s 
PIRATE PERCH. ; 921 
Aphododerus sayanus, JORDAN, Man. Vert., 2d Ed., 249. 
Aphredoderus gibbosus, (LeSueur) Cuv. and VAL., Hist. Nat. des Poiss., ix, 1833, 448. 
Sternotremia isolepis, NELSON, Bull. Ills. Mus. Nat. Hist., 1876, 39.—JORDAN, Proc. Acad. 
Nat. Sci. Phila., 1877, 71 (specimens with vent posterior). : 
Asternotremia isolepis, NELSON, Bull. U. S. Nat. Museum, x, 1377, —. 
Aphododerus isolepis, JORDAN, Man. Vert., 2d Ed , 1578,249. 
Aphrodedirus cookianus, JORDAN, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila, 1877, 60 (waters of 
Maumee River, specimens with vent anterior). 
Aphododerus cookianus, JORDAN, Bull. U.S. Mus., x, 1877, —. 
Asternotremia mesotrema, JORDAN, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., x, 1877, — (specimens with vent 
intermediate. ) 
Description.—Body broad, stout, elevated at the dorsal, the depth 34 in length, with- 
out caudal; head large, broad and stout, 3 in length, its greatest thickness a little more 
than half its length, its depth at the pupil a little less; mouth wide, lower jaw longest ; 
maxillary reaching anterior margin of eye; eye moderate, 44 in snout, its posterior mar- 
gin of eye; eye moderate, 434 in snout, its posterior margin nearly midway of head, 14 
in snout, and in interorbital space; lower posterior angle of cheek about a right angle; 
fin rays D. III., 11; A. IIL.,6; V.7; B.6; pyloric ceca 12; beginning of dorsal much 
nearer snout than base of caudal, base of dorsal 1 4-5 in distance from snout to first ray ; 
pectoral as long as from snout to opercular margin ; tips of pectorals not reaching as far 
as those of ventrals; ventrals considerably more than half length of head, reaching four- 
fifths the distance to anal; long anal spine 24 in head; caudal rounded; scales very 
small, strongly ctenoid, not easily seen along the middle of the body, largest on cheeks 
and on opereles; 48to 55 series along sides; color dark olive, appearing bronze in 
spirits, profusely speckled with dark points, which give the fins a dark color; a dark 
bar at base of caudal and a light one behind it. Length 3 to 4 inches. 
Habitat, Maumee River. Calumet River. Wabash River, tributaries of the Missis- 
sippi and lower Ohio Rivers. South to Arkansas, also in coastwise streams from New 
York to Louisiana. It is found only in sluggish alluvial waters among weeds, and its 
presence in the west seems to have been quite overlooked until lately. 
Diagnosis—This species will be always known among Ohio fishes by © 
the presence of a continuous dorsal fin with three or four distinct spines. 
Habits.—Its habits are little known. It is said to be quite voracious, 
and appears only at night. It is too small to be of value for food, but 
will doubtless take the hook if encouraged. 
FAMILY CHNTRARCHIDA. THE SUN-FISHES. 
Perch-like fishes with a single dorsal fin; six (rarely seven) branchiostegals; the 
pseudobranchiz reduced in size and partly concealed, and the body more or less deep and 
compressed, the regions above and below the axis of the body nearly equally developed 
and corresponding to each other; dorsal fin either continuous, or more or less deeply 
notched; the spines six to thirteen in number, depressible in a slight groove; anal fin 
with three to nine spines, the soft rays in dorsal and anal being from nine to eighteen 
