ew eae a hina ng inl eS th Sos ONS SNA NNA Wi eis aU WAN WARNE RAN SW OV SN SY AAS SSE ASO MAAN a ~ NN \ \ SS SY \ RAY AN RMA SSNS SWS SY SSSR RAREST * \ i SOO S NS OS SN Is WAS OGL ade gn ee Ste, 2 6 fs Ze SL I hey Sth, pose Got, os ie X TA oe Ltt tty PTT, VASJLE, We, Yee 2, LIAL Lg Sh OD tsi RQ WRG — WI eA Sates SKORS . , N MMMM SSO MAA (i iF) | i) C- [ ago Seb / Published monthly by the x i} University of the State of New York BULLETIN 278 FEBRUARY 1903 New York State Museum FREDERICK J. H. MERRILL Director Bulletin 60 ZOOLOGY: 9 CATALOGUE OF THE + Gg g t FISHES OF NEW YORK BY TARLETON “-H.’ BEAN: M.S. M.D. PAGE PAGE GERACE raisins veo a4 ines ietaielai Sele ieinys cin Peebles vey Sisk cA pOGeS-teeIS aia.) oe oe fae a dhe oielaiote sas ees 169 MRE OCINCEION 6)... sore ciocee vo ae sabddoee scout Isospondyli, isospondylous fishes...... ... 177 Marsipobranchii, lampreys............+..+ IZ Iniomi, lantern fishes........... apiece Zon Hyperoartii, lampreys............... SoA II HaplomiypukcelikeniShtes\seris nein) selelalsiale viefete 287 ZS ICE SRD TISIIES -1<) ccs slsiciaielelaieiaice/elvisis/sfela/ viele» 17 Synentognathi, synentognathous fishes.... 317 Asterospondyli, typical sharks............ 17 Hemibranchii, half-gills ............. . Sho. S8)5 Cyclospondyli, cyclospondylous sharks.... 43 Lophobranchii, tuftgills ........... gotaona ev, Batoidei, rayS .....sereee eitistthers aaleicieraniolcrr near O Acanthopteri, spiny-rayed fishes.....-..++ 351 Selachostomi, paddletishes .........-....5. 60 Plectognathi, fishes with ankylosed jaws.. 608 F@NGNALOSLE! SEUTSEONS co ceccevvscecse ss os 63 Pediculati, pediculate fishes.......e+e- jon. Vee | Rhomboganoidea, gar pikes............:, 69 Recorded distribution of New York Cycloganoidea, boWfINS........ssessevsseee 73 ASHES os decide tles sree tiecametin eters) sister ea 7aO Nematognathi, catfishes ........sssesesess 76 MGovals'e FANE SBA hodgs toeDOCUC nonboenc sees TAT Plectospondyli, carplike fishes....... canon | Oy ALBANY UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 1903 Price $1 Mio4m-Ja2-1500 1892 1878 1873 1877 877 1881. 1881 1883 1885 1388 1890 1890 1893 1895 1895 1897 1g00 Igo! Igo! 1902 1903 1903 1903 1888 1890 1890 University of the State of New York REGENTS With years of election WILLIAM CROSWELL Doane D.D. LL.D. Chancellor, Albany Wuitetaw Rei M.A. LL.D. Vice Chancellor — New York Martin I. TowNsenD M.A. LL.D. Be re bo i CHauncey M. Depew LL.D. Ms ve BS — New York CHarLeés) FE, Fircae LL.B. M.A. L.H.D. - _ Rochester WILLIAM H. Watson M.A. M.D. LL.D. = — Utica Henry E. Turner LL.D. ss na AN lade Lowville St Crarr McKetway. M.A, L.H.D. LL.D. D.C.L. Brooklyn DANTEL BEacn) (Ph.Ds) D, 200) 2) ees ee ange CarRROLL E. SmitH LL.D. - ae de = _ Syracuse Puiny T.Sexton LL.D. - = = cs = Palmyra T. Guitrorp SmirH M.A. C.E. LL.D. - ~— Buffalo Lewis A. Stimson B.A. LL.D. M.D. -— = New York ALBERT VANDER VEER M.A. Ph.D. M.D. - — Albany CHARLES R. SKINNER M.A. LL.D. | Superintendent of Public Instruction, ex officio CHESTER 8S. LorpD M.A. LL.D. - =: - Brooklyn Tuomas A. Henprick M.A. LL.D. — — — Rochester BENJAMIN B. ODELL jr LL.D. Governor, ex officio RoBert C. PRuyn M.A. -— ~ a - — Albany Witiiam. NotrincHam M.A. Ph.D. - — — syracuse Frank W. Hiccrns Lieutenant Governor, ex officio Joun F. O’Brien Secretary of State, ex officio CuHar.Les A, GARDINER B.A. LL.B. M.A. Ph.D. — New York SECRETARY Elected by Regents 1900 JAMES RUSSELL PARSONS jR M.A. LL.D. DIRECTORS OF DEPARTMENTS Metvi, Dewey M.A. LL.D. State Library and Home Education James RussELL Parsons yr M.A. LL.D. Administrative, College and High School Dep'ts FREDERICK J. H. MERRILL Ph.D. Séate Museum 1) University of the State of New York New York State Museum FREDERICK J. H. Merritt Director Bulletin 60 ZOOLOGY 9 CATALOGUE OF THE FISHES OF NEW YORK PREFACE In 1836, under the infiuence of public interest, Secretary of State John A. Dix presented to the legislature a plan for a natural history survey of the state, which was carried out with success and credit and resulted in the publication of a large - number of valuable reports. Not the least important of these were the contributions of James E. De Kay to the zoology of New York, which appeared in 1842 and 1845. Since that time comparatively little official recognition had been given to the progress of biologic study, till in 1897 the writer secured the able services of Mr Gerrit 8S. Miller jr in preparing a preliminary list of New York mammals. Follow- ing this appeared in October 1900 a key to the land mammals of northeastern North America by the same author, and in April 1900 a check list of the birds of New York by Dr Marcus S. Farr, who is now engaged in the preparation of a detailed catalogue of the birds of New York. A list of reptiles and batrachians by Messrs Eckel and Paulmier has recently appeared; and in the present bulletin Dr Tarleton H. Bean gives to the citizens of the state the benefit of his natural talent and long training as an 4 | NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM ichthyologist. It is hoped and believed that the results of this work will be of much practical use to the ‘public at large and to the teachers and students in the schools of the state. By special request of the author his synonymies are printed in the form in which they were prepared by him. FREDERICK J. H. MPRRILL Albany N. Y. July 1902 x INTRODUCTION New York has an extensive water area and a great diversity of surface. Its principal drainage basins are: the Great lakes, the St Lawrence river, including Lake Champlain, the Ohio basin, the Susquehanna, the Delaware, the Hudson and several small Streams adjacent to it in the southeastern part of the state. The inland lakes, in the central and western part of the state, almost all communicate with Lake Ontario. Chautauqua lake belongs to the Ohio basin. Lake Otsego and two small lakes east of Keuka lake, empty into the Susquehanna. The Adirondack lakes for the most part belong to the St Lawrence drainage basin, some of them emptying into Lake Champlain, and a few into the upper waters of the Hudson. Long Island has a larger number of species than all the re- mainder of the state. The number of marine species in its waters is 217, and its fresh waters contain 27 species, of which 13 have been recently introduced. In the bays of the south side of the island, wherein the water is brackish or nearly fresh, and where there is a luxuriant growth of water plants, young menhaden and alewives are ex- tremely abundant. One of the fresh-water fishes is a hybrid trout, artifically pro- duced; another is the black-nosed dace, which is perhaps doubt- fully recorded from Long Island; and 13 species have been recently introduced, as before remarked. The permanent residents in fresh water are the following: horn pout, chub sucker, roach, brook trout, striped mud minnow, banded pickerel, chain pickerel, fresh-water killy, pirate perch, fresh-water silverside, sunfish, yellow perch, and Johnny darter. Most of these 13 species, or perhaps all of them, could easily have been introduced by man within the last century or two. Mitchill recorded only three fresh-water species from Long Island. These are: yellow perch, brook trout and pickerel. To the pickerel he applied the name Esox lucius, a species 6 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM which does not occur on the island. He mentioned also the bony-scaled pike, ESox osseus, concerning which he says: “A few years ago I had a large and complete specimen from Long Island, which agrees in the main with the descriptions extant.” This was doubtless a mistake of locality. The yellow perch was transplanted by Mitchill in 1790 from Ronkonkoma pond to Success pond, in Queens county, a distance of 40 miles. Prior to 1790, he states, there were no yellow perch in Success: pond. De Kay also knew only a few species of fresh-water fishes in Long Island waters—the yellow perch, roach, banded pickerel, and brook trout. It seems probable that some of the early writers on New York fishes must have had access to collections from Long Island, and yet a number of species might have existed without dis- covery during the time of their observations. The present num- ber of species whose date of introduction is not recorded is very small, and most of the so called native fishes represent species: which lend themselves readily to the purpose of artificial intro- duction. 3 It is a matter of record that some species of fresh-water fishes identical with those found in Long Island waters, have been swept out of the Hudson river by spring floods, and several such species have been seen at Gravesend bay, Long Island. It is certain that incursions of fresh-water forms could have taken: place from time to time in the streams of the north side, and also on the south side of Long Island. Once established in that way, their wider dissemination through the agency of man, aquatic birds, and even through their own movements could be very easily accomplished. Of the fresh-watey fishes known to Mitchill and De Kay, the brook trout can live in fresh and salt water indifferently; the chain pickerel is frequently found in brackish water; the yellow perch is one of the fish which have been brought down from the Hudson by floods into Gravesend bay; the roach is a common » resident of lakes in New York and Brooklyn parks, and its dis- tribution has been greatly extended through the agency of man. 4 FISHES OF NEW YORK fi The number of fishes included in this catalogue is 375, of which 371 are named, and the following four, which have only recently been discovered in the state, should be added to the list: no. 763 bullhead minnow, no. 914 silver-jawed minnow, no. 943 silver chub, no. 2554 northern darter. Of these species 217 are marine, 141 fresh-water, and 17 anadromous. The number of intro- duced species is 15, and the number whose occurrence in New York waters is doubtful is 18. The small number of fresh- water species would be remarkable but for the fact that no extensive investigations have recently been made of the fresh waters of the interior of the state, and the catalogue is in that respect simply incomplete. The anadromous species are the following: no. 1 sea lamprey, no. 35 common sturgeon, no. 37 short-nosed sturgeon, no. 101 eel, no. 112 hickory shad, no. 118 branch herring, no. 114 glut herring, no. 115 shad, no. 130 quinnat salmon, no. 131 Atlantic salmon, no. 134 steelhead, no. 137 rainbow trout, no. 143 smelt, no. 170 10-spined stickleback, no. 171 two-spined stickleback, no. 260 striped bass, no. 261 white perch. Besides these, the following marine species occasionally run up into fresh water for shorter or longer distances: no. 158 silver gar, no. 223 blue- fish, no. 224 crab-eater, no. 321 naked goby, no. 346 tomcod, no. 368 hogchoker. The introduced species are: no. 71 tench, no. 74 golden ide, no. 99 goldfish, no. 100 carp, no. 130 quinnat salmon, no. 131 At- jJantic salmon, no. 132 landlocked salmon, no. 133 Lake Tahoe trout, no. 134 steelhead, no. 135 brown trout, no. 136 Lochleven trout, no. 1387 rainbow trout, no. 138 Swiss lake trout, no. 141 Saibling, no. 142 golden trout. The fishes whose pertinence to the New York fauna is doubt- ‘ful are the following: no. 73 Leuciscus margarita, no.162 longbeak, no. 208 amberfish, no. 226 small dolphin, no. 262 wreckfish, no. 263 spotted grouper, no. 265 coachman, no. 290 Zenopsis, no. 801 globefish, no. 302 hairy bowfish, no. 303 bur- fish, no. 317 sea poacher, no. 327 shanny, no. 328 blenny, no. 329 snakefish, no. 337 red gurnard, no. 356 cusk, no. 359 rough dab. 8 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM The fishes represent 99 families. The lampreys include 4 species; the sharks 18 species; the catfishes 14 species, of which 2 are marine; suckers 9 species; minnows or carps 39 species; herrings 10 species; salmon family, which includes the trout. and whitefish, 20 species, one half of which number have been introduced; pikes 6 species; killy fishes 5 species; sticklebacks 5 species; silversides 5 species; the mackerel family 10 species; the pompano family 18 species; sunfishes 18 species; perches, including the darters, 17 species; sea basses 8 species; weakfish family 10 species; sculpins 8 species, equally divided between the fresh and salt waters; sea robins 5 species, one of which, - the red gurnard, probably never occurred in our waters, though it has been assigned to New York; codfishes 12 species, one of them a permanent resident in fresh water; flounders 10 species, but one of these is of doubtful occurrence. The species whose existence in New York waters has only recently been reported, and which are not numbered in this catalogue, are the bullhead minnow, Cliola vigilax Baird & Girard, ‘tthe silver-jawed minnow, Ericymba buccata Cope, silver chub, Hybopsis amblops Rafinesque, and the northern darter, Etheostoma boreale Jordan. The first three of these species have been found in the western part of New York, and the northern darter has been recorded in the basin of St Lawrence river, from Montreal to Lake Ontario. The names used in this catalogue are substantially those | employed by Jordan and Evermann in bulletin 47, United States National Museum; and I am indebted to these authors for many of the descriptions of the genera. There are some departures, — however, from the names employed in that bulletin, for reasons which appear to me satisfactory; for example, the name Etrumeus sadina is discarded for the round herring, and the specific name teres of De Kay is used in its stead, because Mitchill’s type bore a close resemblance to the shad. - It has a spot behind the gill cover, a wide and toothless mouth, a projecting lower jaw, and 15 anal rays. There is no prob- ability that Mitchill had the round herring before him for this - description. FISHES OF NEW YORK 9 The glut herring in my list is called Clupeacyanonoton Storer; Mitchill’s name,aestivalis, appears to be a synonym of mediocris and mattowaca of the same author. Its relation to the hickory shad was long since pointed out by Dr Gill. Mitchill stated that the fish has seven or eight dark roundish spots extending in the direction of the lateral line. His figure shows a row of eight dark spots on the side extending to the end of the dorsal fin on the level of the eye. The name Coregonus labradoricus, for the Labra- dor whitefish, is omitted because that species is identical with the common whitefish. The characters by which the Labrador whitefish were supposed to be distinguished are untenable, pre- cisely the same characters being found in the whitefish and there being no other basis of separation. , The author has discovered that Kirtlandia laciniata Swain is identical with K. vagrans Goode & Bean. The species Querimana gyrans is believed to be the young of Mugil trichodon-~Poey; and the genus Queri- mana was found to be the young state of Mugil. The name Neomaenis blackfordi is retained for the red snapper for the reasons clearly given in the 19th Report of the Commissioners of Fisheries of New York, 1890. There is absolutely no proof that the name aya should be applied to this species. | The synonymy given for the species is limited usually to _ authors who wrote specially on the fishes of New York, or ad- jacent regions, and to the well known general catalogues of recent writers on ichthyology. One principal aim has been to give as many references as possible to illustrations of species. The descriptions of the fishes are based chiefly on collections studied by the author, many of which were obtained in his own field work. The results of investigations made by parties for the United States Fish Commission have also been incorporated in the text. Illustrations of the species would have added greatly to the report; but the time was not available for obtaining drawings 10 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM for this purpose. Artificial keys also would have been an addi- tional advantage; but, as references are given in every case to bulletins 16 and 47 of the United States National Museum, which ' contain complete series of artificial keys, this feature was omitted. : The author hopes ere long to prepare a new account of the - fishes of New York, containing illustrations of all the species, together with keys for identification, but can not complete such an undertaking till after the inland waters of the state have been more thoroughly and systematically investigated. TARLETON H. BHAN Washington D. C. 1902 FISHES OF NEW YORK i bal § Class MARSIPOBRANCHII Order HYPEROARTII Family PETROMYZONTIDAE Lampreys Genus PETRomyzon (Artedi) Linnaeus Lampreys with the supraoral lamina armed with two or three separate teeth, pointed, and close together, not forming a cres- cent-shaped plate; anterior lingual tooth with a median depres- sion; buccal disk large, with numerous teeth arranged in con- centric series; dorsal fins separate, the second joined to the caudal. | 1 Petromyzon marinus Linnaeus Great Sea Lamprey; Lamprey Eel Petromyzon marinus LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, 230, 1758; MUITCHILL, Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 461, 1815; Gunruer, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 501, 1870; JornpANn & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 11, 1883; JorDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 10, pl. I, fig. 3, 1896. Petromyzon americanus LE SuEuR, Trans. Am. Phil: Soc. Phila. I, 383, 1818; Dr Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 379, pl. 66, fig. 216, 1842; STorER, Hist. Fish. Mass. 275, pl. XX XVIII, fig. 4, 1867. -Petromyzon appendia DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 381, pl. 64, fig. 211, 1842 (young). Body cylindric, eellike, stout, somewhat compressed~ behind. The mouth is terminal, subcircular in shape and suctorial. It is strongly armed with large conical teeth or cusps mounted on. papillae, those of the inner series being bicuspid. Guarding the throat are crescent-shaped plates, bearing pectinate lingual teeth 7 a pair of these plates on either side and another pair below them. The mandibulary plate has seven cusps. There are seven branchial apertures on each side of the head, the first not far behind the eye; the distance of the last opening from the tip.of the snout is contained about five times in the total length. Eye rather small, covered by membrane. The first dorsal originates in about the middle of the length; it is little developed and well separated from the second dorsal which is confluent with the anal. The anal is very low and 12 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM only about half as long as the second dorsal. The vent is far back, opposite the origin of the second dorsal. The specimen described, number 10654 in the U. S. National Museum collection, is 28 inches long. The sea lamprey or lamprey eel inhabits the north Atlantic,. ascending streams to spawn and sometimes becoming land- locked. In some interior waters of New York the landlocked form has received the name, unicolor, of De Kay. The species ranges southward on our coast to Virginia. In the Dela- ware, Susquehanna and their tributaries this is a common fish. Its larval form, which is blind and toothless, is extremely abundant in muddy sandflats near the mouths of small streams. and is a very important. bait for hook and line fishing. The sea lamprey grows to a length of 3 feet. It is dark brown in color, mottled with black and white. In the breeding season in Spring the males have a high fleshy ridge in front of the dorsal. The spawning is believed to take place in May or June. The eels cling to the rocks by means of their suctorial mouths and the eggs are deposited in shallow water on a rough bottom where the current is swift. Some observers state that they make nests by heaping up stones in a circle and deposit the eggs under the stones. The ovaries are large, but the eggs are very small. The food of the lamprey is chiefly animal matter and the fish is somewhat of a parasite, burrowing into the side of shad, sturgeon and some other species. The teeth are adapted. for this method of feeding. The tooth-bearing bone of the upper side of the mouth contains two teeth which are placed close together... On the bone corresponding with the lower jaw there are seven or nine stout cusps. There are numerous teeth around the disk, the first row on the side of the mouth con- taining bicuspid teeth; the others are simple. The tooth on the front of the tongue has a deep median groove. The species. is adapted for fastening itself to other fishes and extracting from them their blood. \ FISHES OF NEW YORK 13 The lamprey is considered a good food fish in some localities, but in other places it is rarely eaten. In Connecticut and Massachusetts the species is highly esteemed. It is preserved by salting for several weeeks before using. The fish is some- times caught with the hands or by means of a pole armed with a hook in the end. As it is found in shallow water and will not usually relinquish its hold on the bottom, its capture is easily effected. The sea lamprey has been obtained in Gravesend bay in small numbers in March, April and June. It is not adapted to cap- tivity because of the impracticability of furnishing it with proper food. 2 Petromyzon marinus unicolor (DeKay) Lake Lamprey Ammocetes unicolor DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 383, pl. 79, fig. 250, 1842. Petromyzon marinus subsp. dorsatus WILDER in JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull, 16, U. S. Nat..Mus. 869, 1882. Petromyzon marinus unicolor MEEK, Ann. N. Y. Ac. Sci. 284, 1886; Jorpan & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 10, 1896. De Kay described this lamprey under the name Ammocoe- tes unicolor in Zoology of New York; or the New York Fauna, pt 4, Fishes, p. 383, pl. 79, fig. 250. His description was made from a specimen 4 inches long and 7 of an inch in depth. The plate represents it as having the dorsal scarcely percept- ible, beginning to rise at about the middle of its length, but at no point exceeding 75 of an inch in hight. The anal is sim- ilar to the dorsal and like the latter continuous with the caudal. Dr De Kay received specimens from the Rev. Zadock Thompson, who obtained them from Lake Champlain. This variety is distinguished from the common marine lam- prey only by its size, its uniform dark coloration, more pro- nounced dorsal ridge, and the less degree of separation of the dorsal fins. It inhabits the lakes of northern and central New York and is not anadromous. Prof. Seth E. Meek has published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 4:299, the following notes on the species. 14 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM / The lake lamprey is found in larger numbers than the brook lamprey, and reaches a much larger size. During the spring of 1886 more than a thousand individuals were taken from Cayuga lake inlet, and all of them within 5 miles of Ithaca. They began to ascend the inlet to spawn on May 21, and continued to do so until late in June. Their nests are excavations made in the bed of the stream, in shallow water, usually just above ripples. The eggs are deposited in the fine sand and gravel at the bottom of these nests, and the embryos developed there. The larvae live in the sand along the edge of the stream just below the water line. This species is parasitic on bullheads, suckers, and other large, soft-rayed fishes. Of the whole number captured and brought to the university by fishermen within two weeks, 480 were males and 265 females. The longest male specimen was 17 inches, and the shortest 9 inches. The longest female measured 14 inches, and the short- est 10 inches. A small female 7 inches long, taken later, con- tained eggs which were quite immature. During the spring a crest is developed upon the back of the male between the nape and the dorsal fin. A smaller crest is developed upon the ventral surface of the female, between the vent and the caudal fin. This was at first supposed to be char- acteristic of the males of Cayuga lake, and was made the basis of anew specific name; but it has since been found in specimens from the Atlantic slope, and it is said by Seeley to occur in European specimens during the breeding season. This crest iS seasonal and sexual. The sexes, at other seasons, can not’ be easily distinguished, if at all. | More recent accounts of this lamprey are those of Prof. H. A. Surface in the Bulletin U. 8S. Fish Commission for 1897 and the 4th annual Report of the Commissioners of Fisheries, Game and. Forest of the State of New York. Genus 1cntHyomyzon Girard Differs from Petromyzon in having the anterior lingual tooth divided by a median groove and the dorsal fin notched, but not separated into two portions. Size small. Habitat, fresh waters of eastern United States. 3 Ichthyomyzon concolor (Kirtland) Silver Lamprey Anvmocetes concolor KirTLAND, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. Ill, 473, 1840, - with plate (larva). Petromyzon concolor JORDAN & Forpicr, Ann. N. Y. Ac. Sci. 282, 1886. FISHES OF NEW YORK 15. Ichthyomyzon argenteus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 10,. 1882. Ichthyomyzon concolor JORDAN & EVERMARXN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 11, 1896. The silver lamprey belongs to the subgenus I chth yomy- zon of Girard. The tooth on the front of the tongue is divided in two parts by a median groove and the dorsal fin is continu- ous but deeply notched. The maxillary tooth is bicuspid; the teeth on the disk are in about four series and all small. The tooth-bearing bone of the lower part of the mouth has seven cusps. The head (from tip of disk to first gill opening) is two fifteenths of the total length; with the gill openings its: length is contained four and three fourths times in the total.. There are 51 muscular impressions from gills to vent. The body is rather stout, compressed posteriorly. The head is broad and the buccal disk large with its edges not conspicuously fringed. Color bluish silvery, sometimes with blackish mott- lings. Above each gill opening there is a small bluish blotch. The silver lamprey or mud eel is found in the Great lakes region and the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. It grows to a length of 12 inches and is usually found in deep water, but runs up the small streams to spawn in the spring. It is a trouble- some parasite on the lake sturgeon, the paddlefish, yellow perch and some other species. It becomes fixed to the skin by means of its suctorial disk and the irritation of its teeth some- times causes deep ulcers at the point of attachment. This. lamprey has the same peculiarities of development as the sea lamprey and sometimes remains in the larval condition, blind and toothless, till it has reached a length of 8 inches. Genus LAMPETRA Gray Small lampreys inhabiting brooks of Europe and North Amer- ica. The dorsal fin either notched or divided into two parts, the posterior part continuous with the anal around the tail; supraoral lamina broad, crescentic, with a large obtuse cusp at each end and sometimes a minute median cusp; lingual teeth small, with a crescentic toothed edge, the median denticle en- 16 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM \ larged; buccal disk small, with few teeth which are never tricuspid. The genus Lampetra is best distinguished from Pe- tromyzon by the structure of its so called maxillary tooth, which has the form of a crescent-shaped plate with terminal cusps and, sometimes, an additional median cusp. In Pe- tromyzon this bony plate is short and contains two or three teeth which are very closely placed. 4 Lampetra wilderi (Gage) Small Black Lamprey; Pride Lampetra wildert GAGE, in JORDAN & HVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 13, 1896. ; Petromyzon nigrum RAFINESQUE, Ich. Ohien. 84, 1820. (Name preoccupied). Ammocetes niger JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 9, 1882. Ammocetes branchialis JORDAN & Forpicr, Ann. N. Y. Ac. Sci. 298, 1886; GAGE, in Wilder Quarter-Century Book, 436, 1898. The high dorsal fin is divided into two parts by a deep notch. Several of the teeth on the side of the buccal disk are bicuspid and the rest simple. The mandibulary plate is nearly straight and has eight or 10 cusps of nearly equal size. The length of the head including the gills is contained four and three fourths times in the total. There are 67 muscular impressions from gills to vent. In the spring a prominent anal papilla is present. The > head is larger than the space occupied by the gill openings and is contained eight and one third times in the total; the depth, 14 times. The eyes are large; the mouth moderately small.- The lips are conspicuously fringed with papillae. The teeth change considerably with age; young examples have no median cusp on the maxillary plate. This lamprey is bluish black above, the lower parts silvery. The brook or mud lamprey, also known as the small black lamprey, is found in the Great lakes region, the Ohio valley and. the upper Mississippi valley. It occurs also in Cayuga lake, New York. According to Jordan it ranges west to Minnesota and south to Kentucky. It grows to a length of 8 inches. Dr Jordan considers it identical with the common brook lamprey of Europe, A. branchialis. Be FISHES OF NEW YORK suf This lamprey ascends the small streams in the spring to spawn jst as the silver lamprey does. It is parasitic and its Spawning habits are similar to those of the sea lamprey. It clings to stones and clods of earth while depositing its eggs and is believed by some persons to die after spawning. The prob- ability is that it goes to deep water where it remains till the Spawning season again approaches. May 8, 1886, Prof. Gage and Dr Meek caught five specimens in Cayuga lake inlet. More of them were seen but not captured. May 22 they visited the inlet a second time but saw no speci- mens. ee: The five individuals obtained were all males, and all were busily engaged in building nests. They ascend the inlet to Spawn about two weeks earlier than the large lake lamprey, and in smaller numbers. | The life history of the brook or small black lamprey is well related by Prof. Surface in the articles referred to in the notes on the lake lamprey. Class PISCES Subclass SELACHII Sharks and Skates Order ASTHROSPONDYLI Typical Sharks Family PSEUDOTRIAKIDAE Genus PSEUDOTRIAKIS Capello Body elongate; mouth wide, with a very short labial fold around the angle; snout depressed, rounded, moderately long; nostrils inferior, near the mouth, but not confluent with it; eyes oblong, lateral, without nictitating membrane; spiracles well developed behind the eye; gill openings moderate, in advance of the pectoral; jaws armed with numerous rows of small, tricuspid teeth; first dorsal fin, opposite the space between pectorals and ventrals, long and low, gradually increasing in hight posteriorly; second dorsal behind ventrals, opposite and similar to anal; ven- trals and pectorals well developed; no, pit at the root of caudal 18 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM fin, the basal lobe of which is very low and long; skin with minute asperities. 5 Pseudotriakis microdon Capello Peiwe OCarago (Portugal) Pseudotriakis microdon CAPELLO, Jorn. Sci. Math. Phys. e nat. Lisboa, I, 321, pl. V, 1868; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., VIII, 395, 1870; BEAN,, Proc. U. 8S. Nat. Mus. VI, 147, 1888; JornpAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, - U. 8S. Nat.- Mus. 27, ‘pl. IV,. fig. 14, 1896. The greatest hight of the body is at the origin of the first dorsal; it is contained eight and three sevenths times in the total length. The hight at the origin of ventrals is contained nine and one half times in total length. The hight of head at the first gill opening is a little greater than that of body at the ven- tral origin, while its hight at the angle of the mouth is a little less than one eleventh of the total length. The least hight of the tail equals the hight of the anal, and is contained 25 times. in total length. The head is somewhat depressed in front, with moderately sharp snout, which is nearly twice as long as the distance of its: tip from the mouth. The distance from snout to last gill open- ing is contained five times in total length. The distance from snout to first gill opening, measured horizontally, equals twice the hight of body at origin of second dorsal. The distance between the first and last gill openings equals nearly twice the length of the eye. The hight of the first gill opening is about equal to the distance between the angle of the mouth and. the spiracle. The hight of the head at angle of mouth is contained 11 times and at the first gill opening nine times in total length. The length of the snout equals one half the body hight at origin of first dorsal. The distance of mouth from snout, measured on the axis of the fish, equals one third width of mouth. The distance from snout to angle of mouth, obliquely taken, equals. one fourth the distance from snout to last gill opening. The distance between eyé and spiracle equals that from mouth to: nostril. The distance from angle of mouth to spiracle is about equal to hight of first gill opening. The spiracle is moderately: FISHES OF NEW YORK 19 large, the length of its opening being contained twice in the hight of fourth gill opening. The oblong eye is placed near the dorsal profile; the length of the orbit is about one half the greatest hight of second dorsal; the length of the eye equals about one fourth width of mouth. The length of upper jaw is slightly more than that of lower, and nearly equals the distance between the spiracles. The distance from the mouth to the nostril is about one fourth least hight of tail; the distance between nostrils equals four times the distance from eye to spiracle. The interorbital space equals one half the length of second dorsal base. The distance between the spiracles equals four times their greatest length. The first dorsal is very long and low, highest behind its mid- dle, the length of its base equal to seven times its greatest hight; its distance from the snout is a little more than twice the greatest length of pectoral. The second dorsal is distant from the end of the first a length equal to nearly twice its greatest hight; the length of its base is somewhat more than the body hight at origin of first dorsal. The second dorsal begins at a distance from the end of the first, which is equal to the hight of body at ventral origin; the length of its base equals twice the interorbital distance; its hight equals nearly twice the length of the orbit. The anal is entirely under the second dorsal, but its base is a little less than five sevenths as long as that of the latter; the greatest hight of the anal equals the least hight of caudal peduncle. The caudal originates at a distance from the end of the second dorsal about equal to the hight of the anal; it is divided by a notch into a short upper portion, whose length is very little more than the greatest hight of first dorsal, and a very low and long lower portion, the longest margin of which is rearly twice as long as the snout. The distance of the caudal from the end ef anal base equals one fourth the length of second dorsal base. The distance of pectoral from snout is contained five times in total length; the length of pectoral equals nearly twice the width of its base, and is a little more than one ninth of total length. 20 | NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM The greatest width of pectoral equals twice the hight of anal, and is contained 12, times in total length. 7 The origin of the ventral is slightly in advance of the end of first dorsal, and is behind the middle of total length a distance equal to the interorbital space. The length of ventral equals that of lower jaw. The width of ventral base equals that of pectoral base; the greatest width of ventral slightly exceeds its length. | Color. When received the margins of the fins were apparently faded; the original color was probably grayish brown with dark margins on all the fins except the first dorsal. Capello states that his example was chestnut brown. ‘Remarks. The gills and mouth were obstructed by sand. The only parasites discovered on the animal were a couple of isopods, one of which was found in the eye cavity. Hundredths i MEASUREMENTS Millimeters of length Mota LOme thy sc. 6icic us de etaagar cup eeeda hee cle 2950 100° Body : HMichtat Origin: OF hEst Gorsale. 4. cea es YS -Sa0m ie 12 Hiehit: at oriein .of mentale ine. see ne. alee 310 10.5 ‘Hight at origin of second dorsal..:........... 210 4 Hight at end of ventral base................. fo A fi Least hight of caudal peduncle............... 118 ee 2 Width at origin’ of first; Corsaly yo soe. aie 250 8.5 Head Distance from tip of snout to first gill opening FTOrizomtally of ca eee stews ee teaekaae ce ecarnatene ic ome A425 14.4 Oblliquely ee Av ee ee ee averse sien 450 15.3 Distance from tip of snout to last gill opening. 583 20; Distance from first gill opening to fifth........ Ase; 4.5 Distance from first gill opening to fourth..... JOD 2 Gi ears eee Distance from first gill opening to third....... G2 nee Distance from first gill opening to second..... Pa NER cathe Hioht of frst’ cill opening sess oir TD Dee heh 5 Hight of second ‘gill opening... see eee (eo ta eee Bichtior, third ill openings fade eee (Lahp Wkek eae Mich? of fourth cil opening 2... cneacume eee 70 a Eieht of fifth. cil opening 4... 2. wane ae Shi ao keene Mish at anele ‘of mouth oe soe ee oe eee 265 9 Richteat irs, oll openine 2. ween eee eee eh pads 11 HMicshtear base of pectoral: 2... 2.80) ee 342 10.6 FISHES OF NEW YORK MEASUREMENTS Distance from tip of snout to eye (horizontally). Distance from tip of snout to mouth (horizon- tally) Distance from tip of snout to mouth (obliquely). Distance from tip of snout to angle of mouth (horizontally) Distance from tip of snout to angle of mouth (obliquely) Distance from tip of snout to spiracle (horizon- tally) esceveeeveeer ere ese eeee ewe ee ee ee ee ee em ee ee oO eee eeree ere eer ee ee ee eee ee ee ee eeee eer eevee eevee ere ee ee ee ee ee eee vee eee ore eevee ee ee ore we ee ee ee ee eee ee ee ee ee eee Greatest length of spiracle.................-. Length of opening of spiracle................ Hstanee from eye to spinacle. .. 06... ... bees Distance from angle of mouth to, spiracle..... Pre REMC G an. sec y< 4 ct gomingetnt ws Weise a sols ecco a eyes MSA es fa 5) cx es G elaieiiera ele vines @ ere # witht a a ec COTTER CON BMar 00 0 0 Ge Length of upper jaw to angle of mouth....... Length of lower jaw to angle of mouth....... PiceiMGe from. mouth tO MOSEL] . 2. 0.6.6 eee es Distance between nostrils ... 2.0... ce ec ee Stance) DEEW CEN) CYES eo Fi ie eo ee ea le ees Distance between eyes on cartilage......... Distance between spiracles ........5. 0... 0000. First dorsal | ence, LTO SMOUL cc. 2. ce asic cs es oe bes enve pS ONE REL SG em cisterth ciel evelecs. 6c salve clete'e es aa were Reem ete Fa NU Di tar opened caro iat situs euincs) ste son» ai'esia:%) See ales aloha Second dorsal . Distance from end of first dorsal............. : Distance from snout ........... 5 Sieistelstetnie ds Length ume Nem aeeeeeh pero eticheithe als: Sie Salbee Oo-$ TES PES be LINE O18 ah NE Sine ra menath: OF -POSterion Margin: 262i 3 cee es Anal Meee OUMME SMOG oie s oiv nia 'o «000s eae cece _ SLE ASSIS, Geena eterno aaa nr REPRE eM. hak ici a le od, « cr ole % were le afebe Giere 0 Length of anterior margin.......... inte Oe es Sen Of POShETION MATIN 2. 2. sk aise sie e ae eee ‘Caudal Distance from end of second dorsal........... - Distance of tip from end of second dorsal..... Greatest width “ae ese) 3! es) ee jes © oe) e 8 -6) 66, a © «0! €-‘e) « 0: 6 Millimeters 176 21 Hundredths of length 6 3 5 10.3 7 ee ee ee ee @ eee ee ee ee eo coer ee ee eee core tcwreeveeve eee eretvnee e 22 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Hundredths. ~ MEASUREMENTS Millimeter: of length Length of Upperdoben ov asiae coc den nee ee eae eee 9B SG, Oeseeee Greatest width ‘of upper"lobe:'. 3.2 .ci2 2. cre Uo eae ee Distance of lower lobe from anal base:....... Of ee ae eee Length of anterior margin of lower lobe....... 228) ee eee Length of longest margin of lower lobe....... SA MO eee eee Pectoral Distance -ErOMNSHOUMl Mester Gre cis Sets eee eee 590 20 Greatest length ........ Ee a ne a ae Pee a 330 112 VV TOA Ot ASO ace. vom SS cae eee aa tee ce) a ea ea 169 Balti Greatest, Wadi ose. toa We Ah a aimee seats eRe pe nae _ 240 8 Ventral Distance Erol SUOUTE ioc Rais a oa aes ek ee oe te 1655 56 Greatest meme thy nts ake s ocean eg Se page 215 7.3 Length of posterior margin (last ray)......... 108 ... Guin se eee oe Yea 2% Depth.of el Openinas, oi Gors. she eas aa eee ee ot hae 2 SMO TEP eh shecctie ii% Soe FS Rae ee Ce EAE Es See SRE re 1 ahea 2% HVE LO SPA. seh CEs Pe Ee eae a 1% EY Coes ed Aah oa aia sei Bye altace ae ORO ake ORoee RL RSG ie eRe ee oan - Wlong % deep STOMt TO MMOSEEE eS iis 5h eek ae re ee eae ieee ergodic ees 1% FISHES OF NEW YORK MEASUREMENTS mm OTS TIN Ne Sklar. caer a gen G4. ale aials este aielesieeieceas Pepe PEE WEET TMOSLIUS 6... ew ee ccs Bee was SIE GENOME Of VINOUE. oo osc se en ee ees we se ee cle Serene) FNTINCHEE PRC ONQCTIINIE | os vis cc arcs vies 0c ois ws eee e's Width of mouth, including labial folds.............. ecm aerate Aha TOU 5 a's c's aid Avil al cle on Ave el Sa acne Se ape cola NISt Sill OPENING... sce ces ace ee es SEE ATES SSG FS 8 pene eee VSS C io. )aliclc aa ois 0 sas sala set dg eieees oss Middle of dorsal base to top of fin.................. Length of posterior margin of dorsal............... eens EO SECON COTSA] 5. 5 a el oie wees ee ce ee wee mene OF Second, dorsal DASE... 2... we ee ee te ees Middle of second dorsal base to top of fin........... Posterior Margin of second dorsal...:.............. BeCUnmLaOrSa tO CAUGAl Pits... kul ee nee sees SU RSNME MPR OMMN EU apc 6) 56a 2 5o el SS) eG wc ee ea eis bale weiss alee! Lower caudal lobe.... remerinar ey CAM al LODE. «<5 a. cei c a ce cc kere vies weg eat as Snout to pectoral, obliquely..... Wie Os RCC UOT A iyi ev leis disci e a goerals ooh wie le web aheres anroEem ana Ol PCCLOPAL 3. fs. sec cee Dace oe sae ees Extended pectoral not quite reaching to perpendicular through front of dorsal. Ventral origin slightly behind end of first dorsal base Length of ventral.......... FSR hS ACR BORA ETE DOR EEL Inner mer E WETUIT AL 3 eee fo ee icceec va chin sidaaly Oe) Vent to T]E: GEE XG LIST OCT OS A ed ee oe ene aad End of ventral base to origin of anal................ LE ESE 5 ooo .5 Ghee RAI el ae EE Emenee MTT POTN Ls hes wae) oe be late eo (ele acevo e abe'oe sens Mae MEENA ony sh PS sirdue “ss cai aleja) sha ave 4's & wes wise Ws aes Anal base to origin of lower caudal lobe............ Family LAMNIDAE M ackerel Sharks Genus 1survS Rafinesque Feet 37 Inches % 1A ¥, Body fusiform, stout; mouth wide, with long, sharp edged, lanceolate, entire teeth having no basal cusps; spiracles minute or absent; gill openings wide, all in advance of pectorals, lateral, not extending under the throat; first dorsal large, not far be- hind origin of pectoral; second dorsal and anal very small; peo- 38 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM torais large; ventrals moderate; tail slender; a pit at the root of the caudal; the caudal peduncle strongly keeled on each side; caudal fin lunate, its two lobes nearly equal. Size large. 17 Isurus dekayi (Gill) Mackerel Shark Lamna punctata Dr Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 352, pl. 63, figs. 206, 207, 1842 (not Squalus punctatus MircHILL); STORER, Hist. Fish. Mass. 249, pl. XX XVII, fig. 1, 1867. (This is probably Lamna cornubica). Isuropsis dekayi Gini, Ann. N. Y. Lyc. Nat. Hist. 153, 1861. Isurus dekayi JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 874, 1883; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 48, pl. VI, fig. 21, 1896. Body fusiform, cylindric, its greatest depth equaling one fifth of the total length, and slightly exceeding the length of the head. The caudal lobes are nearly equal in length, the upper about equal to depth of body. Gill openings wide, the last over the anterior edge of the pectoral base; middle teeth very long, much longer and narrower than the crowded, triangular lateral teeth; first dorsal inserted behind pectorals at a distance equal to one fourth of length of head; falcate, its base equal to one third of its distance from tip of snout, its hight nearly one eighth of the total length; pectoral faleate, more than one fifth of total length, and longer than upper caudal lobe; anal and »second dorsal small; caudal keel nearly one fifth of total length; deep pits at the root of the caudal above and below. Solor dark slate, lighter beneath. De Kay was informed that it is of a deep bottle green in life and the tongue is mottled with black. Storer states that all the upper part of the body is greenish, which becomes of a slate color after death; pupils black; iris dusky. The mackerel shark reaches the length of 10 feet. It occurs from Cape Cod to the West Indies; but is rarely captured in most localities. De Kay described a specimen 10 feet 2 inches long, taken-in New York harbor, October 1840. A somewhat smaller example was caught near the light-ship off Sandy Hook by Capt. ©. H. Barnard 16 years earlier than the date of De Kay’s description. Storer refers to it as the most common species of shark found in a FISHES OF NEW YORK 39 Massachusetts, which is not the case at present. In 1845 about 150 at least were captured in nets at Monhegan Me. during three weeks of mackerel fishing. The fish was valued for its oil, of which 114 gallons have been taken from a single liver. This species feeds on many kinds of fish, but persistently fol- lows the mackerel schools, and is generally known as the mackerel shark. At Provincetown it is called the blue shark. Genus wAmMNnaéaA Cuvier Body | short, stout, the back considerably elevated; snout prominent, pointed; teeth entire, pointed, triangular, with a small basal cusp on each side, one or both cusps sometimes wanting on some teeth in the young; gill openings wide, and all of them in advance of the pectoral fin; first dorsal falcate, in- serted over the axil of the pectoral; second dorsal and anal very small, nearly opposite each other; pectorals falcate; caudal peduncle strongly keeled on each side; deep pits at the root of the caudal above and below; caudal lobes nearly equal in length. Size large. 