PIE ATE PERCH. 



921 



Aphododerus sayanua, Jordan, Man. Vert., 2d Ed., 249. 



Aphredoderm gibiems, (LeSaeni) Cuv. and Val., Hist. Nat. des Poiss., ix, 1833, 418. 



Stemotremia tsoZepis, Nelson, Bull. Ills. Mus. Nat. Hist., 1876, 39.— Jordan, Proo. Acad, 



Nat. Sci. Phila,, 1877, 71 (specimenB with vent posterior). 

 Asiernoiremia UoUpU, Nelson, Bnll. U. S. Nat. Mnsenm, x, 1S77, — . 

 Aphododerus iaoUpis, Jordan, Man. Vert., 2d Ed , 1878,249. 

 Aphrodedirus cookianus, Jordan, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila, 1877, 60 (waters of 



Maumee Eiver, specimens with vent anterior). 

 Aphododerus cookianus, Jordan, Bnll. U. S. Mus., x, 1877j — . 

 Asternotremia meaotrema, Jordan, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., x, 1877, — (specimens with vent 



intermediate.) 



Deeoription. — Body broad, stout, elevated at the dorsal, the depth 3J in length, with- 

 out caudal ; head large, broad and stout, 3 in length, its greatest thickness a little more 

 than half its length, its depth at the pupil a little less ; mouth wide, lower jaw longest ; 

 maxillary reaching anterior margin of eye ; eye moderate, 4^ in snout, its posterior mar- 

 gin of eye ; eye moderate, 4i in snout, its posterior margin nearly midway of head, IJ 

 In snout, and in interorbital space; lower posterior angle of cheek about a right angle; 

 fin, rays D. III., 11; A. II., 6; V. 7 ; B. 6; pyloric coeja 12; beginning of dorsal much 

 nearer snout than base of caudal, base of dorsal 1 4-5 in distance from snout to first ray y 

 pectoral as long as from snout to opercular margin ; tips of pectorals not reaching as far 

 as those of veutrals ; ventrals cousiderably more than half length of head, reaching four- 

 fifths the distance to anal; long anal spine 2^^ in head; caudal rounded; scales very 

 small, strongly ctenoid, not easily seen along the middle of the body, largest on cheeks 

 and on opercles ; 48 to 55 series along sides ; color dark olive, appearing bronze in 

 spirits, profusely speckled with dark points, which give the fins a dark color; a dark 

 bar at base of capdal and a light one behind it. Length 3 to 4 inches. 



Habitat, Maumee Kiver. Calumet Eiver. Wabash River, tributaries of the Missis- 

 sippi and lower Ohio Elvers. South to Arkansas, also in coastwise streams from New 

 York to Louisiana. It is found only in sluggish alluvial waters among weeds, and its 

 presence in the west seems to have been quite overlooked until lately. 



Diagnosis. — Ttis species will be always known among Ohio fishes by 

 the presence of a continuous dorsal fin with three or four distinct spines. 



Habits. — Its habits are little known. It is said to be quite voracious, 

 and appears only at night. It is too small to be of value for food, but 

 will doubtless take the hook if encouraged. 



FAMILY XX. CENTRARCHIDiE. THE SUN-FISHES. 



Perch- like fishes with a single dorsal fia; six (rarely seven) branchiostegals ; the 

 pseudobranchiee reduced in size and partly concealed, and the body more or less deep and 

 compressed, the regions above and below the axis of the body nearly eqaally developed 

 and corresponding to each other ; dorsal fin either continuous, or more or less deeply 

 notched ; the spines six to 'thirteen in number, deptessible in a slight groove ; anal fin 

 with three to nine spines, the soft rays in dorsal and anal being from nine to eighteen 



