924 FISHES — CENTEARCHID^. 



113. PoMOXYS ANNULARIS Rafinesque. 



Crappie; Xew L<ight; Campbellite ; Batchelor; Bride Perclt 

 Strawberry Perch; Chinquapin Perch; Sac-a-lai. 



Pomoxis'^annularis, Eafinesque, Amer. Monthly Mag., 1818, 14 ; Jonrn. Pbila. Acad. Nat. 



Sci., 1818, 417 ; lohth. Oh., 1820, 33.— Girard, U. S. P. E. R. Sarv., 1858, 6. 

 Fomoxya annularis, Jordan and Copeland, Proo. Acad Nat. Soi. Piiila,, 1876. — NELsaN, 



Cat. Fi3he8 111., 1876, 37.— Gilbert and Klippart, Eept. Ohio Fish Comm., 1877, 



77.— Jokdan, Man. Vert., 1876, 231 ; Bnll. U. S. Nat. Mns., No. 10, 1877, 37 ; Ann. N. 



Y. Acad. Sci., vol. i, 1877, 97 ; Man. Vert., 1878, 247 ; Bull. Hayden's Qeol. Surv., vol. 



iv. 1878, 437 ; Ball. U. S. Nat. Mas., No. 12, 1878, 47, 76 —Bean, U. S. Nat. Mas., 



18c0, 99. 

 Cichla storeria, Kietland, Eept. Zool. Ohio, 1838, 191. 

 Fomoxya stoi-erius, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Soi. Phila., 1865. 

 Pomoxis nitidua, Girard, Proo. Acad. Nit. Sci. Phila., Nov., 1857, p. 200 ; U. 8. Pao. R. E. 



Snrv., 1858, 6. 

 Centrarohua nitidua, Gunther, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mns., i, 1859, 257. 

 Fomoxya protaeanthua, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Soi. Phila, 1865. 

 Fomoxya intermediua, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sn. Phila., 1865. 

 Fomoxya brevicauda, Gill, Proo. Acad. Nat. Soi. Phila. 1865. 



Deaoription. — Body elongate, the depth usually abont 2J in length of body, the profile' 

 more or less strongly S-shaped, owing to the projecting snout, depressed occipital 

 region and strongly prominent, thickened ante-dorsal area ; head long, about 3 in length, 

 the mouth very wide, the mandible being about as long as the pectorals ; eye large, 

 about 4 in head; fin rays, dorsal VI, 15, the spines varying from V to VII; anal VI, 18, the 

 spines frequently but fi^e in number ; the number of spines is snbjjot to considerable 

 variation, but the normal number both in dorsal and anal is sis ; the proportions of the 

 spines also vary somewhat; lateral line with about 42 scales (36 to 48) ; color, clear sil- 

 very olive, mottled with dark olive green, the green being chiefly on the upper part of 

 the body and having a tendency to form narrow vertical bars ; dorsal and caudal mot- 

 tled with green ; anal pale, scarcely marked at all ; soft rays of dorsal and anal very high, 

 but still lower than in F. aparoides. This species reaches the length of about a foot. The 

 form varies much with age, large specimens having the body much deeper and more 

 compressed than is the case with young fishes. 



Diagnosis. — From all our species except the next, the presence of this 

 fish may be known by about six spines both in the dorsal and anal. The 

 S-curve to the profile and the larger mouth characterize this species. A 

 good color mark is the pale color of the anal which in P. sparoides is 

 strongly mottled. The normal number of dorsal spines is seven in P. 

 sparoides and six in P. annularis. 



Habitat. — This species belongs properly to the Lower Mississippi Valley, 

 being most abundant from Missouri south. It occurs in large numbers 

 in the Ohio River and its larger tributaries where it is valued as a pan- 

 fish. It possesses some of the " gamey " qualities of tHe Black Bass but 

 to a less extent. It prefers still waters and ponds and seldom ascends 

 small streams. It is rarely taken in Lake Erie. 