18 Lamna cornubica (Gmelin) ‘ Porbeagle Squalus cornubicus GMELIN, L. Syst. Nat. I, 1497, 1788. Lamna cornubica GuntHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 389, 1870; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 30, 1883; BEAN, Bull. U.S. F. C. 1X, 198, pl. LVII, 1891; Jornpan & HVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 49, pl. VI, fig. 22, 1896. Body short, stout, fusiform, its greatest depth equaling nearly one fifth of the total length including caudal, and slightly less than the length of the head. The caudal lobes are nearly equal in length, the upper as long as the head and exceeding depth of body; caudal peduncle strongly keeled on each side; deep pits at the root of the caudal above and below. The snout is conical, pointed, its length somewhat more than the width of the mouth. Teeth entire, triangular, pointed, with a basal cusp on each side, the cusp sometimes wanting in young, +7 or +o on each side in an individual about 34 feet long, the third tooth of the upper 40 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM jaw en each side small; gill openings wide and all of them in advance of the pectoral base; first dorsal falcate, inserted over the axil of the pectoral; second dorsal and anal very small, nearly opposite each other; pectoral falcate, its length nearly equal to greatest depth of body and equals distance from angle of mouth to last gill opening. Color dark slate, whitish beneath. Found in the Atlantic and Pacific, north to Massachusetts bay and the Gulf of Alaska; called salmon shark at Kadiak. Reaches a length of 10 feet. The porbeagle, salmon shark, or mackerel shark is a very powerful and destructive species, and it has a wide distribution. If the figure of Lamna punctata Storer be correct, his mackerel shark| must be Lamna cornubica and not Isurus dekayi. The advanced position of the first dorsal seems to indicate this. Genus CARCHARODON Smith Agrees with Isurus and Lamna except in dentition; teeth large, flat, erect, triangular, serrate; first dorsal moderate, nearly midway between pectorals and ventrals ; second dorsal and anal very small; pectorals large; ventrals moderate; caudal peduncle stout; caudal lobes large and strong; deep pits at the base of the caudal fin above and below. ae 19 Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus) Great White Shark; Man-eater Squalus carcharias LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, 235, 1758. Carcharias atwoodi StoRER, Proc. Bost. Soe. Nat. Hist. III, 72, 1848; Hist. Fish. Mass. 246, pl. XXXVI, fig. 4, 1867. Carcharodon carcharias JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 875, 1883; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 50, 1896. \ ‘Body stout, its greatest depth contained about five or five and one half times in the total length, and equaling about three fourths of the length of the head; eye perpendicularly oblong, and about one third as long as the snout; caudal lobes large and strong, nearly equal in length, the upper about six sevenths of depth of body; caudal peduncle stout, strongly keeled, its least depth two thirds of snout, deep pits at the base of the caudal FISHES OF NEW YORK 41 fin above and below; the snout obtusely pointed, about one fifth to one sixth of length of head; mouth very large; both jaws with large, triangular, serrated teeth in five rows, those in the lower jaw narrower, about 24 in each row above and 22 below; spiracles minute or wanting; gill openings wide and all in advance of the pectoral fin; first dorsal moderately large, in- serted nearly midway between pectoral and ventral bases; second dorsal and anal very small, subequal, their bases scarcely more than one half as long as the snout; pectoral large, reach- ing te below the end of the dorsal when extended, ventral moderate, its length equal to nearly one fourth of that of the head. Color leaden gray, lower parts white; tips and edges of pectoral black. This shark reaches a length of 30 feet and a weight of nearly 2 tons. It is found in the temperate and tropi- cal parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, but is rare in New York waters. The ferocity of the man-eater shark may be inferred from the following account of a specimen 138 feet long taken at Province- town Mass. and brought to Boston for exhibition. My specimen was captured at Provincetown June 16 When first seen it was swimming in about 10 feet of water on _ the Long point side of Provincetown harbor. A boat’s crew having given chase, a harpoon was thrown into it, when it in- stantly turned toward the boat and seized it with great ferocity near the bows, in which act several of its teeth were broken off. It was eventually killed by being frequently lanced. Jordan and Evermann record an individual about 30 feet long, | caught near Soquel Cal. which had in its stomach a young sea lion weighing about 100 pounds. Family CETORHINIDAE Basking Sharks Genus cetoruinus Blainville Body stout, the skin much wrinkled and beset with small spines; snout blunt; head small; mouth moderate, with numer- ous small, conical teeth without cusps or serrations; spiracles minute, above the corners of the mouth; gill openings very wide 42, NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM extending from the back almost around the throat, all of them in advance of the pectorals; first dorsal large, midway between pectorals and ventrals; second dorsal and anal small; caudal fin lunate, the upper lobe considerably the larger; caudal peduncle keeled; pectorals and ventrals large. Brain very small. Size very large. 20 Cetorhinus maximus (Gunner) Basking Shark; Elephant Shark Squalus maximus GUNNER, Trondhj. Selsk. Skrift., III, 33, tab. 2; IV, 14, tab. 8, 1765; Mircuiy, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 486, 1815. Selachus maximus DE IKAy, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, p. 357, pl. 63, fig. 208 (partly copied from Le Sueur), 1842; SrorerR, Hist. Fish. Mass. 253, pl. XX XVII, fig. 3, 1867. Cetorhinus maximus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 31, 1888; JORDAN & HVERMANN, Buil. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 51, pl. VII, fig. 23, 1896. Body very stout, the skin wrinkled, rough, beset with small spines, its greatest depth contained about five times in the total length, and equaling about three fourths of the length of the head; caudal fin lunate, the upper lobe the larger, about equal . to the depth of body; caudal peduncle keeled; snout smooth, blunt, nearly half the length of head; mouth moderate; the teeth very small and numerous, conical, without cusps or serratures, each jaw with six or seven rows, about 200 in each row; spiracles minute, above the corners of the mouth; eye very small, with- out nictitating membrane; gill openings very wide, extending from the back almost around the throat, all of them in front of the pectorals; gill-rakers slender, long and close set, resemb- ling whalebone, whence the name, bone shark; first dorsal large, triangular, midway between pectorals and ventrals; second dorsal small, but larger than the anal; pectoral large, reaching a little past the dorsal origin when extended; ventral large, its length nearly one third the length of the head. Color dark slate or leaden above, lighter beneath. The basking shark reaches a length of nearly 40 feet and is the largest of the sharks. It is an inhabitant of Arctic seas, coming southward as far as Portugal, Virginia and Califormia. FISHES OF NEW YORK 43 Mitchill refers to its capture at Provincetown Mass. and to its name of bone shark because of the peculiar structure of its gills. De Kay mentions the specimen which was captured in the lower harbor of New York in 1822, from which he made some alterations in a drawing partly copied from Le Sueur’s sketch of the same fish. Storer described an individual measur- ing 33 feet 3 inches. He says it is rarely observed on the coast of Massachusetts. It becomes gregarious only in the breeding season. . The oil made from the liver of the basking shark was at one time considered valuable. | Order CYCLOSPONDYLI Suborder CYCLOSPONDYLI Family sSOUALIDAE Dogfishes Genus squatus (Artedi) Linnaeus Body slender, elongate; mouth slightly arched, with a long, straight, deep, oblique groove on each side, without labial folds; teeth small, simple, equal in both jaws, their points turned aside so that the inner margins form a cutting edge; spiracles well developed, near the eye; gill openings moderate, all in advance of pectorals; first dorsal larger than the second, far in front of the ventrals, which are behind the middle of the body; second dorsal behind ventrals; dorsal spines strong, not grooved; caudal fin with unequal lobes, the upper elongate, broad, sub- truncate at the end, the lower short and rounded; pectorals large and long, placed low down; ventrals midway between end of first and beginning of second dorsal. No anal fin. 21 Squalus acanthias Linnaeus Spined Dogfish Squalus acanthias LinNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, I, 233, 1758; JORDAN & GIL- BERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 16,. 1883; JorDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. “47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 54, 1896. Spinax acanthias DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 359, pl. 64, fig. 210, 1842. Acanthias americanus STORER, Hist. Fish. Mass. 256, pl. XX XVIII, fig. 1, la, 1867. Acanthias vulgaris GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 418, 1870. 44 : NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Body slender, moderately long, its greatest depth about one eighth of the total length, and about three fourths of the length of the head; caudal fin scarcely bent upward, its length nearly one fifth of the total length; snout pointed, its length equaling about one fourth of the length of the head; mouth slightly arched, with a long, straight, deep, oblique groove on each side, without labial folds. Teeth small, equal in both jaws, their points turned aside so that the inner margins form a cutting edge; spiracles well developed, just behind the eye; eye large, oblong, its diameter two thirds of the length of the snout; no nictitating membrane; gill openings narrow slits, in front of the pectorals; first dorsal moderate, larger than the second, far in advance of the postmedian ventrals, which are in front of the small second dorsal; pectoral when extended reaches to below the first dorsal spine, its length contained about seven times in the total, including caudal fin; ventral one fourth as long as the head: Color dark slate or gray on upper parts, whitish below, numer- ous white spots on the back, becoming faint or obsolete with age. The spined dogfish reaches a length of 34 feet and the weight of 20 pounds. It inhabits both coasts of the Atlantic and is recorded also from Cuba. It is found in Gravesend bay, Long Island, only in October, and young examples have been taken at Southampton in the same month. The species is common in summer and fall on the fishing banks off the New Jersey coast. It is not hardy in captivity. . At Woods Hole Mass., according to Dr Smith, it is less abun- dant than formerly,and was comparatively scarce in1897. When the fish fertilizer factory was established at Woods Hole, this was the principal fish utilized in the manufacture of oil and guano; later, the scarcity or irregularity of the supply necessi- tated the use of menhaden. ve When the horned dogfish first comes, in May, it feeds largely on ctenophores. In Massachusetts bay the species arrives in June and remains only a few days, but returns again in September and stays till FISHES OF NEW YORK 45 the middle of November. These fish are usually caught with the hook and often entangle themselves in nets, to which they do great damage. They feed on mackerel, whiting and other fishes. The oil of the liver is an article of commerce, the flesh is use- ful for fertilizers, and the skin has been used for polishing; on some parts of Cape Cod the fish has been dried for fuel. Mitchill mentions the spined dogfish only in one of his minor papers. De Kay recorded it as common on the New York coast. He found remains of the soft clam and scales of fishes in its stomach. Suborder TECTOSPONDYLI Family SQUATINIDAE Angel Sharks Genus squatTina Duméril Body flat, depressed as in the rays, the snout obtuse or slightly concave in front; nostrils on the front margin of the snout with skinny flaps; mouth anterior; teeth in many series, conical, pointed, distant; spiracles wide, transverse, behind the eyes; gill openings wide, very near each other, partly inferior and partly hidden by the pectoral fins; two small, subequal dorsal fins on the tail behind the ventrals; no anal fin; caudal small, the lower lobe longer than the upper; males with small prehensile organs; vertebrae tectospondylous. 22 Squatina squatina (Linnaeus) Angel fish; Monkfish Squalus squatina LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, 233, 1758. Squatina dumerili DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 3638, pl. 62, fig. 203, 1842. Rhina squatina GuntHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 430, 1870. Squatina angelus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 35, 1883. Squatina squatina JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 58; SmiTH, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVII, 89, 1898. Body raylike in shape, flat, depressed, its greatest depth less than one fourteenth of the total length and about one third of the length of the head; caudal peduncle stout; caudal fin small, its lower lobe the longer; snout short, rounded; nostrils on its front margin, with skinny flaps. Mouth anterior, its width AGT. NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM about equal to the interorbital width; teeth acute, small, con- ical, distant; spiracles large, crescentic, behind the eyes; eye small, its diameter one fourth of the distance between the eyes; gill openings wide, subinferior, partly covered by the pectoral fin; two small dorsal fins, close together, behind the ventrals; anal fin wanting; pectoral fins very large, widely expanded, deeply notched at the base; ventrals very large, their length _ greater than that of the head; skin covered with stiff prickles, — _ largest on the median line of the back. Color bluish ashy gray or brown above, sometimes blotched and speckled, pale below. The monkfish reaches a length of 4 feet. It is easily recognized by its peculiar shape. It in- habits the Mediterranean and the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States. from Cape Cod and San Francisco -:south- ward. It is not common in New York waters, but it appears occasionally in Gravesend bay in summer and is believed to occur in this state only in bays adjacent to the Atlantic. Mitchill, apparently, was not familiar with the species. De Kay knew the fish only from Le Sueur’s descriptions and the writings of other ichthyologists. He gives the common names- employed in Europe; monk, monkeyfish, kingston, shark ray, and fiddlefish. A New York fisherman informed De Kay that it was known to him as the little bullhead shark. A specimen weighing 35 or 40 pounds and measuring about 4 feet was taken in a trap at Menemsha bight, Marthas Vine- yard, Sep. 1, 1873. The writer saw one taken at the same place a few years later. Order BATOIDEI Rays Suborder SARCURA Family RAJIDAE Skates Genus raga (Artedi) Linnaeus In the rays the disk is broad, rhombic; the pectorals extend CO, but not around the snout; the ventrals are large and deeply . notched; the tail is usually long, without serrated spine, slender, FISHES OF NEW YORK 47 rounded, or depressed, with caudal fin small or absent, with two small dorsal fins, close together, near its tip, and with a dermal fold on each side. The skin is more or less covered with prickles and spines, males having rows of erectile hooks near the outer angles of the pectorals. No electric organs. Eggs laid in leathery, four-angled cases, having two long tubular tendrils at each end. Teeth in the middle of the jaws, sharp in males, blunt in females. 23 Raja erinacea Mitchill Common Skate; Prickly Skate; Hedgehog Ray Raja (erinaceus MirTcHitit, Am. Jour. Sci. Arts, IX, 290, pl. 6 (male), 1825; DE ikAy, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 372, pl. 78, fig. 246, 1842. Raja eglanteria GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 462, 1870. Raia erinacea JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 40, 1883. Raja erinacea JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U.S. Nat. Mus. 68, pl. IX, fig. 29, 1896; Smiry, Bull. U.S. F. C. XVII, 89, 1898. Disk rhomboid, with the angles rounded; its length nearly equal to its width; spines largest on the anterior extensions of the pectorals, where they are close set, strong, laterally com- pressed and hooked backward; smaller spines scattered over the head, above the spiracles, above and in front of the eyes, on the back, the median line of which is comparatively smooth, without enlarged spines except in the young; a triangular patch of spines on the shoulder girdle; inner posterior angles of the pectorals nearly smooth. Males have two rows of large, erectile hooks, pointing backward, near the outer angles of the pectorals. Females have groups of small scales on each side of the vent. Tail about as long as the disk; a dermal fold on each side; dorsal fins rough, connected at the base; mouth small; jaws curved, with small teeth in about 50 rows above and 48 below, the mid- dle ones sharp in males, all blunt in females. Color light brown, with small round spots of dark brown. Length 1 to 2 feet. (After Garman) A very common species on our coast, from Maine to Virginia. It is one of the small rays and is not much valued for food. Eggs of this skate have been obtained in Gravesend bay in March. In captivity eggs have been deposited in winter. The : 48 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM species will endure captivity during the spring, fall, and part of the winter, but not at all in summer. Mitchill had the ray from Barnegat and from off Sandy Hook. De Kay did not see the fish, but copied the description and figure of Mitchill. Smith refers to it as the “ summer skate ” or “ bon- net skate.” It is found at Woods Hole from June to October. | The names “hedgehog ray” and “bonnet skate” are given in allusion to its habit of rolling itself up when caught. At South- _ampton L. I. this species was taken in small numbers Aug. 3, 1898. 24 Raja ocellata Mitchill Spotted Skate; Big Skate Raja ocellata Mitcuity, Trans, Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 477, 1815; JorpAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 68, pl. X, fig. 30, 1896; Smitn, Bull. U. S. F. ©. XVII, 89, 1898. | Raia ocellata DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 369, not pl. 65, fig. 212, 1842; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 40, 1883. Similar in shape to. R. erinacea, but larger, with a wider mouth and with many more rows of teeth. The length of the disk slightly exceeds its width. The spines are arranged as in R. erinacea, but additional rows are present down the back and on the sides of the tail. Tail nearly as long as the disk; caudal fin not separate, with small spines; mouth large; jaws curved; teeth in about 90 rows above and 88 below. Color light brown, with rounded dark spots; a translucent space on each side of the snout; near the posterior angle of the pectoral there is usually (but not always) a large white ocellus, with a dark spot in the center and a darker border; two smaller similar spots often present. (After Garman) | The spotted skate reaches a length of nearly 3 feet; its egg cases are more than twice as large as those of R. erinacea. The species is found from New York to Massachusetts and northward. } Dr Mitchill described a specimen which was 30 inches long and 19 inches wide. Dr De Kay calls this species the spotted ray. He found the stomach of one filled with rock crabs, Cancer irroratus. To the fishermen this and allied spe- : FISHES OF NEW YORK 49 cies are known as skate. It has no commercial value in Great - South bay. In the traps at Islip skates reappear on October first on their fall migration. A female was caught near the. inlet at Fire Island, Sep. 29, 1898. The species was more abun- dant later in the fall. At Woods Hole, according to Dr Smith, this is the big skate or winter skate. It is common from February to June and from October 15 to the end of the trap fishing; it is absent or very rare in summer. 25 Raja eglanteria Bosc Ciear-nosed Skate; Brier Ray Raja eglanteria Bosc in LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss. II, 104, 109, 1800; GuN- THER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 462, 1870; Jonpan & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 71, 1896; SwiTH, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVII, 89, 1898. Raia eglanteria JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 41, 18838. Raja diaphanes Mircuitu, Trans, Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. 478, 1815. Miers from R. erinacea and R. ocellata in its acutely produced snout, smaller spines and translucent space on each side of the rostrum. The length of the disk (12 inches) equals four fifths of its width (15 inches). Spines small and very sharp, most numerous on the front part of the pectoral, the head, the snout, the middle of the back, and the tail between the rows of enlarged spines; enlarged spines around the eyes and spiracles, on the middle of the snout, in a median row along the back, and in two rows along each: side of the tail. The Spines on the tail are very sharp, large and small ones alternat- ing in the rows; a large spine in the middle of each shoulder; & spine between the dorsal fins; tail as long as the disk, and with a median and two lateral rows of moderately large spines and one or more intermediate rows of much smaller ones; caudal fin absent or very small; dorsals small, the anterior larger, one ninth the length of tail in hight; mouth moderate; teeth in about 50 rows in upper jaw and 48 in the lower. Color pale brown, with numerous bands, bars, lines and blotches of darker; darker spots in the middle of the pectoral; each side of the snout with a pale, translucent area. 50 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM The clear-nosed skate, sometimes called brier ray, reaches a length of 2 feet or more. It inhabits the eastern coast of the United States from Cape Cod to Florida; it has been found moderately common in Great South bay in and near Fire Island inlet. Early in September both males and females were caught at Fire Island inlet and Wigo inlet, but in October the species appeared to be scarce. It has no commercial value in the bay and is usually thrown away. At Woods Hole Mass. it is not common. A few are taken every year in traps at Menemsha, Marthas Vineyard. 26 Raja laevis (Mitchill) Barn-door Skate Raja laevis MircH1LL, Am. Month. Mag. II, 327, 1818; JornpAan & EVERMANN, ‘Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 71, 1896; Suir, Bull. U. 8. F. C. XVI, 89, 1898. | Raia laevis DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 370, 1842; JorRDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 42, 1883; SrorErR, Hist. Fish. Mass. 266, pl. XX NEX) fic 2. 1867. Similar in shape to R. eglanteria, but larger and with fewer rows of teeth. The length of the disk equals three fourths of its width. The spines of the body are few and small; small patches of slightly enlarged spines on the anterior extension of the pectorals opposite the eyes and _ spiracles; slightly enlarged, hooked spines in several narrow rows on the angles of the disk in males; a median row, more or less incoim- plete, of distant spines on the tail and usually a lateral row on each side, many of these lateral spines sometimes obsolete; small spines on the snout, along the anterior edges of the disk, and on the top of the head. Tail nearly as long as the disk; two subequal dorsal fins, scarcely half as long as the snout, separated by a narrow interspace and extending to near the end of the tail; no caudal fin; eye one fifth as long as the snout; mouth large, jaws curved, teeth in about 30 rows in each jaw; length of claspers of the male equals one third of the width of the disk. Color usually brownish with paler spots, these sometimes surrounded by dark rings. FISHES OF NEW YORK 51 _ The barn-door skate reaches a length exceeding 4 feet; it is used to some extent for food. The species has been taken in Gravesend bay in October. It suffers in captivity for the want of sand and mud and because of the lack of suitable food, its average duration of life is 3 or 4 months. Mitchill described an individual measuring 49 inches which was caught at a wharf in the East river Noy. 5, 1815. At Woods Hole Mass. it is common in spring and fall, rare in summer. Family NARCOBATIDAE Electric Rays Genus TETRONARCE Gill Rays with a large electric organ composed of many hexagonal tubes between the pectoral fins and the head; disk very broad, abruptly contracted at the tail; two dorsal fins, the first much the larger, its origin not far in advance of the end of the ven- trals; caudal fin well developed; ventral fins large, separate; Spiracles large, oblong, well behind the eyes, with entire edges; mouth small; teeth sharp; skin smooth. Seas of Europe and America, | 27 Tetronarce occidentalis (Storer) Torpedo; Cramp Fish; Numb Fish Torpedo occidentalis SrorER, Am. Jour. Sci. Arts, 165, pl. 3, 1843; Hist. Fish. Mass. 271, pl. XX XIX, fig. 5, 1867; JornpAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. 8S. _ Nat. Mus. 39, 1883. Raja torpedo MitTcnHityi, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soe. N. Y. I, 476, 1815. Tetronarce occidentalis JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 77, pl. XI, fig. 33, 1896; Smirn, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVII,. 89, 1898. Length of disk equals six sevenths of its width and more than one half the total length; length of base of ventrals equals one fourth the width of disk; eyes small, placed three times their diameter from tip of snout, and about the same distance from each other; length of first dorsal base nearly equals distance between the spiracles; hight of first dorsal fin exceeds length of snout; base of second dorsal scarcely more than one half the Jength of first, the hight of the fin hardly two thirds of that of 52, NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM first; caudal slightly emarginate, its width and length nearly equal, about two sevenths of width of disk. The upper surface is dark purplish brown with a few darker spots distributed over it; beneath white. The torpedo is found on the Atlantic coast of the United. States from Cape Cod to Florida; it occurs also in the West Indies. The fish is usually uncommon except in Buzzards bay and Vineyard sound. It reaches the length of 5 feet and the weight of 100 pounds. | Mitchill placed a torpedo among the fishes of New York on the authority of fishermen and others who had seen the Species and knew of its peculiar electric properties. De Kay did not see the fish.and merely refers to the probability of its occurrence and its relation to the genus Torpedo. The existence of a torpedo on the coast of Massachusetts was made known by Storer in 1848, when he described a speci- men caught at Wellfleet, in November 1842. Capt. Atwood, a well known former resident of Provincetown Mass. informed Dr Storer that he had received a great many powerful shocks from the fish which threw him to the ground; these were pro- duced by touching the animal. He also received shocks by tak- ing hold of a harpoon which was struck into the fish. Storer relates an anecdote illustrating the effect produced on a dog. Mr Newcomb sr,,the oldest fisherman in Boston market, stated to me that his father, who resided at Wellfleet, had a dog which frequently waded into the shallow waters of the coves and brought out flounders which he had seized with his mouth. In one of his fishing excursions he attacked a torpedo, which per- fectly convulsed him. He dropped the fish and ran away howl- ing most piteously, and could never be persuaded to resume his fishing. At Woods Hole Mass. the torpedo is most abundant in October and November. At times aS many as six are taken at | one lift of a trap at Menemsha. The smallest weigh 4 or 5. pounds, the largest 75 pounds. Or Go FISHES OF NEW YORK Suborder MASTICURA Whip-tailed Rays a” Family DASYATIDAE Sting Rays Genus pDasyaTis Rafinesque Disk usually broader than long; pectoral fins united in front to form the tip of the snout; tail very slender and elongate, fin- less, but often with one or two membranous folds, and with a strong serrated spine near its base; skin rarely smooth, usually more or less spinous or prickly, tail with numerous small spines in some species; mouth small; teeth small, paved, usually more or less pointed or tubercular; a few papillae, usually in the mouth behind the lower jaw; nostrils close together; nasal valves forming a rectangular flap, which is joined to the upper _jaw by a narrow frenum; spiracles large, placed close behind the eyes. Ovoviviparous. 28 Dasyatis centrura (Mitchill) Common Sting Ray Raja centrura MitTcHILL, Trans. Lit.'& Phil. Soc.,N. Y. I, 479, 1815. Pastinaca hastata STORER, Hist. Fish. Mass. 268, pl. XX XIX, fig. 3, 1867. Dasibatis centrura JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 67, 1888. (From Garman) Trygon hastata GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 476, 1870. Dasyatis centrura JORDAN & EXVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 88, 1896; SMirH, Bull, U. 8. F. C. XVII, 90, 1898. Disk quadrangular, about one fourth wider than long; ante- rior Margins sinuous, concave opposite the eyes, convex toward the slightly protuberant snout and rounded over angles; pos- terior straighter, very little convex; hinder angles blunt; ven- trals truncate, with rounded angles; tail more than twice as long as the body, much compressed, rounded above, with keel or cutaneous expansion below, with one or more strong serrated spines at the termination of the anterior fifth of its length, rough on all sides with spines or tubercles. Till half grown the young are naked; as they approach maturity broad stellate based, conical pointed, irregularly placed bucklers appear on the middle of the hinder part of the back and on the top and sides 54 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM of the tail. Very large examples have the central part of the back closely mailed with small flattened tubercles. The buck- iers bear more resemblance to those of the Rajae, radiata and clavata, than to the tubercles of pastinaca, has- tata, or twherculatia, Mouth arched forward, with five papillae; teeth in quincunx, blunt, smooth. Color of back and tail olive brown; light to white below. From pastinacea, which this species resembles in shape, it is distinguished by the tubercles, by the length and compression of the tail, and absence of all trace of keel or expansion on its upper side. A young specimen measures from snout to tail 13.8, in length of tail 30.5, and width of pectorals 17.5 inches. The largest specimen | in the collection has a total length of 10 feet 3 inches (Coll. Mus. Comp. Zool. Cambridge Mass.). Common south of Cape Cod. Occasionally found northward. (After Garman) oot Formerly hundreds of individuals were caught annually in Gravesend bay, but now it is seldom seen there. The species will live in captivity several months in the spring and summer. Mitchill records it as occurring on the coast of Long Island. The tail, he states, is 5 feet or more in length. Storer described a specimen 9 feet long. He was informed by Dr Yale that the fish | was abundant on the flats in the harbor of Holmes’s Hole, Mar- thas Vineyard, in July and August. Near Woods Hole Mass. it is common during summer, appearing early in July. The sting ray is much dreaded by fishermen, who say that wounds made by its spines are exceedingly painful and danger- ous, the slime secreted by the fish acting as a poison. Subgenus DASYATIS 29 Dasyatis hastata (De Kay) Kit Pastinaca hastata DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 373, pl. 65, fig. 214, 1842. Trygon hastata STORER, Syn. Fish. N. A. 261, 1846. a gated Dasibatis hastata GARMAN, Bull. 16, U. 8. Nat. Mus. 70, 1883. Dasyatis hastata JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Buil. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 83, 1896. The sting rays of the subgenus Dasyatis differ from the type centrura in having a narrow keel or expansion on the tail both above and below. Ot FISHES OF NEW YORK 5 Disk with the shape and proportions of D. centrura; anterior margins nearly straight, meeting in a blunt angle on the end of the snout, curved near the outer angle to meet the slightly convex posterior margins; inner borders convex; outer and hinder angles rounded; ventrals almost entirely covered by the pectorals, their hinder margins convex; tail more than one and one half times as long as the disk, with a low keel on the upper side, a long, broad, membranous expansion below, rough- ened with small asperities, and with one or more serrated spines beginning in the first fourth of its length; body smooth in young, with scattered small asperities in the old; a row of narrow, com- pressed tubercles on the middle of the back and base of tail, their points depressed and directed backward. On _ each shoulder, parallel with the median row, there is a shorter row varying in length according to age. Mouth with three papillae; jaws more curved than in centrura and less than in sabina. Color bluish or uniform olive brown above, white beneath. West Indies to Brazil, north to Rhode Island. De Kay’s description of his whip sting ray is based on a female captured in September off the coast of Rhode Island by Carson Brevoort of New York. The length of the fish was & feet 6 inches and its weight 110 pounds. Mr Brevoort stated that the whip rays appeared to associate together, as he noticed many of _ Similar size and appearance Swimming about at the same time. They moved slowly together through the water, along the edges of the rocks, about 3 feet below the surface. When captured, the individual described by Dr De Kay whipped its tail about with great activity in all directions. From this circumstance it derives the name of whip ray. 30 Dasyatis say (Le Sueur) Southern Sting Ray Raja say LE Sueur, Jour. Ac. Nat, Sci. Phila. I, 42, 1817. Myliobatis? say DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 376, 1842. Trygon sayi MULLER & HENLE, Plagiostomen, 166, 1841; Dumerit, Elas- mobranches, 6038, 1870. Dasybatis sayi GARMAN, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 69, 1883. Dasyatis say JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 86, 1896. 56 NEW YORK STATH MUSHUM Disk quadrangular, about one sixth wider than long, anterior margins nearly straight, posterior and inner borders convex, outer and posterior angles rounded; snout not protruding be- yond the lines of the margins, ventrals rounded; tail strong, rather more than one and one half times the length of disk, with a strong serrated spine, bearing a short, low cutaneous expansion behind the spine on the upper side, and a longer, little wider one below, ending nearly opposite; upper jaw undulated, lower prominent in the middle; teeth small, smooth in young and females, sharp in adult males; three papillae at the bottom of the mouth, and one at each side; body and tail naked. Color olive brown in adult, reddish or yellowish in young; lower sur- face whitish. New York to Florida,and Brazil. (After Garman) According to Garman, a young female measured from snout to tail 7.1, length of tail was 11, and width of pectorals ae inches. Le Sueur’s type was from the New Jersey coast. Miller and Henle mention six specimens in the Museum of Natural History at Paris, which were sent from New York by Milbert. The species has not been reported recently in New York waters. « Genus prerRoPpLATEA Miller & Henle Disk much broader than long, its anterior margins meeting in a very obtuse angle, its outer angles more or less acute,\ the form, therefore, transversely rhombic; tail very short and slender, shorter than the disk, without fin, armed with a very small serrated spine or without spine; skin smooth or very nearly so. Size large. 31 Pteroplatea maclura (Le Sueur) Butterfly Ray Raja maclura LE SuEuR, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. I, 41, 1817. Pastinaca maclura DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 375, pl. 65, fig. 213, 1842. Pteroplatea maclura MULLER & HENLE, Plagiostomen, 169, 1841; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 487, 1870; Jornpan & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 46, 1888; JonpANn & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 86, 1896; SmiTrH, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVII, 90, 1898. Disk almost twice as broad as long, covered with smooth skin (or with minute granulations according to Le Sueur), the snout \ FISHES OF NEW YORK 57 very little projecting, so that the anterior margin of each pectoral is slightly concave; tail two fifths to one third the length of disk, with a slight dermal fold above and below, and ' with one or two spines very near its base or sometimes with- out spines; eyes small and near the snout; spiracles large, near the eyes; nostrils small, near the mouth, not extending to the upper lip; teeth numerous, triangular, acute, each emarginate at the base behind; ventrals short, broad and rounded, their length less than one fifth of that of disk. Color brownish olive, sometimes bluish, finely marbled with grayish, and finely speckled; anterior edge of disk with blotches of paler; tail with four dark blotches above, forming half rings. Cape Cod to Brazil, common southward. The species is now rarely seen in Gravesend bay. It does not endure captivity. Le Sueur’s description was based on a specimen 6 feet 7 inches wide, taken at Newport R. I. He was informed by fisher- men that it reaches the width of 15 feet. De Kay copied Le Sueur’s description and figure. Dr Smith says it is rare at Woods Hole, and appears in August and September when present. It has the local name of Angel fish at Woods Hole. Family myLIOBATIDE Eagle Rays Genus mMynioBpatTis Duméril ~~ Disk broad; pectoral fins ending laterally in an acute angle, not continued forward around the snout, but ceasing on the sides of the head and reappearing in front of the snout as a fleshy protuberance (cephalic fin); tail very long and slender, whiplike, with a small dorsal fin near its root, and one or more serrated spines; teeth hexangular, large, flat, tessellated, the middle ones much broader than long in the adult; several series of narrower teeth on each side of the median series; teeth chang- ing considerably with age; jaws about equal; free edge of the nasal valve not deeply emarginate; skin smooth. 58 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 32 Myliobatis freminvillei (Le Sueur) Eagle Ray Myliobatis fréminvilleti Lk SuEuR, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. TV, 111, 1824; | DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 376, 1842. Myliobatis acuta STORER, Hist. Fish. Mass. 269, pl. XX XIX, fig. 4, 1867. Myliobatis freminvillei JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 51, 1883; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 89, 1896; SMITH, Bull. U. S. FE. C. XVII, 90, 1898. Disk broader than long, width to length bearing the ratio of 5 to 3; width of disk equal to length of tail. Diameter of eye equals about one fourth of the interorbital distance; spiracles behind the eyes and one and one half times as long. Width of mouth one half its distance from tip of snout. Free edge of the nasal valve not deeply notched. Reaches a length of 4 feet. Body and head above, reddish brown; tail lighter at the base, but nearly black toward the tip; lower parts whitish. The species is not uncommon, from Cape Cod to Brazil. It probably feeds on mollusks. It was reported to me by men of the menhaden steamer Annie Morris that about Aug. 20, 1887, off Hereford inlet, they saw schools of sting rays at the surface “ flopping along like geese.” The schools were large enough to have filled a menhaden seine. The rays were said to have two spines on the tail. Le Sueur’s description was based on a Rhode Island specimen. De Kay copied briefly from Le Sueur, and placed the fish among the extra-limital species. William O. Ayres found an individual at Brook Haven L. I., which he described in the Boston Journal of Natural History, 4:290, pl. 13. Dr Storer received portions of a specimen from Holmes’ Hole Mass. Dr Smith records it as not very common at Woods Hole Mass., but taken in small num- bers every year in traps. 7 Genus RHINOPTERA Kuhl Disk broader than long, its anterior angles more or less acute; snout more or less emarginate on the median line; cephalic fin emarginate and placed on a plane below the level of the pector- als, the snout thus appearing four-lobed; free border of the nasal valve not emarginate; teeth in 5 to 20 rows, the median FISHES OF NEW YORK 59 teeth sometimes much enlarged, sometimes not much larger than the outer teeth; tail long, whiplike, with a small dorsal spine behind the dorsal fin which is at the base of the tail; ventral fins oblong, truncated behind. 33 Rhinoptera bonasus (Mitchill) Cow-nosed Ray Raja bonasus MitTcHI.y, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 479, 1815. Rhinoptera quadriloba Dre Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 375, pl. 66, fig. 217, 1842; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 494, 1870; JorpAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 51, 1883. Rhinoptera bonasus JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 90, 1896; SmirH, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVII, 90, 1898. The length of disk equals two thirds of its width; its anterior borders almost straight, posterior undulated; pectorals acutely produced; muzzle deeply emarginate; mouth wide; nostrils mid- way between mouth and tip of snout; spiracles large, longer than eye; teeth in seven rows in each jaw, the median teeth more than four times as broad as long, the others gradually diminishing in size outward; tail very slender, as long as the body; a small dorsal fin at base of tail and a slender, serrate Spine behind it; skin smooth except a few protuberances on the top of the head. Color olive brown above; beneath white. Cape Cod to Forida; not rare. | This species is now rarely seen in Gravesend bay, where it was at one time very common in the autumn. When Mitchill wrote of the fishes of New York (1815) he stated that the cow- nosed ray visits the coast, usually about September, in numer- ous shoals, entering the bay and ranging very extensively over the flats where the soft clam lives. These shellfish he is supposed to devour; for a shoal of cow- noses roots up the salt water flats as completely as a drove of hogs would do. I have seen the water in violent agitation when these fishes were at work in the bottom. They render it so muddy that they are concealed from sight. Frequently, how- ever, they rise to the top and may be distinctly observed. I have seen them swim near the surface in clear water. They then Support and propel themselves in their element by their large flaps as a crow or other bird, with slowly moving wings, passes through the air. They may be said to fiy rather than to swim. A full grown individual weighs about 100 pounds. 60 . NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Mitchill also states that the fishermen usually allow these rays to decay on the shores, but sometimes take out their livers for conversion into oil. According to Dr Smith, the cow-nosed ray is common at Woods Hole Mass. Subclass TELEOSTOMI ~ True Fishes Series GANOIDEI Ganoid Fishes Order SELACHOSTOMI Paddlefishes Family POLYODONTIDAE 7 Paddlefishes Genus Potyopon Lacépéde Body fusiform, elongate, somewhat compressed; skin smooth or with minute ossifications; snout produced into a very long spatulate process, the inner part composed of the produced nasal bones, the sides flexible and supported by a bony network; mouth wide, terminal, but overhung by the snout, without max- illaries, but with toothed premaxillaries; numerous fine, decidu- ous teeth in the jaws and on palatines; no tongue; nostrils double, immediately in front of the eye ; spiracles present; oper- culum rudimentary, its skin produced behind into a long acute flap; no pseudobranchiae; no barbels; no opercular gill; gills four and one half; gill rakers numerous, very long and slender, in a double series on each arch, the two series divided by a broad membrane; gill membranes connected but free from isth- mus; one broad branchiostegal; lateral line continuous, its lower margin with short branches; air bladder cellular, entire, com- municating with the dorsal wall of the esophagus; pyloric caeca in the form of a short, broad, leaflike organ, with four or five larger divisions, each being subdivided; rectum with a fully developed spiral valve; dorsal fin posterior, without spines; anal similar, and more posterior; tail heterocercal, with well devel- FISHES OF NEW YORK ie 61 oped lower caudal lobe so that the fin is nearly equally forked; sides of the bent portion of the tail armed with small rhombic plates; upper caudal fulerums narrow, numerous;. pectorals mod- erate, placed low; ventrals abdominal, many-rayed. Rivers of the middle United States. 34 Polyodon spathula (Walbaum) Paddlefish; Spoonbill Cat Squalus spathula WALBAuUM, Artedi, Gen. Pisc. 522, 1792. Polyodon feuille LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss. I, 403, 1800. Polyodon folium Biocw & SCHNEIDER, Syst. Ichth. 457, 1801 (after Lacé- péde); Mircuitt, Am. Jour. Sci. Arts, XII, 201, 1827; KIRTLAND, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. IV, 21, pl. 2, fig. 1, 1844; GuNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 346, 1870. Polyodon spathula JoRDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 83, 1883; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 101, 1896. The body of the paddlefish is fusiform with the snout much produced, spatulalike. Body scaleless, covered with smooth skin; mouth broad, terminal, somewhat resembling that of the shark; teeth in jaws very numerous and fine, deciduous; spiracles with a minute barbel. The operculum is rudimentary, its flap of skin long, reaching almost or quite to the ventral fins; pseu- dobranchiae absent; gill arches five, the last rudimentary; gill rakers long,and in a double series on each arch; gill membranes connected, free from the isthmus; nostrils double, situated at base of blade; a continuous lateral line from upper part of head along dorsal outline to tail; eye small, directed downward and to the side; dorsal and anal fins far back, composed of soft rays, nearly opposite; tail heterocercal, well forked; sides of the bent portion of the tail armed with rhombic plates. The pectoral fins are of moderate size and placed low; ventrals many-rayed, abdominal. The distance from eye to end of snout is about one third of the total length, including caudal. The , depth of the body is contained four and one half times in the distance from eye to base of caudal. The hight of the dorsal fin about equals the depth of the body. This is known ag the paddlefish, spoonbill or spoon-billed sturgeon, shovel fish, billfish, and duck-billed cat. Called “ sal- 62 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM mon” in western hotels. The names are derived from the re- markable snout, which is produced into a long spatula-shaped process, covered above and below with an intricate network and with very thin flexible edges. The head and snout form nearly half of the entire length of the fish. The fish can not bé con- founded with anything else in the waters of the United States. There is in China a similar fish, which, however, belongs to a different genus. | 3 Distribution. The single species of American paddlefish is confined to the Mississippi valley. It inhabits only the larger streams in Pennsylvania. It is common in the Allegheny and the Monongahela rivers. _ Size. The paddlefish grows to a length of 6 feet, and a weight of 30 pounds or more. Habits. The species frequents muddy bottoms, but does not feed on the mud and slime, as many persons have supposed. The long snout is useful in procuring its food, which consists chiefly of entomostracans, water worms, aquatic plants, leeches, beetles and insect larvae. Prof. S. A. Forbes, director of the Illinois Laboratory of Natural History, has published the first and most satisfactory account of the feeding habits of this sharklike fish. He found very little mud mixed with the food. Prof. Forbes was informed by the fishermen that the paddlefish plows up the mud in feed- ing with its spatulalike snout and then swims slowly backward through the water. Pig's “The remarkably developed gill rakers of this species are very numerous and fine, in a double row on each gill arch, and they are twice as long as the filaments of the gill. By their interlacing they form a strainer scarcely less effective than the fringes of the baleen plates of the whale, and probably allow the passage of the fine silt of the river bed when this is thrown into the water by the shovel of the fish but arrests everything as large as the cyclops. I have not found anything recorded as to the spawning habits of the paddlefish. The young have the jaws and palate filled with minute teeth, which disappear with age.” | FISHES OF NEW YORK 65 Mode of capture. The fish are generally caught by seining. Edible qualities. The flesh of the paddlefish is frequently con- sidered tough and sharklike, but individuals of 8 or 10 pounds are skinned, and sold in some of the western markets freely, and are thought by some persons to be fairly good for the table. Order CHONDROSTEI Sturgeons Family ACIPENSERIDAE Sturgeons Genus AcrPENsSER Linnaeus Body elongate, subcylindric, armed with five rows of bony bucklers, each with a median keel terminating in a spine which becomes obsolete with age; a median dorsal series of bucklers, and a lateral and abdominal series on each side, the abdominal series sometimes deciduous; between these the skin is rough with small, irregular plates. Head covered with bony plates joined by sutures; snout produced, subconic; spiracles present; mouth small, inferior, protractile, with thickened lips; no teeth; gill rakers lanceolate; four barbels in a transverse series on the lower side of the snout in front of the mouth; eyes small; nos- trils large, double, in front of eye; gills four; an accessory oper- cular gill; gill membranes united to isthmus; pseudobranchiae small or obsolete; no branchiostegals; maxillary distinct from the premaxillary; fin rays slender, all articulated; vertical fins with fulcrums; pectorals placed low; ventrals many-rayed, be- hind middle of body; dorsal placed posteriorly; anal somewhat behind dorsal, similar; tail heterocereal, the lower caudal lobe de- veloped; the tail not depressed or mailed; air bladder large, sim- ple, connected with the esophagus; stomach without blind sac; rectum with a spiral valve; pancreas divided into pyloric ap- pendages. (After Jordan and Evermann) 35 Acipenser sturio Linnaeus Common Sturgeon Acipenser sturio LinNAEUs, Syst. Nat. ed. X, 237, 1758; Gunruer, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 342, 1870; JorpAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 105, 1896; SmiryH, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVI, 90, 1898. 