THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 431 



feature. The wild fish is largely olive in color, but through 

 domestication various shades of color are induced, such as orange, 

 silvery or black, together with abnormally shaped fins and eyes. 

 It is the favorite aquarium fish and is also introduced into most 

 ponds, reservoirs, fountains and lakes. It is said to breed in 

 foul water during early spring. It reaches a length of a foot 

 and is not used as food. 



Family SILURID^. 



The Cat Fishes. 

 Represented by a single introduced species. 



Genus Ictai^urus Rafinesque. 



The Channel Cats. 

 Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque). 



Spotted Cat Fish. ■ ^ 



Distinguished from any of our other fresh water cat fishes 

 by the complete bony bridge from the head to the dorsal spine. 



Introduced from the Great Lakes and Mississippi valley region. 

 It is generally abundant in the channels of the larger streams. 

 An excellent food-fish reaching a weight of 25 pounds. It is very 

 variable. 



Ichthcelurus punctatus Abbott, Nat. Rambles, 1885, p. 479. 



Genus AmEiurus Rafinesque. 



The Horned Pout. 



Ameiurus lacustris (Walbaum). 



Lake Cat Fish. 



This species may be distinguished from the channel or white 

 cat, the only other forked-tailed species of the genus within our 

 limits, by the more numerous anal rays, about 25 to 35 in 

 number. 



