24-2 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
Habitat.- — Northern part of the Mississippi Basin, the Great Lakes, and along the Atlantic 
seaboard from Maine to Florida (not found by Hildebrand (1923) in the Savannah River Basin 
in the vicinity of Augusta, Ga.). 
Chesapeake localities. — (a) Previous records: “In the region of Baltimore they prefer the 
brackish water * * *” (Uhler and Lugger, 1876); St. George Island (other localities not 
definitely brackish water). ( b ) Specimens in collection: Many localities, from Havre de Grace, 
Md., southward to Lewisetta, Va. Highest salinity, Blackistone Island, Md., October 20, 1921, 
18.17 per mille. 
Comparison of lengths and weights of the tobacco box 
Number of fish weighed and measured 
Length 
Weight 
Number of fish weighed and measured 
Length 
Weight 
5 
Inches 
3 H 
4 
m 
5 
Ounces 
0.5 
.7 
1.0 
1.1 
1.3 
1.5 
5 
Inches 
5H 
5'A 
5% 
6 
6X 
6'A 
Ounces 
1.7 
2.0 
2.4 
2.7 
3.0 
4.1 
5 
5 
4 
4 . 
11 
2 
9 
1 ... 
8 
1 
101. Genus MICROPTERUS Lacepede. Black basses 
Body elongate, compressed; back not much elevated; head long, rather low; snout conic; 
mouth large, oblique; lower jaw projecting; maxillary broad, with a well-developed supplemental 
bone, reaching opposite middle to beyond eye; teeth pointed, in bands on jaws, vomer, and pala- 
tines; opercle ending in two broad points; preopercle entire; gill rakers moderate; scales rather 
small, ctenoid; lateral line complete; dorsal fin continuous, rather deeply notched, with 10 rather 
low spines; caudal fin emarginate; anal fin with three spines, the soft part similar to that of the 
dorsal. This genus has three species; two are represented in the fresh and slightly brackish waters 
of the Chesapeake region. 
KEY TO THE SPECIES 
a. Mouth moderate; maxillary reaching to or a little beyond middle of eye; scales rather small, 
69 to 72 in lateral series, 10 between lateral line and beginning of soft part of dorsal; color 
nearly uniform (young more or less barred and spotted) dolomieu, p. 242 
aa. Mouth very large; maxillary reaching to or beyond posterior margin of eye; scales larger, 61 
to 64 in lateral series, 7 or 8 between lateral line and beginning of soft part of dorsal ; a distinct 
black lateral band usually present, occasionally obsolete in adults salmoides, p. 243 
131. Micropterus dolomieu Lacdpede. Black bass; Smallmouth black bass. 
Micropterus dolomieu Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., IV, 1803, p. 325; locality doubtful. Bean, 1883, p. 365; Jordan and Ever- 
mann, 1896-1900, p. 1011, PI. CLXII, figs. 430, 430a; Smith and Bean, 1899, p. 186; Fowler, 1912, p. 55. 
Head 2.8 to 2.85; depth 3.35 to 3.6; D. X, 14; A. Ill, 11; scales 10-69 to 72. Body elongate, 
compressed; head rather long and low; snout pointed, 3.2 to 3.8 in head; eye 3.35 to 4.15; inter- 
orbital 5.25 to 5.65; mouth moderate, slightly oblique; lower jaw projecting; maxillary reaching 
about middle of eye, 2.15 to 2.3 in head; gill rakers moderate, about seven more or less developed on 
lower limb of first arch; scales rather small, firm, feebly ctenoid, scales on cheeks much smaller than 
on body; lateral line complete, arched a little anteriorly; dorsal fin long and low, the spinous part 
lower than the soft portion; caudal fin emarginate; anal fin short, preceded by three short spines, 
the soft part similar to that of the dorsal and coterminal with it; ventral fin inserted under or slightly 
behind base of pectorals, failing to reach vent; pectoral fins short, round, 2.2 to 2.3 in head. 
Color in life, of young 2 Y 2 to 4 inches long, greenish blue or greenish brown, mottled with brown, 
the mottlings most conspicuous above lateral line; five brownish stripes on sides of head back of and 
below eye; underneath head and parts of opercle sky-blue; abdomen grayish white; dorsal dusky 
and light brown, slightly mottled; caudal dusky at base, median parts yellowish brown, distally with 
black, margined with white or salmon red; anal dusky yellow, slightly mottled, margined with 
white; ventrals and pectorals yellowish, the latter slightly dusky on one specimen. No adults were 