64 yee NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Acipenser oxyrinchus MITCHILL, Trans. Lit. & Phil, Soe. N. Y. I, 462, 1815. _Acipenser oxyrhincus DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 346, pl. 58, fig. 189 (young), 1842. Acipenser sturio var. oxyrrhynchus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 86, 1883. The common or sharp-nosed sturgeon has a stout, roundish and elongate body, its hight equaling one half the length of the head and one sixth of the total without the caudal. The least depth of the tail equals one third of the greatest body depth. The head is long, one third of total without the caudal, and the snout is as long as the rest of the head in the young. The eye is one sixth as long as the snout. Two pairs of short, slender barbels midway between the mouth and tip of snout. The front of the mouth is nearly under the posterior edge of the pupil. The nostrils are double, the posterior pair more than twice as ' large as the anterior. The dorsal and anal fins are placed far back and opposite to each other. The distance of the ventral origin from the end of the lower caudal lobe equals the length of the head. The upper caudal lobe is nearly twice as long as the lower. D. 38 to 40; A. 23 to 26; V. 24. Lateral plates 27 to 29; dorsal shields 10 to 14; ventral shields 11 or 12. The color of the upper parts is dark olive gray, sometimes brownish; the lower parts are light gray or whitish. The pupiis © are black; the iris golden. CR The range of the common sturgeon includes the Atlantic ocean southward to Africa and the West Indies. The northern limit on our east coast appears to be Cape Cod. In the Dela- ware river the fish has rarely ascended as far as Port Jervis. Dr Mitchill was the first to call attention to the similarity between the American sharp-nosed sturgeon and the sturio of Europe. The fish attains a length of 12 feet in America, and it is stated that European examples measuring 18 fect have been taken. The sturgeon ascends the large rivers from the sea in spring and early summer. It is very common in the lower part of the Delaware river, where it forms the object of an important fish-. ery. This is the species concerning which so many stories have FISHES OF NEW YORK 65 been related as to leaping into boats and injuring the occu- pants. | ee ay The mouth of the sturgeon is furnished with a very protrac- tile roundish tube having powerful muscles and intended for withdrawing from the mud the various small shellfish and crus- taceans on which the animal subsists. The mouth is surrounded also with numerous tentacles, with tactile properties, which are utilized in procuring food. The reproductive habits of the sturgeon and the embryology of the species have been made the subject of an exhaustive study by Prof. John A. Ryder, of the University of Pennsylva- nia, whose monograph forms a part of the Bulletin of the U.S. Fish Commission for 1888. The eggs have been fertilized and developed artificially by Seth Green and others many years ago, and in some parts of Europe the hatching of the species has been carried on successfully. The U.S. Fish Commission has also recently taken up the culture both of the marine and the lake sturgeon, and these valuable fish may soon be reared ont an extensive scale. The utilization of the flesh, the skin and air bladder and the eggs of the sturgeon is so well known as to require little more than passing mention in this place. The smoking of the flesh | and the manufacture of caviar from the eggs are very import- ant industries along our eastern coast. The sturgeons are easily taken in gill nets and pounds, but the great strength of the fish frequently entails considerable loss of apparatus. The common sturgeon appears every spring in Gravesend bay, and sometimes in the fall. It is hardy in captivity. A female 8 feet long was brought from the mouth of the Delaware river May 20, 1897, to the New York aquarium. It seemed to take no food till December 1, when it began to feed freely on opened hard clams. Early in November 1898, the fish was still alive and healthy. 66: - NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 36 Acipenser rubicundus Le Sueur Lake Sturgeon Acipenser rubicundus LE SuEuR, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. I, 388, 1818; Dr Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 344, pl. 58, fig. 191, 1842; GuNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 338, 1870; Jorpan & GitBert, Bull. 16, U. S.. Nat. Mus. 87, 1888; JorDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 106, 1896. Acipenser maculosus GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 339, 1870. The body of the lake sturgeon is rather more slender than that of the common sturgeon. The snout is rather blunt; in the young long and slender. The shields of the body are large, about 14 on the back, 30 or more on the side, and eight or nine along the abdomen, between pectoral and ventral fins. Each shield is surmounted by a strong hooked spine. The head is con- tained three and one third times in the length without tail. Barbels four, rather long; eye small; dorsal and anal fins small, placed far back as in the pike. D. 35; A. 26. This is known as the lake sturgeon, Ohio river sturgeon, rock sturgeon, bony sturgeon, red sturgeon and ruddy sturgeon. It inhabits the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and the Great lakes, and is abundant in the Allegheny: From the lakes it ascends the streams in spring for the purpose of spawning. Dr Richard- son states the northern limit of the sturgeon in North America to be about the 55th parallel of latitude. Size. The lake sturgeon is smaller than the common marine sturgeon, the average adult being less than 5 feet in length. The average weight of 14,000 mature sturgeon taken at San- dusky O. was about 50 pounds. It frequently reaches a length of 6 feet. Habits. In the lakes the species, according to observations of James W. Milner, inhabits comparatively shoal waters. | The food of this sturgeon is made up chiefly of shellfish, including the genera Limnaea, Melantho, Physa, Planorbis, and Valvata. Eggs of fishes are also to be found in its stomach. In Lake Erie the species spawns in June, for which purpose it ascends the rivers in large schools till stopped by obstructions FISHES OF NEW YORK 67 or insufficient depth of water. The breaching of the sturgeon is a well known habit. Instances are recorded of serious injury to persons by sturgeons throwing themselves into boats. The sturgeon will occasionally take a baited hook, but its great strength and unwieldiness make it an undesirable fish for the | angler. Large numbers of sturgeon have been destroyed by fishermen during the whitefish season simply on account of the annoyance caused by their presence in the nets. Now that the flesh is coming to be esteemed for smoking, and the demand for caviar made from their eggs has largely increased, the wanton waste of this fish has been checked. A troublesome parasite of the Sturgeon is the lamprey eel (Petromyzon concolor Kirt.) which attaches itself to the skin presumably for the pur- pose of feeding on the mucus, which is exuded from the pores in great abundance, and remains fixed in one position so long as to penetrate to the flesh and produce a deep ulcerous sore. The lake sturgeon was formerly not very much prized, but is rapidly growing in favor. The flesh is eaten in the fresh con- dition or after boiling in vinegar or curing by smoking. Smoked _ sturgeon is now considered almost if not quite equal to smoked halibut, and the demand for it is increasing. From the eggs of the sturgeon a good grade of caviar is produced. ‘“ The caviar is made by pressing the ova through seives, leaving the mem- branes of the ovaries remaining in the sieve, and the eggs fall through intoatub. This is continued until the eggs are entirely free from particles of membrane, when they are put into salt pickle and allowed to remain for some time.” A large specimen now in the museum of Cornell University is reported as being from Cayuga lake. Seth Green informed Dr Meek that sturgeons had occasionally been taken in that lake; but, so far as he knew, they had never been found in any other of the small lakes of central New York. H. V. Kipp of Montezuma N. Y. wrote Dr Meek as follows: There have not been any sturgeons taken from Cayuga lake since 1880, but quite a number before that date, and the largest known weighed 35 pounds. 68 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 37 Acipenser brevirostrum LeSueur Short-nosed Sturgeon 4 Acipenser brevirostrum LE SUEUR, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. I, 390, 1818; RypER, Bull. U. S. F. C. VIII, 237, 1890; JorpAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 106, 1896. Acipenser brevirostris Gunturr, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 341, 1870; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 87, 1883; Smrru, Bull. Us SoPACiXViE 80, 1898. In the short-nosed sturgeon the snout is very blunt and only about one fourth to one third’ as long as the head. The four short barbels are a little nearer to the end of the snout than to the mouth, and do not reach to the mouth. The head is one fifth to two ninths as long as the total to the fork of the tail; the distance between the eyes slightly greater than length of snout and somewhat more than one third of length of head. The average number of. bucklers in the dorsal series is 10 to 11; in the lateral series, 25; in the ventral row, seven to eight. No preanal scutes. The unarmored part of the skin, according to recent observations of Prof. John A. Ryder, is almost free from prickles and ossifications. D. 33; A. 19 to 22; V. 17 to 21; P. 30 to 31; C. 60, its lower lobe two fifths as long as the upper, measuring from the fork. The color of the skin of the upper parts is reddish brown; lower parts nearly white; peritoneum dark brown; viscera almost black. : This little-known sturgeon has not been generally recognized anywhere except in the Delaware and in Gravesend bay; only a few specimens have been obtained in the river, and it is rare in Gravesend bay. Prof. Ryder collected five examples at Delaware City in the spring of 1888 and has published a description of the species in the Bulletin of the U.S. Fish Com- mission for that year. | Size. The largest specimen known was 33 inches long; indi- | viduals 20 inches long are capable of reproducing the species. Uses. At the present time the short-nosed sturgeon prob- ably never comes into the markets, on account of its small size, which prevents its capture in the nets used for taking the common sturgeon. About 1817, however, it was brought in the shad season to Philadelphia and sold for 25c to 75c each. FISHES OF NEW YORK 69 Reproduction. Spawning takes place in the Delaware during May. The eggs are deposited in depths of 1 to 5 fathoms on hard bottom in brackish or nearly fresh water. Prof. Ryder states that the eggs are extruded by rubbing the belly either against hard places on the river bed or against the rough bodies of the males, two or more of which accompany each female. The gravid roe fish are larger than the males. Prof. Ryder found the ova more or less adhesive immediately after their removal from the abdomen, but the sticky mucous cover- ing is soluble in water. The period of hatching varies from four to six days. Food. Up to the third month of its life the young sturgeon has minute conical teeth in its jaws, and at this age it is be- lieved to subsist on “rhizopods, unicellular algae, infusoria, minute larvae of insects and worms, crustaceans, etc.” Still following the observations of Prof. Ryder, we learn that the Sturgeon, when it has reached a length of 1 inch to 13 inches, has minute teeth on the floor of the pharynx and feeds on small water fleas, and probably algae, worms, embryo fishes, insects and fresh-water copepods. Later in life the fish seeks larger crustaceans, and the adults occasionally contain frag- ments of mussel shells. The young fish have been caught under the ice in midwinter and are known to pass most of the year in fresh water. ) A single small example of this sturgeon was brought to the New York aquarium from Gravesend bay May 13, 1896, and was alive and in good condition in November 1898. Dr Smith records the occurrence of the species along with the common sturgeon at Woods Hole Mass., but says it is less numerous. It is captured in the traps. Order RHOMBOGANOIDEA Gar Pikes | BS Family LEPISOSTEIDAE Gar Pikes Genus LEPISOSTEUS Lacépéde Body elongate, subcylindric, covered with hard, rhombic ganoid scales or plates which are imbricated in oblique series | running downward and backward; both jaws more or less elon- 70 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM gate, spatulate or beaklike, the upper jaw projecting beyond the lower; premaxillary forming most of the margin of the upper jaw; maxillary transversely divided into several pieces; upper jaw with an outer series of small, sharp, even teeth, then a series of large teeth, some of the anterior teeth being usually movable; next a series of fine teeth, in one row in front, becoming a band behind. In some species the inner row of these teeth contains larger ones; next the vomerine teeth, also in a long band, and posteriorly a palatine band. These bands on the roof of the mouth are frequently somewhat confluent or irregular. In young specimens some of the palatine teeth are often enlarged, these sometimes forming regular series. Lower jaw with an outer series of small teeth, next a series of large teeth, next again a broad band of fine teeth on each side. Each of the large teeth fits into a depression in the. opposite jaw. Pharyngeals with rasplike teeth; tongue tooth- less, short, broad, emarginate, free at tip; external bones of skull very hard and rugose; eyes small; nostrils near the end of the upper jaw; an accessory gill on the inner side of the opercle; pseudobranchiae present; no spiracles; gills four, a slit behind the fourth; branchiostegals three; gill membranes somewhat connected, free from the isthmus; gill rakers very short; air bladder cellular, lunglike, somewhat functional; fins with fulcrums; dorsal fin short, rather high, posterior, nearly op- posite the anal, which is similar in form; tail heterocercal, in the young produced as a filament beyond the caudal fin; caudal convex; ventrals nearly midway between pectorals and anal; pectorals and ventrals moderate, few-rayed; stomach not caecal; pyloric appendages numerous; spiral valve of intestines rudi- mentary. Fishes of the fresh waters of North America and China. (After Jordan and Evermann) 38 Lepisosteus osseus Linnaeus Gar Pike; Billfish Esox osseus LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, 318, 1758; MiTcHILt, Trans. Lit. & Phit, Soc, N. Y.-I, 444, 1815; Am. Month, Mag. El 321, 13185 Lepisosteus bison DE Kay, N, Y, Fauna, Fishes, 271, pl. 43, fig. 189, 1842. FISHES OF NEW YORK 71 Lepidsosteus osseus GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 1870; Jorpan & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 91, 1883. Lepisosteus osseuSs JORDAN & HVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 109, 1896. The garpike has an elongate, subcylindric body. Its depth is contained about 12 times in the length without the caudal. The jaws are greatly produced, the upper being the longer. The length of the head is one third of the total without caudal. Teeth in the jaws rather fine, sharp and stiff; a single inner row of large teeth, and an outer row of small teeth on each side. The snout is more than twice as long as the rest of the head, its least width being from one fifteenth to one twentieth of its leneihe) D7 to 8; A. 9; V.6; P. 10. Seales 62 to 65. Color greenish; the sides silvery and the belly whitish; nu- merous round, dark spots on the sides, most distinct posteriorly and most conspicuous in the young, becoming obscure with age. Very young individuals have a blackish lateral band. The fins are generally plain, but the vertical fins have numerous round dark spots. The specimen described is no. 36098, U. S. National Museum. Its length is 24 inches. | This is the common long-nosed gar pike of the Great lakes, the Mississippi valley and the eastern states from Pennsylvania to South Carolina. It ranges south to Mexico and west to the plains. Additional names for the species are: billfish, sword- fish, bony gar, bony pike, alligator, alligator gar, and buf- falo fish. Prof. Cope recognizes two varieties of this gar in Pennsylvania. One of these abounds in the Susquehanna and the lower Delaware. He distinguishes -it by its ro- bust form, short face and gill covers and the roughened scales of the front part of the body. The other variety occurs in lakes and in the Allegheny river and is to be known by its slenderer face and gill covers, its smaller size, generally smooth scales and the absence of dark spots on’ the body and fins. It Should be remembered, however, that the species is extremely variable in these particulars, and all of the names based on such characters have been generally discarded. (2 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM The garpike attains to a length of 5 to 6 feet, of which the head and snout usually form about one third. The body is comparatively slender, equaling about one twelfth of the entire length. This species is more abundant in the Great lakes and large streams than in the small rivers. It is emphatically a fish of prey and extremely tenacious of life. It spawns in shoal water, or in the streams, in the late spring and early summer months. Occasionally taken from the northern end of Cayuga lake, but not so numerous as formerly. The garpike is said to be nowhere used for food, because its flesh is tough and is believed to be unwholesome. I have seen it, however, with the bill cut off and the skin removed, offered for sale in the market at Washington D. C. 39 Lepisosteus platostomus Rafinesque Short-nosed Gar Lepisosteus platostomus RAFINESQUE, Ichth. Ohien. 72, 1820; KIRTLAND, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. IV, 20, 1844; Jornpan & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U.S. Nat. Mus. 110, pl. XX, tie: 49) 1896: . Lepidosteus platystomus GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 329, 1870; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 91, 1883. Lepisosteus platyrhincus DE Iay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 273, pl. 48, fig. 187, 1842. : The short-nosed garpike has an elongated body, its dept being contained seven and one half timesin the length; the length of the head is less than one third of the length of body to base of tail; distance from eye to tip of snout greater than from eye to posterior edge of opercle; upper jaw slightly longer than the lower; both jaws with many long, sharp teeth. Dorsal and anal fins placed far back, near the tail; ventrals in middle of length. D. 8; A. 9. About 55 rows of scales between head and caudal. Fins all more or less black spotted. The specimen described, no. 3241, U. S. National Museum, from Cleveland O., is 12 inches _ long. The short-nosed gar, because of its shorter snout, which even - in young specimens does not much exceed the rest of the head — in length, has been considered as representing a separate sub- genus, Cylindrosteus of Rafinesque. : FISHES OF NEW YORK (od This fish seldom exceeds 3 feet in length. Its habits are pre- sumably the same as those of the long-nosed gar, and it is equally worthless for food. It may be readily distinguished from the long-nosed species by the shape of its snout and by its more robust form. The short-nosed gar inhabits the Great lakes and the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. It is more abundant in the southern part of its habitat. It was not recorded from waters of New York by either Mitchill or De Kay. Order CYCLOGANOIDHA Bow/fins Family aMIIDAE Bowfins Genus amra Linnaeus Body oblong, compressed behind, terete anteriorly; head sub- conical, anteriorly bluntish, slightly depressed, its superficial bones corrugated and very hard, scarcely covered by skin; snout short, rounded; lateral margins of upper jaw formed by the maxillaries, which are divided by a longitudinal suture; jaws nearly even in front; cleft of the mouth nearly horizontal, extending beyond the small eye; lower jaw broad, U-shaped, the rami well separated; between them a broad bony plate, with radiating striae, its posterior edge free; jaws each with an outer series of conical teeth, behind which in the lower is a band of rasplike teeth; bands of small teeth on the vomer and ptery- goids; palatines with a series of larger, pointed teeth; premaxil- laries not protractile; tongue thick, scarcely free at tip; nostrils well separated, the anterior with a short barbel; suborbital very narrow; a bony plate covering the cheek, similar to the plates on the top of the head; operculum with a broad dermal border; branchiostegals 10 to 12; no pseudobranchiae or opercular gill; no spiracle; gills four, a slit behind the fourth; gill membranes not connected, free from the isthmus; two peculiar, long, lanceo- late, obliquely striate appendages on each side of the isthmus, projecting backward and covered by the branchiostegal rays, 74. NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM » the qaterior. wholly adnate to the isthmus, the posterior free behind; isthmus scaleless; gill rakers stoutish, very short; scales of moderate size, rather firm, cycloid, with a membranous border; lateral line present; dorsal fin long and low, nearly uniform; the posterior rays not much higher than the others; tail somewhat heterocercal (more so in the young), ‘convex behind; no fulcrums; anal fin short and low; pectoral and ventral fins short and rounded, the ventrals nearer anal than pectorals; vertebrae amphicoelian or double concave, as usual among fishes, none of them specially modified; abdominal and caudal - parts of the vertebral column subequal; air bladder cellular, bifid in front, lunglike, connected by a glottis with the pharynx, and capable of assisting in respiration; stomach with a blind sac; no pyloric caeca; no closed oviduct; intestine with a rudi- mentary spiral valve. Fresh waters of the United States. (After Jordan and Evermann) 40 Amia calva Linnaeus Bowfin; Mudfish Amia calva LinNaEvs, Syst. Nat. ed. XII, 500, 1766; GunTuER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VIII, 325, 1870; DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 270, 1842: JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 94, 1883; JorpDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 113, 1896; DEAN, 4th Ann. Rep’t, N. Y. Comm, Fish, Game, Forests, 246-56, pl. ¢ & © and fig. I-VIII, 1899. j Anvia occidentalis DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 269, pl. XX XIX, fig. 125, 1842. : The mudfish has a well rounded, robust body; head more or less conical; top covered with hard bony plates; body entirely covered with cycloid scales. The mouth is large; maxilla ex- tending far past eye. Depth of body equals three fourths of length of head and is contained slightly more than five times in length of body. Distance from tip of snout to origin of dorsal equals one third of the total length including tail, the dorsal fin beginning over the end of pectoral; length of dorsal base equal to twice length of head; anal base very short, nearly one third of length of head. Strong conical teeth in the jaws; in the lower jaw there is a band of finer teeth behind the outer row. — FISHES OF NEW YORK 75 of large ones. The vomer, palatine and pterygoid bones are finely toothed. A small barbel at anterior nostril. Lateral line continuous; through 62 scales. There are seven: rows of scales between dorsal and lateral line and 11 or 12 from lateral line vorventral. ~D: 50; A. 10’ or 11. The color in life is dark olive, the sides with greenish reticu- lations, the belly whitish; round dark spots on the lower jaw and gular plate. The male has a roundish black spot with an orange border at the base of the caudal fin. The bowfin has various common names, among them mudfish, dogfish, lawyer, grindle, and John-a-grindle. Its range is as ex- tensive as its character is generally worthless. It is found in the Great lakes and tributary streams, in the Ohio and Missis- Sippi valleys southward to Texas, and in eastern waters from Pennsylvania to Florida. The female bowfin is larger than the male, reaching a length of 2 feet, while the male seldom exceeds 18 inches. The male is still further distinguished by the presence of a large black spot or spots, margined with orange or crimson, at the base of the tail fin. The female also has the caudal spot, but very faintly developed. The greatest recorded weight of this fish is 12 pounds. | Habits. This is one of the most voracious of all fishes. It feeds on all other fish of suitable size and also destroys other animals within reach. The capture of the bowfin by means of the trolling spoon has recently come into greatly increased favor with anglers because of the game qualities of the fish and its wonderful tenacity of life. The species has been known to live out of the water, exposed to the sunlight, 12 hours or more. The young may be kept in an aquarium or other receptacle with- out change of water for months. The spawning season of the bowfin is in May and June, and stagnant sloughs are favorite localities for this purpose. The eggs and young are protected by the parents, and the young remain in the pools after the falling waters cause the departure of the adults. Dr Estes, who has made the best observations on the reproduction of this 76 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM species, states that the little ones are protected in the mouth of the parent when suddenly alarmed. The jumping of the bowfin is one of its most characteristic habits. Dr Estes saw them turn complete somersaults while in the air. The bowfin is not a food fish, its flesh being soft and un- savory; yet Dr Goode found them highly esteemed as a sweet morsel by the negroes of the south. The young are in great demand as bait for pike and pickerel, and both these and the adults are interesting for the aquarium because of their colors, the ease with which they endure captivity, the peculiarities of their anatomic structure and their affinities with extinct ganoids. It is seldom taken near Ithaca and is not common at the northern end of Cayuga lake. | Series TELEOSTEI Bony Fishes Subclass OSTARIOPHYSI Order NEMATOGNATHI Catfishes / Family s1ituRIDAE Catfishes Genus FELICHTHYS Swainson Body rather elongate, little compressed; head depressed, broad above; mouth large, the upper jaw the longer; teeth all villiform, those on the vomer and palatines forming a more or less perfectly crescent-shaped band; barbels four; maxillary barbels bandlike, very long; two short barbels on chin; nostrils close, together, the posterior with a valve; nuchal region with a granulated, bony buckler; fontanelle large, well forward; gill membranes somewhat connected; dorsal fin short, in front of. ventrals, with one sharp spine and seven rays; pectorals with a Similar spine; pectoral spines, and sometimes dorsal spines also, ending ina long, striated, bandlike filament; anal fin emarginate,. Shorter than caudal part of vertebral column; adipose fin mod- FISHES OF NEW YORK fit erate, free behind; caudal fin widely forked; ventral rays six. Species all marine; in tropical American waters. — alae _ 41 Felichthys marinus (Mitchill) Sea Catfish; Gaff Topsail Silurus marinus M1TcHILL, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 483, 1815. Galeichthys marinus DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 178, pi. 387, fig. 118, 1842. Alurichthys marinus GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. V, 178, 1864; JorDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 111, 1883. Felichthys marinus JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. 8S. Nat. Mus. 118, pl. XXIII, fig, 52, 1896; Smitu, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVII, 90, 1898. Body somewhat compressed, moderately elongate, its depth at dorsal origin two ninths of length to base of middle caudal rays; caudal peduncle slender, its least depth little more than one third of greatest depth of body; head short, snout rounded, length of head one fourth of total length to base of middle caudal rays; occipital buckler small, oblong, nearly uniform in breadth; band of palatine teeth nearly continuous, variable; maxillary barbel, pectoral fin and dorsal fin about equal in length; eye oblong, small, one fifth length of head; snout about one fourth of length of head; maxillary barbel reaches nearly to ventral origin; pectoral filament about to vent; dorsal, when laid back, almost to adipose fin; ventral origin slightly nearer tip of snout than base of middle caudal rays; caudal lobes un- equal, the upper two sevenths of length to middle caudal rays, the lower as long as the head; adipose fin small, one third higher than wide, its length contained three and two thirds times in that of head; anal base one sixth total length to base of middle caudal rays, longest anal ray two and one third times in head; ventral one half as long as head. D. 1,7; A. 23 (16 developed); P. I, 12; V. I, 5; B. 6. Vetebrae 20+30. Color, glossy bluish above, silvery or milk white below. The sea catfish is found from Cape Cod to Texas; commoa southward. Mitchill says it “is an exquisite fish for eating; ” but the species is generally not valued for food. De Kay also was informed by persons who had eaten it that the fish has an exquisite flavor. He states that it is frequently abundant in 78 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Communipaw creek, on the Jersey side of the harbor of New York. It swims frequently with its long dorsal above the sur- face, in the manner of sharks, and imitates those animals in voracity. Mitchill had a specimen 20 inches long. At Woods Hole Mass., according to Dr Smith, the species is quite rare, and few have been seen recently; one was caught in a trap at Menemsha in 1886. Genus HEXANEMATICNTHYS Bleeker Body moderately elongate, subterete; head depressed, armed with a bony shield above, behind which projects an occipital shield; a smaller, crescent-shaped shield at the base of the dorsal spine; these shields usually exposed but sometimes covered by the skin; skull with a fontanel; mouth moderate, the upper jaw the longer; teeth villiform or granular, in a band in each jaw; teeth in one or two patches each on the vomer and pala- tines, the palatine patches without a backward projecting angle on the inner margin; palatine teeth fixed; barbels six (no nasal barbels), close together, the posterior with a valve; maxillary barbels short, terete; eyes with a more or less free orbital mar- gin, the upper edge sometimes adnate; dorsal fin short, in front of the ventrals, with a sharp spine and about seven rays; adi- pose fin well developed, posteriorly free; caudal fin deeply forked; anal fin short; pectorals with spine; ventral rays S1X 5. skin smooth, naked, except on the occipital and nuchal regions, where it is usually confluent with the surface of the bony buck- lers. Species marine. 42 Hexanematichthys felis (Linnaeus) Sea Catfish Silurus felis LInNEAUvS, Syst. Nat. ed. XII, 503, 1766. Arius milberti GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. V, 155, 1864. Arius equestris GUNTHER, 1. c. 173, 1864; Barrp & GirarD, Ichth. U. S. Chae Mex: Bound. 32, pl. 15, 1859. Arius felis and equestris JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 110, 1883. Galeichthys felis Smirn, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVII, 90, 1898. Hexanematichthys felis JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 47, 128, pl. XXIII, fig. 53, 1896. FISHES OF NEW YORK 79 Body tapering, elongate, terete, its depth at dorsal origin one fifth of length to base of middle caudal rays; caudal peduncle short, its. least depth two fifths of greatest depth of body; head rather elongate, pointed, its length contained three and two thirds times in total to base of middle caudal rays; occipital process with a median keel, about one third of length of head, its tip convex; fontanel forming a narrow groove; top of head comparatively smooth; maxillary barbel three fourths as long as the head; longest mental barbel little more than one half of length of head; eye oblong, placed high, its length one half the length of snout, which is one third the length of head; dorsal origin somewhat behind middle of pectoral fin; dorsal base about equal to snout, highest ray slightly exceeds greatest depth of body; pectoral fin reaches about to below end of dorsal base; ventral origin midway between tip of snout and end of middle caudal rays, length of fin two and one third times in head. Dis- tance from vent to anal origin equals longest anal ray. Length of anal base equals one half the length of head. Caudal lobes unequal, the upper one fourth longer than lower. D. I, 7; P. I, 6; A. 16 (13 developed); V. I, 5. g Color steel blue, sides and belly silvery, lower: parts pale. Cape Cod to Texas; common southward along the sandy coast. Cuvier and Valenciennes received a specimen from New York, forwarded by Milbert. Of its occurrence at Woods Hole Mass. Dr Smith made the following record: ‘“ Reported to have been common in Spring in Vineyard sound many years ago, being often taken with cod; now (1898) very rare, and only occasionally observed since the fish commission station at Woods Hole was established. A specimen was taken in 1887, since which time none has been reported.” Genus 1crauurus Rafinesque Body slender, elongate, compressed posteriorly; head slender, conical; superoccipital bone or process prolonged backward, its emarginated apex receiving the acuminate anterior point of the second interspinal, thus forming a continuous bony bridge from 80 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM the head to the dorsal spine; mouth small, terminal, the upper jaw longer; teeth subulate, in a short band on each jaw; dorsal fin high, with one long spine and usually six rays; adipose fin over posterior part of anal; anal fin long, with 25 to 35 rays; ventral fins each with one simple and seven branched rays; pectoral fins each with a stout spine, retrorse serrate within, and about nine rays; caudal fin elongate, deeply forked, the lobes pointed, the upper the longer. Coloration pale or silvery, -usually with dark spots on the sides. Fresh waters of North America, specially in river channels and ripples in large streams. 43 Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque) Channel Cat; Spotted Cat Silurus punctatus RAFINESQUE, Am. Month. Mag. 359, Sept. 1818, fide Jordan. Ictalurus punctatus JORDAN, Bull. Buffalo Soc. Nat. Hist. 95, 1876; Man. Vert. 800, 1876; JoRDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 108, 1883; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 134, pl. X XV, fig. 58, 1896. : Amiurus cauda-furcatus GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. V, 102. 1864. The body of the spotted catfish is rather long and slender, the depth contained five times in the length without caudal and equal to the length of the dorsal spine. The head is moderate, convex above, its length being slightly less than one fourth the total length. The maxillary barbels are very long, longer than head; eye moderate, five and one half in head; pectoral Spine two thirds of. length of head; humeral process long and Slender, one half the length of pectoral spine; adipose fin well developed; caudal deeply forked. The least depth of the caudal peduncle equals one half the depth of body at last dorsal ray. Dd. 1G) ALO: Mi 1,18) | | This species is variously styled the channel cat, white cat, silver cat, blue cat and spotted cat. It is found over a vast extent of country comprising the Mississippi and Ohio valleys _. and the Great lakes region. In the eastern states it is absent from streams tributary to the Atlantic, but occurs from Ver- mont southward to Georgia, westward to Montana and south- westward to Mexico. In Pennsylvania it is limited to the Ohio and its affluents. FISHES OF NEW YORK 81 The adults of this species are bluish silvery, and the young are spotted with olive. It is one of the handsomest of the family of catfishes and an excellent food fish. The spotted cat grows to a length of 3 feet and a weight of 25 pounds. It is extremely variable in color and in number of fin rays, and has, consequently, been described under more than 20 different names. It is most abundant in large clear streams. This species is less hardy than most of the other catfishes. Genus ameEiurus Rafinesque Body moderately elongated, robust anteriorly, the caudal peduncle much compressed; head large, wide, obtuse; super- occipital extended backward, terminating in a more or less acute point, which is entirely separate from the second inter- spinal buckler; skin covering the bones thick; eyes rather small; ‘mouth large, the upper jaw usually the longer; teeth in broad bands on the premaxillaries and mandibles; band of upper jaw convex in front, of equal breadth, and without backward pro- longation at the angle; dorsal over the space between pectorals and ventrals, higher than long, with a sharp spine and about Six branched rays; adipose fin short, inserted over the posterior half of the anal; anal fin usually short, with 20 or 21 rays, but varying from 15 to 35 if certain fork-tailed species really be- long to the genus; caudal fin short, truncate in typical species, more or less forked in forms approaching Ictalurus; ven- trals with one simple and seven branched rays; pectoral fins each with a stout spine, which is commonly retrorse serrate behind; lateral line usually incomplete; species numerous in nearly all fresh waters of the eastern United States. 44 Ameiurus lacustris (Walbaum) Lake Catfish Gadus lacustris WALBAUM, Artedi, Gen. Pisce. 144, 1792. Amiurus borealis GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. V, 100, 1864. Ictalurus lacustris JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull, 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 108, 1883. Ictalurus. nigricans JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 882, 1883. Pimelodus nigricans DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 180, pl. 62, fig. 170, 1842. Ameiurus lacustris JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1387, 1896, { 82 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM The great catfish has a stout body, a broad and much de- pressed head and a wide mouth. The depth of the body is con- tained five times in total length, without caudal; the head equals more than one fourth of this length. Maxillary barbel as long as anal base, almost as long as the head; eye rather ‘small; dorsal base short, one half the hight of fin; adipose fin .well developed; caudal not deeply forked; pectoral spine as long as dorsal spine, one half the length of head; least depth of caudal pedunele less than one half the greatest depth of body: DAs) toro: A ioe ey As. This is the great fork-tailed cat, Mississippi cat, Florida cat, flannel-mouth cat and great blue cat of various writers. It is also called mud cat in the St Johns river, Fla. The species is highly variable, as we should suppose from its wide distribu- tion. . In 1879 Prof. Spencer F. Baird received from Dr Steedman of St Louis a Mississippi river catfish weighing 150 pounds and measuring 5 feet in length. The writer described this fish as a new species related to the great black catfish of the Mississippi valley, AmMiurus Digericaneg. At the present time it is somewhat doubtful whether or not this is merely an overgrown individual of the species under consideration, and the matter must remain in doubt till smaller examples of Amiurus ponderosus have been obtained. _ The great fork-tailed cat is a native of the Great lakes and the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, and in the southern states its range extends southward to Florida; northward it ranges to - Ontario. | This catfish reaches a weight of 100 pounds or more, and, if it include the giant form above referred to, we may place the maximum weight at more than 150 pounds. Dr Steedman was informed by an old fisherman that the heaviest one he had ever seen weighed 198 poginds, but it is doubtful that such large individuals are to be taken at the present time. In Lake Erie this species usually weighs from 5 to 15 pounds, and the largest Specimens reach 40 pounds. | | FISHES OF NEW YORK : : 83 The habits of this fish are presumably about the same as those of other species of the family. On account of the great size of the fish it naturally prefers lakes and large rivers. It is a bottom feeder and will take almost any kind of bait. This species is wonderfully tenacious of life. It spawns in the spring and protects its young, which follow the parent fish in ereat schools. Dr Theodore Gill has reviewed in Forest and Stream the subject of the cattishes’ care of their young, This is a valued food species, though not a choice fish. In Lake Erie, according to the Review of the Fisheries of the Great Lakes recently published by the U. 8. Fish Comission, the cat- fish rank next to whitefish in number of pounds taken. In Lake Erie catfish are taken chiefly by means of set lines, and the fishing is best during the months of June, July and August. The method of fishing is thus described in the review just referred to. ‘ The apparatus consists of from 200 to 400 hooks attached by short lines to a main line, which is from 5 to 27 fathoms long, according to the place in which set, and is held in place by poles or stakes pushed into the mud. The lines are usually set in the lake, but occasionally short ones are fished in the bayous and marshes. Catfish are taken with a bait of herring, Coregonus artedi, or grasshoppers, and are mostly used in the families of the fishermen and their neighbors or sold to peddlers. . . The size of the catfish ranges from 5 to 25 pounds, averaging 8 or 10 pounds.” In some parts of Lake Erie the set line fishery for catfish begins April 15. Some of these lines have as many as 2000 hooks. In Toledo these fish bring 4$¢ a pound. The pound nets also take a good many catfish in-the spring and fall. Erie receives its supply of catfish from fishermen who operate in the lake from Erie to Elk Creek with set lines during the summer months. De Kay had the species from Buffalo, where he saw specimens weighing from 25 to 30 pounds, and heard of individuals weigh- ing 80 pounds. He states that it is usually captured by the spear. 84 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 45 Ameiurus natalis (Le Sueur) Yellow Cat | Pimelodus natalis LE SuEuR, Mém. Mus. d’Hist. Nat. V, 154, 1819. Pimelodus cupreus DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 187, 1842. (name only) Amiurus natalis GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. V, 101, 1864; Jorpan & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 105, 1888. Ameiurus natalis JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. ‘139, 1896. \ The yellow catfish is robust, and has a rather broad head. The mouth is wide, with the upper jaw usually longer than the lower, sometimes equal. The dorsal profile gradually-ascends from the snout to the dorsal spine. The depth of the body at dorsal spine is contained four and two third times in the total length to base of tail. The length of the head is contained three and two third times in the body length, and equals length of anal base. Eye moderate; maxillary barbel reaching end of head; humeral! shield little developed; dorsal and pectoral spines strong, shorter than soft rays; hight of dorsal equal to twice the length of its base; adipose fin long asin Noturus, oppo- site to and longer than anal; caudal rounded. D. I, 6; A. 24; Wieck, (8. The yellow cat, or chubby oak is found from the Great lakes to Virginia and Texas. It has many varieties; three of which are mentioned by Prof. Cope as occurring in Pennsylvania, two of them in the Ohio river and its tributaries and the third in Lake Erie. The species is not credited to the region east of the Alleghanies. Dr Meek saw only a single specimen from Cayuga lake. The length of the yellow cat sometimes reaches 2 feet but averages much less. | Nothing special is recorded about the habits of this species, It is most abundant in sluggish streams. | 46 Ameiurus vulgaris (Thompson) Long-jawed Catfish Pimelodus vulgaris THompson, Hist. Vermont, 138, 1842. Amiurus vulgaris NELSON, Bull. Ills. Mus. Nat. Hist. 50, 1876; JORDAN, & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 105, 1883. Amiurus dekayi JORDAN, Man. Vert. 302, 1876; GoopE, Fish. & Fish. Ind. U. S. I, pl. 234, 1884; Bran, Fishes Penna. 