MARINE AQUARIA 



shallow water. It differs from the Eel In being scaleless and having the 

 ventral fins on the throat as long and forked barbels. 



Cods or Gadiida. The Tom-cods are small fishes of which the 

 Frost-fish, Microgadus tom-cod, is found from Cape Sable north. The 

 young make interesting aquarium fishes. 



Flat Fishes, Soleid^ and Pleuronectida. A number of species of Flat- 

 fishes occur on the Atlantic coast of which the young are frequent seen 

 m aquaria. They have the habit of secreting themselves to the eyes 

 m the sand, and their pecular movements in swimming and odd appear- 

 ance are interesting. There is but one common species of Sole on the 

 Middle Atlantic coast, the Hog Choker J chirus fascitus, vih.ich will live 

 in freshwater. Of the Flounders there are a number of common forms, 

 the common Flat-fish or Winter Flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus ; 

 the Summer Flounder, Paralichthys dentatus; the Southern Flounder, 

 P. lethostigmus; the Four-spotted Flounder P. oblongus; the Window- 

 pane, Lophopsetta maculata; and the Rusty Dab, Limanda ferruginea. 



Skates or Rajida. The common skate. Raja erinecea, is frequently 

 taken on the coast from Virginia northward. It reaches a length of i8 

 mches. Sometimes the larger R. radiata strays south of Cape Cod but it 

 is a northern form. Another very large species is the Barndoor skate, 

 R. Uvis, which reaches a length of four feet. The first named is very 

 hardy and easily kept, and is a common feature of all larger Marine 

 aquaria. 



Sting-rays or Basyatida. Of this family the young of one species the 

 Common Sting-ray or Stingaree, Dasyatis centrums, is frequently taken 

 near the shore and in salt bays and inlets. It is common from Cape Cod 

 south. The adults reach a length of 12 feet. The long spine on the 

 slender tail can inflict dangerous wounds. 



Frog Fishes or Antennariida. , In the floating seaweed from the Gulf 

 Stream a bright colored little fish, the Mousefish or Sargassum-fish, 

 Pterophryne histrio, is often found, which will survive in the aquarium. 

 It is of bright orange color mottled with various shades of red and brown. 



Fishing Frogs or Lophiida. The common form is known as the 

 Angler or Goose-fish, Lophius piscatorius, which occurs in the shoals and 

 flats, and is singular on account of its repulsive ugliness and voracity. It 

 grows to a large size but the young are interesting aquarium inmates. 



Salt-water Eels or Leptocephalida. The common form is the Conger- 

 eel, Leptocephalus conger; but occasionally some rare straggling tropical eel 

 is found by the collector, borne to northern waters in the Gulf Stream. 



Care of the Marine Aquarium. The maintenance of the marine 

 aquarium, when properly understood, is as simple as that of freshwater. 



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