464 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



cold, rapid streams and thrives even in small brooks. The 

 species is suitable also for pond life and may be kept in small 

 areas of water provided they have sufficient depth. It does not 

 prey on other fishes, and its numerous stiff spines protect it from 

 larger predaceous species. It swims in large schools and is 

 often found in comparatively shoal water. The nest-building 

 habits have been described by Duclos from observations made 

 at Versailles, France. This writer unfortunately had under 

 observation both the calico bass and the common sunfish, and 

 his statements need comfirmatipn. The game qualities of this 

 bass are noteworthy. It is a free, vigorous biter, its endurance 

 is rather remarkable considering its size; as a, food fish the 

 species is highly prized, and its increase in eastern rivers is 

 greatly to be desired. 



Genus acantharchus Gill 

 Body oblong, robust, not much compressed or elevated; 

 mouth not very large, the broad maxillary with a well developed 

 supplemental bone; lower jaw projecting; teeth on vomer, pala- 

 tines, pterygoids and tongue, lingual teeth in a single patch, 

 pharyngeal teeth sharp; gill rakers few, rather long and strong; 

 opercle emarginate; preopercle entire; scales cycloid, large; 

 lateral line complete; dorsal spines usually 11; anal spines five; 

 caudal fin rounded behind. Close to Ambloplites, differ- 

 ing chiefly in the rounded caudal. One species known. 



232 Acantharchus pomotis (Baird) 



Mud SUfifisli 



CentrarcMs pomitis Baird, 'Ninth Smitlison. Rep't, 325, 1855, New Jersey, 

 New York; Gunthee, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 256, 1859. 



Acantharchus pomotis Jordan & Gilbeet, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 469, 

 1883; Bean, Bull. U. S. F. C. VII, 143, 1888; Fishes Penna. 107, 1893; 

 Jordan & Evermann, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 989, 1896, pi. GLV, 

 f\g. 418, 1900; Eugene Smith, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. Y. for 1897, 34, 1898. 



The mud sunfish has an oblong and moderately elongate body, 

 its greatest depth, near the vent, two fifths of the total length 

 without the caudal. The greatest thickness is a little less than 

 one half the depth. The caudal peduncle is short and deep, its 

 least depth two fifths of greatest depth of body. The head 



