424 Fisainc my AMErican WATERS. 
quently the shape and character of the scales, the character 
of the gills, and the number of the gill-openings. 
The most important and easily recognized of these features 
are the fins; and in describing them the names are given, 
and the number of spines or rays in each. 
FIRST CLASS OF FISHES. 
SPINE-RAYED BONY FISHES. (Acanthopterygii.) 
on Aree i fie Ppa (LOR _,20 24 
Seale of inches. 
Tor Percn Pamiy.—1. American Yellow Perch, Perca flavescens. 2. Striped Sea Bass, 
Labrax lineatus, 3. Black Bass, or Black Perch of Lake Huron, Hiro nigricans. 4. 
Growler, or White Salmon of Virginia, Grystes salimoides. 5, Black Sea Bass, Cen- 
tropistes nigricans. 6. Mediterranean Apogon, Apoven trimaciulatus. 7, Two-band- 
ed Diploprion, Diploprion bifaciatum, 8, One-spotted Mesoprion, Mesoprion unino- 
tatus. 9. Ruby-colored Etelis, klis carbuneulus. 10. Armed Enoplossus, Enoplos- 
susarmatus. 11. Lettered Serriuus, Serranus scriba, 12. Spined Serranus, Serranis 
anthias. 13. Red Surmullet, Mulls barbatus. 
THE PERCH FAMILY.  (Ctenoicls.) 
The spine-rayed bony fishes comprise more than three 
fourths of all the various kinds that are known. From four- 
teen to seventeen different families, some of them embracing 
several hundred species each, have been included in this di- 
vision. At the head of the whole stands the Perch family, 
the most numerous of all. Most of them are salt-water fish, 