15, pl. 18, fig. 24. FISHES OF NEW YORK 85 Ameiurus vulgaris JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 140, 1896. This catfish has a stout body; its depth is one fourth of the total length without caudal. The head is contained about three and three fourth times in this length. Eye very small; mouth large; jaws equal or sometimes lower jaw projecting; barbels long; maxillary barbel as long as head. ‘The length of the dorsal base is less than one half that of the anal, while its hight is five sixths of the same length; adipose fin well developed. The pectoral spine is stout and about two thirds as long as the fin. Caudal square; anal rounded; least depth of caudal contained two and one third times in greatest depth of body. D.1I, 6; A. 18 (20); V. I, 8. The long-jawed catfish is found in the Great lakes region and westward to Manitoba. It is believed to be very nearly related to the common catfish, A. nebulosus, but its projecting lower jaw will serve to distinguish it. This character, however, we know by experience is not so satisfactory as it might be. The species reaches the length of 18 inches and the weight of 4 pounds. It is occasionally taken in the Ohio river, but is more abundant in Lake Erie. Jordan and Evermann state its range to be from Vermont to Minnesota and Illinois, chiefly north- ward. The U.S. National Museum has it from Manitoba. Dr Meek found a single specimen which was caught near Ithaca among more than 100 of the common bullheads. It seems to be rare in that basin. Thompson, who described the fish, had speci- mens from Lake Champlain. The long-jawed catfish is similar in all respects except its projecting lower jaw to the common catfish, A. nebulosus, and may be found identical with it. 47 Ameiurus catus (Linnaeus) White Cat; Channel Cat Silurus catus LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, 305, 1758. Pimelodus atrarius DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 185, pl. 36, fig. 116, 1842. Ictalurus albidus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 107, 1883. Ictalurus lophius JORDAN & GILBERT, 1. ce. 107, 1883, 86 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Amiurus albidus JORDAN, Bull. 10, U. S. Nat.-Mus. 84, 1877, figs. 15 & 16, 1877; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 14, pl. 18, fig. 23, 1893. Ameiurus catus JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull, 47, U. S. Nat. Mus, 188, 1896. The body is stout, its depth equal to length of head, and con- tained four times in the total length to base of caudal fin. The maxillary barbels reach posterior end of head; mandibulary barbels shorter; humeral process, above pectoral, half length of pectoral spine, very rough; dorsal fin short, inserted nearly midway between tip of snout and adipose dorsal; adipose fin well developed; caudal fin slightly forked, the upper lobe longer; anal fin long, one fifth to one fourth of total length to base of caudal. D. I, 6; A. 19 to 22. Pale olive bluish, silvery below without dark spots, but sometimes with mottlings or blotches. New York to Texas, in coastwise streams and swamps. Intro- duced into California and now abundant there, This is the white cat or channel cat, in Philadelphia distin- guished as the Schuylkill cat. The channel cat is one of the most abundant of its family in the Potomae river. It is abundant in the Susquehanna and common in the Schuylkill. | This species reaches a length of 2 feet and a weight of 5 pounds. It is extremely variable with age. Old examples have the mouth so much wider than it is in the young that they have been described as a distinct species. The big-mouthed cat of Cope is now considered to be the old form of the white cat. The habits of this species agree with those of other species already mentioned. The name channel cat suggests a favorite haunt of the fish. As a food fish it is highly prized. Eugene Smith’ says this catfish occurs in all the larger streams subject to the tide in the vicinity of New York city. The caudal is furcate. The anal has 20 or more rays. It is frequently caught on set lines with liver or killy bait and bites best at night. The flesh is much better flavored than that OL PAs ne oO S/S): | : - Sart Lin Spe N ON. Proc. 1890) | mon pdt ! FISHES OF NEW YORK ST 48 Ameiurus nebulosus (Le Sueur) Horned Pout; Bullhead Pimelodus nebulosus Le SururR, Mém. Mus. d’Hist. Nat. V, 149, 1819. Pimelodus catus DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 182, pl. 37, fig. 119, 1842. Aniurus catus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 104, 1883. Silurus catus MircniLyu, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 4383, 1815. (not Silurus catus Linnaeus) Amiurus nebulosus BEAN, Fishes Penna. 16, pl. 19, fig. 25, 1893. Ameiurus nebulosus JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S, Nat. Mus. 140, 1896, . The common catfish has a very stout body, broad head and a short stout caudal peduncle. The depth of body about equals length of head, and is contained from three and one half to four and one half times in the length. Barbels eight; maxil- lary barbels as long as head; dorsal profile from tip of snout to dorsal fin straight and rather steep; mouth wide and terminal; teeth awl-shaped, in broad bands on the intermaxillaries and dentaries; dorsal situated in front of middle of body; short and high; adipose fin stout; anal large, its base equaling length of head; caudal square or slightly emarginate. D. I, 6; A. 20-22; inva Deal va This is known as the common catfish, bullhead, hornpout, bullpout, and minister. This species has a wider distribution than the white cat, its range including New England and extending southward to South Carolina, west to Wisconsin and southwest to Texas. It has also been transferred from the Schuylkill to the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, Cal. where it has multiplied so rapidly that it is now one of the most common fishes of those streams. This is the most abundant catfish in Lake Erie and its tribu- taries. The species reaches a maximum length of 18 inches and a weight of 4 pounds, but the average size of market Specimens is much smaller. In the lower waters of the Susquehanna color varieties of this Species are not uncommon. One of them appears to be the same as the Amiurus marmoratus of Holbrook; this supposed color variety is found also from Illinois to Florida. The lower Susquehanna has furnished also some singularly colored examples of this fish, distinguished by 8§ NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM large areas of jet black combined with lemon and white. These freaks are among the most interesting and beautiful observed in this family of fishes. From Jordan’s Manual of the Vertebrates I quote Thoreaw’ S ac- count of the habits of this species: 3 The horned pout are “dull and blundering fellows,” fond of the mud, and growing best in weedy ponds and rivers without current. They stay near the bottom, moving slowly about with their barbels widely spread, watching for anything eatable. They will take any kind of bait, from an angleworm to a piece of a tin tomato can, without coquetry, and they seldom fail to swallow the hook. They are very tenacious of life, “opening and shutting their mouths for half an hour after their heads have been cut off.” They spawn in spring, and the old fishes lead the young in great schools near the shore, seemingly car- ing for them as the hen for her chickens. The species was obtained in Swan river at Patchogue N. Y. Aug. 12, 1898. Young were seined in Bronx river in August. Larger individuals were sent from Canandaigua lake and Sara- nac lake in November. Several albinos were obtained from the Hackensack meadows, N. J., in August 1897. In three months - they grew from 3 inches to 6 inches in length. In captivity the fish feed freely on chopped 1ae0 clams and earthworms and, occasionally, liver. The following notes are from Eugene Smith, in Proc. Linn. Soc N. Vo 1897) p. 11-12. Very variable in color, from dark blackish and olive to brown and yellowish above, becoming lighter below, and often clouded on the sides. Those from tidal or running water are lighter colored than those from stagnant places or ponds. The largest specimen found by me in the near vicinity of New York measured 134 inches in length and weighed 1 pounds 2 ‘ounces. At the end of the third year this fish is perhaps fully matured. The ripe eggs are of the size of large pin heads and are of an orange color; the very young fishes look like little black toad - tadpoles. The spines are strongly developed at an early age. The old fish accompanies the brood for a certain time, always . ' swimming around the swarm of young in order to keep them together. When alarmed the parent dashes off, followed by the" whole swarm. FISHES OF NEW YORK 89 Dr Meek found the species very abundant throughout the entire Cayuga lake basin. Dr Evermann and Barton A. Bean - obtained the following specimens in the St Lawrence river basin in 1894. 1, St Lawrence river, Cape Vincent N. Y. June 21. 3, Racket river, Norfolk N. Y. July 18. Dr Evermann also collected specimens at the following localities of the Lake Ontario region in 1894. Stony creek, Henderson Harbor, July 3, 4 Black river, Huntingtonville, July 5 Mud creek, Cape Vincent, June 25 Mouth Salmon river, July 25 Chaumont river, July 10 Creek, Pultneyville, Aug. 7 Mouth Little Salmon creek, July 25 Sandy creek, North Hamlin, Aug. 20 Long pond, near Charlotte, Aug. 17 Stony Island, July 2, 3 Lakeview hotel, 7 m. n. e. of Oswego, July 17 Marsh creek, Pointbreeze, Aug. 21 49 Ameiurus nebulosus marmoratus (Holbrook) : Marbled Cat Pimelodus marmoratus HOLBROOK, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 54, 1855. Amiurus marmoratus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 104, 1883. Ameiurus nebulosus marmoratus JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus, 141, 1896. Body moderately elongate, its depth about oné fourth total length to caudal base; slope of profile very steep; jaws equal or subequal; dorsal fin high, its spine more than one half as long as head, and nearer to adipose fin than to tip of snout; head long, three and one fourth times in total length to caudal base; barbels long; anal rays 21; body much mottled with brown, greenish and whitish. Lowland streams and swamps from New York to southern Indiana and Florida. The type of the mar- moratus of Holbrook was from South Carolina. 90 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 50 Ameiurus melas (Rafinesque) Black Bullhead; Brown Catfish Silurus melas RAFINESQUE, Quart. Jour. Sci. Lit. Arts. Lond. 51, 1820. Pimelodus pullus DE Kay, N. Y, Fauna, Fishes, 184, pl. XX XVII, fig. 117, aos ee GILL, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. 44, 1862; JorpAN, Bull. 10, U. S. Nat. Mus. 938, figs. 46, 47, 1877; GoopE, Fish. & Fish, Ind. U. 8S. I, pl. 233, fig. 1, 1884; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 16, 1893. Ameiurus melas JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus, 141, 1896. The body of the black bullhead is stout, short and deep. Its depth is contained about three and one half times in its length to tail; in very deep examples but three and one fifth times. The length of the head is contained three and one half times in this length. The head is broad, the dorsal profile straight and rather steep from tip of snout to dorsal fin; eye rather small; barbels long; caudal peduncle stout. Dorsal I, 6; the spine strong and sharply pointed. The hight of the dorsal fin equals one half the length of head. The anal has 18 rays; its base is two and one half times as long as dorsal base. The pectoral fin has one sharp spine and seven rays. Tail truncate; adipose fin well developed; teeth very fine, awl-shaped and in broad bands. Its color is usually blackish or dusky brown, approaching to black, while the lower parts are bluish white. The fins are | black, tinged with red, and the barbels are black. The color is subject to considerable variation. The black bullhead reaches the length of 1 foot. It is found in the Great lakes region and in the Mississippi valley, westward to Kansas and southward to Texas. | This species was known to De Kay as the brown catfish. His specimens were from Lake Pleasant and Lake Janet, N. Y.; and he states that it is also very common in many other lakes of northern New York, where its principal use is to serve as bait for the lake trout. Dr Jordan had it from the Genesee river. Dr Evermann obtained a specimen in Mill creek at Sacketts Harbor N. Y. July 2, 1894, and doubtfully referred to this species" a young individual collected in Sandy creek, at North Hamlin N. Y. Aug: 20, 1894. FISHES OF NEW YORK 91 Genus norurus Rafinesque Body moderately elongate, robust except in caudal part, which is much compressed; head flat and broad; mouth terminal, broad; teeth in broad villiform bands on premaxillaries and dentaries; teeth of upper jaw prolonged backward into an elon- gate, triangular extension; adipose fin adnate to the back; a poison gland at the base of the pectoral spine. Represented by a single species inhabiting rivers and channels. 51 Noturus flavus Rafinesque Stone Cat Noturus flavus RAFINESQUE, Ichth. Ohien. 68, 1820; SToRER, Syn. Fish. N. A. 154, 1846; JorDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 100, 1883; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. V, 104, ae BEAN, Fishes Penna. 18, 1898; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 144, 1896, p’. XX VII, fig. 68, 1900. Pimelodus flavus DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 187, 1842 (after Kirtland). The stonecat has a moderately elongate body, whose great- est depth and width are nearly equal; the tail is much com- pressed, and the head flat and broad. The greatest depth of the body is nearly one fifth of the total length without the caudal; the least depth of the caudal peduncle equals nearly one half the length of head. The mouth is terminal, horizontal, its width equal to postorbital part of head and to length of maxillary barbel; longer barbel on chin not quite one half as long as the head. Nasal barbel when laid back reaches end of eye. The width of the band of teeth in the upper jaw equals one third the length of head; the backward prolongation is little longer than the eye. The distance between the eyes equals length of snout and eye. The snout is one half as long as the postorbital part of the head. The dorsal origin is at a distance from tip of snout nearly equal to one third of the total length without cau- dal. Whe dorsal base is one half as long as the head. The spine is very Sharp and as long as the snout. The longest ray is nearly one half as long as the head. The ventral origin is not far behind the end of the dorsal base; the fin reaches a little beyond the vent, but not to the anal origin. The pectoral reaches to below the third dorsal ray, its spine about two fifths as long 92 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM as the head. The anal origin is a little nearer to base of caudal than to origin of pectoral; the base is as long as the head without the snout, one fifth of total to base of caudal, and the longest ray equals one half the length of head. The very low adipose dorsal begins over the anal origin and continues into the caudal; in older specimens it is deeply notched. The caudal is rounded. D.I, 6; A. 16; V. 9; P. 1, 9. Length of the speci- men described (no. 35877, U. S. national museum), 6Z inches. In spirits the upper parts are grayish brown, and the lower surface of head and body pale. In life the fish is nearly uni- form yellowish brown. The stonecat is found from Ontario, throughout the Great lakes region, south to Virginia and Texas, west to Montana and Wyoming. It inhabits the larger streams. Dr Evermann ob- tained two specimens at Nine Mile point, in the Lake Ontario region, June 11, 1893. The species has very little value as food on account of its small size. It seldom exceeds 12 inches in length, but it is a very good bait for black bass. The stonecats are much dreaded by fishermen because of the painful wounds sometimes pro- duced by their pectoral spines. There is a minute pore in the axil of the pectoral, which is the outlet of a noxious liquid — secreted by a poison gland. When this poison is discharged into a wound, it causes an extremely painful sore. Genus scHiLBEopEs Bleeker | Body moderately elongate, rounded anteriorly, compressed posteriorly; head flat; skin very thick, concealing bones of head : superoccipital not joined to the head of the second interspinal; mouth large, anterior, the upper jaw somewhat the longer; awl- shaped teeth in broad bands in the jaws, the band in the upper jaw abruptly truncate at each end and not prolonged into a backward extension as in Leptops and Noturus; branchiostegals nine; dorsal fin nearer to ventrals than to pec- torals, with a short spine and seven rays; adipose fin long and low, adnate to the body and continuous with the caudal fin, the adipose membrane sometimes high and continuous, sometimes FISHES OF NEW YORK 93 emarginate; caudal fin very obliquely truncated or rounded, its base also obliquely rounded; many rudimentary rays both above and below the caudal peduncle; anal fin short with 12 to 23 rays; ventrals rounded; pectoral fins with a sharp spine of vary- ing form; vent well in front of anal fin; lateral line complete. A poison gland opening by an orifice in the axil of the pectoral, so that wounds made by the pectoral spines are very painful. Size small. Fresh waters of the eastern United States among rocks and weeds, specially in small brooks. (After Jordan and Everman) | 52 Schilbeodes gyrinus (Mitchill) Stone Cat Silurus gyrinus Mrrcuitt, Amer. Month. Mag. II, 322, March,1818 (Wallkill River, N. Y.); DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 186, 1842 (generic distinc- . tion recognized). Noturus gyrinus RAFINESQUE, Journ. de Physique, 421, 1819; Ichth. Ohien. 68, 1820; JornpAN, Man. Vert. 303, 1876, Bull. 10, U. S. Nat. Mus, 102, figs. 66, 67, 1877; JoRDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 98, 1883; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 20, 1893. Schilbeodes gyrinus BLEEKER, Act. Soe. Sc. Indo-Nederl, IV, 258, 1858, jide GuNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. V, 104, 1864; Jornpan & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 146, 1896. ‘The tadpole stonecat has a short and stout body, sloping | rapidly downward from the dorsal origin to the tip of the snout; its greatest depth contained four and one third times in total length without caudal; its width contained four and one half times. The head is short, broad and depressed, its. width nearly equal to its length, which is one fourth of the total with- out caudal. The width of the mouth equals two thirds the length of the head; the jaws nearly equal. The width of the maxillary band of teeth equals one third of length of head; there are no lateral backward extensions. The snout is short, two sevenths as long as the head. The eye is small, one seventh as long as the head. The maxillary barbel reaches to the base of the pectoral; the outer mandibulary barbel is slightly longer. The nasal barbel is one half as long as the head. The distance of the dorsal from the tip of snout equals that from origin of ventral to end of anal. The base is as long as the snout and eye combined; the spine is one third as long as the head, and the 94 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM longest ray equals length of postorbital part of head. The low adipose fin begins over the anal origin and is continuous with the caudal. The ventral origin is under the end of the dorsal base, the fin does not reach to anal origin. The pectoral reaches to below the middle of the dorsal. The anal base is one fifth of total length without caudal; the longest ray equals postorbital part of head. The caudal is rounded. The pectoral spine is one half as long as the head. The humeral process is one third as | long as the head. D. 1, 6; A. 18-15; P. I, 8. -Color in spirits dark brown; the belly and under surface of head paler. The specimens described (no. 1508, U. S. National Museum) are from 33 to 4 inches long. | The general color is brownish, without blotches. Jordan in the Manual says that it has a black lateral streak, sometimes with two other streaks above this. I have found none with this feature; it is the lateral line itself which looks darker in color. | The eyes are small, beadlike and at night glisten like adamant, indicating a more nocturnal habit. These fishes are called stone- catfishes, but they prefer still, muddy water. In the aquarium it is even more hardy than the common catfish and often lies on its side for hours as if dead, or remains suspended in the water in various odd positions. (After Eugene Smith)! Dr Meek had no knowledge of the occurrence of this species | near Ithaca. The museum of Cornell University has a few specimens from the lake, but without definite locality. Dr Meek and Mr Harris took several examples from a small stream near Montezuma. Dr Evermann secured a specimen in Mill creek, at Sacketts Harbor N. Y. July 2, 1841; one in Long pond, at Char- lotte N. Y. Aug. 17; and one in Guffon creek, at Chaumont N. Y. July 7 of the same year. In general it ranges in the Great lakes region, through the Mississippi and Ohio valleys, and in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Its length does not exceed 5 inches. The species is too small to be of any value except for bait, and on account of its tenacity of life it is greatly in demand for hook and line fishing, specially in the capture of the black bass, for which it is one of the best baits known. 1Jjinn. Soc. N. Y. Proce, 1897. no. 9, p. 12-138. FISHES OF NEW YORK 95 53. Schilbeodes insignis (Richardson) Margined Stone Cat Pimelodus insigne RicwArvson, Fauna Bor.-Amer. III, 132, 1836 (name only, based upon the Pimneclede lirrée Lr SururR, Mém. Mus. d’Hist. Nat. V, 155), 1819. ‘Noturus lemniscatus GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. V, 104, 1864; JorDAN, Man. Vert. 303, 1876. Noturus insignis JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 100. 1883; BEAN, Fishes, Penna. 19, pl. 19, fig. 26, 1898. } Schilbeodes insignis JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 147, 1896, pl. XXVIII, fig. 66, 1900. The margined stone cat has a moderately elongate and. low body, its width greater than its depth, and the least depth of the caudal peduncle about three fourths the greatest depth of body. The head is rather long and depressed, one fourth of total without caudal, the snout short and rounded. The eye is small, its length one half the width of interorbital space and little more than one half the length of snout. The lower jaw is slightly shorter than the upper; the width of the mouth equals postorbital part of head. The width of the maxillary band of teeth equals one third the length of head; there is no extension backward. The maxillary barbel reaches nearly to the end of the head. Six short gill rakers below the angle of the first gill arch. The dorsal origin is about over the middle of the space between the pectoral and ventral origins; the length of the dorsal base equals the distance between the eyes, and also the length of its spine. The longest ray is, half as long as the head. The ventral reaches beyond the vent and almost to the anal origin, its length half the head. The pectoral does not reach to the ventral origin, its spine half as long as the head, rough along its front edge and coarsely serrate behind. The adipose fin is little developed; it begins over the anal origin and is continuous with the caudal. The anal origin is nearly midway between the pectoral origin and the base of the caudal; the base is scarcely two ninths of total length without caudal; the posterior and longest rays are scarcely one half as long as eseda,.. The caudal is rounded. D.:1,7; AoAT;.V. 10; P. 1,9. ‘In Spirits the upper parts are dark brown, the belly and under 96 . NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM ~ surface of head pale. The fins all have a narrow dark margin. The specimen described (no. 18015 U. S. National Museum) is 45 inches long. This species, like the others of its genus, is called stone cat, and it is very common in the Susquehanna, where it is highly prized as a live bait for black bass fishing. The speciés occurs also in the Delaware, but for some reason or other is not so attractive to the black bass as the Susquehanna river race. It © grows to the length of 10 inches. 3 The species ranges from New York to South Carolina, east of the Alleghenies. ) The dorsal and’ caudal fins sometimes have a well defined black margin, from which originated the later name, Noturus marginatus. This isthe Pimelodus liyroe or Cuvier and Valenciennes and the P. lemniscatus of Le Sueur. Cuvier and Valenciennes make the following conclud- ing remarks about the species: “The species is probably vivi- parous, for the eggs are very large, and contain a well developed embryo. The ovary contains many eggs of which the diameter exceeds 2 lines, and moreover they are taken from a small animal, for our example is 3 inches long.” 54 Schilbeodes miurus (Jordan) Variegated Stone Cat Noturus niurus JORDAN, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y. 37 1 187%, Bulk 10,-Ua8: Nat. Mus. 100, figs. 60, 61, 1877; JoRDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 99, 1883. . Schilbeodes miurus JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 148, 1896, pl. X XIX, fig. 68, 1900. Body rather stout, subterete, its greatest. depth contained from four and one half to five and one half times in total length without caudal; least depth of caudal peduncle three fifths of greatest depth of body. Head one fourth of total length with- out caudal; eye one fifth the length of head, snout about two sevenths; maxillary barbels reach beyond end of head; man- dibulary barbel three fifths as long as the head; lower jaw included. Dorsal origin over middle of pectoral, slightly nearer to anal than to tip of snout, the dorsal base one half as long as FISHES OF NEW YORK , 97 the head; adipose fin with a deep notch but connected with the caudal, its length about equal to head; caudal rounded, its middle rays four fifths as long as the head; anal base as long as the head without the snout; highest ray of dorsal equal to dorsal spine, three fifths as long as head; longest anal ray one half as long as the head, extending to middle of ventral base; ventral fin one half as long as the head; humeral process short. Body much mottled with black and gray and with four broad dark bands or cross blotches; top of head, tip of dorsal, middle of adipose fin, and edge of caudal blackish; occiput dark. D. I, ewe ot5; VV. 1,85 P. 1,8: The variegated stone cat has been assigned to the Mississippi valley, south to Louisiana, to tributaries of Lake Michigan, and to the Ohio valley, where it is common. It appears to have been entirely overlooked by ichthyologists till 1876. Dr Ever- mann collected five specimens of this fish in Sandy creek at North Hamlin N. Y. Aug. 20, 1894. The probability is that it will be found in other waters of the Great lakes region. The individuals used for illustration are from 34 inches to 44 inches long. Order PLECTOSPONDYLI Oarplike Fishes Suborder EVENTOGNATHI Carps Family cATOSTOMIDAE Suckers Genus carPiopEs Rafinesque Body oblong; the dorsal outline more or less arched; the ventral outline nearly straight; depth from one half to one third of length; sides compressed, the back sharp edged; caudal peduncle short and deep; head short and deep; its upper surface rounded; eye moderate, median or anterior; suborbital bones well developed; fontanel present; mouth small, horizontal. and inferior; mandible short; lips thin, the upper protractile, nar- row, the lower narrow; lips feebly plicate or nearly smooth; 98 - NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM jaws without cartilaginous sheath; muciferous system moder- ately developed; opercular apparatus well developed, the sub- opercle broad; isthmus moderate; pharyngeal bones remarkably thin, laterally compressed, with a shallow furrow along the an- terior margin on the inside, and another more central on the outline of the enlarged surfaces; teeth very small, compressed, nearly equally thin along the whole inner edge of the bone, form- ing a fine, comblike crest of minute serratures, their cutting edge rising above the inner margin into a prominent point; gill rakers slender and stiff above, becoming reduced downward; scales large, about equal over the body; lateral line well de- veloped, nearly straight; dorsal fin long, nearly median, some- what in advance of ventrals, falcate, its anterior rays elevated, | often filamentous; caudal fin well forked, the lobes equal; anal fin comparatively long and low, few-rayed; ventrals rather short, usually with 10 rays; pectorals short, placed low; air bladder with two chambers. Size medium or rather large. (After Jordan and Evermann) 55 Carpiodes thompsoni Agassiz Lake Carp; Drum Catostomus cyprinus THOMPSON, Hist. Vermont, 133, 1842. Carpiodes thompsoni AGASSIZ, Am. Jour. Sci. Arts, 191, 1855; Copx, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sei. Phila. 285, 1864; JoRDAN, Man. Vert. 297, 1876; JORDAN, Bull. 12, U. S. Nat. Mus. 198, 1878; JoRDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. BS. Nat. Mus. 119, 1883. Body short and stout, the back strongly arched, the greatest depth two fifths of the length to base-of caudal fin; head short, about one fourth of length, the snout acutely pointed; lips thin, white, meeting at a wide angle; tip of lower jaw much in ad- vance of nostrils; maxillary reaching to below front of orbit; eye small, about one fifth length of head; dorsal about median, its rays considerably produced, the longest two thirds as long as base of fin; scales rather closely imbricated, 8-39 to 41-6. D2 GAs Ms V4 10, Abundant in the Great lakes region. Found in Lake Cham-. plain. ea FISHES OF NEW YORK 99 Genus carostromus Le Sueur Body elongate, fusiform, rounded, tapering anteriorly and posteriorly; head long, with pointed snout; eye small, placed high; suborbital bones narrow; fontanel present, large; mouth rather large, inferior, upper lip thick, protractile, papillose, lower lip greatly developed, with a broad free margin, usually deeply incised behind, so that it forms two lobes which are often more or less separated; mandible horizontal, short; opercles moderate; pharyngeal bones moderate, their teeth shortish, vertically compressed, rapidly diminishing in size upward; scales comparatively small; typically much smaller and crowded anteriorly; lateral line well developed, straightish; dorsal nearly median, with from 9 to 14 rays; anal fin short and high, with seven developed rays; ventrals inserted under the middle or posterior part of dorsal, with 9 to 10 rays; caudal fin forked, the lobes nearly equal. In males the fins are higher, and the anal is swollen and tuberculate in the spring. Air bladder with two chambers, the posterior large. Vertebrae 45 to 47. (After Jordan and Evermann) 3 56 Catostomus catostomus (Forster) Long-nosed Sucker Cyprinus catostomus FORSTER, Phil. Trans. LXIII, 155, tab. 6, 1773. Catostomus hudsonius LE SuEuR, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. I, 107, 1817; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 13, 1868. Catostomus longirostris JORDAN, Bull. 12, U. S. Nat. Mus. 175, 1878; JorDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 126, 1883. Catostomus nanomyzon MATHER, App. 12th Rep’t Adirondack Sury. N. Y- 36, plate, fig. 1, 1886. Catostomus catostomus JORDAN, Cat. Fish. N. A. 17, 1885; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 25, pl. 20, fig. 30, 1898; JornpDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 176, 1896, pl. XXXII, fig. 77, 1900. The northern sucker has an elongate body, round and taper- ing, with a long and rather slender head. The depth of the body is contained about four and one half times in the length and equals length of head. The snout is much longer than in C. teres, considerably overhanging the mouth, which is large, with thick coarsely tuberculated lips. Eye small, two fifths as long as the snout and one sixth as long as head; its position 100 ‘NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM in the head is exactly median. Dorsal origin equidistant from tip of snout and base of caudal; dorsal base as long as head without snout; longest ray one sixth of total length without caudal, twice as long as the last ray. Distance from ventral origin to anal origin equals length of head. Anal base one half as long as dorsal base; longest anal ray equal to longest of dorsal and twice as long as last ray. Ventral origin is under middle of dorsal; the fin equal to head without snout. Pec- toral nearly one fifth of total length without caudal. D. 10 to 11; A. 7 to 8; V. 10. Scales usually about 100 in lateral line and in 28 rows from dorsal origin to ventral origin. The northern sucker, long-nosed sucker, or red-sided sucker, as the above species is styled, occurs in the Great lakes and northwest to Alaska in clear, cold waters. It is very common in Lake Erie. It grows to a length of 2 feet and is largest and most abundant northward, in Alaska reaching a weight of 5 pounds. Asa food fish the long-nosed sucker is little esteemed; but in cold countries the head and roe are used in making a palatable soup. | : | The males in the breeding season,’ in spring, are profusely covered with tubercles on the head and fins and have a broad rosy band along the middle of the body. In the Yukon river, Alaska, Dr Dall found the fish filled with spawn in April. The eggs are of moderate size and yellow in color. Nelson has seen this species seined by Eskimo in brackish estuaries of streams flowing into Kotzebue sound. W. J. Fisher has col- lected specimens on the peninsula of Alaska. This was not found in Cayuga lake basin by Dr Meek, but it occurs in the Adirondack region, and Dr Meek believes it is a member of the Cayuga lake fauna. Dr Evermann obtained five specimens at Grenadier island, N. Y. June 28, 1894. The small race found by Fred Mather in the Adirondacks is the ordinary dwarf form characteristic of mountain regions. He discovered four individuals, only 44 inches long, but mature and breeding “in a little mountain brook emptying into Big Moose nearly north of the Big Moose club house, by a bark FISHES OF NEW YORK 101 shanty known as ‘Pancake Hall’.” The fish were spawning, and he discovered many eggs under the stones. The females were brown with white on belly, the male with red stripe on the side. 57 Catostomus commersonii (Lacépéde) Common ‘Sucker — Cyprinus commersonnii LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss. V, 503. 610, 1803. Cyprinus teres MITCHILL, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 458, 1815. Catostomus teres GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 15, 1868; Bran, Fishes Penna. 25, 1893. Catostomus communis DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 196, pl. 33, fig. 106, 1842. Catostomus pallidus Dr Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 200, pl. 33, fig. 104, 1842. Catostomus commersoni JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1883. Catostomus commersonii JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 178, 1896, pl. XXXIV, fig. 838, 1900. ‘ The common sucker has a moderately stout body, heavy at the shoulders and tapering to the tail. Its greatest depth is contained four and one half times in its length to tail, slightly more than length of head. Head conical, flattened on top; mouth rather large and the lips strongly papillose; dorsal fin situated in middle of length; ventral opposite dorsal; anal far back; second and third branched rays of dorsal highest, two thirds the length of head; third and fourth rays of anal longest, almost equal to length of head. D.12; A.7; V. 9. Scales 64; from dorsal to lateral line 9, and from lateral line to ventral, 9 or 10. | The common sucker is also known as the pale sucker, white sucker, gray sucker, brook sucker, and, among the Canadian French, as the carpe blanche. It is the commonest member of its genus in waters east of the Rocky mountains. It is found from Canada to Florida and westward to Montana. Covering such a wide range of territory, the species is naturally variable, and has been described over and over again by many authorities _under a great variety of names. The male of this sucker in spring has a faint rosy stripe along the middle of the side. The young are brownish in color and somewhat mottled and have a dark median band or a series of large blotches. The 102 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM adults are light olive varying to paler and sometimes darker; sides silvery. The species reaches a length of 22 inches, and a weight of 5 pounds. [It is a very common inhabitant of ponds and streams of the lowlands, and a small race occurs in certain cold mountain streams of the Adirondack region, where it is dwarfed in size and changed in color but does not differ in essential | characters. Dr Rothrock also obtained a mountain race of this. sucker in Twin lakes, Col., at an elevation of 9500 feet above the sea level. The common sucker is a very indifferent food fish in the esti- mation of most people, but, when taken from cold waters and in its best condition, its flesh is very palatable. It takes the hook readily when baited with common earthworms. Dr Richardson says: _ It is a common fish in all parts of the fur countries, abound- ing in the rivers and even in landlocked marshes and ponds, but preferring shallow grassy lakes with mud bottoms. In the beginning of summer it may be seen in numbers forcing its way up rocky streams, and even breasting strong rapids, to arrive at its proper spawning places in stony rivulets; soon after- wards it returns to the lakes. Its food, judging from the con- tents of the stomachs of those which I opened, is chiefly soft insects; but in one I found the fragments of a fresh-water Shell. In the winter and autumn it is common in nets, and in | the spawning season (June) may be readily speared, or even. taken by the hand in shallow streams. It is a very soft, watery fish, but devoid of any unpleasant flavor, and is considered to be one of the best in the country for making soup. Like its. congeners, it is singularly tenacious of life, and may be frozen and thawed again without being killed. Dr Meek found this species abundant throughout the entire Cayuga lake basin, where it is known as the common white sucker. Dr Evermann, in his manuscripts on the fishes of Lake Ontario, taken in 1894, mentions this sucker from the following localities: Stony creek, Black river, Mud creek, Cape Vincent, mouth Sal- mon river, Chaumont river, creek at Pultneyville, mouth Little Salmon creek, Sandy creek, Long pond, Stony Island, Lakeview FISHES OF NEW YORK 103 hotel, 7 miles northeast of Oswego, and Marsh creek. In the St Lawrence river basin he and Barton A. Bean obtained the young in Racket river, Norfolk N. Y., July 18 and in the St Lawrence river, 3 miles below Ogdensburg, July 17. Inthe Lake Champlain basin these two collectors secured young and half grown specimens in the Saranac river, at Plattsburg July 28, 1894. The writer received specimens from Canandaigua lake in November of 1896 and 1897, and seined the young in Bronx river in August 1897. The small mountain form was secured from Saranac lake in November 1897. It is conspicuous for its small size and its red color.. The Canandaigua lake suckers, received in November 1896, throve in captivity till July 1897, when the warm water killed them. Color brownish, olivaceous above, silvery below; the young are much blotched and marked on sides and back. It is occas- jionally caught on the hook. Young ones, in captivity, though they always grub about, and though they take food offered them, do not thrive and gradually starve. They remain wild and take alarm easily and often leap out of their tank. This Species enters slightly brackish water. Hugene Smith 58 Catostomus nigricans Le Sueur Hog Sucker; Stone Roller Catosiomus nigricans LE SuEuR, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. I, 102, 1817; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 17, 1868; JorDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 130, 1883; Bran, Fishes Penna. 26, pl. 21, fig. 31, 1893; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 181, 1896; DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 202, 1842. Heoglossum (Hypentelium) macropterum RAFINESQUE, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sc#. meeiinia 1, 420, pl. 17, fig. 3, 1817. The stone roller has a peculiar physiognomy. The head is flattened on top, the interorbital space is concave and the fron- tal bene short, broad and thick. The body is subterete, its depth being contained four and one third times in the length without caudal or equal to length of head. The eye is rather . Small, being contained three times in length of snout; mouth jarge, lips well developed and strongly papillose; fins all large; *Linn. Soc. N. Y. Proce. 1897. no. 9, p. 13-14. 104 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM the dorsal base equals two thirds of length of head, while the pectoral is considerably longer than the dorsal. Caudal moder- ately forked; lateral line fully developed, on median line of body; scales moderate, equal. D.11;A.7; V.9. Scales 7-52-7. . Specimen examined, no. 8446, U. S. National Museum, from Cayuga lake, N. Y. The stone roller has a wide distribution and a remarkable variety of common names. Among them are: hammerhead, stone lugger, stone toter, crawl-a-bottom, hog molly, hog mullet, mud sucker, hog sucker, banded sucker, large-scaled sucker, and black sucker. The name, shoemaker, was formerly applied to. this species in Lake Erie, perhaps on account of the resemb- lance of its color to that of shoemaker’s pitch. Prof. Cope says that this species in Pennsylvania is most abundant in tributaries of the Ohio and in the Susquehanna, while in the Delaware it is uncommon. It ranges from western New York to North Carolina and westward to Kansas. It is the most remarkable-looking of all the suckers of New York,. and may always easily be distinguished by the shape of its. head. The species grows very large, reaching a length of 2 feet. It delights in rapid streams of cold, clear water. Its habit is to rest quietly on the bottom, where its color protects it from observation. It is sometimes found in small schools. The _ Spawning season is in spring, and the young are abundant in small creeks, as well as in the rivers. The food consists of insect larvae and small shells, and it is specially fitted for secur- ing its prey under stones in the rapids. As a food fish this sucker has little value. Genus ERimyzon Jordan Body oblong, compressed; head moderate; mouth moderate, somewhat inferior, the upper lip well developed, freely protrac- tile, the lower moderate, infolded, inversely V-shaped in outline, plicate, with 12 to 20 folds on each side; lower jaw without cartilaginous sheath, rather stronger than usual, and oblique when the mouth is closed; eye moderate; suborbital bones well - FISHES OF NEW YORK 105 developed, not much narrower than the fleshy part of the cheek below them; opercular bones moderately developed, not rugose; fontanel rather large; gill rakers rather long; pharyngeal bones weak; the teeth quite small, slender, and weak, rapidly diminishing in length upward, each tooth narrowly compressed, with a cusp on the inner margin of the cutting surface; scales rather large, more or less crowded forward; no lateral line; dorsal fin rather short and high, rays usually 11 or 12; pectoral fins moderate; anal fin high and short, more or less emarginate or bilobed in adult males; caudal fin moderately forked or lunate, its lobes subequal. Air bladder with two chambers. (After Jordan and Evermann) 59 Erimyzon sucetta (Lacépéde) Chub Sucker Cyprinus sucetta LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat, Poiss. V, 503, 606, 610, 1803. Catostomus sucetta LE SuEuR, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. I, 109, 1817. Labeo gibbosus Dr Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 194, pl. 32, fig. 101, 1842 (dorsal incorrect). Catostomus tuberculatus Dr Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 199, pl. 31, fig. 97, 1842. Labeo esopus DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 195, 1842. Hrimyzon goodei JORDAN, Bull. 12, U. S. Nat. Mus. 148, 1878; JoRDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 184, 1888; GoopE, Fish. and Fish. Ind. U.S. pl. 221, 1884. Brimyzon sucetta (part) BEAN, Fishes Penna. 27, 1893. Erimyzon sucetta JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 185, 1896. The body of the chub sucker is oblong, rather deep and com- pressed. Its depth one third of standard length. The head is rather short, broad above, its length one fourth of total length to caudal. The mouth is rather small and but slightly inferior, protractile. The eye is contained five times in length of head and slightly less than twice in its distance from tip of snout. Dorsal short, rather high, placed in middle of length; ventrals directly underneath; highest dorsal ray (fourth) not quite equal to second anal ray, about two thirds of length of head; caudal slightly forked. No lateral line. D. 12 to 15; A. 7 to 8; V. I, 7. Scales 37 to 40; transverse 13 to 15. The chub sucker here described is the southern form which was first made known by Lacépéde from an individual received 106 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM from Charleston 8. C. Jordan and Evermann now give the dis- tribution of this form as extending from Virginia to Texas. It appears to reach a little farther northward if the references to De Kay are properly made. His Labeo gib bosus and esopus andthe Catostomus tuberculatus seemto indicate the southern chub sucker. The species reaches the length of 1 foot. It has very little value as food, but the young furnish excellent food for the larger fishes and are very interesting for aquarium purposes. 60 Erimyzon sucetta oblongus (Mitchill) Chub Sucker; Creek Fish Cyprinus oblongus MITCHILL, Trans. Lit. & Phil, Soc. N. Y. I, 459, 1815. Labeo elegans DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 192, pl. 31, fig. 100, 1842. Labeo oblongus DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 193, pl. 42, fig. 136, 1842. Moxostoma oblongum GuNtTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus, VII, 21, 1868. Erimyzon sucetta JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 133, 1888; GoopE, Fish. and Fish. Ind. U. S. pl. 220, 1884; Bran, Fishes Penna. 