CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF FOOD-FISHES. 
741 
6. CLASSIFICATION OF SPECIMENS OF AMERICAN FISHES BY 
THEIR CHEMICAL COMPOSITION. 
On the basis of the figures of Tables 1, 3, and 9 I have attempted a 
classification of the specimens of American fishes analyzed, by their 
content of (1) flesh, (2) water-free substance in flesh, and (3) water and 
fats. With the following figures the classifications will need no further 
explanation. Where more than one specimen was analyzed the aver- 
ages of the analyses are used. Of course, a satisfactory classification 
would require many more analyses. Nevertheless, these figures may 
be assumed to give a tolerably fair idea of the relative composition of 
the fish, or at least an approximation that may serve until more com- 
plete data are obtained. Accordingly, the exact order of tht species in 
each of the groups in the tabular arrangements which follow must be 
regarded as by no means fixed, since further analyses would very likely 
give averages varying more or less from the results here tabulated. 
In the following table the species of which entire specimens of fish 
were received for analysis, i. e., specimens from which no portion had 
been removed before weighing and preparing for analysis, are arranged 
in order from those with the largest to those with the smallest propor- 
tions of flesh. The data are from Tables 1 and 9. 
Classification of fishes by percentages of flesh, chiefly muscular tissue, in entire body. 
Kind of fish. 
No. of 
speci- 
mens 
ana- 
lyzed. 
Flesh. 
Kinds of fish. 
No. of 
speci- 
mens 
ana- 
lyzed. 
Flesh. 
Containing 60 per cent, or over 
Containing between 50 and 40 per 
of flesh. 
cent, of flesh. 
Per ct. 
n i ah miirkprel 
Perct. 
Shad 
Weakfish 
7 
1 
49.9 
48. 1 
Salmon 
1 
65. 4 
Cod 
2 
47. 5 
Pp3 anannAr 
4 
64. 7 
Whitefisk 
x 
46. 5 
1 
60. 0 
Small-mouthed black bass 
1 
46.4 
Striped bass 
5 ! 
45.1 
Containing between 60 and 50 per 
Large-mouthed black bass 
1 
44.0 
cent, of flesh. 
Sea bass 
1 
43.9 
Winter flounder 
1 
43.8 
Sm el t 
2 
58. 1 
Lake trout, “Mackinaw trout”.. 
1 
43.7 
57.3 
57.3 
Kingfish 
1 
43.4 
Pike (pickerel) .............. ... 
Cisco 
1 
1 
Pike perch, “ wall-eyed pike” 
1 
42.8 
*Rn ttftr.fi oh 
1 
n 
57.2 
Mullet 
1 
42.1 
Tomcod 
1 
40.1 
TV/f oplrAl'Pl 
i 
DO. 4 
kc a 
Forgy 
3 
40.0 
ilidCiiCl Cl .. . . . a . , 
Pompano 
0 
2 
DO. 4: 
54.5 
Containing between 40 and 30 per ! 
Lamprey eel — 
1 
54.2 
cent, of flesh. 
Herring 
1 
54. 0 
Blackfish 
2 
39. 9 
Pickerel 
2 
.52. 9 
White perch 
2 
37. 5 
Spent land-locked salmon 
2 
52. 7 
Yellow perch 
1 
37.3 
Turbot 
1 
52. 3 
Pike perch, “gray pike ” 
1 
36. 8 
Brook trout 
3 
51.9 
Ked bass 
1 
36. 5 
Muskellunge 
1 
50. 8 
Sheepshead . .. 
1 
34. 0 
Alewife 
2 
50. 5 
Common flounder 
x 
33.2 
