FISHES-PERCIDAE-CALLIURUS MELANOPS. 
11 
List of specimens. 
Catalogue numbers. 
Corresponding Nos. 
of 
No. of specimens. 
Sex and age. 
Locality. 
When collected. 
Whence and how ob¬ 
tained. 
Original number. 
Nature of specimen. 
By whom col¬ 
lected. 
278 
6 
Adult. 
San Joaquin river, Cal_ 
1853 
Lieut. Williamson ... 
Alcoholic. 
Dr. Heermann. 
279 
2 
_ _do_ _ 
Sacramento river, Cal_ 
1855 
_„do_ 
_do_ 
Dr. Newberry . 
280 
2 
-_do__ 
San Francisco, California.. 
1853 
Lieut. Whipple_ 
-.-.do_ 
Dr. Kennerly.. 
CALLIURUS, Rafin. 
Gen. Char. —Body generally elongated and sub-elliptical; compressed. Head of moderate development. Mouth large ; jaws 
sub-equal, lower one longest. Velvet-like teeth on the jaws, front of vomer, and palatines. Tongue generally smooth. Cheeks 
and opercular apparatus scaly. Edge of preopercle occasionally serrated. Branchial apertures continuous under the throat. 
Spinous portion of dorsal fin longer and lower than the soft portion, with a depression between them. Anal fin with three 
spiny rays only. Insertion of ventral fins placed behind e base of the pectorals. Caudal fin posteriorly sub-emarginated 
Scales large, or of moderate development. 
Syn.— Calliurus, Rafin. Ichth. Oliiens. 1820, 26.—Agass. Amer. Journ. of Sc. XVIII, 1854, 300. 
In general appearance tlie species of this genus resemble those of Ambloplites very closely ; 
they are elongated without being slender, and hut very seldom short and deep like Bryttus and 
Pomotis. The only prominent difference between Calliurus and Ambloplites consists in the 
presence of three anal spines in Calliurus , instead of five, as is the case in Ambloplites. From 
Dioplites it differs by the two dorsal fins not being separated as is the case in the latter. 
The cheeks, as well as the opercular apparatus, are covered with scales, and a black patch 
marks the posterior portion of the opercle, as in Dioplites, Pomoxis, Ambloplites , Bryttus, and 
Pomotis. 
1. CALLIURUS MELANOPS, Grd. 
Plate III. 
Spec. Chau.— Mouth very large ; cleft directed obliquely upwards. Posterior extremity of maxillary extending to a ver¬ 
tical line drawn posteriorly to the orbit. Eye large. Insertion of ventrals situated opposite the base of the pectorals, a 
little in advance of the origin of the dorsal; their tips not extending to the vent. Scales very large. Ground color reddish 
brown, with a blackish spot upon the centre of each scale. A black patch at the upper and posterior margin of the opercle. 
Soft portion of dorsal and anal spotted at their base. 
Syn. — Galliums melanops , Grd. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. November 1857. 
This species establishes a transition between Ambloplites and Calliurus , and naturalists may 
place it in either of these genera. It has the general physiognomy of Ambloplites: its large 
scales, and its teeth upon the tongue ; whilst it approximates Calliurus by the presence of three 
spiny rays to the anal fin. 
Its form is graceful, elongated, with the dorsal and abdominal outlines regularly curved. 
The body is quite compressed posteriorly ; the nape is swollen and rounded. The greatest 
depth is equal to the length of the head, and contained about three times in the total length. 
The head, therefore, constitutes about the third of the total length. The mouth is very large ; 
