Fbesh-wateb Fishes. FISHES. Fbesh-wateb Fishes. 
Family PEROIDJL {Perches) are carnivorous 
Fishes, of ratlier large size, mostly peculiar to the 
livers of the N’ortherii hemisphere. According to the 
arrangement here adopted, the genera number about 
five, and the species fifteen. The body of the true 
Perch is covered with rather small ctenoid scales. 
The opercular bones are mostly serrated. The teeth 
are situated in bands upon the jaws, vomer and 
palatines. 'Jiiere are two dorsals, distinct, and both 
well developed ; the anal has one or two spines. 
Yellow Perch (Perea flavescens (Mitch.), Cuv.), 
called, also, American Perch, is one of the best 
known and widely distributed of ourfluviatile Fishes. 
Wall-eyed Pike (Stizostedium aniericanuin, Val., 
Gill), called, also. Yellow Pike, Glass-eye, and Dory, 
attains the weight of fifteen iiounds in the great lakes 
and Western rivers. Two other species are found 
in the same localities — the White Salmon (S. sal- 
moneutn), and Sanger, or Gray Pike (S. griseum). 
'J’hese are usually called Pike-perches, from a union 
of resemblances to the two forms. Lucioperca is the 
old generic term of Cuvier. 
Family LABRA0IDA3 {Bass .) — This family is 
mostly marine, and embraces perch-like Fishes hav- 
ing the general characters of the preceding family. 
There are fifteen genera and thirty-five species. 
The Striped Bass, which has a place here, has been 
noticed in our account of Marine Fishes. White 
Bass, or Striped Lake Bass (Roccus chrysops (Raf.), 
Gill) is found in the great lakes and the Upper Mis- 
sissippi. Besides the Marone americana (marine) 
the Short-striped or Brassy Bass (M. interrupta, 
Gill) is known to the southern part of the Mississippi 
Valley. 
Family ICHTHILIDMi;. — 'I’hese are perch-like 
Fishes, with a single dorsal, called Sun-fishes. Many 
build nests, 'i’here are fifteen genera and about forty 
species, all American ; most abundant in the Missis- 
sippi Valley. Oswego Bass (Micropterus nigricans, 
(Guv.), Gill), also called Large-mouthed Black 
Bass, is found in the great lakes, and is particu- 
larly well known in Buffalo and Oswego ; Small- 
mouthed Black Bass (M. fasciatus (Lac.), Gill) is 
described by DeKay as Centrarchus. 'I’he genus 
Centrarchus, embracing the Many-spined Bass, has 
one species in our waters— The Shining Bass (C. 
irideus (Bose), Cuv. and Val.), which is found in 
the rivers of the Southern States. Pomoxys (High- 
finned Bass) has two species — P. hexacanthus and 
P. annularis. The latter bears the name Bachelor 
and New Light in Kentucky, and Crappie in St. 
Louis. They are regarded as good food Fishes. 
Ambloplites has Rock Bass, Goggle-bye, Red-eye 
(A. rupestris (Raf.), Gill), abundant in the great 
lakes and rivers west of the Alleghanies ; and A. 
cavifrons. Cope, habitat, Roanoke River. Acan- 
tharchus is represented by the Mud Sun-fish (A. 
poinotis (Baird), Gill), found in muddy streams, 
coastwise about New Jersey and New York. Foue- 
spined Sun-fish (.Bemioplites simulans Cope) is 
found in James River, Va. Enneacanlhus, Gill, 
embraces the Nine-spined Sun-fishes. 'J’he species 
are: Spotted Sun-fish (B. boesus (Baird), Gill), in 
VoL. 1.—U* 
colvii 
streams, coastwise from Massachusetts southward ; 
Black-banded Sun-fish (Mesogonistius chcEtodon 
(Baird), Gill), New Jersey and Maryland, in slug- 
gish waters ; a small and handsome species. The 
Black Sun-fish (Glossoplites melanops, Jordon) — 
Calliurus of Agassiz — is found in the Illinois River 
and southwards to Texas. 'I.'he Red-eyed Bream 
(G. gilli (Cope), Jordon) is found in Virginia and 
southward, east of the Alleghanies. Blue-spotted 
Sun-fish (Chsenobryttus cyanellus (Raf.), Jordon), 
habitat, Ohio Valley and westward. Other species 
are; C. gulosus and Chain-sided Sun-fish (C. 
nephelus (Cope), Jordon), habitat, Ohio Valley. 
Blue Sun-fish (Ichtlielis incisor (Cuv. and Val.), 
Holb.), called, also, Copper-nose Bream, found in 
the great lakes and the Delaware River. There 
are eleven other species and varieties inhabiting the 
rivers and lakes of the middle and western portion 
of Nortli America, many of whicli are beautiful in 
colors. 'I'he only one whicli occurs in New England 
is the Northern Red-tail (I. appendix, (Mitch.), 
Bliss), ranging from Maine to Nortli Carolina. Po- 
motis is exclusively an American genus, composed of 
fresh-water Pishes entirely, and is closely allied to 
the preceding. Cuvier says that the common people, 
in naming the typical species Perch, were more cor- 
rect in their conception of the characters than natu- 
ralists had been. Common Sun-fish (Poinotis auri- 
tus (Linn.), Gunther), also called Pumpkin-seed and 
Bream, is the most familiar form of fresh-water 
Fishes; known to every country boy within the 
range of the great lakes and streams, mostly north- 
ward and east of the Alleghanies. It is P. macula- 
tus, aureus, vulgaris and luna of authors. Mitchill 
names it Morone maculatus. Linnsus recorded it as 
Labrus auritus. Two otlier species are abundant in 
the 'I'ennessee River. 
Family APHREDODERIDA5 {Pirate Perches). 
— In these forms the vent is jugular, in front of the 
ventral fins. The dorsal is single, high, with three 
spines only; ventrals are thoracic, without spines 
and with more tliaii five soft rays. Some of the 
head bones are spinous. The palate and jaws are 
armed with teeth. Scales are ctenoid. A single 
species only is known — The Pirate Perch (Aphre- 
dodorus sayanus (Gilliams), DeKay). It is found in 
brooks along the coast of the Eastern and Southern 
States, from New York to Louisiana, and is remark- 
able for its voracity and for its nocturnal habits. 
The unusual situation of the vent distinguishes it 
widely from the Percidm. 
Family SCIHUNID.® {Maigres). — 'I'he members 
of this family are chiefly marine. The genus Hap- 
loidoiiotus, collectively called Bubblers, has three 
species. The Sheep’s-head, White Perch, Grunter 
or Drum, are names applied to one, and the others 
are respectively named for the 'I’ennessee and Mis- 
souri Rivers, where they are found. Eutychelithus, 
including the Lake Huron Drums, is represented by 
one species. 'I’he generic term is from the Greek, 
meaning lucky,” and “a stone,” from the fact that 
the ear-stones, or bones, are large, and are used as 
“ lucky stones ” by the boys of the region. 