27, 1893 (part). Erinyzon sucetta oblongus JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. = Nat. Mus. 186, 1896, pl. XXXVI, fig. 89, 1900. The northern chub sucker has the body more slender, its greatest depth being less than one third of the total length with- out the caudal. The nape is less gibbous thanin E. sucetta. The caudal peduncle is more slender, its greatest depth being scarcely one third of the greatest depth of the body (two fifths in sucetta). The head is small and short, the eye less than one fifth as long as the head, the dorsal base shorter and the fins containing fewer rays (11 in sucetta oblongus, 14 in Siu exe. Coa): This is known as the chub sucker, sweet sucker, rounded sucker, creekfish and mullet. It has a wide range, practically including all the waters of the United States east of the Rocky mountains. The chub sucker grows to a length of about 1 foot. It is very tenacious of life and is a ready biter, but has little value for food. The young up to the length of several inches have a very distinct black lateral band. They are often found in the shelter of water lilies and other aquatic plants close to brackish waters. FISHES OF NEW YORK 107 Dr Evermann collected two specimens in Black creek, tribu- tary of Oswego river, at Scriba Corners N. Y. July 17, 1894. Dr | Meek found it very common about Cayuga and Montezuma N. Y., but did not observe it near Ithaca. In the market of New York, according to De Kay, the chub sucker makes its appearance in October, November and December. Specimens were seined in Bronx river in August 1897. A young example sent from near Princeton N. J. by. Prof. Ulric Dahlgren in September 1897 showed the following volun- tary change of color. When it arrived, it had the broad, longi- tudinal, median band well developed and the vertical bands obsolete; but soon after it was placed in a tank it obscured the longitudinal band entirely and developed the vertical bands. The food of the chub sucker consists chiefly of minute crusta- ceans, insect larvae and aquatic plants. Genus MINYTREMA Jordan Body rather elongate, subterete, becoming deep and rather compressed with age; scales rather large and nearly uniform in size; lateral line interrupted in the adult, but with perfect tubes, imperfect in partly grown individuals, and obsolete in the young; head moderate, rather broad above; mouth moderate, inferior, horizontal; the upper lip well developed, freely protrac- tile; the lower rather small, infolded, inversely V-shaped in outline, lower jaw without cartilaginous sheath; eye moderate, rather high, nearly median; suborbital bones well developed; opercular bones well developed, not very rough; fontanel rather large; gill rakers rather long; isthmus moderate; pharyn- geal bones essentially as in Moxostoma; dorsal fin rather short and high, inserted somewhat nearer to tip of snout than to base of caudal; pectoral fins moderate, placed low; anal high and short; ventrals short, midway between tip of snout and base of caudal; caudal fin moderately forked, the lobes equal; air bladder with two chambers. Head in males tuberculate in spring. | | 108 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 61 Minytrema melanops (Rafinesque) Striped Sucker ; Spotted Sucker ; Sand Sucker Catostomus melanops RAFINESQUE, Ichth. Ohien. 57, 1820; KirTLANpD, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. V6, 211, pl. 20; fig. 3, 1845. Catostomus fasciatus GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 19, 1868. Minytrema melanops JORDAN, Bull. 12, U. S. Nat. Mus. 138, 1878; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 136, 1883; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 28, pl. 21, fig. 52, 1898; JornDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47. U. S. Nat. Mus. 187, 1896, pl. XXXVI, fig. 90, 1900. Body oblong, robust in adults, its greatest depth one fourth total length to base of caudal; head moderate, subconical, its length contained about four and one half times in total length; eye placed high and in the middle of length of head, its diameter 2 in snout, 5 in head; nostrils about over the angle of the mouth; scales large, firm, in about 48 longitudinal and 12 or 13 trans- verse rows; dorsal origin over tip of pectoral, its base as long as its longest ray; ventrals nearly under middle of dorsal, length one sixth of total; longest anal ray nearly one fifth of total; least depth of caudal peduncle about one half the length of head. D. 12; A. 7; V..9. Color dusky above, coppery below, usually a dusky blotch behind dorsal fin; scales mostly with a dark spot at the base, the spots forming longitudinal stripes. The striped sucker, also called soft sucker, sand sucker and black-nosed sucker, is found in the Great lakes and south to: South Carolina and Texas. In Pennsylvania it is limited to Lake Erie and the Ohio valley. In New York it is to be expected in Lake Ontario and its tributaries, and should also occur in ‘Chautauqua lake. ) The striped sucker grows to a length of 18 inches. Old males have the head tuberculate in the breeding season in the spring. The species is very readily distinguished by the dark stripes along the sides produced by spots at the base of each scale. In the young of this sucker there is no lateral line, but in adults. it is almost entire. it This sucker prefers clear, sluggish waters and grassy ponds.. It readily adapts itself to life in the aquarium. It feeds almost entirely on mollusks, insects and insect larvae. The species is ee \ FISHES OF NEW YORK 109 not much esteemed as a food fish, though it is sold in large numbers. | Minytrema melanops is normally without a lateral line, but this feature is occasionally partially developed and has caused some confusion in assigning certain individuals to their proper genus; indeed, one author has described and figured the striped sucker as two species, belonging to two different genera, having been misled by this undeveloped character. Genus moxosToma Rafinesque Body moderately elongate, sometimes nearly round, usually compressed; scales large, nearly uniform in size; lateral line com- quete, straight or anteriorly. curved; head varying in length, sub- conical; eye usually rather large, placed moderately high; sub- orbital bones very narrow; fontanelle well developed; mouth varying much in size, inferior, the mandible horizontal or nearly $0; lips unusually well developed, the form of the lower varying, usually with a slight median fissure, but never deeply incised; lips with transverse folds which are rarely broken up to form papillae; jaws without cartilaginous sheath; muciferous system well developed; opercular bones moderately developed, nearly smooth; isthmus broad; gill rakers weak, moderately long; pharyngeal bones rather weak, the teeth rather coarser than in Erimyzon and Catostomus, strongly compressed, the lower five or six stronger than the others, which rapidly dimin- ish in size upward, each with a prominent internal cusp; dorsal fin nearly median, moderately long; anal fin short and high, with seven developed rays; caudal fin deeply forked; air bladder with three chambers. (After Jordan and Evermann) 62 Moxostoma anisurum (Rafinesque) Wihite-nosed Sucker Catostomus anisurus RAFINESQUE, Ichth. Ohien. 54, 1820; KIRTLAND, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. V, 269, pl. 20, fig. 2, 1845; Srorer, Syn. Fish. N. A. 172, 1846. Catostomus carpio GuntHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 20, 1868. Myxostoma anisura JORDAN, Man. Vert. ed. 2, 315, 1878; Bull. 12, U. S. Nat. Mus. 126, 1878. 110 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Moxostoma anisurum JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 141, 18838; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 28, 1898; JorDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47. U. S. Nat. Mus. 190, 1896. The body is elongate, little compressed, slightly arched ante- riorly, its greatest depth contained three and one third times in the length to-end of scales. The head is moderate, flat and broad above, its length less than one fourth of the total without the caudal. Mouth slightly inferior; upper lip thin, lower strongly V-shaped; eye large, about one half as iong as the snout, which is rather blunt and does not project much beyond the mouth; fins all well developed. The dorsal is large; its first. tay is as long as the base of the fin, or about seven eighths as long as the head. Upper margin of dorsal nearly straight. Pectorals nearly reach to ventrals; the upper caudal lobe nar- row and longer than the lower. D.15; A. 7 to 8; V.8. Scales 5 to 6-48 to 46-4 to 5. Here described in part from a specimen measuring 16 inches, from Ohio. The white-nosed sucker is found sparingly in Oe ‘Ohio river and the Great lakes region; widely distributed, but nowhere abundant. Cuvier and Valenciennes received from Milbert a specimen sent from Lake Ontario, measuring about 2 feet. Dr Jordan says this is very closely related to the common red horse, from which it can hardly be distinguished except by its fins. Dr Evermann collected a single specimen at Fox island, N. Y. June 29, 1894; he also obtained a specimen, 12 inches long, at Pointbreeze N. Y. Aug. 21, 1894, which he refers to. this species, though indicating some characters in which it differs from the normal form of the white-nosed sucker. 63 Moxostoma aureolum (Le Sueur) Red Horse Catostomus aureolus LE SuEuR, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. I, 95, 1817; Dr Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Mishes. 200 pl 420 ne 33. 1842. Catostomus oneida Dr Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 198, 1842. Oneida Lake. Catostomus duquesnii KIRTLAND, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. V, 268, pl. 20, fig. 1, pl. 21, fig. 2, 1845; Gunruer, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 18, 1868, Youghiogheny River, Pa. Moxostoma aureolum JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 140, 1883; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 30, 1898; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 192, 1896. FISHES OF NEW YORK 0 et Ba Body oblong, the back in front of dorsal elevated and com- pressed, head short, conical, broad between eyes. The eye is. rather large, one fourth length of head, which is contained five times in total length without caudal. The depth of the body is contained three and one half times in this length. Caudal peduncle deep, compressed, its least depth equal to one half the length of head; mouth small; the snout somewhat projecting;. fins all well developed; the anterior rays of dorsal longest, as. long as dorsal base, pectoral or longest anal rays, equaling ‘length of head; caudal forked; scales large, about equal in size all over the body, and finely striated. D.15; A. 8. Scales 6-46: —6; lateral line complete. The red horse has the additional names of golden red horse, golden sucker, mullet, golden mullet, and lake mullet. It in- habits the Great lakes and the region northward, also the Ohio: valley. It is common in Lake Erie but not in the Ohio. This species grows to a length of 18 inches and is one of the handsomest of the suckers. Prof. Forbes records it from lakes: of northern Illinois, also abundantly in the central part of that state. Dr Evermann, in collecting fishes of the Lake Ontario region,, secured it at the following localities: Lake Ontario, 4 miles off Nine Mile point, N. Y. June 12, 1893; lake shore, 3 miles west of Oswego, July 17, 1894; mouth Salmon river, July 25, 1894; Long pond, Charlotte N. Y. Aug. 17, 1894; Sandy creek, North Hamlin N. Y. Aug. 20, 1894. Dr Meek identified a single specimen of the so called common: red horse of Cayuga lake with Moxostoma macrole- pidotum, and stated, on the authority of Mr Kipp, that it is common at the northern end. Jordan and Evermann, however,.. do not extend the range of macrolepidotum so far north,. and it is probable that the common Moxostoma of Cayuga lake is M. aureolum. De Kay records the species as very common in Lake Erie. In August and September he observed them to be full of worms. In his New York Fauna, Fishes, p. 198, he describes a sucker or mullet under the name Oneida sucker. This, he stated, is com- 5 Bae NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM mon in Oneida lake. The species is considered identical with — Moxostoma aureolum. His description shows a very close agreement with that of aureolum given above. The food of the red horse consists chiefly of mollusks and in- sects. It is not a choice food fish. Eugene Smith' records this form as occurring in the vicinity of New York city. Mention has already been made of the doubt concerning the northern limits of the range of macrole- pidotum; but for the sake of comparison the brief descrip- tion of macrolepidotum published by Jordan and Ever- mann is given herewith. Head moderate, rather stout, its length four and three fifths in body; eye one and two thirds in snout; dorsal fin with its free edge concave; scales usually with dusky shade at base; lower fins pale. Streams about Chesapeake and Delaware bays, and southward to North Carolina. It seems in some respects inter- mediate between M. aureolum and M. crassilabre, ‘but we can not at present identify it with either. Family cyPRINIDAE Car ps Genus camposroma Agassiz Body moderately elongate, little compressed; mouth normal, the jaws with thick lips and rudiment of a: hard sheath; pre- maxillaries protractile; no barbel; teeth 4—4, or 1, 4-4, 0, with ob- lique grinding surface, and a slight hook on one or two teeth; air bladder suspended in the abdominal cavity and entirely sur- rounded by many convolutions of the long alimentary canal, which is six to nine times the total length of the body; ovaries similarly enclosed by the alimentary canal; peritoneum black; pseudobranchiae present; scales moderate; lateral line present; dorsal nearly over ventrals; anal short; no spines. Herbivo- rous. Sexual differences very great, the males being covered with large tubercles in spring. The singular arrangement of the intestines in relation to the air bladder is peculiar to Cam - postoma among all known fishes. (After Jordan and Ever- mann) *Linn. Soe. N. Y. Proc. 1897. no. 9, p. 14. FISHES OF NEW YORK TiS 64 Campostoma anomalum (Rafinesque) 4 Stone Roller; Stone Lugger Rutilus anomalus RAFINESQUE, Ichth. Ohien. 52, 1820. Hxoglossum dubium KIRTLAND, Bost. Jour, Nat. Hist. V, 272, pl. 21, fig. 1, 1845. Campostoma dubium GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 183, 1868. Oompostoma anomalum AGcassiz, Amer: Jour. Sci. Arts. 218, 1855; JoRDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus, 149, 1883; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 82, 1898; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 205, 1896, pl. XXXIX, fig. 95, 1900. In the stone roller the body is moderately stout and not greatly compressed; the caudal peduncle long and deep. The ~ greatest depth of the body is contained four to four and one half times in the total length without the caudal; the depth of the caudal peduncle, eight and one half to nine times in the same length. The snout is obtuse, twice as long as the eye, and two fifths as long as the head. The maxilla reaches to the ver- tical from the posterior nostril, which is more than twice as far from tip of snout as from eye. The dorsal origin is over the 20th scale of the lateral line, and the ventral origin under the 19th. The dorsal base is one half and its longest ray two thirds as long as the head. The ventral reaches nearly to vent. The pectoral is one sixth of total length without caudal. The anal origin is under the 32d scale of the lateral line; the anal base is as long as the snout, and the longest ray equal to head not including the snout. The caudal is moderately forked. D. 8; A.7 or 8. Scales 8-52 to 53-8; teeth 4-4. Color in spirits brownish above, lower parts pale. In living examples the scales are somewhat mottled with blackish, and there is a dusky vertical bar behind the opercle; dorsal and anal fins olivaceous in females and with a nearly median dusky cross bar. Breeding males have the iris orange, the dorsal and anal fins crimson, and the head and sometimes the body covered with large roundish tubercles. The stone roller is likewise called stone toter, stone lug- ger, and steel-back minnow. It is a fish of very wide distribu- tion, ranging from western New York to North Carolina and throughout the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, west to Wyoming 114 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM and southwest to Texas. It is an extremely variable species and everywhere common. The species grows to the length of eight inches. It has no importance as food for man. It feeds on aquatic plants. The young are hardy in the aquarium, where they feed on confervae and diatoms. The sexes are very unlike. The males in the breeding season have the head and frequently the entire body covered with large tubercles and the upper half of the dorsal and anal fins fiery orange, with a dark cross bar about the middle of these fins. The fish is rather sluggish, but when frightened its move- ments are very rapid. It is a bottom feeder. Dr Evermann collected a moderate number of specimens at the following New York localities: Salt brook, 14 miles above Nine Mile point, June 11, 1898; creek, Pultneyville, Aug. 7, 1894; Long pond, Charlotte, Aug. 17, 1894; Marsh-creek, Point Breeze, Aug. 21, 1894. Genus cHrosomus Rafinesque Body moderately elongate, little compressed; jaws normal; no barbel; teeth 5-5 or 4-5, moderately hooked, with well markeé grinding surface; alimentary canal elongate, about twice as long as body; peritoneum black; scales very small; lateral line short or wanting; dorsal behind ventrals; anal basis short. ‘Size small. Colors in spring brilliant, the pigment bright red. This genus is of somewhat doubtful relationship, and shows many analogies with the subgenus Phoxinus under Leu- eiscus. (After Jordan and Evermann) 65 Chrosomus erythrogaster Rafinesque Red-bellied Dace Luxilus erythrogaster RAFINESQUE, Ichth. Ohien. 47, 1820; KIRTLAND, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. IV, pl. II, fig. 2, male and female, 1844. Leuciscus erythrogaster GUNTHER, Cat, Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 247, 1868. Chrosomus erythrogaster Copr, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. XIII, 391; JorDAN & GILBERT, Bull, 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 158, 1883; Bean, Fishes Penna, 32, pl. 22, fig. 35, 1898; Jorpan & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus.. 209, 1896. The red-bellied dace has a fusiform, moderately elongate and | thick body, whose greatest hight is contained from four and FISHES OF NEW YORK 115 one fifth to five times, and the least depth of its caudal peduncle eight and one half times, in the total length to the caudal base. The head is conical with pointed snout as long as the eye, which is about one fourth as long as the head. The head equals one fourth of total length to caudal base. The maxilla reaches nearly to below the front of the eye. The lateral line varies in development, sometimes reaching to above the origin of the ventrals and continued backward even farther at intervals, but usually not extending to ventrals. The dorsal origin is over the space between the ventral origin and the vent; about 39 rows of scales between it and the nape. The dorsal base is one half as long as the head; the longest ray equals head with- out snout. The pectoral reaches nearly to ventral origin, and the ventral reaches vent. The anal base is two fifths as long as the head; the longest ray equal to longest of the dorsal. The caudal is moderately forked, its middle rays two thirds as long as the outer. D: 8; A. 7; V: 8; P. 12. Scales 18-80 to 85-10; teeth 5-5. Length of specimens described, from Yel- low creek, 3 inches. A narrow dusky line along the top of the back; two narrow, dark bands on the sides, the lower one passing forward on the head to tip of snout; the space between the bands and below bright silvery. Breeding males have the bases of the dorsal, anal and caudal fins and the area between the dark bands scarlet, while the body is covered with minute tubercles, and the fins generally are vivid yellow. The U. 8. Fish Commission parties obtained this minnow at the following localities in the Lake Ontario region: Salt brook, 14 miles above Nine Mile point, June 11, 1893; Cemetery creek, or Black river, Watertown, July 5, 1894; Long pond, Charlotte, Aug. 17, 1894. I am unable to find a reference to this species in the works of Mitchill and De Kay. The red-bellied minnow or dace is found from Pennsylvania to Dakota and Tennessee. It is abundant in small streams, and is a strikingly beautiful fish. Along the sides are two blackish bands; one beginning above the eye and extending to the tail; another traverses the eye and follows the lateral line 116 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM to the base of the caudal, where it ends in a black spot. The belly and the space between the bands are bright silvery, re- placed by scarlet red in breeding males, which have the same color at the bases of the dorsal, caudal and anal fins. In the hight of the breeding season the fins are bright yellow, and the body is covered with small tubercles. According to Prof. Cope the red-bellied minnow is not found in the Delaware, but it occurs in the Susquehanna and is common in the streams of western Pennsylvania. It reaches a length of 3 inches, and is similar in its habits to the stone roller, with which it asso- ciates. It prefers clear streams, which have their origin in Springs. AS an aquarium fish this is scarcely excelled in beauty and hardiness, and as a bait for the black bass it has few superiors. | Genus HysoGnatTHus Agassiz Body elongate, somewhat compressed; mouth horizontal, the jaws normal, sharp edged; lower jaw with a slight, hard pro- ‘tuberance in front; no barbel; upper jaw protractile; teeth 4-4, cultriform, with oblique grinding surface and little if any hook; alimentary canal elongate, three to 10 times the length of the body; peritoneum black; scales large; lateral line con- tinuous; dorsal inserted before ventrals; anal basis short. Size moderate. Sexual changes very slight, no red or black pigment distinguishing the males in spring. Species numerous, mostly southwestern, not well known. | 66 Hybognathus nuchalis Agassiz Silvery Minnow Hybognathus nuchalis Agassiz, Am. Jour. Sci. Arts. 224, 1855; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 184, 1868; JorpAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 156, 1893; Bran, Fishes Penna. 33, 1898; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 213, 1896. Hybognathus regius GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 209, 1856; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 185, 1868. past Hybognathus osmerinus CopE, Proc. Am. Phil. See. Phila. 466, 1870 (Raritan river, N. J.). Body moderately stout and short, its greatest depth equaling one fourth of the total length without the caudal, and the least FISHES OF NEW YORK 117 depth of the caudal peduncle equaling nearly one half of the greatest depth of the body; body compressed, its greatest width less than one half its hight. Head short, its upper and lower profiles tapering equally into the short and not very obtuse snout, which is as long as the eye, and three elevenths as long as the head. Mouth small, slightly oblique, the jaws nearly equal, or the lower slightly included, the maxilla without a barbel, and reaching to below the anterior nostril. The dorsal origin is over, and the ventral origin under, the 12th scale of the lateral line. The dorsal base is two thirds as long as the head; the longest dorsal ray equals the distance from the nostril to the end of the operculum, and the last ray is less than one half as long as the longest. The ventral does not reach to the vent; its length two thirds that of the head. The anal origin is under the 24th scale of the lateral line; the anal base is scarcely as long as the postorbital part of the head; the last anal ray is one third, and the longest anal ray two thirds, as long as the head. The pectoral is four fifths as long as the head, and reaches to below the 11th scale of the lateral line. The caudal is moderate in size and deeply forked, the middle rays less than one half as long as the external rays. D. ii, 7; A. ii, 7; V.8; P.15. Scales 6—38 to 39-—4; teeth 4—4 long, much com- pressed, and with a long oblique grinding surface. Intestines seven to 10 times as long as the body. The lateral line is gently decurved on about the first six scales, thence straight and median to the root of the caudal fin. Color in spirits light brown with a broad silvery band, the fins all pale. Olivaceous green above, translucent in life; sides silvery, with bright reflections; fins unspotted. Length 4 to 7 inches. The silvery minnow, or blunt jaw, is found in clear streams from New York to Georgia and Texas, west to the upper Missouri. In the Potomac river occurs a large variety which reaches a length of 7 inches. This variety has a larger eye and a deeper body than the western form. The U. 8. Fish Commission collectors in the Lake Ontario region obtained specimens at the following localities: Salt 118 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM brook, 14 miles above Nine Mile point, June 11, 1893; Mill creek, Sacketts Harbor, July, 2,1894; Cemetery creek Watertown, July 5,1894. The fish was most abundant at Mill creek. The fish spawns in the early spring. It is extensively used for food along with the Notropis hudsonius, the so called “smelt” or “ gudgeon.” It takes the hook very freely during the spawning season. : Genus PIMEPHALES Rafinesque Body rather robust, little compressed; head short and rounded, mouth small, inferior; upper jaw protractile; no. barbel; teeth 4-4, with oblique grinding surface, usually only one of the teeth hooked; dorsal over ventrals, its first (rudi- mentary) ray separated from the rest by membrane, not joined to them as usual in minnows, this character most distinct in adult males, in which the skin of the first ray is thickened; anal basis short; intestinal canal elongate; peritoneum black; pseudobranchiae present; scales rather small; lateral line com- plete or variously incomplete. Size small. Breeding males with much black pigment and with large warts on the head. (After Jordan and Evermann) 67 Pimephales promelas Rafinesque Fathead ; Blackhead Minnow Pimephales promelas RAFINESQUE, Ichth. Ohien. 53, 1820; Kirrnanp, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. III, 475, pl. 27, fig.2, 1841; Storer, Syn. Wish. N. A. 166, 1846; GunrHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 181, 1868; Jorpan & GiL- BERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 158, 1888; Bran, Fishes Penna. 35, 1893; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 217, 1896. The fathead minnow has a short, deep and moderately thick | body, and the head short with a very obtuse snout. The greatest depth of the body is equal to or slightly greater than length of ' head and is contained from,three and two thirds to four and one — fourth times in total length without caudal. The least depth of the caudal peduncle equals the length of postorbital part of the head. The head forms about one fourth of the total length to base of caudal; the width of the head equals two thirds of its length. The eye is as long as the snout and two ninths as long FISHES OF NEW YORK 119 as the head. The mouth is very small, terminal, slightly oblique; the maxilla not reaching vertical through hinder nostril. The dorsal origin is above, and the ventral origin below the 21st scale of the lateral line. The dorsal base is two thirds as long as the head; the first ray is about as long as the eye, and the longest as long as the head without the snout. The ventral reaches a little beyond the anal origin; its length equal to dorsal base. The anal base equals nearly one half the length of head, and the longest ray is as long as the dorsal base. The caudal is moderate and not deeply forked. The lateral line is con- tinuous on about 20 to 28 scales, and in one specimen continued with interruptions almost to the caudal base. D.i,8; A.i, 7; V. 8; P. 18. Scales 9-45 to 49-6; teeth 4-4. Length of specimens described, 3°inches. Color in spirits light brown, top and sides of head darker. A broad dark band on the base of the dorsal, most distinct anteriorly and sometimes absent behind. Males in spring are dusky, with black head and the snout and chin with numerous coarse tubercles. The fathead or blackhead is an inhabitant of the Ohio valley, and the Great lakes region west to Dakota and southwest to Texas. It is common in sluggish brooks, and instances have been known of its distribution by the action of cyclones. In Pennsylvania it is common in tributaries of the Ohio. The U. S. Fish Commission has obtained specimens from the fellowing localities in the basin of Lake Ontario: Salt brook, 1} miles above Nine Mile point, June 11, 1893; Mill creek, Sack- ett Harbor, July 2, 1894; Three Mile creek, Oswego, July 27, 1894, where the greatest number of individuals was taken. Dr Meek says it is not very common in Cayuga lake, but is easily distinguished from the other minnows by its very long intes- tines. The fathead grows to a length of 24 inches. The sexes differ _ in color, the females being olivaceous, while the males are dusky and in the spring have the head black and the snout covered with numerous large tubercles. The species has no value as food, but is an interesting one for the aquarium. Its food con- sists of mud and algae, and it seems to prefer a muddy bottom. 120 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 68 Pimephales notatus (Rafinesque) Blunt-nosed Minnow ; Spotted Minnow Minnilus notatus RAFINESQUE, Ichth. Ohien. 47, 1820. Hyborhynchus notatus Corr, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. XIII, 392, pl. 138, fig. 5, 1866 (the separate); GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 182, 1868; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 159, 1883. Pimephales notatus JORDAN, Cat. Fish. N. A. 22, 1885; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 36, 1898; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 218, 1896. The blunt-nosed minnow has a moderately elongate body and a slender caudal peduncle. The head is somewhat conical with a short and blunt snout. The greatest depth of the body nearly equals length of head and is two ninths of the total length without caudal. The least depth of the caudal peduncle equals about one half of greatest depth of body. The snout is as long as the eye and one fourth as long as the head. The mouth is very small, inferior, nearly horizontal, the maxilla reaching to below the anterior nostril and provided with a short, thick, somewhat club-shaped barbel. The dorsal origin is slightly be- hind the ventral origin and over the 17th scale of the lateral line. The dorsal base is two thirds as long as the head, and about equal to the longest ray. The ventral origin is under the 16th scale of the lateral line; the fin does not reach to the vent. The anal origin is under the 27th scale of the lateral line; the base of the anal is two fifths as long as the head, and the longest © ray is equal to the postorbital part of the head. The caudal is moderately large and forked. The lateral line curves very slightly downward as far as the ventral origin and then follows straight along the median line; it is complete. D. i, 8; A. i, 7; V.8; P.15. Scales 6-42 to 45-5; teeth 4-4. Length of specimens described, 3 inches. Color in spirits light brown; the fins except the dorsal paler. A black spot about as large as the eye on the front of the dorsal. In life the sides are bluish. bBreed- ing males have the black on the dorsal continued backward on the membrane covering the rays and the head black, while the snout has about 14 to 17 large, pointed tubercles. A dusky shade sometimes present at base of caudal. ee ee FISHES OF NEW YORK 121 _ The blunt-nosed minnow is a larger species than the fathead, reaching a length of 4 inches, and its range extends from Quebec to Delaware, west to Kansas and south to Mississippi. B. W. Evermann and B. A. Bean obtained it for the U.S, Fish Commission in the St Lawrence river, 3 miles below Ogdens- burg, July 17, 1894, in abundance. They found it common also at Scioto creek, Coopersville N. Y. July 19,1894. In the Lake On- tario region the Fish Commission collected the species at Cape Vincent, Grenadier island, Sacketts Harbor, Pointbreeze, Hunt- ingtonville, Charlotte, Stony Island, Pultneyville, Chaumont, Henderson bay, and Salt brook. Livingston Stone obtained the fish at Cape Vincent in the St Lawrence river, and presented it to the state museum at Albany. It is found in large numbers in the ' southern end of Cayuga lake, and in streams on the flats. Not very abundant at the northern end of the lake and in streams near Ithaca, above the falls, according to the records of Dr Seth K. Meek. The blunt-nosed minnow differs — the fathead in its larger Size and in having a complete lateral line, but the sexual differences are similar in the two species. The males in spring have the head black and the snout with many large tubercles. The species is extremely variable and changes greatly with age. It frequents small and muddy streams, and its food consists of decaying vegetable matter. Genus sEmoritus Rafinesque Body stout, moderately compressed and elongate; mouth ter- minal, wide, the upper jaw protractile; a small barbel just above the end of the maxillary; in most American minnows the barbel is at its tip; the maxillary barbel sometimes absent in young individuals; teeth 2, 5-4, 2, hooked, without grinding surface; scales rather large; lateral line complete; a short intestinal canal; dorsal placed behind ventrals; base of anal short. Vertebrae 22+20—42. Fishes of large size in clear, swift streams from Canada to Virginia, west to Missouri and Wyoming. 122 NEW YORK STATH MUSEUM 69 Semotilus bullaris (Rafinesque) Fatlfish; Wind Fish; Dace; Chiu; Silver Chub Cyprinus bullaris RAFINESQUE, Amer. Month. Mag. II, 120, Dec. 1817. Cyprinus corporalis Mircnitt, Amer. Month. Mag. II, 324, Mar. 1818. Previous notice in same work, vol. I, 289, July, 1817, insufficient to hoid name. The Corporaalen of the Dutch, moreover, was the striped species, atromaculatus. ‘ Semotilus bullaris JORDAN, Man. Vert. ed. 1, 1876; JoRDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 222, 1883; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 50, pl. 24, fig. 41, 1898; GoopE, Fish. & Fish. Ind. U. S. pl. 228, upper figure, 1884. _Leuciscus nitidus DEKAy, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 209, pl. 33, fig. 105, 1842, Lake Champlain. | Leuciscus chrysopterus DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 211, pl. 30, fig. 95 (poor), 1842, harbor of New York. Semotilus corporalis JORDAN & EXVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 221, 1896. The fallfish has a moderately deep, elongate and compressed body and a stout caudal peduncle. The greatest depth is one fourth of the total length without caudal, and the least depth of the peduncle equals three eighths of length of head. The head is rather large, one fourth of total without caudal, with pointed snout, which is two sevenths of the head’s length. The mouth is oblique; the jaws nearly equal, the maxilla extending to below front of eye. The eye is placed high and is about one fourth as long as the head. The dorsal origin is over the 16th — or 17th scale of the lateral line; the base of the fin is one half, and the longest ray two thirds as long as the head. The ventral origin is under the 15th scale of the laterai line; the fin does not reach to the vent, its length one seventh of total without caudal. The anal origin is under the 27th scale of the lateral line; the base of the fin is one third as long as the head, and the longest ray is as long as the ventral. The caudal is large and deeply forked. The lateral line curves downward abruptly over the ¢ pectoral, becoming median over the end of that fin. D. ui, 7; A. li, 7; V. 8; P.18. Scales 7—46—5; teeth 2, 5—4, 2 or 2, 4— 4,2, all more or less strongly hooked. In spirits the upper parts are grayish brown, the sides and cheeks silvery, the lower parts whitish, the fins all pale. In life the upper’ parts are steel blue, the sides and belly silvery; breeding males in spring have the FISHES OF NEW YORK 193 belly and lower fins rosy. The specimens described, no. 9202, U.S. National Museum, are from 53 to 6+ inches long. The fallfish or dace is one of the largest of the minnow family in New York, reaching a length of 18 inches, and it is oe of the most beautiful species as well as game in its qualities. As a food fish, however, this is not greatly esteemed. It is extremely common in the Delaware river and its tributaries and moder- ately abundant in the Susquehanna. The fallfish is found from Quebec to Virginia. Mitchill had it from the Wallkill river and knew of its occurrence in the Hudson, near Albany. Rafinesque recorded it from the Fishkill and other tributaries of the Hud- son. De Kay knew it from Lake Champlain and from New York harbor. Evermann and Bean collected it in Scioto creek, at Coopersville, and in Saranac river, at Plattsburg, in July 1894; also in Racquette river, at Norfolk, and the St Lawrence river, 3 miles below Ogdensburg, in the same month. In the Lake Ontario basin the U. S. Fish Commission parties found it at Sacket Harbor, Centerville, Watertown, Oswego, Webster, Charlotte, Belleville, Henderson bay, Henderson Har- bor, and Salt brook, near Nine Mile point. The fallfish delights in rapid, rocky portions of large streams and in the deep channels.. On being hooked, it fights desper- ately for a short time, but its resistance is soon overcome. Thoreau describes it as a soft fish with a taste like brown paper salted, yet the boy fishermen will continue to covet and admire this handsome and ubiquitous representative of the minnow family. A colored plate of the fish, natural size, appears in the 3d Annual Report of the Commissioners of Fisheries, Game and Forest of the State of New York, 1898, facing p. 146. There is also a good account of the fish by A. N. Cheney on p. 244 and 245 of the same report. 70 Semotilus atromaculatus (Mitchill) Horned Dace; Chub Cyprinus atromaculatus Mircnitni, Amer. Month. Mag. II, 324, Mar. 1818. Wallkill river. Leuciscus atromaculatus DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 210, pl. 32, fig. 102, 1842. 124 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Semotilus corporalis Corr, Jour. Am. Phil. Soc. XIII, 862, pl. 10, fig. 2, (the separate), 1866; JoRDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 221, 1883; GoopE, Fish. & Fish. Ind. U. S. pl. 228, lower figure, 1884. Leucosomus corporalis GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 269, 1868. Semotilus atromaculatus BICKNELL & DRESSLAR, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 16, 1885; Bran, Fishes Penna. 51, 1898; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 222, 1896; pl. XL, fig. 100, 1900.. The chub has a slender and moderately elongate body, its greatest hight immediately in front of the ventrals, about equal to the length of the head without the snout and contained from four to nearly five times in the total length without the caudal. The greatest thickness of the body is about two thirds of its’ ereatest hight. The head is thicker than the body and rather short with an obtuse and moderately declivous snout, whose length is about two sevenths of that of the head and consider- ably greater than the diameter of the eye. The eye is rather small, placed high, its diameter nearly one fifth of the length of the head and scarcely more than one half of the space between the eyes. The mouth is moderate, very slightly oblique, the jaws subequal or the lower slightly included; the end of the maxilla reaches very slightly past the vertical through the front of the eye. Maxillary barbel not evident in this example, though usually present in large individuals. The lateral line is abruptly bent downward over the first half of the pectoral, straight and nearly median during the rest of its course. The origin of the dorsal is over the 27th scale of the lateral line, and the ventral origin is under the 24th scale. The length of the dorsal base equals the combined length of the eye and snout. The first divided ray is the longest; its length two thirds that of the head. The last ray is one half as long as the longest. The ventral does not reach to the vent; its length scarcely greater than the postorbital part of the head. The anal origin is under the 37th scale of the lateral line; the length of the anal base is a little more than one third that of the head, and the longest anal ray equals the postorbital part of the head. The ~ tail is rather slender, the least depth of the caudal peduncle equaling one half the greatest depth and the distance of the anal from the origin of the middle caudal rays nearly equal to FISHES OF NEW YORK 125 the length of the head. The pectoral when extended reaches to below the 16th scale of the lateral line. The caudal is mod- erate in size and not very deeply forked, its middle rays being about two thirds as long as the external rays. D. ii, 7; A. ili, 8; V.8; P. 15. Scales 9—58—6. Teeth of right side 2 +5; of left side 2+ 4. Those of the left side strongly and those of the right side less strongly hooked. Teeth of the upper row with a well developed grinding surface. The length of the specimen described, no. 21661, U.S. National Museum, from the Susquehanna river at Bainbridge Pa., is 4} inches. The color is bluish brown above; sides with a distinct dusky band, not so wide as the eye and becoming obsolete in the adult. Young specimens have the end of this band more pronounced, forming a black spot at the base of the caudal. A small black spot always present on the front of the base of the dorsal, its size in the specimen described being about two thirds of that of the eye. In life the belly is whitish. Breeding males have the belly rose tinted and the black dorsal spot bordered with red; they have, also, rather large tubercles on the snout. The common chub, creek chub, smaller fallfish or horned dace has a wider distribution than S. bullaris, but it does not grow quite so large, seldom exceeding 1 foot in length. Its range extends from New England to Missouri, southward to Georgia and Alabama. It is extremely common and ascends the small streams. The U.S. Fish Commission collectors in 1894 took numerous specimens at the following localities: Sacketts Harbor, July 2; Centerville, July 24; Watertown, July 5; Oswego, July 25; Webster, Aug. 9; Charlotte, Aug. 17; Belleville, July 12; Hen- derson bay, July 4; Henderson Harbor, July 3, and Salt brook, 14 miles above Nine Mile point, June 10 and 11, 1893. Dr Meek reported it as abundant throughout the Cayuga lake basin. Large examples are found in Canandaigua lake. One of them measured 14 inches in July 1897. The fish is killed by * 126 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM warm water. The food in captivity includes hard clam, earth- worms, and, occasionally, live killifish. A. N. Cheney refers to this species on page 245 of the 3d Annual Report of the Commissioners of Fisheries, Game and Forest of the State of New York. In Pennsylvania it is the commonest minnow in the Allegheny and Susquehanna basins and is sufficiently common in the Dela- ware. According to Prof. Cope it reaches 4 pounds in weight and is a fair food fish. This species is more characteristic of the small streams and clear ponds and it. takes the hook very freely; but its proper mission is to serve as bait for the larger and choicer fishes. Genus rinca Cuvier Pseudobranchiae minute; mouth anterior; lips thick but desti- ‘tute of any horny covering; barbels two, one at either angle of the mouth; pharyngeal teeth in one row,4 or 5—5 or 4, cuneiform, with a slightly hooked extremity; gill rakers short and lanceo- late; dorsal fin rather short, commencing slightly behind the origin of the ventral; anal short; caudal slightly emarginate; scales small, embedded in a thick skin and covered with mucus. Lateral line complete. (After Day) 71 Tinea tinca (Linnaeus) Tench (Introduced) Cyprinus tinca LINNAEws, Syst. Nat. ed. X, I, 321, 1758; LAcEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss. V, 491, 533, 1800. Tinca vulgaris CUVIER & VALENCEENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. XVI, 322, pl. 484, 1842; Hecke, & KNER, Siissw. Fische, 75, fig. 34, 1858; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 264, 1868. Tinca tinca JORDAN & HVERMANN, Check List Fishes N. A. 512, 1896. B38; D. 12°to 13: (8 or, 9 developed); P: a; Vi Oty aoe Scales 30 to 31—90 to 115. Length of head four and one third to four and three fourths; hight of body three and three fourths to four and one fourth in the total length including caudal. Eye six and one half to seven and one half in length of head; two and one fourth in length of snout; two to two and one fourth in distance between eyes. Interorbital space flat. The thickness FISHES OF NEW YORK 7 | 197 of the head equals its length exclusive of the snout. Snout obtuse; mouth anterior, jaws anteriorly of the same length, gape wide, cleft rather shallow; the maxilla reaches to beneath the posterior nostril; lips thick. Dorsal origin over the end of. the ventral base, and the fin extends almost to above the anal origin; all the fins rounded. In the males the first or even more of the ventral rays are thicker than in the female. Lateral line gradually descending to about the middle of the length, thence proceeding straight to the base of caudal. Leaden or greenish, lightest beneath; fins blackish. The tench has been introduced into the United States. An individual taken in the Potomac river near Washington D. C. has a grinding surface well developed on the pharyngeal teeth, a character concerning which no mention is made in the current descriptions. The tench now extends throughout the fresh waters of Europe into those of Asia Minor. Its northern limit is said to be in Finland. It may or may not be native to England. The species prefers still waters in which aquatic plants abound. It is very tenacious of life and has been observed to live a whole day out of water. Its food consists of insects, larvae, worms, and vege- table substances. Spawning takes place in June and July. The eggs are small and adhesive. he rate of growth is rather rapid under favor- able circumstances, the young having attained to a weight of 1 pound in their first year. Individuals of the weight of 10 or 11 pounds are recorded, and Salvianus mentioned a tench of 20 pounds. As for the quality of its flesh, opinions differ, some persons considering it unpalatable, while others regard it as delicious and wholesome. Genus LEuciscus Cuvier Body oblong, compressed or robust, covered with moderate or small scales; lateral line decurved, complete, or variously im- perfect; mouth usually large and terminal, the lips normal, with- out barbel; teeth mostly 2, 5-4, 2 (in American species some 128 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM . times 1, 5-4, 2, or even by atrophy, 1, 4-4, 1) usually 2, 5-5, 2 in the European type, hooked, with rather narrow grinding sur- face or none; anal basis short or more or less elongate; dorsal fin posterior, usually behind ventrals; intestinal canal short. Size generally large, some species very small. A very large group, one of the largest current genera in ichthyology, repre- sented by numerous species in the rivers of Europe, Asia, and North America. .. Individual irregularities in dentition are common in this genus. The typical species of the genus, Leuciscus leuciscus, is the common dace or vandoise of Europe, and differs greatly from any of the American forms. The presence of various inter- mediate species, however, makes it impossible to draw any satis- factory line between the dace, Leuciscus, on the one hand, and such extreme forms as the long-mouthed minnows, Clinostomus, on the other. , Clinostomus isa peculiar group of small, fine-scaled minnows, with the gape of the mouth larger than in any other Cyprinidae whatever. The relationship of the species to those called Richardsonius is however very close. (After Jordan and Evermann) Subgenus ciinosromus Girard 72 Leuciscus elongatus (Kirtland) Red-sided Shiner Luczilus elongatus KIRKLAND, Rep’t Zool. Ohio, 169, 1886; Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. III, 339, pl. IV, fig. 1, 1841. ; Leuciscus proriger GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 245, 1868. Squalius elongatus JorDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 232, 1883. Phoxinus elongatus BEAN, Fishes Penna. 52, 1893. Leuciscus elongatus DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 214, 1842; Srorer, Syn. Fish. N. A. 161, 1846; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus.