SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 61 



fishes, makes it a very undesirable inhabitant of our waters. It is able to live 

 out of water for many hours, even when exposed to direct sun rays; and the 

 young will exist for months in small aquaria without change of water. 



Spawning occurs in spring, the eggs being deposited in sluggish or stagnant 

 waters. The eggs and young are guarded by the parent fish, after the manner 

 of the sun-fishes. 



The bow-fin is particularly common in Albemarle Sound, and it also ascends 

 all the rivers tributary to the sound but is less common therein. It is often 

 caught in nets employed for shad and alewives, but it has no commercial value, 

 although sometimes eaten by negroes; the flesh is described as "cottony." 



Series TELEOSTEI. The Bony Fishes. 



The teleosts constitute the most numerous group of fishes, and are distin- 

 guished by a perfectly ossified skeleton and the absence of the characters found 

 in the ganoids; that is, the body is not covered with ganoid scales or bony plates, 

 the arterial bulb of the heart is thin-walled and has a pair of opposite valves, 

 there is no spiral valve in the intestine, and the optic nerves do not form a solid 

 chiasm. There are numerous orders, which, in most cases, are not here referred 

 to at length, as they contain but a single family whose description will suffice 

 for an understanding of the ordinal characters; but other orders, with many 

 local species representing two or more families, have been considered in some 

 detail. 



Order NEMATOGNATHI. The Whiskered Fishes. 



Family SILURID^. The Cat-fishes. 



The cat-fishes are readily distinguished by smooth scaleless bodies, adipose 

 dorsal fin, stout spines in dorsal and pectoral fins, and barbels or whiskers on 

 upper and lower jaws (whence the name cat-fishes). They inhabit both fresh 

 and salt waters, and are very hardy. Some attain a large size, and are impor- 

 tant food fishes. Many of them guard their eggs and young like the basses; some 

 of the species are ovoviviparous. The North Carolina cat-fishes represent 12 

 species, and fall in the following genera: 



Key to the North Carolina genera of cat-fishes. 



i. Aaterior and posterior nostrils close together, neither with a barbel; barbels 4 or 6; marine 

 species. 

 a. Lower jaw with 2 barbels, dorsal and pectoral spines ending in a long filament. 



Fblichthts. 

 aa. Lower jaw with 4 barbels, dorsal and pectoral spines without filaments. 



Galeicthts. 

 n. Anterior and posterior nostrils well separated, the posterior nostril with a barbel; barbels 8; 

 fresh-water species. 

 6. Adipose fin with its posterior margin free. 



c. Band of teeth in upper jaw terminating abruptly behind, ncit extending backward at 

 outer angles. 

 d. A continuous bony ridge (under skin) from snout to dorsal fin, the supraoccipital 

 bone being extended backward to dorsal spine; caudal fin always forked. 



ICTALUBXJS 



