318 



PISHES OF NORTH CABOLINA. 



Genus MICROPOGON Cuvier & Valenciennes. Croakers. 



Moderate sized American shore fishes, with somewhat elongate body; large 

 rounded snout; strongly serrate preopercle; teeth in villiform bands; a row of 

 short, slender barbels on each side of chin; short gill-rakers; bitruncate caudal 

 fin; and air-bladder with long, slender lateral horns. Of the 5 or 6 known species, 

 only 1 inhabits the waters of the United States. {Micropogon, small beard.) 



275. MIOBOPOGON UNDULATUS (Linnaeus). 

 "Oroaker"; "Oroous"; "Hard-liead". 



Perca undvlata Linnaeus, Systema Naturse, ed. xii, 483, 1766; South Carolina. 



Micropogon undulatus, Yarrow, 1877, 210; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 378; Beaufort. Goode, 1884, 



378; Beaufort. Earll, 1887, 493; coast near Wilmington. Jenkins, 1887, 90; Beaufort. Jordan & 



Evermann, 1898, 1461, pi. ooxxiv, fig. 570. Linton, 1905, 394; Beaufort. 



Diagnosis.— Form stout, back moderately elevated and compressed, depth contained 3.3 

 times in total length; head large, equal to depth, snout prominent, twice length of eye; mouth 

 small, horizontal, the maxiUary barely reaching front of eye; eye .2 length of head or less; gill- 

 rakers about 23, 16 below angle; scales in lateral series about 55, in transverse series 28; dorsal 

 rays x+ i,28 (or 29), the spinous part high, the longest spine a little less than .5 length of head; 

 anal rays ii,7, the longest ray equal to longest dorsal spine; pectorals pointed, .6 head. Color: 

 brassy or grayish silvery above, silvery white below; back profusely spotted with dark brown, 

 the spots smaller than scales and irregularly arranged; sides marked with numerous wavy, dark 

 brown oblique stripes, longest anteriorly and becoming very short under posterior end of soft 

 dorsal fin where they terminate; both dorsal fins with numerous small dark spots; caudal dusky 

 greenish; other fins pale yellow, (undulatus, wavy.) 



Fig. 142. Ceoakek. Micropogon undvlaius. 



This fish, known as croaker throughout its range, is one of the commonest 

 food fishes on the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts. While it is occasionally taken 

 as far north as Massachusetts, it is not ordinarily numerous north of Chesa- 

 peake Bay. It is one of the most abundant food fishes of the North Carolina 

 coast, being found in the sounds, estuaries, and inlets, and on the outer shores 

 from early spring; and in Beaufort Harbor is said to be exceeded in abundance 

 only by the mullet and the spot among the staple market fishes. 



The croaker gets its name from the peculiar grunting or croaking noise it 