- VII, 245, 1868; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 240, 1896. The red-sided shiner has an elongate fusiform body, its great- est depth two ninths of the total length without the caudal, its greatest width nearly one half of its depth. The caudal ped- uncle is long and slender, its least depth two fifths of greatest FISHES OF NEW YORK ; 129 depth of body. The head is large, two sevenths of total length without the caudal, with long pointed snout and wide mouth. The snout is as long as the eye and two sevenths as long as the head. The width of the interorbital space is about equal to the diameter of the eye. The lower jaw projects strongly. The maxilla reaches to below the middle of the eye. The gill open- ings are wide, the membranes separated by a very narrow isthmus. The dorsal origin is over the 25th scale of the lateral line; the base of the fin is two fifths as long as the head; the longest ray is as long as the head without the snout; the last ray is about half as long as the longest. The ventral origin is under the 23d scale of the lateral line; the fin extends to the vent, equaling length of eye and snout combined. The anal origin is under the 37th scale of the lateral line; the anal base is two fifths as long as the head; the longest ray twice as long as the last ray and one fourth of its distance from the tip of the snout. The caudal is large and deeply forked. The pectoral ‘is two thirds as long as the head, extending to below the 17th scale of the lateral line. The lateral line is abruptly decurved over the anterior half of the pectoral. D. iii, 7; A. ili, 7; V. 8; P.14. Scales 12-63-7 (sometimes 10—70-5); teeth 2, 5-5, 2, hooked, some of them with a narrow erinding surface. In spirits the color is dark brown; a narrow dark stripe along the middle of the side extending on the head and around the snout; the fins are pale. In life the back is dark bluish, the belly silvery; breed- ing males have the first half of the lateral stripe crimson and the belly and lower fins rosy. The specimen described, number 8467, U. S. National Museum, from Meadville, Pa., is 3 inches long. The red-sided shiner is found from Pennsylvania to Minne- sota; abundant in clear streams of the Great lakes region and the upper Mississippi valley. In the Lake Ontario basin the U. S. Fish Commission collectors obtained it in the following localities in 1894: Spring brook, Pulaski, July 24; Wart creek, July 24; Three Mile creek, Oswego, July 27, 130 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Subgenus pHoxrnus Rafinesque 73 Leuciscus margarita (Cope) Pearl Minnow Clinostomus margarita CoPrE, Cypr. Penn. aft, DlH13, fie A S6E: Squalius margaritus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 235, 1883. Phoxrinus margaritus BEAN, Fishes Penna. 53, 1893. Leuciscus margarita GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 246, 1868; Jorpan & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 241, 1896. Muzzle obtuse, mouth oblique, scarcely attaining the line of the anterior margin of the orbit; head four times in body to base of caudal fin, equal to greatest depth; eye three fourths its diameter from end of muzzle, and equal to postero-inferior mar- gin of operculum. Scales less exposed on anterior than on posterior regions: 11-58-8 to 9. The lateral line is discon- tinued 5 to 8 seales anterior to the caudal fin. Pharyngeal teeth slender, 2, 5-4, 2. Dorsal originating behind origin of ven- trals, 1, 8; A. I, 8; V. 8, extending three fourths from its origin to the anus; P. 17, reaching two thirds way to ventrals. Lines From origin of caudal to first dorsal TAY) Vite Pree eee 12 From first dorsal ray to hind margin of orbit............ 9.5 From first dorsal ray to end of muzzle................. 13.5 From first analray to caudal base. Voi saa eee See 8 Prom-end of muzzle to base OF veutrdls: OM ae 12 Total length, 2 inches 6 lines, Coloration above light olive, without dorsal line, but darker shade at origin of dorsal fin with a minute slaty dusting and a few lateral speckles of the same. Sides to halfway above the lateral line and opercula plumbeous silvery; below bright crim- son (in midsummer) to lower margins of pectoral and ventral fins; median line below straw-colored. Muzzle blackish; fins un- spotted. (After Cope) , The pearl minnow was supposed to be limited to the Susque- hanna river and its tributaries, but it is now known southward to the James and the head waters of the Kanawha, and has FISHES OF NEW YORK 131 been reported, somewhat doubtfully, from Cemetery creek, at Watertown N. Y. by Dr Evermann. It is a stout-bodied little species, growing to a length of 3 inches. Genus rpus Heckel Pharyngeal teeth in two series, 3, 5-5, 3, four of those in the principal row laterally compressed and hooked at the tips; lat- eral line complete; eyes small. Scales small; dorsal and anal fins short, without thickened anterior rays; mouth small, terminal, oblique. | 4 74 Idus idus (Linnaeus) Golden Ide (Introduced) Cyprinus idus LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, I, 324, 1758. . Leuciscus idus CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. XVII, 228, 1844; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 229, 1868. Idus melanotus HECKEL & KNER, Stissw. Fische, 147, figs. 77, 78, 1858. Idus idus JORDAN & EVERMANN, Check List Fishes N. A. 512, 1896. Body moderately elongated and compressed; least hight of caudal peduncle two fifths of greatest depth of body, which is two sevenths of total length without caudal; length of head one fourth of total length without caudal; eye large, four times in head and twice in interorbital distance, about as long as the snout; mouth small; jaws equal in length, the maxillary reach- ing to below the posterior nostril; pharyngeal teeth 5, 3-3, 5, hooked, not serrated; dorsal outline almost regularly arched, similar to ventral outline, top of head slightly flattened; dorsal origin at, or somewhat behind, the middle of the length, directly over the origin of the ventral, its hight nearly equal to length of head; ventrals in advance of dorsal, and extending to the vent; pectorals short, not reaching to ventrals; caudal deeply forked, its lobes equal; lateral line decurved, its second half well below the median line. Vertebrae 26+21—47. Reaches a length of 18 or 20 inches and the weight of 6 pounds. D. 11-12; A. 13-14; V. 10. Scales 9 or 10-56 to 59-7, four and one half Series between the lateral line and ventral fin. A variety known as the golden ide, orfe, or gold nerfling has been introduced, for ornamental purposes, into American ponds. X 57 ane NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM The back and sides are vermilion or orange red; belly silvery; a broad indistinct band of violet tint runs longitudinally to the tail, and divides the deep red of the back from the pale tint of the lower parts; all fins red at base and pale at tips; iris golden red, with a black pupil. Genus aBRAmis Cuvier Subgenus noremiconus Rafinesque Body subelliptic, strongly compressed, both back and belly curved; back narrowly compressed, almost carinated; ; belly be- hind ventral fins forming a keel over which the scales do not pass. Head small, conic; mouth small, oblique or horizontal, without barbels; scales rather large; lateral line continuous, strongly decurved; dorsal fin inserted behind the ventrals; anal fin with its base more or less elongate; teeth 5-5, hooked, with — grinding surface, the edges more or less crenate or serrate; alimentary canal short, though rather longer than the body; size rather large. Several species, one of them in coastwise fresh waters from Nova Scotia to Maryland, west to, Dakota; another in rivers of the South Atlantic states and south to Texas. A peculiar form in Central park, New York city. 75 Abramis crysoleucas (Mitchill) Roach; Golden Shimer Cyprinus crysoleucas MITCHILL, Rep. Fish. N. Y. 23, 1814. Cyprinus hemiplus RAFINESQUE, Amer. Month. Mag. II, 121, Dec. 1817. Lake George, Lake Saratoga. Abramis versicolor DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 191, pl. 32, fig. 108, 1842. Stilbe chrysoleucas DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 204, pl, 29, fig. 91, 1842. Abramis americanus GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 305, 1868. Notemigonus chrysoleucas JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 250, 1883; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 53, pl. 24, fig. 42, 1893. Abramis crysoleucas JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 250, 1896, pl. XLV, fig. 111, 1900. The body of the roach is compressed, the back elevated and the head depressed and very small. The depth of the body is one third of the total length without the caudal; the head is con- tained four and two third times in this length. The eye is FISHES OF NEW YORK 1383 contained three and one half times in the length of the head. The mouth is small, oblique, the maxillary not reaching to ver- tical through front of eye. The dorsal fin is much higher than long; its base is equal to the least depth of the caudal peduncle or twice the diameter of the eye, situated on middle of body opposite the space between the ventral and anal fins. Anal jonger than dorsal, its longest ray slightly exceeding the length of the base. Caudal forked. Lateral line much decurved on lower half of body behind pectorals. D. 8; A. 18. Scales 10-53-38. Teeth 5-5, hooked and with grinding surface. The roach, shiner, golden shiner or bream is one of the com- monest fishes of the eastern states. It is found from New England to Minnesota and southward. A variety of the roach replaces the common northern form from North Carolina to Texas. EKvermann and Bean obtained it at Rouse Point N. Y. and in Scioto creek, Coopersville N. Y. July 19, 1894. In the Lake Ontario basin, the U. S. Fish Commission has it from: Salt brook, 14 miles above Nine Mile point June 11, 1893 Cape Vincent June 21, 1894 Grenadier island June 27, 1894 Black river, Huntingtonville July 5,1894 Guffon creek, Chaumont July 7, 1894 Chaumont river 7 July 10, 1894 Black creek, Scriba Corners July 17, 1894 Mouth Salmon river, Selkirk July 25, 1894 Dr Meek secured it in sluggish water on the flats near Ithaca. The roach is abundant in the lakes of Central park and in the Bronx; it was not found in the large lake of Prospect park, Brooklyn. | Kugene Smith records its occurrence in the vicinity of New York associated with the common sunfish, killies, and catfish. The roach grows to a length of 1 foot and a weight of 14 pounds. It frequents sluggish waters, abounding in bayous and - weedy ponds, as well as in tidal waters. According to Jordan, 134 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM its favorite shelter is the:yellow pond lily. It may be readily distinguished by its shape, which resembles that of the shad, and by the very long anal fin, which contains from 14 to 17 rays. The colors of this fish are greenish above and the sides silvery with golden reflections. Fins usually yellowish; lower fins scar- let in breeding males. Though the roach is not a good food fish, it is taken by the hook in large numbers and is a very useful species for bait. The roach, writes Eugene Smith, is an active fish and lives. well in the aquarium, becoming very familiar with its keeper.. Owing to the small size of its gullet, the smaller individuals will at length starve unless their food is. much comminuted. The fish spawned in captivity in May, and early in December of the same year the young were 14 inches long. The adults do not like earthworms, but feed freely on chopped hard clams. 76 Abramis chrysoleucas roseus subsp. nov. Irish Roach; Pearl Roach Abramis crysoleucas subspecies, BEAN, Bull, Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. N. Y- IX, 334, 1897. The “Irish roach” or “pearl roach” of a lake in Central park, New York city, is even more distinct from the typical northern roach than is the subspecies bosci of the rivers of the South Atlantic states, and should receive a name. This form is readily distinguished from A. crysoleucas by its short and deep body, uniform size of scales on all parts of the body, and the permanent vermilion color of the pectoral, ventral,. and anal fins. An example studied in the New York aquarium has D. i, 7; A. i, 12; V. i. 8, scales 10-48-4; teeth 5-5, hooked, crenate, and with a grinding surface. The lateral line appar- ently is not so strongly decurved as in A. crysoleucas. This is a beautiful fish and extremely shy in captivity. Two females and a male were ready to spawn in the aquarium about the end of June 1896. The females cast their eggs, but: they were immediately eaten by the fish. a FISHES OF NEW YORK 135 Genus norroris Rafinesque Body oblong or elongate, m~re or less compressed; mouth nor- mal, mostly terminal and oblique, sometimes subinferior; no tbarbels; teeth in one or two rows, those of the larger row always 44, hooked, sharp edged, or with a narrow grinding surface; scales large, often closely imbricated, those before the dorsal rarely very small; lateral line complete or nearly so, usually decurved; dorsal fin inserted above, or more usually behind, the ventrals; anal fin short or moderately long; abdomen rounded, never sharp edged. Coloration more or less silvery, often brilliant, the males in spring usually with red or white pigment and the head with small tubercles. A very large group of small fishes, specially characteristic of the fresh waters of the eastern United States, containing about 100 species, many of them characterized by extensive individual variations. (After Jordan and Evermann) 77 Notropis bifrenatus (Cope) Bridled Minnow Hybopsis, bifrenatus Corr, Cypr. Penna. 384, 1866; GunrHeER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 211, 1868 (as a doubtful species). Hemitrenia bifrenata JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 162, 1883. Notropis bifrenatus JORDAN, Check List Fishes N. A. 22, 1885; JonpAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 258, 1896. Front convex between the orbits; length of muzzle equals — diameter of iris band and pupil, sometimes nearly equals orbit. Iris colored in continuation of the lateral band. The lateral line rarely extends half way to the dorsal fin, while the pores of the same may be observed at the bases of the scales for half the remaining length of the animal. Length of the largest speci- men, 19 lines; breadth of muzzle at nares, 1.5 lines. Radii of the scales strong. Color above straw, the scales delicately brown edged; below impure white, with a narrow black line along base of anal fin to caudal. Along each side from caudal fin around the end of muzzle including the end of the mandible, a shining black band 136 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM / one and one half scales in width. This is bordered above on the muzzle, forming an arc from orbit to orbit, by an orange band, which is strongly margined above by the brown of the top of the front. Opercular and suborbital regions below the black band, pure silvery. (Rearranged from Cope) Head four and one fifth; depth four and one fifth; eye three.. D. 8; A. 7. Scales 5-36-8; teeth 4-4. Body rather slender, the caudal peduncle somewhat contracted; head moderate, the muzzle very obtuse; mouth oblique, the jaws about equal, upper lip opposite lower part of pupil; eye large, longer than snout; lateral line developed for a very short distance. 13 scales before dorsal. Length 14 to 2 inches. This little minnow has no common name. It is found from Massachusetts to Maryland and is abundant in tributaries of the Delaware river. On account of its conspicuous colors, it is @ useful bait for game fishes, specially the black bass. 78 Notropis anogenus Forbes | Notropis anogenus ForBEs, Bull. Ill. Lab. Nat. Hist. 1388, 1885; MEEK, Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. IV, 804, 1888, Canal near Montezuma, N. Y.; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 259, 1896. Head four and one fourth; depth four and two fifths; eye three and one fourth. D.8;A.7. Lateral line 34 to 37, 13 before dor- sal. Teeth 4-4. Very similar to N. heterodon,. but with -the lateral line usually complete; the mouth very small and very oblique, almost wholly anterior; the lower jaw included, the upper lip above level of pupil; snout very short, blunt, shorter than eye. Dusky; a dusky lateral band through eye, ending in. a faint black spot at base of caudal; a black speck above each pore of lateral line; chin black. Length 14 inches. Western New York (Cayuga lake, Meek) to northern Illinois; rather scarce. (After Jordan and Evermann) According to Meek the species is quite common in the canal. near Montezuma N. Y. It is the smallest of all the Cayuga: lake fishes. 79 Notropis cayuga Meek Notropis cayuga MreEK, Ann, N. Y. Acad. Sci. IV, 305, 1888, Cayuga Lake,. N. Y.; JORDAN, Bull. U. S. F. C. IX, 17, 1891; Jornpan & EVERMANN,. Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 260, 1896. FISHES OF NEW YORK sy e Head four and one sixth; depth four and one half; eve three and one half. Scales 36; before dorsal 14. Teeth 4-4, Allied to N. heterodon, from which it may be best known by the absence of black on the chin.’ Lateral line wanting on some scales; mouth very small, anterior, the maxillary not reaching the eye; jaws subequal; eye large, equal to snout. Scales above dark edged, the outlines very sharply defined; chin not black; a black stripe through snout and eye, a dusky lateral shade and a small caudal spot. Length 24 inches.. Cayuga lake and north- ern New York, westward to Assiniboia, South Dakota, Ne- braska, Kansas and Arkansas. Not rare, but hitherto usually confounded with N. heterodon. (After Jordan and Ever- mann) Several examples were taken by Dr Meek near Ithaca. The longest was 22 inches. He also obtained it from the canal near Montezuma N. Y. The U. S. Fish Commission parties secured this minnow in many localities in 1894. Mouth of Little Salmon creek July 25 Chaumont river July 10 Black creek, tributary of Oswego river July 17 Three Mile creek, Oswego July 27 Great Sodus bay Aug. 6 Guffon creek, Chaumont Julyis i Four Mile creek, Nine Mile point, Webster Aug. 9 Cemetery creek, Watertown July 5 Mud creek, Cape Vincent June 25 Mill creek, Sacketts Harbor July 2 80 Notropis hetefodon (Cope) Alburnops heterodon Corr, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 281, 1864. Hybopsis heterodon Corr, Cypr. Penna. 382, 1866. Leuciscus heterodon GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 261, 1868. Hemitremia heterodon JORDAN, Man. Vert. 303, 1878; JoRDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 163, 1883. Notropis heterodon JORDAN, Cat. Fish. N. A. 22, 1885; JornpAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 261, 1896. Head four; depth four; eye three in head. D.8; A. 8. Scales 5-36—3, the lateral line extending about half the length of 138 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM body; teeth 4-4, often crenate. Body moderately stout, the back somewhat elevated; head rather pointed, the muzzle acuminate; mouth oblique, lower jaw projecting, upper lip oppo- site upper rim of pupil; maxillary extending to opposite front of orbit; 13 scales in front of dorsal; lateral line usually more or less imperfect. Color olivaceous; chin black; a’ blackish rostral band; sides with a leaden or dusky band. Length 24 inches. New York to Michigan and Kansas, common. Va- riable. (After Jordan and Evermann) Common in all the sluggish water on the flats near Ithaca. Not found at the north end of the lake, where it seems to be re- placed by Notropis anogenus. Meek The U.S. Fish Commission collectors have obtained it at Cape Vincent N. Y. June 21, Stony Island, July 2 and 3, and at Guffon creek, Chaumont, July 7, 1894. 81 Notropis blennius (Girard) Straw-colored Minnow Alournops blennius GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 194, 1856. © Pacifie R. R. Surv. X, 261, pl. 57, figs. 13-16, 1858. ‘Minnilus blennius JoRDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 193, 1883. Notropis blennius JORDAN, Cat. Fish. N. A. 24, 1885; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 261, 1896. Body slender, elongate, its greatest depth one fifth of total length without caudal; head rather large, one fourth of total length without caudal; the eye large, a little longer than snout, one third as long as the head; mouth small, inferior, horizontal, the maxilla reaching to front of orbit; snout very obtuse; dorsal a little nearer to tip of snout than to base of caudal, its origin about over end of pectoral, its longest ray three fourths as long as the head; teeth 4-4; 18 to 15 rows of scales before dorsal. The ventral is under the base of the dorsal, its length equal to length of head without snout. D. 8 to 9; A. 7 to 8. Scales 5 to 6-32 to 38-4. Color pale olivaceous; sides usually pale; usually a darker dorsal band and a small dark blotch before dorsal, sometimes a plumbeous lateral stripe but no caudal spot; fins all plain. Length 2 to 24 inches. “a )* FISHES OF NEW YORK 139 This small minnow is found in the Great lakes region, west- ward to Dakota and south to Texas. The U.S. Fish Commission collectors secured a moderate number of specimens in 1894 at the following localities. Cape Vincent 3 hs June 23 Grenadier island June 27 Little Stony brook, Henderson bay © July 4 Big Sandy creek, Belleville : July 12 Mouth Salmon river, Selkirk July 25 Great Sodus bay Aug. 6 Dr B. W. Evermann and Barton A. Bean secured 12 examples in Scioto creek, Coopersville N. Y.. July 19, 1894. They also took many specimens July 17 in the St Lawrence river, 3 miles below Ogdensburg N. Y. Dr Evermann observed a diffuse plum- beous band along the side, each scale in the lateral line punctate with black, making the lateral line very conspicuous. In many a very small black spot. was present at base of caudal. The dorsal was very low, only five ninths length of head. 82 Notropis procne (Cope) Shiner Hybognathus procne Corr, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 279, 283, 1864. Hybopsis procne Corr, Cypr. Penna. 385, pl. XI, fig. 2, 1866. Leuciscus procne GUNTHER, Cat, Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 260, 1868. Cliola procne JoRDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 169, 1883. Notropis procne JORDAN, Cat. Fish. N. A. 23, 1885; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 37, 1898; JORDAN: & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 264, 1896. This little minnow has a short, slender and compressed body and a very slender caudal peduncle. The greatest depth, at the dorsal origin equals the length of the head, which is about one fourth of the total without caudal. In some described speci- mens the head is contained four and three fourths times and the depth of the body five and one fourth times in total length without caudal. The snout is short and obtuse, shorter than the eye, which is two fifths as long as the head. The mouth is terminal and small, the maxilla not reaching to front of eye, and the jaws equal. The lateral line is gently curved down- 140 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM ward over the pectoral and, in the specimen examined, becomes: interrupted in its posterior half. The dorsal origin is over the 12th scale of the lateral line and nearly over the ventral origin. The dorsal base is a little more than half as long as the head, and the longest ray is as long as the head. The ventral reaches to the anal origin. The anal base is half as long as the head and the longest anal ray is four fifths as long as the head. The caudal is moderately forked. D. 8; A. 7; V. 8; P. 18. Seales 5-32 to 34-3; teeth 4-4. Length of specimen described, from Havre de Grace Md., 24 inches. Color in spirits light brown, the belly pale and lower half of head silvery. A narrow dark line along the top of the back and a narrow dark median band continued forward on the nose. Fins all pale. In life the body is olivaceous with a dark lateral stripe. The long tail suggests the name procne, a kind of swallow. The shiner is found from western New York to Maryland. Prof. Cope found it abundant in the tributaries of the Delaware and Susquehanna, in slow moving streams. It reaches the length of 24 inches. Eugene Smith records it as “very plentiful in the small brooks directly running into tide water. It appears to approach the sea more closely than any other minnow, though it is never ~ found in brackish water. It delights in strong currents, but in captivity lives well in the aquarium, feeding voraciously. It is almost entirely carnivorous. The Palisade ridge is probably the furthest limit of this species towards the east. It is met with in company of the suckers and the roach.” It has-proved an excellent bait for the game fishes. 83 Notropis hudsonius (DeWitt Clinton) | ’ Spawn-eater ; Smelt Clupea hudsonia DE Witt CrLinton, Ann, Lyc. Nat. Hist. N. Y. I, 49, pf. 2, fig. 2, 1824 (fide Gtinther). Leuciscus hudsonius Dr Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 206, pl. 34, fig. 109, 1842. (Hudson river and tributaries) Hybopsis hudsonius Corr, Cypr. Penna. 886, pl. 12, fig. 3, 1866. { Cliola hudsonia JorDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 171, 1883. FISHES OF NEW YORK 141 Notropis hudsonius JORDAN, Cat. Fish. N. A. 24, 1885; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 38, 1898; JorpAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 269, 1896, pl. XLVII, fig. 119. The spawn-eater has a moderately elongate and compressed body, its greatest hight contained four and one half times in the total length without caudal, and about equal to length of head. The head is conical, with short, blunt snout equal to the diameter of the eye, which is contained three and one half times in the length of the head. The space between the eyes equals length of postorbital part of head. Mouth small, nearly hori- zontal, the lower jaw very slightly the shorter, the maxilla reaching the vertical through the posterior nostril. The lateral line is slightly curved downward over the pectoral, straight and median for the rest of its course. The origin of the dorsal is over, and of the ventral under, the 18th scale of the lateral line. The dorsal base is two thirds as long as the head, and the longest ray as long as the head. The ventral reaches nearly or quite to the vent. The anal origin is under the 24th scale of the lateral line; the anal base is one half and the longest anal ray four fifths as long as the head. The caudal is large and deeply forked, its middle rays half as long as the outer. D. 8; A.8 or 9; V. 8; P. 14. Scales 7-88-5; teeth 2, 4-4, 1 or 2, with a narrow grinding surface on at least two. Length of Specimens described from Washington D. C. 84 to 44 inches. Color in spirits pale brown, the fins and all of head except upper surface pale; a broad median silvery band, its greatest width about equal to diameter of eye; a dusky spot at the root of the caudal in the young. The spawn-eater is said to occur from Lake Superior to New York and southward. In Pennsylvania begins a form elsewhere described as N. amarus, which differs in the structure of the pharyngeal teeth. | This minnow does not much frequent small streams, but is abundant in the Delaware river and also in Lake Erie. De Kay records its occurrence in the Hudson and its tributaries. In the Lake Ontario region the U. S. Fish Commission col- lectors obtained numerous specimens in these localities. 142 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Salt brook, 13 miles above Nine Mile point June 10-11, 1893 Cape Vincent . June 21, 1894 Grenadier island June 27, 1894 Horse island, Sacketts Harbor June 30, 1894 Mouth Salmon river, Selkirk July 25, 1894 Three Mile creek, Oswego July 27, 1894 Great Sodus bay Aug. 6, 1894 Long pond, Charlotte , | Aug. 17, 1894 Lake shore, mouth Long pond | Aug. 17, 1894 Nine Mile point, Webster Aug. 23, 1894 East end Lake Ontario 1894 Livingston Stone also collected the species at Cape Vincent Aug. 9, 1898. In the Lake Champlain basin Evermann and Bean obtained it at Scioto creek, Coopersville, and Rouse Point July 19, 1894. The spawn-eater reaches the length of 10 inches. Its teeth are usually four in the principal row and two in the inner. Its Spawn-eating habits are not verified. 84 Notropis hudsonius amarus (Girard) Gudgeon Hudsonius amarus GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 210, 1856. (Chesa- peake Bay; Potomac river at Washington) Hybopsis storerianus Corr, Cypr. Penna. 386, 1866. Leuciscus storerianus GUNTHER, Cat, Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 250, 1868; Krrr- LAND, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. V, 30, pl. IX, fig. 2, 1847. Cliola storeriana JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 170, 1883. Notropis amarus BEAN, Fishes Penna, 39, pl. 28, fig. 37, 1898. Notropis hudsonius amarus JORDAN, Cat. Fish. N. A. 24, 1885; Jorpan & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus, 270, 1896. The gudgeon has a moderately elongate and compressed body and a slender caudal peduncle. The greatest depth equals one fourth of the total length to base of caudal, and the least depth -of the peduncle equals the length of the postorbital part of head. ‘The head is rather short with an obtuse short snout; the length of the head is nearly one fourth of the total to base of caudal. The snout is one fourth and the eye one third as long as the head. The maxilla extends to the vertical through the front of FISHES OF NEW YORK 143 the eye; the lower jaw is slightly included; the mouth is slightly oblique. The width of the head equals nearly two thirds of its length. The distance between the eyes equals the length of the orbit. The dorsal origin is over, and the ventral origin under, the 10th scale of the lateral line. The length of the dorsal base equals two thirds that of the head, and the longest dorsal ray is four fifths as long as the head. The anal base is as long as the postorbital part of the head and the longest ray is about two thirds as long as the head. The ventral reaches nearly to the vent, and the pectoral to below the 8th scale of the lateral line. The lateral line is very slightly bent downward over the pec- toral. The caudal is moderate in size and deeply forked. D. li, 7; A. ii, 7; V. 8; P. 15. Scales 6-86 to 39-4; teeth 1, 4-4, 1 or 1, 4-4, 0 in the example described, from the Susquehanna river. Length 44 inches. The teeth are slightly hooked, and two or three on each side have a developed grinding surface. The color in spirits is light brown, the sides of body and lower half of head Silvery; the young have a narrow dusky median lateral band, which is sometimes continued on the snout, and a more or less distinct small dark blotch at the base of the caudal. The fins are all pale. eh The gudgeon or smelt of Pennsylvania is a variety of N. hudsonius of Clinton, which ranges from Lake Superior to New York and south in streams east of the Alleghanies to Georgia. The southern form is the variety amarus of Girard, which exhibits some difference in its pharyngeal teeth. The species is an extremely variable one. It grows to a length of about 8 inches. Prof. Cope records it as abundant in the Susquehanna, specially in the lower part of the river. | This is a handsome silvery fish, and is as much used for food as its associate, the silvery minnow. 85 Notropis whipplii (Girard) Silverfin Cyprinella whipplit GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 198, 1856. Photogenis spilopterus Corr, Cypr. Penna. 378, 1866. Leuciscus spilopterus GUNTHER, Cat. Fish, Brit. Mus, VII, 254, 1868. 144 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Lucilus kentuckiensis KirTLAND, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. V, 27, pl. VIII, fig. 3, 1847. Hypsilepis kentuckiensis Copr, Cypr. Penna. 371, 1866. Cliola whipplet JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 178, 1883. Cliola analostana JORDAN & GILBERT, op. cit. 179, 1883. Notropis whipplei BEAN, Fishes Penna. 39, 1893. Notropis whippliti JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 278, 1896, pl. XLVITI, fig. 121, 1900. The silverfin has a moderately elongate body, which is fusi- form in the adult. The caudal peduncle is short and stout. The depth of the body at the ventral fin equals nearly one fourth of the total length to the caudal base. The head is conical, com- pressed and with a pointed snout a little longer than the eye, which is two ninths as long as the head. The mouth is moder- ate, terminal, slightly oblique, the jaws nearly equal, the max- illa reaching to vertical through front of eye. The head is two ninths of the total length without caudal. The dorsal origin is a little behind the ventral origin and over the 15th scale of the lateral line. The length of the dorsal base equals one seventh of the total without caudal, and the longest ray is as long as the head without the snout. The ventral reaches nearly to the anal. The anal begins under the 21st scale of the lateral line; its base is as long as the dorsal base, and its longest ray is about two thirds as long as the head. The caudal is large and moderately forked. The lateral line curves downward over the pectoral. D. 8; A. 9; V. 8; P. 14. Scales 6-38 to 41-4; teeth 1, 4-4, 1, with more or less serrate edges. Length of specimen described, from the Susquehanna river, 4 inches. 2 In spirits the back is brown, the sides dull silvery, the scales with a dusky margin, and the lower parts are whitish. A nar- row and long black blotch on the membrane between the 6th and 7th and another between the 7th and 8th dorsal rays. Lower fins pale. Males in spring have the fins partly or wholly charged with white pigment, and in the hight of the breeding season the pigment in the dorsal has a greenish tint, and the top of the head and snout is covered with minute tubercles. This is one of our finest minnows for the aquarium and is useful as food and bait for larger fishes. ee a ee a ee FISHES OF NEW YORK 145 The silverfin ranges from western New York to Virginia and west to Minnesota and Arkansas. It is a common and variable species. It reaches a length of 4 inches. In Pennsylvania it occurs in all the rivers and creeks, but according to Prof. Cope is least common in tributaries of the Delaware. According to Dr Meek it is common on flats near Fall creek and in the southern end of Cayuga lake. Evermann and Bean took it in Scioto creek, Coopersville N. Y. in July 1894. In the © Lake Ontario region the U. 8. Fish Commission secured the following specimens: Grenadier island June 27, 1894 Horse island, Sacketts Harbor June 30, 1894 Cape Vincent June 21, 1894 Mill creek, Sacket Harbor July 2,1894 Cemetery creek and Black river, Watertown July 5,1894 Chaumont river July 10,1894 Great Sodus bay Aug. 6, 1894 Creek near Pultneyville Aug. 7, 1894 Specimens were obtained also by Livingston Stone at Cape Vincent Aug. 9, 1898, and presented to the State Museum. Subgenus tuxinus Rafinesque 86 Notropis cornutus (Mitchill) Shiner; Redfin Cyprinus cornutus MiTcHILL, Amer. Month. Mag. I, 289, July, 1817. (meager preliminary notice); op. cit. II, 324, Feb. 1818. (Wallkill river, N.Y.) Cyprinus megalops RAFINESQUE, Amer. Month. Mag. II, 121, Dec. 1817. (Hudson river, above the falls) Leuciscus vittatus DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 212, pl. 34, fig. 108, 1842. (Chittenonda and other tributaries of the Mohawk; also in Mohawk) Hypsilepis cornutus CopE, Proc, Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 158, 1867. Leuciscus cornutus DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 207, pl. 29, fig. 92, 1842: GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 249, 1868. Minnilus cornutus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. 8S. Nat. Mus. 186, 1883. Minnilus plumbeolus JorDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 192, 1883, Notropis megalops JoRDAN, Cat. Fish. N. A. 26, 1885; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 40, 1893. Notropis cornutus JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 281, 1896. 146 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM The redfin when young has the body moderately elongate, but it becomes deeper with age and much compressed. The caudal peduncle is short, and its depth equals length of postorbita] part of head. The depth of the body at the ventral is contained three and one third to four times in the total length without the caudal. The head is short, deep and thin, its length one fourth of the total without caudal, its width about one half its length. The eye is as long as the snout and two sevenths as long as the head. Mouth moderate, terminal, oblique, the max- illa reaching about to vertical through front of eye. The dorsal origin is over, and the ventral origin under, the 12th scale of the lateral line. The length of the dorsal base equals one sey- -enth of the total without the caudal, and its longest ray one fifth of the same length. The ventral reaches nearly or quite to vent. The anal origin is under the 23d scale of the lateral line. The anal base is one half, and the longest ray two thirds as long as the head. The caudal is large and deeply forked. The lateral line descends in a long curve, becoming straight and median over the anal origin. D. 8; A. 9; V. 8; P. 15. Scales 7-40 to 41-4; teeth 2, 4-4, 2, with narrow grinding surface. Length of specimens described, from 4 to 44 inches. The upper parts of this fish are steel blue and the scales are dusky at the edge and base. The sides are silvery, overlaid with a gilt line; there is another gilt band along the back. The belly is silvery except in spring males, in which it is a bright ‘rosy color. The male in the breeding season has the lower jaw and the top of the head and nape covered with small tubercles. In the breeding condition this is a very handsome species, though the females and young lack the bright colors of the adult male. The redfin is known also as the common shiner, dace, rough- head, and banded dace. It is a very widely distributed species, is extremely variable, and, as a consequence, some geographic races have received distinct names. It extends from Maine to the Rocky mountains, but is absent from the Carolinas and Texas. It grows to a length of 8 inches. In Pennsylvania the species is common everywhere and is best known under the name of redfin. It reaches a very large size in Lake Erie. FISHES OF NEW YORK 147 In New York Mitchill had it from the Wallkill; Rafinesque from the Hudson above the falls. De Kay knew it from the Mohawk and some of its tributaries including the Chittenonda. Dr Meek found it very,common throughout the entire Cayuga lake basin. Evermann and Bean collected it in the Saranac river, Plattsburg, July 28, and in Scioto creek, Coopersville, July 19, 1894. They secured it also in the St Lawrencé river, 3 miles below Ogdensburg, July 17,1894. The U.S. Fish Commis- sion field parties found it very common in the Lake Ontario basin 1892 to 1894, specimens having been recorded from: Sacket Harbor, Charlotte, Huntingtonville, Henderson Harbor, Cape Vincent, Pulaski, Oswego, Pultneyville, Pointbreeze, W ebster, Belleville, Scriba Corners, Wart creek, North Hamlin and Salt brook. The redfin runs into small brooks and is most abundant in eddies and other quiet parts of the streams. It has no value except as food and bait for larger fishes, specially the black bass and pike perch. The flesh is very soft and decays rapidly after death. 87 Notropis cornutus frontalis (Agassiz) Leuciscus frontalis AcAssiz, Lake Superior, 368, pl. 3, fig. 4, 1850, or Hyp- solepis frontalis fide GUNTHER. Hypsilepis cornutus gibbus Copr, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 158, 1867. Minnilus cornutus var. frontalis JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 187, 1888. Notropis megalops frontalis MEEK, Ann. N. Y. Ac. Sci. IV, 307, 1888. Notropis cornutus frontalis JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 288, 1896. : ) Very close to the typical cornutus, differing in its very heavy head and in the smaller number of scales (13 to 18) in advance of the dorsal. Great lakes; everywhere common in mouths of brooks. Dr Meek found it scarce near Ithaca and common near Montezuma N. Y. Subgenus norropris 88 Notropis atherinoides Rafinesque Emerald Minnow ; Rosy Minnow Notropis atherinoides RAFINESQUE, ‘Amer. Month. Mag. II, 204, Jan. 1818. Alburnus rubellus AGaAssiz, Lake Superior, 364, pl. 3, figs. 1-3, 1850. Leuciscus rubellus GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus, VII, 254, 1868. 148 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Minnilus rubellus and dinemus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 202, 1883. Notropis atherinoides JORDAN, Cat. Fish. N. A. 27, 1885; Mrrx, Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. IV, 308, 1888; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 44, 1898; Jorpan & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 293, 1896. The emerald minnow or rosy minnow has a long and thin body and the caudal peduncle moderately short and deep. The great- est depth of the body is contained four and three fourths to five and one half times in the total length to caudal base; the least depth of the caudal peduncle is contained 114 times in the same length. The greatest width of the body is one half its hight. The head is of moderate size, its length two ninths of the total to caudal base. The snout is short and somewhat pointed, its length one fourth that of the head. Eye large, about three and one fourth times in length of head; mouth oblique, moder- ate, the maxilla reaching front of eye. The dorsal origin is” midway between the eye and the base of the caudal, over the 17th scale of the lateral line. The base of the fin is two fifths as long as the head, and the longest ray equals the length of the head without the snout. The ventral origin is under the 13th scale of the lateral line, and the fin scarcely reaches to below the end of the dorsal base. The pectoral reaches to below the eighth or ninth scale of the lateral line. The anal origin is under the 24th scale of the lateral line; the base is one half as long as the head, and the longest ray equals the snout and eye combined. The caudal is rather large and deeply forked. The lateral line sweeps downward in a long and shailow curve, becoming nearly median over the anal base. D. ii, 7; A. ii, 9; V. 8; P. 14. Scales 6-39-4; teeth 2, 4-4, 2 or 1, some of them with a slight hook and narrow grinding surface. The specimens described (no. 8735, U. S. National Museum) are 4 to 43 inches long. In spirits the upper parts are light brown, the sides and ‘cheeks silvery, and the belly golden brown; the fins all pale; the width of the silvery stripe equal to diameter of eye. In life the upper parts are greenish; breeding males have the snout rosy. The emerald minnow is found in the Great lakes region, the Ohio valley and south to Tennessee, being abundant in lakes FISHES OF NEW YORK -: 149 ~ and in rapids of rivers. The variety found in Pennsylvania has a shorter snout and a smaller eye than the typical ather- -inoides and has received the specific name dinemus; but the differences are not supposed to be constant. The emerald minnow reaches a length of 6 inches; it is gregarious like other minnows; and its golden lateral stripe on a clear green ground makes it a handsome species. Dr Meek found one example near Ithaca, in Six Mile creek, below the falls. A few specimens were also found in a small stream near Montezuma dry dock, in company with N. lythrurus. Evermann and Bean caught a single example in Scioto creek, Coopersville, July 19, 1894; also three specimens in the St Lawrence river, 3 miles below Ogdensburg July 17, 1894. At Cape Vincent June 21, 1894, the U. S. Fish Commission collectors took 29 specimens, and at Grenadier island, June 27, they obtained 14 individuals. Livingston Stone also collected the species at Cape Vincent Aug. 9, 1898, and presented speci- mens to the State Museum. 89 Notropis rubrifrons (Cope) Rosy-faced Minnow Alburnus rubrifrons Corr, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 85, 1865. Alburnellus rubrifrons CoPpE, Cypr. Penna. 388, pl. XIII, fig. 3, 1866. Leuciscus rubrifrons GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 255, 1868. Minnilus rubrifrons and percobromus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 202, 1883. Notropis dilectus BEAN, Fishes Penna. 44, 1893. Notropis rubrifrons JORDAN, Cat. Fish. N. A. 27, 1885; JorDAN & EVER- MANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 295, 1896. The rosy-faced minnow has the body moderately long and thin, with a short and deep caudal peduncle. The greatest depth of the body equals one fourth, and the least depth of the peduncle, one eighth of the total length to base of caudal. The head is moderate in size; its width ene half of its length, which is one fourth of the total to base of caudal. The snout is pointed and Shorter than the eye, which is one fourth to two sevenths as long as the head and equal to the distance between the eyes. The mouth is oblique, and the lower jaw projects slightly; the 150 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM maxilla reaches nearly to below the front of the pupil. The dorsal origin is over the 15th, and the ventral origin under the 12th scale of the lateral line. The base of the dorsal is half as ‘long as the head, and the longest dorsal ray equals the length of the head without the snout. The ventral reaches to the vent, which is under the 18th scale of the lateral line. The anal base is as long as the snout and eye combined, and the longest anal ray is two thirds as long as the head. The caudal is moderate in size and deeply forked. The lateral line curves gently down- ward over the pectoral. D. ii, 7; A. ii, 8; V. 8; P. 18. Scales 6-36-4; teeth 2, 4-4, 2, hooked. The specimens described are 2 inches long. In spirits the body is pale brown; a silvery shade along the median line; the head silvery except above; belly golden; fins all pale. In life the upper parts are olive green and the sides silvery. Males in the breeding condition in spring have prickles on the snout and the forehead; gill covers and dorsal base with a rosy flush. The name dilectus means delightful. The rosy-faced minnow, though reaching a length of only 3 inches or less, is a very beautiful fish. It is abundant in the Ohio valley and extends westward to Nebraska. This is the Alburnellus rubrifrons of Cope. | The U. S. Fish Commission collections of 1894 contain this minnow from Salt brook, 13 miles above Nine Mile point June 11, Mill creek, Sacket Harbor July 2, Wart creek July 24, Sandy creek, North Hamlin Aug. 20. Evermann and Bean secured it in abundance in Racquets river, Norfolk, July 18, 1894, and they had a few specimens from Scioto creek, Coopersville, July 19, 1894. 90 Notropis amoenus (Abbott) Alburnellus amenus ABBort, Amer, Nat. VIII, 334, 1874. Raritan River, Ni J. Notropis amenus JoRDAN, Bull. U. S. Fish Com. XIII, 102, 1891; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 296, 1896. Head four; depth five and one third (four and three fourths to five and one half); eye three and one third. D. 8; A. 10. Scales FISHES OF NEW YORK 151 6-39-3. Close to Notropis rubrifrons, but the scales before dorsal smaller, as in N. photogenis, Body elon- gate, compressed; eye large, longer than snout; mouth large, oblique, the jaws subequal, the maxillary reaching to below front of eye; 22 to 25 (rarely 18 to 20) scales before dorsal; lateral line much decurved; dorsal high, placed behind ventrals; pectorals moderate. Translucent green, sides. silvery, with sometimes a faint plumbeous band ending in an obscure plum- beous spot. Length 3? inches. Clear streams east of the Alleghanies from the Raritan to the Neuse; abundant; formerly confounded with N. photogenis, of which it may be a variety. (After Jordan and Evermann) Eugene Smith! says it is perhaps a variety of N. photo- genis (Cope). Abbott mentions it from the Raritan river, near New Brunswick N. J. 91 Notropis umbratilis lythrurus Jordan Redfin Notropis lyihrurus JORDAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 476, 1884. Hypsilepis diplaenvia Cork, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 162. 