THE SMELT 



313 



The sunfishes ' have a perch-like form, but have onlj' one 

 dorsal fin instead of two. They live in fresh water, have 

 rapacious habits, are brilliantly colored, 

 and l:)uild nests in the sand, which the 

 male watches over and defends with 

 courage. Some species living in the 

 Great Lakes are known as black Ijass, or 

 rock bass. The small species, with the 

 brilliant red edge to the operculum, is 

 called pumpkinseed. 



The toadfishes (Fig. 291) are repre- 

 sented in our faunas by a common 

 species which lives under stones in har- 

 bors and attaches its eggs to the under 

 side of stones. It is a vigorous fighter. 



The sculpin (Fig. 292) is closely re- 

 lated to the toadfish. Like the latter, 

 it has a broad head and nearly scaleless 

 body. The pectoral fins are large, and 

 the two dorsal fins extend along the 

 greater part of the. back. Alhed to the foregoing is the rock 

 eel (Fig. 293), which is sometimes brought up in the seine from 

 a depth of 8 to 10 fathoms. 



Fig. 291. — Batrachus tau, 

 the toadfish. Dorsal 

 view. Two-thirds nat. 

 size. Photo, by W. H. 

 C. P. 



Fig. 292. — The little sculpin, Acanthocottus. Two-thirds nat. size. 

 Photo, by W. H. C. P. 



Fig. 290. 



