298 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



Genus Perca Linnaeus. 

 The Perches. 



Perca flavescens (Mitchill). 

 Plate 44. 



Perch. Peerch. River Perch. Yellow Perch. Yellow Ned. 



Head 3; depth 3%; D. XIII-I, 14, i ; A. Ill, 7, i; scales 

 56 in lateral line to base of caudal ; 6 scales obliquely back from 

 origin of spinous dorsal to lateral line; 13 scales between origin 

 of spinous anal and lateral line in a vertical series; mandible 2 

 in head; third branched dorsal ray 2j^ ; third anal spine 3^ ; 

 first anal ray 2^ ; upper caudal lobe 1^/7; least depth of caudal 

 peduncle 2>H', pectoral 1%.; ventral ij^. Body long, com- 

 pressed and back elevated at origin of dorsal, which is deepest 

 part of body. Caudal peduncle a little long, compressed. Head 

 large, elongate, and muzzle robust. Snout long, convex. Eye 

 circular, anterior. Mouth moderate, oblique, and mandible 

 slightly protruding. Lips rather thick and fleshy. Maxillary 

 falling a little short of posterior margin of pupil and its distal 

 expansion about i/4 in orbit. Villiform teeth in jaws and on 

 vomer and palatines. Interorbital space rather broad and only a 

 trifle convex. Nostrils a little separated. Opercular spine sharp, 

 2 smaller denticles below. Preopercular margin serrate, retrorse 

 below. Gill-rakers iii 2 + 12 iv, lanceolate, longest about i}^ 

 in pupil. Scales on predorsal region, breast and cheeks small, in 

 6 .series on latter. Shoulder-girdle, opercle and top of head well 

 striate. Lateral line O'f simple tubes, high. Spinous dorsal in- 

 serted a little behind origin of pectoral, and highest about fourth 

 spine. Rayed dorsal inserted nearer base of caudal than origin 

 of pectoral, anteriorly highest. Anal inserted a little posterior 

 to origin of second dorsal or midway between base of seventh 

 dorsal spine and base of caudal, spines graduated to third, which 

 is longest. Rayed anal deepest anteriorly. Caudal emarginate, 

 upper lobe longer. Pectoral nearly half way to anal. Ventral 

 inserted about opposite base of fourth dorsal spine, and reaching 