1867. Minnilus diplaemius JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 197 1883. Luxilus tucidus GIRARD, Pacific R. R. Sury. Fishes, 282, pl. LX, figs. 9-12 1858. Notemigonus lucidus JORDAN & GILBERT, op. cit. 249, 1883. Notropis lythrurus MEEK, Ann. N. Y. Ac. Sci. IV, 307, 1888. Notropis umbratilis lythrurus JORDAN & EVERMANN Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 300, 1896. ? ? Head four and one fourth; depth four to four and one half; Evemrnree to fours D..7; A.:11. Scales 9-40:to 52-35 teeth 2, 4-4, 2. Body compressed, the caudal peduncle long; head long, conical, rather pointed; mouth large, moderately oblique, the premaxillary on level of pupil, the maxillary reaching to below eye; lower jaw somewhat projecting; eye moderate, about equal to muzzle; scales closly imbricated, crowded anteriorly, about 30 before dorsal; dorsal fin high, inserted about midway be- tween ventrals and anal; pectorals not reaching ventrals; —=2 1Linn. Soc. N. Y. Proc. 1807. no. 9, p. 18. 152 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM ventrals reaching to vent; caudal fin long. Coloration dark steel blue above; pale or silvery below; a more or less evident black spot at base of dorsal in front; the fins otherwise all plain. Males with the anterior dorsal region and the head profusely covered with small whitish tubercles, the belly and lower fins being of a bright brick red in the spring. Females very pale olive, sometimes almost colorless. Length 34 inches. Minne- sota to western New York (Cayuga lake), North Carolina, Ala- bama, and Kansas; generally abundant in small, clear streams. (After Jordan and Evermann) Dr Meek took a single specimen from a small stream near the Montezuma dry dock. Genus RHINICHTHYS Agassiz Body moderately elongate and little compressed, with usually stout caudal peduncle and long, conical nose; head rather large, sometimes broad and flat above; eye small; mouth small, sub- inferior, the upper jaw fixed by the union of the upper lip to the skin of the forehead; end of maxillary with a small barbel. Teeth 2. 4-4, 2 (sometimes 2, 4-4, 1) those of the principal row usually hooked, without grinding surface. A short intestinal canal; scales very small; lateral line decurved, continuous; dorsal origin slightly behind ventral; base of anal short. Small fishes inhabiting clear, cold brooks and streams. 92 Rhinichthys cataractae (Cuv. & Val.) Long Nosed Dace; Niagara Gudgeon Gobio cataractae CuviIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. XVI, 315, pl. 483 (poor), 1842 (specimen 5 inches long, from Niagara Falls, N. Y., Milbert); DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 394; 1842. (After Cuvier and Valenciennes) Leuciscus nasutus AYRES, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. IV, 299, pl. XIII, fig. 3 (very bad), 1844. West Hartford, Conn. Specimen 514 inches long. Rhinichthys marmoratus AGAssiz, Lake Superior, 354, pl. 2, figs. 1-2, fee GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 189, 1868. Rhinichthys nasutus GUNTHER, op. cit. VII, 189. Argyreus nasutus Copr, Cypr. Penna. 369, pl. XII, fig. 5, 1866. -Ceratichthys cataractae GUNTHER, op. cit. VII, 176, 1878. Rhinichthys cataractae JorpDAN & GILBERT, Bull, 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 207, 1888; Bran, Fishes Penna. 46, 1893; Jorpan & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 306, 1896. FISHES OF NEW YORK 153 The long nosed dace has a moderately elongate body, with short and stout caudal peduncle and a moderate sized head. The greatest depth is contained four and two thirds times in the total length without caudal; the least depth of the caudal peduncle eight and one half times. The width of the body equals the combined length of snout and eye. The length of the head is one fourth of the total without caudal and three times the length of the snout. The eye is placed high, one fifth to one quarter as long as the head and about two thirds as long as the interorbital width. The mouth is horizontal, small, - placed under the snout, the lower jaw the shorter, the upper lip thick and provided with a small barbel at each end. The maxilla reaches to below the posterior nostril. The dorsal origin is above the 23d scale of the lateral line, and the ventral origin is under the 20th. The dorsal base is one half, and the longest ray four fifths as long as the head. The ventral reaches a little beyond the vent and almost to the anal origin. The pectoral reaches nearly or quite to the origin of the ventral, being longer in males. The anal origin is under the 34th scale of the lateral line and a little behind the end of the dorsal. The anal base is one half, the longest ray three fourths as long as the head. The caudal is comparatively large and well forked. The lateral line drops gently downward in a short curve over the pectoral and becomes median over that fin. D. ii, 7; A. ii, 6; V. 8; P. 12. Scales 13-57 to 65-10; teeth 2, 4-4, 2, three of the principal row hooked. Length of the specimen described (no. 8505, U. S. National Museum) 34 inches. In spirits the color is brown mottled with grayish; the under surface of head sharply defined and pale; the fins all pale. Breeding males in spring have the lips, cheeks and lower fins crimson. The sides are without a black lateral band, which is characteristic of the black nosed species. The general color is olivaceous or dark green with the lower parts paler. The back is nearly black. Some of the scales are mottled with dark and olivaceous. The young have a trace of a dusky lateral band. The fish reaches the length of 54 inches. 154 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM The long nosed dace or Niagara gudgeon is found in New England and the Middle states, and in the Great lakes region in clear, cold water. In Pennsylvania, according to Cope, it is limited to the rapids and swift waters of the eastern part of the state. Evermann and Bean collected 50 specimens in Saranac river, Plattsburg N. Y. July 28, 1894, but did not find it in the St Lawrence river or in the Lake Ontario tributaries. Though Dr Meek obtained no specimens of this species from Cayuga lake © basin, he believes it a member of the fauna, as it is common in the streams south of Ithaca near Van Ettenville, Chemung co. NY The long nosed dace frequents rapids and rocky pools, and is associated in mountain regions with the brook trout. Its move- ments are swift and powerful and it is a very shapely little fish. As a bait for the black bass it is scarcely surpassed. | 93 Rhinichthys atronasus (Mitchill) Black Nosed Dace; Brook Minow Cyprinus atronasus-M1TcHILL, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 460, 1815. (Wallkill River; fresh-water trout brooks of New York); Amer. Month. Mag. I, 289, Aug. 1817. Mud-fish, from Wallkill Creek. Cyprinus vittatus RAFINESQUE, Amer, Month. Mag. II, 121, Dec. 1817. . Hudson River above the falls. Leuciscus atronasus Dr Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 205, pl. 23, fig. 69, 1842. Rhinichthys atronasus GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 191, 1868; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 208, 1883; MEEK, Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 308, 1888; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 47, pl. 23, fig. 39, 1898; Jorpan & Evrrmann, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 307, 1896. Argyreus atronasus STORER, Hist. Fish. Mass. 122, pl. X XI, fig. 4, 1867. The black nosed dace has a moderately long and stout body, with a broad back, and rather small conical head. The greatest depth of the body is contained four and one fourth to four and one half times in the total length without caudal. The least depth of the caudal peduncle equals one half greatest depth of body. The head is one fourth as long as,the fish to caudal base; its width is about one half its length and the snout nearly one third to two sevenths. The eye is as long as the snout and much less than width of interorbital space. The mouth is small, FISHES OF NEW YORK 155 slightly oblique and with nearly equal jaws; the maxillary bar- bel small or wanting; the maxilla reaches to below the front edge of the posterior nostril. The dorsal origin is nearer to root of caudal than to tip of snout, over the 26th scale of the lateral line. The length of the base is contained two and one third times in that of the head, and the longest ray equals length of head without snout. The ventral origin is slightly in advance of the dorsal origin, and the fin extends to the vent. The pectoral reaches to the 16th scale of the lateral line. In breeding males it is greatly thickened. The anal origin is behind the end of the dorsal base, under the 34th scale of the _ lateral line; the fin is variable in length with sex and age, some- times five sixths as long as the head. The caudal is small and not deeply forked. The lateral line curves downward over the pectoral, soon becoming median. D. ii, 6 or 7; A. ii, 6;'V. 8; P. 11. Scales 10-56 to 63-10; teeth 2, 4-4, 2, three of the prin- cipal row strongly hooked. Length of the specimens described _ (no. 33984, U. S. National Museum) 22 to 3 inches. In spirits the upper parts are brown and are separated from the silvery lower parts by a dark lateral band, as wide'as the short diame- ter of the eye and continued on the snout. Breeding males in spring have the lateral band and the lower fins crimson, run- ning into orange in summer. In the young the dark median band extends on the tail fin. The black nosed dace or “rockfish” is represented in our waters by two forms, one of which is found in the eastern part of the Great lakes region and from Maine to Virginia; this is replaced in the upper lake region and in the Ohio valley, south- ward to Georgia and Alabama, by the blunt nosed variety, Rhinichthys obtusus of Agassiz. The species grows to the length of 3 inches. The collections of the U. 8. Fish Commission in the Lake Onta- rio region contained this species from a great many localities: Cape Vincent, Great Sodus bay, Sacketts Harbor, Stony Island, - Grenadier island, Oswego, Buena Vista, Belleville, Pulaski, Wart creek, Huntingtonville, Henderson bay, and Webster. The 156 | NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM fish were taken in June, July and August and were rather com- mon in most places. Evermann and Bean took one example in the St Lawrence river, 3 miles below Ogdensburg, July 17, 1894; they secured eight specimens in the Saranac, at Plattsburg, July 28, 1894. According to Dr Meek it is common near Ithaca in all streams above and below the falls; but was not found by him near Mon- tezuma. Mitchill described-the fish from fresh-water brooks of New York containing trout, chiefly from'the Wallkill, where Rafinesque also knew of its occurrence. De Kay states its hab- itat to be clear, fresh-water streams and rivulets of New York and adjoining states. Eugene Smith found it associated with darters, blobs and small minnows in the vicinity of New York city. This fish prefers clear small brooks. Swift and active in its movements and beautiful in colors, it is one of the most inter- esting inhabitants of the waters in which it lives. In the aqua- rium Eugene Smith observed it to eat voraciously of animal food and to be more hardy than any other minnow. Genus HYBOoPsis Agassiz Body robust, or variously elongate; mouth terminal or in- ferior, with lips thin or somewhat fleshy, a conspicuous barbel ‘always present and terminal on the maxillary; a second barbel Sometimes present on each side; premaxillaries protractile. Teeth 4-4, or 1, 4-4, 1, or 0; hooked, the grinding surface narrow or obsolete. Scales usually rather large ; lateral Jine continu- ous. Dorsal inserted over, in front of, or slightly behind yven- trals; anal basis short. Males usually with nuptial tubercles, and sometimes flushed with red. A large and varied group, closely allied to Notropis, from which it differs chieflyein the presence of the small maxillary barbel. (After Jordan and Evermann) . eS FISHES OF NEW YORK 157 Subgenus ERimysTax Jordan 94 Hybopsis dissimilis (Kirtland) Spotted Shiner Luailus dissimilis KirtLanp, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. III, 341, pl. IV, fig. 2, 1841. . : Ceratichthys dissimilis Copr, Cypr. Penna. 368, pl. 12, fig. 1, 1866; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 177, 1868; JorpAN & GILBERT, Bull, 16, U. 8. Nat. Mus. 215, 1883. Hybopsis dissimilis JORDAN, Cat. Fish. N. A. 29,1885; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 48, 1893; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 318, 1896. The spotted shiner has a long and slender body, its greatest depth being nearly one fifth of the total length without the eaudal. The caudal peduncle is long and low, its least depth two fifths of greatest depth of body. The width of the body equals two thirds of its depth. The head is moderately large, its length one fourth of the total without the caudal. The snout is long but obtusely rounded at the point, its length one and one half times the diameter of the eye, which is two sevenths of the length of the head. The mouth is small, in- ferior, horizontal, the maxilla reaching to below the anterior nostril and with a small barbel at its hind end. The gill open- ings are separated by a very broad isthmus. The dorsal begins over the 16th scale of the lateral line and slightly in advance of the ventral; the dorsal base is one half as long as the head; the longest ray is as long as the head without the snout; the last ray is as long as the snout. The ventral reaches to the vent, its length one seventh of the total without the caudal. The pectoral reaches to below the 13th scale of the lateral line. The anal origin is under the 27th scale of the jateral line; the anal base is short, equaling the diameter of the eye; the longest ray is as long as the ventral; the last ray is one third as long as the head. The caudal is moderately large and deeply forked, the middle rays one half as long as the external rays. The lateral line is nearly straight and median. D. ii, 8; A. ii, 6; V.7; P.15. Scales 6-48-5; teeth 4-4, hooked and with a short grinding surface. In spirits the back is brown, the lower parts are whitish, and the sides are broadly striped with silvery. In 158 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM life the lateral stripe is bluish and overlaid with dusky spots and is continued forward through the eye around the -snout. The fins are pale. The specimen described, no. 36746, U. S. National Museum, from White River Ind., is 3$ inches long. | The spotted shiner occurs in the Great lakes region and Ohio valley southward to Kentucky and west to Iowa. It is abun- dant in creeks of western Pennsylvania. Kirtland had the spe- cies from the Mahoning river and from Lake Erie... The spe- cies is most common in the Great lakes and in the channels of large streams, and does not run into small brooks. It is a ready biter and is caught in large numbers by hook fishing. It is useful as bait, being ORS with minnows to bait the hooks on ** set. lines?” co OS The species grows to the length of 6 inches, and derives its name from the bluish band along the sides which is inter- rupted so as to form spots. The sides are bright silvery in color and the fins unspotted. The body is long and slender. Subgenus uysopsis Agassiz 95 Hybopsis storerianus (Kirtland) Lake Minnow Rutilus storerianus KIRTLAND, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. I, 71, 1842. (lake Erie) Leuciscus storerianus KIRTLAND, Bost. Jour:-Nat. Hist. V, 30, pl. 9, fig. 2, 1847; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 250, 1868. Ceratichthys lucens JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 218, 1883. Cliola storeriana JORDAN & GILBERT, op. cit. 171, 1888. Hybopsis storerianus JORDAN, Cat. Fish. N. A. 28, 1885; JORDAN & IVER- MANN, Bull. 47, U. 8. Nat. Mus. 321, 1896. Body elongate, compressed, the dorsal outline ascending grad- ually to origin of dorsal, thence descending to the caudal fin; head short, compressed, its length four and one third in total without caudal; depth of body one fourth total; eye equal to snout, one third length of head; interorbital space broad, flat, somewhat grooved, its width about equal to eye; preorbital bone large, oblong, conspicuous, silvery; mouth rather small, horizontal, the lower jaw included; edge of premaxillary below level of eye; maxillary not reaching to front of orbit; barbel — a he f x ye -_ ‘ 4 ~ 3 s | ¢ ¥ 4 be “ FISHES OF NEW YORK 159 conspicuous; snout boldly and abruptly decurved, the tip thiek- ened, forming a sort of pad; lateral line somewhat decurved. Rows of scales along back converging behind dorsal, where the upper series run out, as in Notropis cornutus. Fins rather higher and more falcate than in H.kentuckiensis; dorsal fin inserted well forward, over ventrals; pectoral fins pointed, not reaching ventrals; ventrals not reaching vent; caudal long, deeply forked. Teeth usually 1, 4-4, 0, hooked, without grinding surface. Translucent greenish above; sides and below brilliantly silvery; cheeks and opercles with a bright silvery luster; fins plain; a slight plumbeous lateral shade; no caudal spot; no red. Length 5 to 10 inches. Lake Erie to Nebraska and eastern Wyoming, Tennessee, and Arkansas; abundant in the larger streams, specially in Iowa. (After Jor- dan and Evermann) Kirtland found the lake minnow only in Lake Erie, where it was frequently taken with seines in fishing for other species. The U.S. Fish Commission recently added it to the fauna of the Lake Ontario basin, three specimens having been collected in Long pond, Charlotte, Aug. 17, 1894. _ Subgenus necomis Girard 96 Hybopsis kentuckiensis (Rafinesque) - Horned Chub; River Chub Luxilus kentuckiensis RAFINESQUE, Ichth. Ohien, 48, 1820. Semotilus biguttatus KIRTLAND, Bost. Jour. Nat, Hist. III], 344, pl. V, fig. 1, RGA: : Leuciscus biguttatus DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 214 (extralimital), ~ 1842. - Ceratichthys biguttatus CopE, Cypr. Penna, 366, pl. 11, fig. 5, 1866; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 178, 1868; JorDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16. U.S. Nat. Mus. 212, 1883. \ Ceratichthys micropogon JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 212, 1883. Hybopsis kentuckiensis BEAN, Fishes Penna, 49, pl. 24, fig. 40, 1893; JornpAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 322, 1896. Body stout and rather short, its greatest depth nearly equal to length of head and one fourth of total length without caudal; snout long and obtuse, its length rather more than one third 160 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM length of head, and nearly twice diameter of eye; mouth darge and placed low, the maxilla reaching to below front of eye, the lower jaw shorter than upper; dorsal origin slightly nearer to root of caudal than to tip of snout, its base one half as long as the head and two thirds as long as its longest ray; ventral under front part of dorsal, its length equal to dorsal base; anal origin under 24th scale of lateral line, longest anal ray about one seventh of total to caudal base, pectoral two thirds as long as head, and reaching to below 18th scale of lateral line; caudal moderately forked. D. ii, 7; A. iii, 6. Scales 6-40 to 45-5. Color bluish olive, the bead darker; green and coppery reflections on the sides. Fins pale orange, pinkish in spring; lower parts white. Breeding males have the top of head swollen into a crest and covered with coarse tubercles, from which arises the name horned chub; they have also some- times a red spot on each side of head. The young have a broad dark median band and a dusky spot at the base of the tail fin. Rafinesque states that the fish is known as Indian chub, red- tail and shiner. Other names in eastern localities are nigger chub, river chub, jerker, horned dace and horny-head. The species ranges from Pennsylvania westward to Dakota and south to Alabama. In Pennsylvania it is common in the Susquehanna and the Ohio basin, but absent from the Dela- ware. Dr Meek collected a few specimens at Montezuma N. Y. and found none in any of the other localities investigated. Kugene Smith refers to this species two specimens of fish from the Passaic river. The flesh of his fish appeared to be very ‘Sort: | The horned chub abounds in large rivers and is rarely seen in _ Small brooks. This minnow grows to a length of 10 inches and is good for food.. As a bait for the black bass the young horned chub, because of its endurance ona hook, can not be excelled. Genus covrsius Jordan Body elongate; head normal, not depressed, the profile con- vex; mouth terminal, normal, a well developed barbel on the anterior side of maxillary, just above its tip. Teeth 2, 4-4, 2, — se is me oy * FISHES OF NEW YORK 161 hooked, without grinding surface. Scales rather small; lateral line continuous. Dorsal fin over or slightly behind ventrals; anal basis short. Size rather large. This genus is closely re- lated to the section Nocomis under Hybopsis, from which it may be separated by the presence of two teeth in the lesser row, by the position of the barbel, and by the smaller scales. Its relations with Semotilus are equally close. The species are not well known. (After Jordan) 97 Couesius plumbeus (Agassiz) Lake Chub; Plumbeous Minnow; Morse Lake Minnow Gobio plumbeus AGAssiz, Lake Superior, 366, 1850. Ceratichthys prosthemius Corr, Cypr. Penna. 365, pl. XI, fig. 4, 1866. Ceratichthys plumbeus GUNTHER, Cat. Fish, Brit. Mus. VII, 176, 1868. Couesius dissimilis JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 218, 1883, in part. Couesius prosthemius JORDAN & GILBERT, op. cit. 219, 1883; MATHER, App. 12th Rep. Adirondack Surv. 30, 1886. Couesius plumbeus JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 3823, 1896. Body moderately elongate and somewhat compressed; great- est depth, four and one half to four and two thirds in total length without caudal, and equal to length of head; head rather flat above, not mueh raised above the level of the eyes; inter- orbital space nearly one.and one half times long diameter of eye, which equals snout and is one fourth length of head; head four and one third in total without caudal; maxillary reaching to below front of orbit, a small barbel placed high at its tip, lower jaw well included. Scales small, smaller in advance of dorsal fin. Lateral line beginning high up on the nape, abruptly descending to the median line over the pectoral fin, and thence running nearly straight to the caudal fin. Dorsal origin mid- way between tip of snout and base of caudal fin, over middle of ventral base, longest ray two thirds of head, length of base one half of head; ventral scarcely longer than dorsal base, the fin not reaching vent; longest anal ray equal to ventral, base of anal two fifths of head; pectoral reaching to 18th scale of lateral line; caudal deeply forked, its upper lobe two ninths of total without caudal. D.8;A.8. Scales 13-65-8; teeth 2, 4-4, 162 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 2. Brown above; sides somewhat silvery, abruptly separated from the dusky upper parts; snout and top of head back as far as hind border of eye, dusky; fins plain. Length 7 inches. Streams and lakes from Lake Superior east to the Adirondack region and Canada; more common northward. Here déscribed from specimens from Beaver river, Herkimer co. N. Y., and Lake Lomond, near St John N. B. Mather had specimens from Morse lake, in the Adirondacks, and it is reported also from Seventh lake, Fulton Chain. The species is known from Lake Superior east to the Adirondacks and New Brunswick. Agassiz had it from Lake Huron as well as Lake Superior. | Genus ExoGLossum Rafinesque Body rather short and stout, subterete; lower jaw three- lobed, the dentary bones being close together and completely united, not forming a wide arch as in the minnows generally; upper jaw not protractile; pharyngeal bones small, the teeth hooked, and without grinding surface, 1, 4-4, 1. Scales moder- ate; lateral line complete. Dorsal origin is nearly over the be- ginning of the ventral; anal fin short; isthmus broad; gill rakers weak; pseudobranchiae present; air bladder normal ; alimentary canal short; peritoneum white. Size large. No marked sexual — peculiarities; the males with some black pigment in spring. 98 Exoglossum maxillingua (Le Sueur) ie Cut-lips ; Nigger Chub Cyprinus maxillingua LE SuEvR, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci, Phila. I, 85, 1817, Pipe Creek, Maryland. Exoglossum annulatum RAFINESQUE, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. I, 421, 1818, Hudson River. EHxoglossum nigrescens RAFINESQUE, op. cit. I, 421, 1818. Lake Champlain. Exoglossum vittatum RA¥FINESQUE, op. cit. I, 421, 1818. Hudson River. Haxoglossum maxillingua AGAssiz, Amer. Jour. Sci.Arts, XIX, 215, 1855; Corr, Cypr. Penna. 360, pl. XI, fig. 1, 1866; GunrueErR, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 188, 1868; Jorpan & GiLBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 160, 1883; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 36, pl. 22, fig. 36, 1893; JorpDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 327, 1896, pl. LIV, fig. 140, head below. The cut-lips has a stout, short and thick body, its greatest hight nearly equal to the length of the head, and one fourth of FISHES OF NEW YORK 163 the total without caudal. The caudal peduncle is short and deep, its least depth about one half the head. The snout is short and obtusely conical, its length somewhat greater than the eye and nearly equal to one third of the head. The maxilla reaches to below the nostrils, its length equaling that of the snout. Head four and one fifth in total to base of caudal. The dorsal origin is nearly over the ventral origin and in the vertical through the 23d scale of the lateral line. The dorsal base is about one half as long as the head, and its longest ray equals twice the distance from the dorsal origin to middle of eye. The pectoral is about as long as the longest dorsal ray, and the ventral reaches to the anal origin. The base of the anal is one half as long as the longest anal ray. The caudal is moderately forked. D.8; A. 7. Scales 9-54-6; teeth 1, 4-4, 1. Length of Specimen described, 4% inches; from Takoma Park D.C. Color brown or olivaceous, darker above; a short and narrow dark bar above root of pectoral; young with a dusky bar at the caudal base. Fins dusky, their extremities pale. The cut-lips may be readily distinguished by the three-lobed lower jaw, the dentary bones being closely united and the lower lip represented by a fleshy lobe on each side of the mandible. The cut-lips is known also as chub, butter chub, nigger chub, and day chub. It is a very common species in the Susquehanna and its tributaries. Its range is not extensive, reaching only from western New York to Virginia. In New York it occurs in Lake Ontario, the St Lawrence, Lake Champlain, Cayuga lake, and the Hudson river. The U.S. Fish Commission has it from the following New York localities in the Lake Ontario basin: Mouth Salmon river, Selkirk. Big Sandy creek, Belleville. Wart creek, Buena Vista. Little Stony brook, Henderson bay. Big Stony creek, Henderson Harbor. Spring brook, Pulaski. Black river, Huntingtonville. All of these were obtained in July, 1894. Evermann and Bean collected it also in the St Lawrence, 3 miles below Ogdensburg, 164 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM July 17, 1894, and in Scioto creek, Coopersville and Saranac river, Plattsburg, July 19, 1894. Dr Meek found it in small numbers in Six Mile creek and Fall creek below the falls. It inhabits clear running water. | The fish grows to the length of 6 inches and may be at once distinguished from all of the other minnows by its three-lobed lower jaw. It is believed that this singular structure of the mouth enables the fish to scrape mollusks from their hold on rocks, as its stomach usually contains small shellfish. It takes the hook readily. Genus carassrus Nilsson This genus differs from C y prinus in being without barbels; its pharyngeal teeth are compressed, in a single series, 4-4. Temperate Asia and Europe. Domesticated and degenerated into numerous varieties. (After Gtinther) Pharyngeal teeth spatulate, four in a row on each. side; mouth terminal, without barbels; base of the dorsal fin elon- gate; anal fin short; both fins with a spine which is serrated behind. (After Heckel and Kner) | : Body oblong, compressed and elevated; mouth terminal, with- out barbels; teeth 4-4, molar, but compressed; scales large; lateral line continuous; dorsal fin very long, with the third ray developed into a stout spine, which is serrated behind; anal short with a similar spine; ventrals well forward. (After Nilsson) 99 Carassius auratus (Linnaeus) Goldfish (Introduced) Cyprinus auratus LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, I, 322, 1758; Cuvier & VALENCIENNES, Hist, Nat. Poiss. XVI, 101, 1842; Dr Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 190, 1842; Srorrer, Hist. Fish. Mass. 115, pl. X XI, fig. 1, 1867. Carassius auratus BLEEKER, Syst. Cypr. rev. Ned. Tijdschr. Dierk. I, 255, 1863; Atlas Ichth. Cypr. 74, 18638; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 82, 1868; JorpDAN & GILBERT, Bull, 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 253, 1883;. GoopE, Fish & Fish. Ind. U. S. I, pl. 231, 1884; Brean, Fishes Penna. 54, pl. 25, fig. 48, 1898; Jorpan & EVermMann, Check List Fish. N. A. 512, 1896. The body of the goldfish is oblong, stout, with the back ele- vated and compressed. Its depth at dorsal origin is contained FISHES OF NEW YORK 165 about two and one half times in the total length without the tail; the head is contained three and one third times in this length. The head is small in front of eye, being depressed on snout, and the dorsal profile from tip of snout to dorsal fin is yery steep. The rather small eye equals one fifth or less of length of head. Mouth terminal, oblique, rather small, the maxilla not reaching the vertical from front of eye. No barbels. Teeth compressed, 4-4. The dorsal fin is high and long, com- mencing over the seventh scale of the lateral line and running back to near the caudal; its longest rays, first and second, a little longer than the spine, equal to one half of depth of body, or length of head from pupil to its posterior end. From the third to the last the rays gradually decrease in size, the last being less than half the length of the longest. The first dorsal Spine is minute, one fourth the length of second, which is strong and coarsely serrated. The anal is short, the length of its base being but two thirds the length of its longest rays; first spine small, one third the length of second, which is stout and ser- rated. Pectoral fin broad and rounded, its length three fifths of that of head, or equal to longest anal ray. It reaches to ventral, which is placed well forward. Caudal fin large; scales large, deeper than long; lateral line median, complete, almost straight. D.II,18; A. 1I,7; V.9. Scales 5-30-6. The specimen _ described is from the fish ponds, at Washington D. C- Length 8 inches. The common goldfish or silverfish is a native of Asia, whence it was introduced into Europe and from there into America, where it is now one of the commonest aquarium fishes and is extremely abundant in many of our streams. In Pennsylvania it abounds in the Delaware and Schuylkill river. De Kay made the following remarks about the goldfish, or golden carp, as he styles it. | The golden carp, or goldfish, as it is more generally called, was introduced from China into Europe in the early part of the 17th century, and probably shortly after found its way to this country. They breed freely in ponds in this and the adjoining States. They are of no use as an article of food, but are kept 166 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM in glass vases as an ornament to the parlor and drawing-room. They are said to display an attachment to their owners, and a limited obedience to their commands. They are introduced into lakes, ponds, fountains and reser- ,voirs generally. An individual was kept in a fountain at 42d street and 5th avenue, New York, by Patrick Walsh nine years, and was then presented to the aquarium. At the Cold Spring Harbor hatchery, L. 1., several varieties were hatched from the same lot of eggs. These included the normal form, the typical fantail, and one which was so deep- bodied that it could scarcely balance itself in swimming. The goldfish in the New York aquarium were never troubled by fungus or parasites. In many of our streams and ponds, the goldfish has run wild, and hundreds of the olivaceous type will be secured to one of ared color. Inthe fauna of the moraine ponds and in quarry - holes, the goldfish stands first. It will breed in foul water when only catfish and dogfish [Umbra] can be found. Hugene Smith The goldfish is extremely variable in color and form. It is usually orange, or mottled with black and orange, yet in some streams, and even in pond culture, silvery individuals are often more common than any of the mottled varieties. The species grows to the length of 12 inches. It spawns early in the spring and is subject to many dangers and is attacked by numerous enemies. The fish, however, is extremely hardy, prolific, and tenacious of life. Genus cyprinus Linnaeus Body robust, compressed, resembling that of the buffalo fish; mouth moderate, anterior, with four long barbels; snout blunt, rounded; teeth molar, broad and truncate, ib 1, 3-3, 1:1; seailes large; lateral line continuous; dorsal fin very long, with a stout spine, serrated behind; anal fin short, also with a spine. Large fishes of the fresh waters of Asia; introduced into Europe and America as food fishes. It has been generally introduced into private ponds in nearly all parts of the United States; from . these it has escaped into the streams and lakes, and is now an FISHES OF NEW YORK 167 abundant fish in most of our larger, warmer rivers and in the - ponds and bayous of the Mississippi valley. On the south shore of Lake Erie (and in the Mississippi near Quincy II]. and the Delaware river) it has become well established and is of con- siderable commercial importance. (After Jordan and Evermann) 100 Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus Carp (Introduced) — Cyprinus carpio LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, I, 320, 1758; CuviER & VAL- ENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. XVI, 23, 1842; DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 188, 1842; HEcKEL & KNER, Stissw. Fische, 54, fig. 21, 1858; GuNnTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 25, 1868; Jorpan & GILBERT, Bull. fe WU. s. Nat. Mus. 254, 1883; Goopn,, Fish. & Fish. U.S. I pl. 230, Leather carp, 1884; American Fishes, 411, figure, 1888; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 55, pl. 1, colored, 1893; JorDAN & EVERMANN, Check- List Fishes N. A. 512, 1896. The carp has a stout and moderately elongate body and a small head. The greatest depth equals one third of the length without the caudal fin. The length of the head is nearly one fourth of the total to the base of the tail. The caudal peduncle is about two fifths as deep as the body, and the caudal fin is strongly forked. The eye diameter is contained six and one half times in the length of the head. The mouth is moderate, the upper jaw not extending to front of eye. The dorsal begins at a distance from tip of snout equal to twice length of head; the length of its base equals twice length of pectoral; the long- est ray equals length of head without the snout; the last ray is two fifths as long as the head. The anal begins under the 15th ray of the dorsal; its longest ray is two thirds as long as the head and more than twice as long as the last ray; the length of its base is about two fifths of length of head. The ventral begins under the second ray of the dorsal; its length nearly equals longest dorsal ray. The pectoral is nearly one fifth of total length without the caudal. The long spines of the dorsal and anal are strongly serrate along their hinder edges. A bar- bel on the upper lip and another at the angle of the mouth on each side; the longest barbel about equal to diameter of eye. Three varieties are recognized, the scale, the mirror and the 168 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM leather carp, based chiefly on the scaling of the body. The leather carp is nearly naked, and is said to be the best variety; the mirror carp has a few large scales irregularly placed; and the scale variety has the body completely scaled. The color is olivaceous, varying into dusky and blue. In the leather carp the lower par ts are more or less suffused with yellowish. D. III, = 20g Aes Ae 5; V. I, 7; P. 15. Seales 5-38-5. The carp is a native of Asia and has been introduced into Europe and America as a food fish, chiefly for pond culture. It thrives in all warm and temperate parts of the United States and reaches its best condition in open waters. In Texas it has grown to a length of 23 inches in 11 months after planting. The leather variety is most hardy for transportation. Mr Hessel has taken the carp in the Black and Caspian seas; salt water seems not to be objectionable to it, and it will live in stagnant pools, though its flesh will be decidedly inferior in such waters. The carp hibernates in winter except in warm latitudes, takes no food and does not grow; its increase in size in temperate latitudes occurs only from May to August. Reproduction. The spawning season begins in May and con- tinues in some localities till August. A carp weighing 4 to 5 pounds, according to Mr Hessel, yields from 400,000 to 500,000 eggs; the scale carp contains rather more than the other varie- ties. During the spawning the fish frequently rise to the sur- face, the female accompanied by two or three males. The female drops the eggs at intervals during a period of some days or weeks in shallow water on aquatic plants. The eggs adhere in lumps to plants, twigs and stones. The hatching period varies from 12 to 16 days. Size. According to Hessel the average weight of a carp at three years is from 3 to 34 pounds; with abundance of food it will increase more rapidly in weight. The carp continues to add to its circumference till its 35th year, and in the southern parts of Europe Mr Hessel has seen individuals weighing 40 pounds and measuring 34 feet in length and 22 feet in circum- ference. A carp weighing 67 pounds and with scales 24 inches =? i) F A ‘ Wh FISHES OF NEW YORK 169 in diameter was killed in the Danube in 1853. There is a record of a giant specimen of 90 pounds from Lake Zug in Switzer- land. Examples weighing 24 pounds have been caught recently in the Potomac river at Washington D. C. Food. The carp lives principally on vegetable food, prefera- bly the seeds of water plants such as the water lilies, wild rice and water oats. It will eat lettuce, cabbage, soaked barley, wheat, rice, corn, insects and their larvae, worms and meats of various kinds. . It can readily be caught with dough, grains of barley or wheat, worms, maggots, wasp larvae, and sometimes with pieces of beef or fish. During the summer of 1897 two female leather carp died in captivity as a result of retention of the eggs. Large individuals are found in Prospect park lake, Brooklyn, where the species was introduced. The food of the fish in cap- tivity includes hard clam, earthworms, wheat, corn, lettuce and cabbage. Its growth is remarkable. A leather carp has fully doubled its weight in one year. : Linnaeus says the carp was introduced into England about the year 1600. De Kay places the first introduction into New York waters in the year 1831 and publishes a letter of Henry Robinson, Newburg, Orange co. who brought them from France, reared and bred them successfully in his ponds, and planted from one dozen to two dozen annually in the Hudson dur- ing the four years preceding his letter. Mr Robinson stated that they increased greatly and were frequently taken by fisher- men in their nets. Order APODES Eels Suborder ENCHBLYCEPHALI Family ANGUILLIDAE True Hels Genus aneurtLa Shaw Body elongate, subterete, compressed posteriorly, covered with small, linear, embedded scales which are placed obliquely, some of them at right angles to others; lateral line well devel- 170 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM oped; head long, conical, pointed; eye small, well forward, over the angle of the mouth; teeth small, villiform, subequal, in bands ' on each jaw and a long patch on the vomer; tongue free at tip; lips rather full, with a free margin behind, attached by a frenum in front; lower jaw projecting; gill openings rather small, slit- like, about as wide as base of pectorals and partly below them; nostrils superior, well separated, the anterior with a slight tube; vent close in front of anal; dorsal inserted at some distance from the head, confluent with the anal around the tail; pectorals. well developed. Species found in most warm seas (the eastern Pacific excepted) ascending streams, but mostly spawning in the sea. (After Jordan and Evermann) ; 101 Anguilla chrysypa Rafinesque fel Anguilla chrisypa@ RAFINESQUE, Amer. Month. Mag. II, 120, Dec. 1817. Lake George; Lake Champlain; Hudson River above the falls. Anguilla vulgaris MircHiLy, Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 360, 1815; GoopE#, Fish & Fish. Ind. U. S. I, pl. 239, 1884. Muraena bostoniensis LE SuEuR, Jour, Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 81, 1821. Anguilla tyrannus GIRARD, Ichth. U. 8S. Mex. Bdy. Surv. 75, ,pl. 40, 1859. Anguilla blephura RAFINESQUE, Amer. Month. Mag. II, 120, Dec. 1817. South shores of Long Island. Muraena rostrata LE SuEuR, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 81, 1821. Cayuga Lake. Anguilla tenuirostris DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 310, pl. 58, fig. 173, 1842. Anguilla rostrata DE Kay, op. cit. 312, 1842. Copied from Le Sueur. Lakes Cayuga and Geneva, N. Y.; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 861, 1883; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 95, pl. 30, fig. 58, 1895. Anguilla macrocephala DE Kay, op. cit. 318, 1842. After Le Sueur. Sara- toga Lake, N. Y. Anguilla bostoniensis STORER, Hist. Fish. Mass. 214,pl. XX XIII, fig. 1, 1867. Anguilla chrysypa JORDAN & Davis, Rev. Apod. Fish. 668, 1892; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 348, 1896, pl. LV, fig. 148. In the eel the body is elongated, roundish throughout most of its extent, compressed behind. ‘The scales are deeply embedded and very irregularly placed, some at right angles to others. The head is conical, elongated with pointed snout and small eye, except in the male. The lower jaw is longer than the upper. The jaws with small teeth in bands; a long patch of teeth on the vomer. The gill openings are partly below the FISHES OF NEW YORK . pra § pectoral fins, small and slitlike. The beginning of the dorsal is at a distance of nearly twice the length of the head behind the gill opening. The anal begins still farther back, and the vent is close to its origin. The dorsal and anal fins are con- tinuous around the tail. Hight of body nearly two thirds the length of the head, which is contained about eight and one fourth times in the total. The distance from the gill opening to the vent equals two and one half times the length of the head. The color varies greatly, but is usually dark brown, more or less tinged with yellow; lower parts paler. In the male referred to.the upper parts were silvery gray sharply separated from the satiny white of the abdomen. In the eel the lateral line is very distinct. The eel appears to have only one common name. It is one of the best known and most singular of our fishes, yet its breeding habits are even now enveloped in doubt. The species ascends the rivers of eastern North America from the Gulf of St Law- rence to Mexico, the former being the northern limit of the Species on our coast. In the Ohio and Mississippi valleys it is extremely common, and its range has been much extended by the opening of canals and by artificial introduction. It has been transferred to the Pacific coast. The eel has been known to exceed a length of 4 feet. The average length of individuals however is about 2 feet. The female is larger than the male, paler in color, and is different in certain other particulars, which will be mentioned in the description of the species. This is a very important food fish. It is caught chiefly when descending the rivers in the fall. In 1869 about a ton of eels were caught in a single fish basket above Harrisburg. At the present time this method of capture is illegal. Both adults and young eels ascend the streams in spring, the young coming in millions, but in the fall run small eels are seldom seen. Till a comparatively recent date it was not certainly known that the eels have eggs which are developed outside of the body. Even now the breeding: L172 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM habits are unknown, but it is supposed that spawning takes place late in the fall or during the winter near the mouths of rivers on muddy bottoms. Dr Jordan has expressed the belief that the eel sometimes breeds ir fresh water, since he has found young eels less than an inch long in the headwaters of the Alabama river, about 500 miles from the sea. It is esti- mated that a large eel contains about 9,000,000 eggs. The eggs are very small, measuring about 80 to the inch, and can scarcely be seen by the naked eye. The difference of size in the sexes has already been referred to. According to one writer the males are much smaller than the females, rarely exceeding 15 or 16 inches in length. The question whether eels will breed in fresh water has an impor- tant bearing on their introduction into places from which they can not reach the sea. The generally accepted belief is that, while the eels will grow large and fat, they will not reproduce under such circumstances. , When the eels meet obstructions in streams, they will leave the water and travel through wet grass or over moist rocks. ‘They have not been able to surmount the falls of Niagara. At the foot of this barrier hundreds of wagon loads of young eels have been seen crawling over the rocks in their efforts to reach the upper waters. : Dr Mitchill heard of an eel, which was caught in one of the ‘south bays of Long Island, that weighed 164 pounds.. He records the use,of eelpots and the practice of bobbing, and also the winter fishing by spearing. Dr Mitchill states distinctly that the ovaries of eels may be seen like those of other fish, but they are often mistaken for masses of fat. Dr DeKay states that he had examined the silver eel of the fishermen and was disposed to consider it only a variety of the common eel. He charac- terizes it as “silvery gray above, with a clear, satiny white abdomen, separated from the color above by the lateral line.” We found eels moderately common in Great South bay late in September. At Bellport thousands of eelpots are employed, and these are fastened to stakes which are set in straight lines FISHES OF NEW YORK u I's over a large extent of the bottom. These stakes project from four to six feet above the surface of.the water. At Blue Point cove,Great River beach and Fire Island we found five individuals of a kind of eel known to the fishermen as silver eel, ‘These were taken between September 25 and October 7, and they were the only ones of the kind seen byus. They attracted attention at once, both on account of their colors, large eyes, short snouts and long pectoral fins, as compared with the common form. There is still some doubt in my mind as to whether this represents a distinct species or not. It may be the silver eel, Anguilla argentea, of Le Sueur, which is described as silvery gray _ above, separated from the silvery white abdomen by a distinct lateral line. But, to whatever species they may be referred, the greatest interest attaches to them because they have proved, on examination by Prof. John A. Ryder, to be males with the generative glands so well developed as to leave no doubt con- cerning the sex of the individuals. Prof. Ryder has published a report on these specimens, with figures showing sections of the syrskian organs, and announces the fact that the male eel has now been positively indentified from at least two points along our eastern coast, the other locality being Woods Hole Mass. He felt little doubt that, if the eels had been taken a few weeks later, ripe spermatozoa would have been found in them, and he considers it probable that the eggs are cast some time during the months of December or January. The speci- mens from Woods Hole were taken in November 1881, and they Show slightly larger syrskian organs than in the Fire island specimens. In captivity eels live many years. They delight to lie buried in the mud or sand with only their heads out, ready for anything edible to come within reach. Mussels and snails are picked out of the shells by them. (After Eugene Smith?) The eel in captivity is particularly liable to attacks of fungus, which do not always yield to treatment with salt or brackish ann. soc. N.Y. Eroe. 189%. ‘no. 9; p. 29. 