characterized 

 by a membranous prolongation at the angle of the operculum. They in- 

 habit the rivers of America||. 



* This is also the Lutjan trilobe, Lacep. II, xvi, 3, and the Perca varia, Mitchill, 

 Trans. New York, I. — Add, Perca trifurca, L.; — La Scorpene de Waigiou, Quoy and 

 Gaym. Freycin. Zool. LVIII, 1 ; and the other species described in the third vol. of 

 our History of Fishes. 



f The Labre salmo'ide, Lacep. IV, v, 2, or Cychla variabilis, Lesueur, Ac. Nat. Sc. 

 Phil., Cuv. and Val. Ill, pi. xlv; — Gr. macquariensis, lb. p. 58. 



X The Cirrhite tachete, Lacep. V, 3, which is also his Labre marbre, III, v, 3, and 

 p. 492; — the Cirrhite pantherin, or Spare pantherin, lb. IV, vi, 1, and p. 160, and 

 Seb. Ill, xxvii, 12; — Cirrhites vittatus, Cuv,, Renard, I, xviii, 102; — Cirrh. aprinus, 

 Cuv. et Val. Ill, xlvii, &c. 



§ One species only is known, Chiron, georgianus, Cuv. et Val. Ill, p. 78; I mm 

 New Holland. 



|| Pomotis vulgaris, Cuv., or Labnts auritus, L., called Pond-Perch in the 1 

 States. Catesb. II, viii, 2, Cuv. et Val. Ill, pi. 49. 