174 ' NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM water; but the parasite can be overcome by placing the eel in a poorly lighted tank. In Cayuga lake, N. Y., according to Dr Meek, the eel is not common, but is occasionally taken at each end of the lake. W. H. Ballou makes the following remarks about their feed- ing habits: They are among the most voracious and carnivorous fishes. They eat most inland fishes except the gar and the chub. .. They are particularly fond of. game fishes, and show the delicate taste of a connoisseur in their selections from choice trout, bass, pickerel and shad... On their hunting excursions they overturn huge and small stones alike, working for hours if necessary, beneath which they find species of shrimp: - and crayfish, of which they are exceedingly fond. .. They are among the most powerful and rapid of Swimmers... They attack the spawn of other fishes open-mouthed, and are even ‘said to suck the eggs from an impaled female. .. They are owl- — like in their habits, committing their depredations at night. Family LE PTOCEPHALIDAE Conger Eels Genus LEPTOCEPHALUS (Gronow) Scopoli Body formed as in Anguilla; no scales; head depressed above, anteriorly pointed; lateral line present; mouth wide, its cleft extending at least to below middle of eye; teeth in outer Series in each jaw equal and close set, forming a cutting edge, no canines, band of vomerine teeth short, tongue anteriorly free; vertical fins well developed, confluent around the tail,. pectoral fins well developed, dorsal beginning close behind pectorals; gill openings rather large, low; eyes well developed;. posterior nostril near eye, anterior near tip of snout, with a Short tube; lower jaw not projecting. Skeleton differing in numerous respects from that of Anguilla. Vertebrae about 564100. In most warm seas. This genus contains the well known and widely distributed conger eel and three or four — closely related species. (After Jordan and Evermann) Lateral line in a deep, pale furrow, decurved slightly from the head to below dorsal origin, very conspicuous pores in its anterior third. eat FISHES OF NEW YORK 1735 102 Leptocephalus conger (Linnaeus) Conger Eel; Sea Eel Muraena conger LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, I, 245, 1758. Anguilla conger MITCHILL, Trans, Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 360, 1815. Anguilla oceanica MITCHILL, Jour, Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. I, 407, 1818, off New York. Conger occidentalis DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 314, pl. 58, fig. 172, 1842, very poor, _ Conger vulgaris GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus, VIII, 38, 1870. Conger niger JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 362, 1883. Leptocephalus conger GoopE, Fish & Fish. Ind. U. S. I, pl. 240, 1884; Jor- DAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 354, 1896, pl. LVII, fig. 148, 1900; Smitu, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVII, 90, 1898. Dorsal fin begins opposite to or just behind tip of pectoral; eye one and one half in snout, five to six in head; snout three and one fourth to four and one fourth in head; gape extending nearly or quite to below hind margin of eye; head one and four fifths to one and six sevenths in trunk; tail longer than rest of body; pectorals three and one half in head; upper lip full, with conspicuous pores. Length of head one ninth of total length, depth of body two fifths length of head. Pores in lateral line very conspicuous. Color dark olive brown, sometimes nearly black, above; chin, space behind pectorals and lower parts soiled white. The conger eel occurs on both coasts of the Atlantic, on our coast extending from Cape Cod to Brazil, but not often coming into shallow bays. An exception is noted in Great Egg Harbor bay, where the fish is not rare in summer. It is sometimes caught in Gravesend bay also in summer, and occasional indi- viduals are captured on hand lines off Southampton L. I., by men fishing for sea bass and scup. The fishermen dislike to handle the species on account of its pugnacity and strength; it snaps viciously at everything near it when captured in our waters; yet, strangely enough, the writer has seen a hundred or more, taken on trawl lines off the north coast of France, in a boat at one time, and not one gave evidence of ferocity. In captivity in the aquarium the sea eel suffers severely from fungus attacks, which are not relieved by changing the fish from salt water to fresh. Perhaps the salinity of the water in some 176 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM localities is too low, and relief might be obtained by supplying sea water of normal ocean density. The young and larval form of the conger is a curious, elongate, transparent, bandlike creature with a minute head, a very small mouth and with the lateral line, belly, and anal fin dotted with black points. An individual nearly 3 feet long was captured with a hand line by A. P. Latto in the ocean, near Southampton L. I. Aug. 3.1898, while fishing for sea bass and scup. In the Woods Hole region, according to Dr Smith, “it comes in July and remains until fall; very common for several years, but rather rare formerly. Fishermen as a rule do not dis-. tinguish it from the common eel. 267, 1883: BEAN, Fish & Fish. Ind. U. S. I, 588, 1884; Fishes Penna. 58, pl. 25, fig. 45, 1893; Goopr, Fish & Fish. Ind. U. S. I, pls. 207, 208, 1884. Alosa tyrannus DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 258, pl. 18, fig. 38, 1842. Pomolobus vernalis GoopDE & BEAN, Bull. Essex Inst. 24, 1879. Pomolobus pseudoharengus Gitt, Rep. U. 8. F. C. I, 811, 1878; JorpDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 426, 1896, pl. LX XI, fig. 189, 1900; SmirH, Bull. U..S. F. C. XVII, 91, 1898; Bran, 52d Ann. Rep. N. Y. State Mus. 96, 1900. Body deep and heavy forward, much compressed. Its greatest depth, at dorsal origin equals one third of total length to base ot caudal. The least depth of caudal peduncle equals but one half of length of head. The head is short, being almost as deep as long, about one fifth of the standard length. The eye is large, deeper than long, its length slightly greater than its distance from tip of snout—about three and one half in head. Maxillary broad, extending to the vertical through pupil; upper jaw emarginate, lower jaw slightly projecting. Length of dorsal base almost equal to that of head; its highest ray about two thirds as long as the base, or equal to anal base. The anal is low, its longest ray being equal to length of eye. Caudal deeply forked, partially scaled near base. Length of pectoral less than that of dorsal base. D.16; A.17to19. Scales 15-50 to 54. In the male the dorsal is higher, its longest ray about equal to length of dorsal base, or two thirds the length of head. Color on black blue silvery and paler on sides and underneath; a black spot behind head; dusky lines on body, which are only visible on large examples. Described from no, 27197 U. S. National Museum from Poto- mac river. Length 11 inches. | The branch herring, river herring or alewife has a variety of additional names. It is the ellwife or ellwhop of Connecticut river, the spring herring of New York, the big-eyed and wall- 200 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM eyed herring of the Albemarle, the sawbelly of Maine, the gray- back of Massachusetts, the gaspereau of Canada, little shad of certain localities, and the Cayuga lake shad of New York. The recorded range of the branch herring is from the Neuse river, N. C., to the Miramichi river, in New Brunswick, ascending streams to their head waters for the purpose of spawning. The fish is found abundant in Cayuga and Seneca lakes, N. Y., where it has probably made its way naturally. In Lake Ontario, since the introduction there of the shad, the alewife has become so plentiful as to cause great difficulty to fishermen, and its periodi- cal mortality is a serious menace to the health of peop'te living in the vicinity. The belief is that the fish were unintentionally introduced with the shad. In Pennsylvania the branch alewife occurs in the Delaware and the Susquehanna in great numbers in early spring. The U. S. Fish Commission, in 1894, obtained specimens at the following localities of the Lake Ontario region. Cape Vincent June 21 Grenadier island June 27 Mouth Salem river, Selkirk July 25. Long pond, Charlotte, N. Y. ep Ash Lake Shore, mouth Long pond | Fe hy ne ER Sandy creek, North Hamlin 3 Aug. 20 Not a native of Cayuga lake but often found there in large numbers. Known to the fishermen as sawbelly. It is thought to have been introduced into the lakes of central New York by the state fish commission. Large numbers are often found dead on the shores of Seneca and Cayuga lakes. (After Meek) De Kay says it appears in New York waters with the shad about the first of April, but never in sufficient numbers to form a separate fishery. The branch herring, or alewife, is the first of the alewives to appear in Gravesend bay; it comes with the shad. It endures captivity well. Noy. 30, 1897, individuals above 7 inches in length were caught in Gravesend bay, which were probably the young of the year. Rear fi y 7 H i FISHES OF NEW YORK 201 This alewife seldom exceeds 1 foot in length, the average mar- _ ket examples being about 10 inches. The weight of the largest is about 4 pound, and the average weight is about 5 or 6 ounces. 7 The fish enter the rivers earlier than the shad and return to the sea, or to estuaries adjacent to the river mouths, at some undetermined date in the fall. During the summer months enormous schools of full grown, but sexually immature alewives migrate along the coast, feeding on small crustaceans and them- selves furnishing food for bluefish, sharks, porpoises and other predaceous animals; but none of them are known to enter fresh waters. In the rivers the alewives appear to eat nothing, but they can ‘be captured with small artificial flies of various colors. Their egos are somewhat adhesive and number from 60,000 to 100,000 to the individual. They are deposited in shoal water; Spawning begins when the river water is at 55° to 60° F. The period of hatching is not definitely known, but is believed to exceed four days. During the spring and summer the young grow to a length of 2 or 3 inches; after their departure from the streams nothing is known of their progress, but it is believed that they reach maturity in four years. We have no means of learning the age of the immature fish seen in great schools off shore, and thus far the rate of growth is unsettled. - The branch alewife, though full of small bones, is a very valuable food fish and is consumed in the fresh condition as well as dry salted, pickled and smoked. The fry can be reared in ponds by placing adults in the waters to be stocked a little before their spawning season; and they furnish excellent food for bass, rockfish, trout, salmon, and other choice fishes. The proper utilization-of the immense oversupply of these fish in Lake Ontario has become a serious economic problem. Alewives are caught in seines, gill nets, traps and pounds and they are often taken by anglers with artificial flies. 2021 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 114 Pomolobus cyanonoton (Storer) Glut Herring ; Blueback Alosa cyanonoton STORER, Proc, Bost. Soe. Nat. Hist. IT, 20) 1848, Hist. Fish. Mass. 161, pl. X XVII, fig. 1, 1867. Pomolobus aestivalis GOODE & BEAN, Bull. Essex Inst. 24, 1879; JorpDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 426, 1896, pl. L-X XI, fig. 190, 1900; SmiTH, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVIT, 91, 1898. Clupea aestivalis JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull..16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 267, 1883; McDonaLp, Fish & Fish. Ind. U. S. I, 579, pls. 209, 210, 1884, not Clupea aestivalis MiTcuILt, ‘Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 456, pl. V, fig. 6, 1815. Body moderately deep and compressed, its greatest depth two sevenths of the length without caudal; least depth of caudal peduncle two sevenths of greatest depth of body; head short, one fifth of total length without caudal, the maxilla extending to below the middle of the eye, its width about one third of its length, lower jaw somewhat projecting, upper jaw notched; eve smaller than in P. pseudoharengus,. equal to snout and one fourth of length of head, chiefly covered by an adipose mem- brane; gil! rakers about 44 below and 21 above the angle of the first arch, the longest about equal to iris; lower caudal lobe the longer, about equal to length of head. Dorsal fin begins in advance of ventral origin, over the 13th row of scales; the longest ray is about three fourths as long as the base of the fin and twice as long as the last ray. Anal base two and one half times as long as the longest ray and as long as the head with- out the snout. Ventral under the 6th developed ray of dorsal, the fin one half as long as the head; its axillary scale about one half as long as the ventral fin. A small black spot behind the opercle on the level of the top of the eye. Narrow dark streaks on about five rows of scales above the median line. Peritoneum very dark. 1). iii, 45; Alii, 18; V1, 8:°P. 1,15: Scalesg=oar scutes 21+14. Above bluish, sides and gill covers with coppery reflections, lower parts silvery. Irish golden. Here described from a male specimen taken in the Potomac river and now in the U. 8. National Museum. Mitchil’s name, aestivalis, can not be applied with any certainty to the “ glut herring ”; it appears to be a synonym of a FISHES OF NEW YORK 203 mediocris and mattowaeca of the same author. Its relation to mattowaca_ was long since pointed out by Dr Gill. The description! herewith ‘appended appears to make this conclusion inevitable. Summer herring of New York (Clupea aestivalis). Has a row of spots to the number of seven or eight, extending in the direction of the lateral line. Tail forked. Belly serrate; and, in most respects, resembling the C. halec, herein already described. Rays: Br. GeV SOs DTG: AS T9: Cy 19. The figure shows a row of eight dark spots on the side extend- ing as far back as the end of the dorsal fin on the level of tte eye. This resembles the hickory shad, Pomolobus medio- cris, more than anything else, and it probably was that species. The glut herring arrives later than the branch herring and does not ascend streams far above salt water. It appears to Spawn only in the larger streams or their tidal tributaries and at a temperature of 70° to 75°; while the branch herring spawns in water as low as 55° to 60° and ascends far up the streams and their small fresh-water branches. In Gravesend bay the glut herring is called shad herring. Noy. 30, 1897, two young fish of the year, measuring about 7 inches in length, were obtained from that bay. In Great South bay the species is called herring. A single example was secured there on Sep. 29, 1890. In 1898 it was not collected either in Great South bay or Mecox, in both of which the branch herring was abundant. At Provincetown the species is known as the blueback and kiouk. According to Storer, it appears there in small numbers in May, but is not abundant before June 10, and it remains on the coast for a short time only. The alewife, or branch herring, arrives on the coast of Massachusetts about the end of March, and is taken till the middle or last of May. Genus aLosa Cuvier Body deep, compressed, deeper than in related American genera, the head also deep, the free portion of the cheeks deeper — + - *Mitchill. Lit. and Phil. Soc. N. Y. Trans. 1815. p. 456, pl. 5, fig. 6. 204 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM than long; jaws wholly toothless (except in young); upper jaw with a sharp, deep notch at tip, the premaxillaries meeting at a very acute angle. Vertebrae 56 (in Alosa alosa), other- wise as:in Pomolobus, to which genus Alosa_ is very closely allied. Species three, of the north Atlantic, ascending rivers; highly valued as food fishes. Though very full of small bones, the flesh is white and rich, but not oily. 115 Alosa sapidissima (Wilson) Shad Clupea sapidissima WILSON, Rees’s New Cyclopedia, LX, about 1811, no pagination, no date; RAFINESQUE, Amer. Month. Mag. II, 205, Jan. 1818, says Wilson first distinguished and named the Shad; McDoNALD in Fish & Fish. Ind. U. S. I, 594, pls. 212, 218, 1884; Bran, Fishes Penna. 60, pl. 2, 1893; CHENEY, 4th Ann. Rep. N. Y. Comm. Fish. colored plate facing p. 8, 1899. Clupea alosa MITcHILL, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 449, 1815. Alosa praestabilis DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 255, pl. 15, fig. 41, 1842; STORER, Hist. Fish. Mass. 154, pl. X XVI, fig. 2, 1867. Alosa sapidissima pak Am, Jour. Sci. Arts, XLVII, 70, 1844; Storer, Syn. Fish. N. A. 206, 1846; JornpDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 427, 1896, i —— fig. 191, 1900; SmirH, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVII, 91, 1898. The American Shad. GoopE, American Fishes, 400, fig. 1888. The shad was formerly referred to the genus Clupea, but differs from the typical sea herring in the shape of the cheek bone, which is somewhat deeper than long. The adult is tooth- less, but the young has well developed, though small, teeth in the jaws, which sometimes persist till the fish has reached a length of i5 inches. To this subgenus the name Alosa was given by Cuvier. The shad has a deep body and a large mouth, with the jaws about equal. The gill rakers are very long and slender, varying with age from 40 to 60 below the angle of the first arch. In the female the dorsal originates a little in front of the middle of the length; in the male somewhat farther in front. The dor- sal of the male is rather higher than that of the female, while the body is not so deep. In the female the greatest depth is one third of the total without caudal and the length of. the head two ninths. In the male the length of the head is one mad } FISHES OF NEW YORK 205 fourth of the total without caudal. The dorsal has 13 divided rays and 4 simple ones; anal 19 divided and 3 simple. Scales 16—60 to 65. Scutes 22+16. i The color is bluish or greenish with much silvery; a dusky blotch close behind the’ head, two thirds as large as the eye, and frequently from several to many, in one or two rows, behind this. The lining of the belly walls is pale. The shad is known also as the white shad, and in the colonial days it was known to the negroes on the lower Potomac river as the whitefish. It is found naturally along the Atlantic coast of the United States from the Gulf of St Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico, ascending streams at various dates from January in its extreme southern limit to June in far northern waters. In the Delaware and Susquehanna it makes its appearance in April and departs after spawning; but remains sometimes as late as July 18, and many die. The original distribution of the shad has been widely extended by artificial introduction. In certain rivers flowing into the Gulf of Mexico the fish has been established by planting. In the Ohio river a fishery has been created by the same method; and in the Sacramento river, Cal., the shad was successfully introduced, and it has colonized not only this river but all suit- able rivers from San Francisco to southern Alaska. It is now one of the common market species in San Francisco and other west coast cities. In the Susquehanna the shad was formerly one of the most important native food fishes, but its range is now very limited on account of obstruction by dams. 20 years ago the fish commissioners reported that a few shad are taken yearly above the Clark’s Ferry dam, none or at most a few dozen above the Shamokin dam, none above the Nanticoke dam and none above Williamsport. The largest run of shad that has been known to pass the Columbia dam was that of 1867. “In 1871 the finest Columbia shad were hawked in the market at Harrisburg, 30 miles from the fisheries, at considerably less than a dollar a pair. The catch at Columbia exceeded 100,000.” 206 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM The obstructions in the Delaware have been almost entirely overcome. In 1891 shad were caught higher up the Delaware than for many years, and spawned in the upper reaches of the river beyond the New York state line. In 1891 the Delaware, for the first time since 1823, was restored to its normal condi- tion by means of the fishway at Lackawaxen; and, according to Col. Gay, it is at present the best shad river in the country. The number of eggs obtained for artificial propagationin the lower river was unusually small, but the number naturally deposited in the upper waters was greater than for many years. Col. Gay observed a large number of big female shad at Gloucester City, but a great scarcity of males. This necessitated a long run up the river before spawning. The cause is believed to be the low temperature of the water during May, the lack of rain cutting off the usual supply of warm surface water and the tributaries of the upper river bringing down nothing but cold spring water, keeping the temperature of the river below the normal for spawning purposes. Consequently, the shad as: cended more than 300 miles. Mr Ford noticed that every pool in the upper river was full of shad, and he saw them playing in the water by hundreds. ‘Mr Van Gordon saw them above Port Jervis, and they were observed as far up as Deposit N. Y. The shad reaches a length of 2 feet. It is asserted that 50 years ago shad weighing from 8 to 15 pounds were not uncom- mon in the Susquehanna. It is said that even larger individuals were taken. In California the shad reaches a larger size than it does in the east, specimens weighing from 13 to 14 pounds being often seen in the markets. The average weight of females is 4 or 5 pounds. The male is much smaller. The young shad remain in the rivers till the approach of cold weather, when they descend to the sea, and they are usually seen no more till they return as mature fish ready for repro- duction. They are known to feed on small flies, crustaceans and insect larvae. They have been fed with fresh-water cope- pods and kept alive in this way till they had obtained a length of more than 1 inch. In the carp ponds, at Washington, Dr reel FISHES: OF NEW YORK POT ¢ Hessel succeeded in rearing shad on the Daphnia and Cyclops to a length of 3 or 4 inches, and one time, when they had access surreptitiously to an abundant supply of young carp, well fed individuals reached a length of 6 inches by the first of November. Shad have been kept at the central station of the U. S. Fish Commission over the winter, but at the age of one year, doubtless for lack of sufficient food, the largest was less than 4 inches long. At this age they were seen to capture smaller shad of the season of 1891, which were an inch or more in length. The commissioner of fisheries detected young shad also in the act of eating young California salmon; and on one occasion found an undigested minnow, 2 or 3 inches long, in the stomach of a large shad; and they have been caught with minnows for bait. The principal growth of the shad takes place at sea, and, when the species enters the fresh waters for the purpose of spawning, it ceases to feed, but will some- times take the artificial fly and live minnows. The migratory habit of the shad has already been referred to. The spawning habits have been thus described by Marshall McDonald. The favorite spawning grounds are on sandy flats bordering streams and on sand bars. The fish appear to associate in pairs, usually between sundown and 11 p.m. When in the act of spawning they swim close together near the surface, their dorsal fins projecting above the water and their movements producing a sound which the fishermen call ‘‘ washing.” The eggs are expressed by the female while in rapid motion; the male following close and ejecting his milt at the same time. Such of the eggs as come in contact with the milt are impreg- nated, but the greater portion of them are carried away by the current or destroyed by spawn-eating fishes. After impregna- tion the egg sinks to the bottom, and under favorable conditions develops in from three to eight days. According to Seth Green, the embryo shad swim as soon as they break the shell, and make their way to the middle of the stream, where they are comparatively safe from predaceous fishes. A mature female shad of 4 or 5 pounds contains about 25,000 eggs on the average, but as many as 60,000 have been obtained from a 6 pound fish, and 208 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 100,000 were obtained from a single female on the Potomac. There is great mortality among the shad after spawning. Dead fish of both sexes are frequently seen floating in the water in the late months of summer. Mitchill states that the shad visits New York annually about the end of March or beginning of April; that is, ascends toward the sources of the Hudson; that it usually weighs 4 or 5 pounds, but sometimes as much as 12 pounds. De Kay says a large variety, supposed to be an old fish, and weighing from 10 to 12 pounds, were frequently taken in the Hudson, under the name of yellow backs. The shad, in his time, ascended the river 150 miles, to Spawn, and descended in the latter part of May. The introduction of gill nets, he writes, has caused a scarcity of the fish and will drive them from the river before many years. Nets set off shore in Gravesend bay in the fall frequently inclose large quantities of young shad, sometimes a ton and a half at one time, during their migration seaward, but they are at once liberated. The fish are usually about 6 to a, aches, slong.) Oet. (17, « 1895) 60 ory 70 = were. cane in John B. De Nyse’s pound, among them a male 11 inches long and 2? inches deep, and a female 12 inches long and 8 inches deep. Oct. 31, 1895, a male 184 inches long and 34 inches deep, and a female 134 inches long and 34 inches deep were obtained in the same pound. Apparently the shad do not all remain at sea after their first migration till they are sexually mature. In the Potomac river young shad 8 to 9 inches long occasionally enter in the spring with the adults in large num: bers. Mr De Nyse informs me that in the first spring run of — small shad in Gravesend bay fully 90% are males. Genus SARDINELLA Cuvier and Valenciennes Small herrings of the tropical seas, with the vertebrae in re- duced numbers, about 40 to 44, and with the scales large, usually - firm and adherent, often crossed by vertical striae. Ventral _ scutes strong, 25 to 35 in number; adipose eyelid obsolete; lower jaw projecting, upper jaw somewhat emarginate, teeth weak; ~ ventrals inserted behind front of dorsal; body compressed; FISHES OF NEW YORK 209 cheeks not deep; gill rakers long and numerous; otherwise essentially asin Pomolobus. The genus Sardinella, as here understood, covers a wide diversity of forms and may be divisible into several genera when the anatomy of the species is better known. (After Jordan and Evermann) 116 Sardinella species Scaled Sarde An individual about 9 inches long was obtained by W. I. De Nyse in Gravesend bay in 1895. This was the only one observed in that locality, and it is the only record known of the occur- rence of a fish of this genus north of Florida. The specimen was seen and identified asa Sardinella by the writer, but, before he had opportunity to make a detailed study, it disap- peared from the tank in which it was placed and could not be found. Genus CPISTHONEMA Gill Characters essentially those of Sardinella, except that the last ray of the dorsal is produced in a long filament as in Dorosoma, Megalops and Tarpon. Species few, American. : 117 Opisthonema oglinum (Le Sueur) Thread Herring; Shad Herring ; Sprat Herring Megalops oglina Lr Surur, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. I, 359, Sept. 1818, Newport, R. I. . Megalops notata Lr SUEUR, op. cit. 361, Sept. 1818. Guadeloupe. Chatoessus signifer DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 264, pl. 41, fig. 182, 1842. Opisthonema oglina GOODE & BEAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. VIII, 206, June 8, 1885. Opisthonema oglinum JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 432, 1896; BEAN, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 336, 1897; Smirn, Bull. U.S. F. C. XVII, 91, 1898. Body oblong, deep, compressed, its greatest depth one third of the total length without caudal; caudal peduncle short, stout, its least depth one half the length of head; head short, deep. its length one fourth of total length without caudal; eye large, two sevenths to one third of length of head, slightly longer than snout; maxilla reaching to below front of pupil, its width more 210 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM than one half its length, the bone almost covering the mandible, which is scarcely projecting; gill rakers very long and slender; pseudobranchiae well developed; dorsal origin much nearer to tip of snout than to base of caudal, equidistant from snout and origin of anal, base of dorsal as long as the longest ray and two thirds as long as the head, filament reaching to base of caudal, much longer than the head in examples measuring from 7 to 9 inches; anal base as long as the head without the snout, its longest ray three fourths of diameter of eye; ventral origin under 8th or 9th developed ray of dorsal, the fin half as long as the head; pectoral four fifths as long as the head. Scales smooth, firm, but easily detached. Bluish above; lower parts silvery; an indistinct bluish spot behind the operculum; each scale on the back having a dark spot at its base, these forming streaks as in the glut herring. Length 12 inches. D.19; A. 24. Scales 15-50; scutes 17414. (West Indies, northward to Cape Cod in summer.) The thread herring appears in July and August in Gravesend . bay, and is sometimes so abundant as to fill the nets (fykes) of the fishermen. The great run begins toward the end of July and lasts two weeks. The fish is known there as the sprat herring. | | De Kay, in New York Fauna, Fishes, p. 264, pl. 41, fig. 182, de- scribes the species under the name Chatoéssus signifer. The colors, according to that author, are as follows: “Bluish above, with a series of dark points along the sides of the back, forming four or five longitudinal lines. A round black spot behind the upper part of the branchial aperture. Pectorals, ventrals and anal white. Dorsal and caudal yellow; the mem- brane finely punctate with black, and bordered with dusky. Irides white varied with yellowish.” He further says: “It appears in our waters about the beginning of September, where it is often called the shad herring. It has also the names of thread herring and threadfish, in allusion to its last filamentous dorsal ray.” . a ‘ FISHES OF NEW YORK ZU In the Woods Hole region of Cape Cod it is very rare, accord- ing to Dr Smith. A number were taken in the fall of 1871. In 1885 it was common in Buzzards bay and Vineyard sound in July. It remained about a month, and specimens were taken in traps at almost every lift. During the next four years the fish was also noticed, but none has been seen since 1890. Genus BREVooRTIA Gill — Body elliptic, compressed, deepest anteriorly, tapering be- hind; head very large; cheeks deeper than long; mouth large, the lower jaw included; no teeth; gill rakers very long and slender, densely set, appearing to fill the mouth when it is opened; gill arches angularly bent. Scales deeper than long, closely imbricated, their exposed edges vertical and fluted or pectinated. Dorsal fin low, rather posterior; anal fin small. Intestinal canal elongate. Vertebrae 48. Peritoneum dusky. Species few; inhabiting the Atlantic; spawning probably in brackish water in the spring. Coarse, herbivorous fishes, not valued as food, but the young of the greatest value as food to other fishes. (After Jordan and Evermann) 118 Brevoortia tyrannus (Latrobe) Menhaden ; Mossbunker Clupea tyrannus LATROBE, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. Phila. V, 77, pl. 1, 1802, (Chesapeake bay) Clupea menhaden MitcuiLu, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soe. N. Y. I, 453, pl. V, fig. 7, 1815, New York; GuntTuer, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 436, 1868. Alosa menhaden DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 259, pl. 21, fig. 60, 1842; STORER, Hist. Fish. Mass. 158, pl. X XVI, fig. 4, 1867. Brevoortia tyrannus GOopE, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. I, 531, 1878; Fish & Fish. Ind. U. S. I, 569, pl. 205, 1884; Jornpan & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U.S. Nat. Mus. 269, 1883; BEAN, 19th Rep. Comm. Fish. N. Y. separate, 44, pl. XXV, fig. 35, 1890; Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 336, 1897; 52d Ann, Rep. N. Y. State Mus. 96, 1900; JorpAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U.S. Nat. Mus. 433, 1896, pl. LX XIII, fig. 195, 1900; Smiru, Bull. U. S. F. ©. XVII, 91, 1898. The menhaden has the exposed surfaces of its scales very narrow and deep. The body is similar in shape to that of the shad, the depth being one third of the length without caudal, and somewhat greater than the length of the head. Mouth large; jaws toothless. The maxilla extends to below the hind 212 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM margin of the eye. The eye is about as long as the snout, one fifth of length of head. The fins are small, the pectoral not much more than half the length of the head and twice as long as the ventral. The dorsal base is equal in length to the pec- toral; longest dorsal ray more than twice as long as the last ray and about two fifths of length of head. The anal rays are shorter than those of the dorsal; length of anal base little more than one half the length of head. The origin of the dorsal is about midway between tip of snout and end of middle caudal rays. The sides and fins are silvery, yellowish, the upper parts bluish. Behind the head there is a large dark spot, larger than the pupil, and behind it numerous smaller dark spots. The menhaden has received more than 30 common names, among which the one here employed is the best known and most suitable. In New Jersey it is frequently called bunker or moss- bunker, and in some other localities it is the bony fish. It is also called bugfish, because of a crustacean parasite which is found in the. mouth. The menhaden reaches a length of 15 inches or more; its aver- age size is about 1 foot. It is found along our east coast from Maine to Florida, swimming in immense schools and fluctuating greatly in abundance. In certain localities its movements are affected chiefly by temperature. The use of the menhaden as a source of oil and a eee for fertilizers is so well known as scarcely to need mention here. As an edible fish it is not generally esteemed; in most localities it is seldom eaten, though in some places it is considered a good food fish. Since the mackerel is becoming scarce, menhaden are often salted in barrels as a substitute for that fish. The menhaden appears in Dr Mitchill’s Fishes of New York as the bony fish, hardhead or marshbanker. The aboriginal name menhaden, and the one most suitable for the species, is men- tioned by this writer. Dr De Kay, in his New York Fauna, intro- duced the name mossbunker as well as the Indian names pan- hagen and menhaden. He notes also the names skippang and bunker as in use at the east end of Long Island. For a survey, cee ted i | a,” Ae Jatin” = = ' ; , a =a FISHES OF NEW YORK 213 of the 30 or more additional appellations of this well known fish, the reader is referred to the complete history of the Ameri- can menhaden by Dr G. Brown Goode. The menhaden comes into Gravesend bay in May and through the summer. Occasional individuals are seen there in the fall as late as November. The fish can be kept alive in the winter in captivity, provided the water temperature does not fall below 50° F. It makes its appearance on the shores of Long Island _ about the beginning of June, sometimes in May, and remains till the cold season sets in. A few specimens were taken September 22 in Blue Point cove in 1884, and Oct. 1, 1890, many thousands were caught in a trap at Islip; these were large and very fat fish. The use of the menhaden as a bait fish is too well known to need special mention. In “chumming” for bluefish near Fire island inlet this is the favorite bait. In 1898 the young were obtained at Duncan’s creek, Howell’s point and Nichols’s point August 29. Adults were sent from Islip by W. F. Clark August 18. | In the vicinity of Woods Hole Mass., according to Dr Smith, menhaden arrive in schools about May 20, but scattered fish are taken in March with alewives; they remain till December 1, some- times till December 20,but are most abundant in June. When the schools first arrive, the reproductive organs of many of the fish are in an advanced stage of development, but after July 1 none with large ovaries are found. Late in fall the fish again have well developed roes. The smallest fish are about an inch long; these are found in little schools about the shores and wharves as early as July 15. The young are abundant throughout sum- mer and fall. The average length of adults is 13 or 14 inches; one fish 18 inches long was caught at Woods Hole in 1876. Family =NGRAULIDIDAE Anchovies Genus sToLEPHORUS Lacépéde Body oblong, compressed, covered with rather large, thin, deciduous scales; belly rounded, or weakly compressed; snout conical, compressed, projecting beyond the very large mouth; 214 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM maxillary narrow, little movable, usually formed of three pieces, extending backward far behind the eye, to the base of the mandible, or beyond, not beyond gill opening; premaxillaries: very small; teeth small, subequal, present at all ages, usually on the jaws, vomer, palatines, and pterygoids. Anal fin moder- ate, free from caudal (its rays 12 to 40); no pectoral filaments; dorsal inserted about midway of body, posterior to ventrals; pectorals and ventrals each with a large axillary scale. Adi- pose eyelid obsolete. Vertebrae about 40 (40 to 42) in species examined. Flesh rather pale and dry, more or less translucent, the bones firm. Pseudobranchiae present; branchiostegals nine to 14; gill rakers long and slender; gill membranes separate, free from the narrow isthmus. 119 Stolephorus brownii (Gmelin) Striped Anchovy Atherina brownii GMELIN, Syst. Nat. I, 1397, 1788. Clupea vittata MiITCcHILL, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soe. N.Y. I, 456, 1815; DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 254, 1842. Engraulis vittata Barrp, 9th Ann. Rep. Smith. Inst. 347, 1855. Engraulis browniti GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 389, 1868. Stolephorus browni JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 273, 1883; BEAN, Bull. U. S. F. C. VII, 149, 1888; 19th Rep. Comm. Fish. N. Y. 279, 1890. Stolephorus brownii JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 448, 1896; SMITH, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVII, 92, 1898; BEAN, 52d Ann. Rep’t N. Y. State Mus. 97, 1900. Body moderately elongate, compressed, but thicker than in S. mitchilli, its greatest depth two ninths of the total length without caudal, and equal to length of head without the snout, the thickness one half length of head; head moderate, its. length rather more than one fourth of total without caudal, the snout short and obtusely pointed, one fifth of length of head,. two thirds of length of eye; eye equal to width of interorbital space, about two sevenths as long as the head. The maxilla reaches as far back as the mandible, but not to hind edge of opercle. The mandible is partly covered by the maxilla, its tip in advance of the front of eye and overhung by the snout. Teeth moderately strong, those on the posterior part of the maxilla FISHES OF NEW YORK 215 raking forward. Gill rakers rather long and slender, numer- ous, the longest on first arch three fourths as long as the eye. Origin of dorsal fin midway between base of caudal and front of eye, its length of base four sevenths of length of head, its longest ray one half as long as the head, a sheath of scales at base; anal with a strong sheath of scales, its base as long as the head without the snout; ventrals small, originating in advance of dorsal origin, the length equal to eye; axillary scale of pec- toral one half as long as the head. Width of silvery band one fourth the length of head. D..14 to 15; A. 20. Scales 40 to 42. ‘Upper parts light brown; sides silvery; a broad, bright silvery lateral stripe. Length sometimes above 6 inches. Here de- scribed from an example taken at Lifesaving station no. 22, Long Island, and now in the U. S. National Museum. The species occurs from Cape Cod southward to Brazil and the West Indies. This is the satin striped herring of Mitchill’s Fishes of New York, p. 456. By some of the fishermen in Great South bay it is supposed to be the whitebait and is so called. The anchovy was extremely abundant in the bay in September 1884. I found it at the mouth of Swan creek, in Blue Point cove, near the Life- Saving station, at Oak island and at Fire island. Specimens - -were seen as late as October 7. This anchovy forms a very important part of the food of the young’ weakfish and bluefish in Great South bay. It is present in very large numbers and could be utilized as a food species. The largest examples of this fish which we have seen were taken in Great Egg Harbor bay in August; individuals measuring 54 inches in length were taken in the surf by hundreds, and weak- fish were feeding on them ravenously. In two hauls of a 20 fathom seine we took here 54 weakfish. This species was not common in Great South bay during the Summer of 1898. It was found at Blue Point cove August 18, and young were obtained at Nichols’s point September 1. Dr Smith records it as usually abundant at Woods Hole, occa- sionally rather uncommon. Found from August to late in fall. More numerous than any other anchovy. / 216 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 4 120 Stolephorus argyrophanus (Cuv. & Val.) Silvery Anchovy Engraulis argyrophanus CUVIER & 2 ENN Hist. Nat. Poiss. X Xf, 49, 1848, : Stolephorus perfasciatus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U.S. Nat. Mus. 273, 1883, not Engraulis perfasciatus Poey, Mem. Cuba, II, 312, 1858. Stolephorus eurystole SwAIN & MEEK, Proce. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. evk (18845: BEAN, Bull. U...S. F. C. VII, 150, pl. III, fig. 19, 1888. Stolephorus argyrophanus JORDAN & HEVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 444, 1896; BEAN, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 337, 1897; Smirn, Bull. USSR CrXevVil; 92. 1898. Body elongate, much more slender than in S. brownii,. and not so much compressed; head not so deep as in S. brownii, more pointed, the snout rather sharp; eye rather small, four and one half in head, not larger than snout; maxil- lary teeth well developed, mandibulary teeth very slender; gill rakers very long, as long as the eye; maxillary shorter than in S. browni, not reaching quite to the base of the mandible; | belly slightly compressed, not serrated. Scales very deciduous. Ventrals short, very slightly in front of dorsal; caudal peduncle long and slender; dorsal inserted scarcely nearer caudal than snout. Silvery stripe broad, half wider than the eye, bordered above by a dusky streak. Head three and four fifths; depth 6. D. 12; A. 20. Length 4 inches. West Indies; occasional northward. A specimen in our collection from Woods Hole Mass. (After Jordan and Gilbert) — The types of this species were obtained by Kuhl and Van Hasselt in the equatorial Atlantic. Cuvier and Valenciennes,. in their original description! of the fish, contrast it with S.. browni and others, from which it is distinguished by its form. and by other characters. It has the body longer and slenderer; the cleft of the mouth more oblique; the pectoral and anal ee shorter; the teeth excessively small. B.11; D.15; A.1%7. The color is blue, more pronounced on the back than on the belly. A. silvery band run- ning along the sides. Cuvier and Valenciennes _ Young individuals were seined at Ocean City N. J. Aug. 1, 1887; again at Longport N. J. numerous young were taken Aug. ———— 1Hist. Nat. Poiss. 1848. 21:49. FISHES OF NEW YORK DB TTS 29, 1887; no adults were seen. A figure of the young is pub- lished by Dr Bean in bulletin for 1889 of the U. S. Fish Commis- sion, vol. 7, pl. 3, fig. 19. The example figured-was nearly 1} inches long. It has the following characters: The hight of the body is one sixth of the total length without caudal; least hight of caudal peduncle one third of length of head. Head rather large, two sevenths of total length without caudal, with ob- tusely pointed snout which is about equal to the eye and one fourth as long as the head. The maxilla does not reach to the hind edge of the preopercle. Dorsal origin nearer to caudal base than to tip of snout; the base of the fin as long as the long- est ray and one half as long as the head. Pectoral short, three sevenths as long as the head; ventrals in advance of dorsal, under the 16th row of scales, the length two fifths of length of head; anal origin under the end of the dorsal, anal base about two thirds as long as the head and one fifth of total length with- out caudal; longest anal ray one half as long as the head; cau- dal fin large and deeply forked. D.ii1,10; A.ii,18. Scales 8-38. Many individuals were collected at Fire island near the end of September. None were seen in other parts of the bay. The species is known there as whitebait, like the other anchovies. In Gravesend bay the species is not common, but it occurs more frequently in bays communicating directly with the Atlantic. ) 121 Stolephorus perfasciatus (Poey) Banded Anchovy Engraulis perfasciatus PorEy, Mem. Cuba, II, 312, 1858; GunrnHeEr, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VII, 391, 1868. Stolephorus perfasciatus Swain & MEEK, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila, 34, 1884; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 441, 1896. Body elongate and not much compressed, its greatest hight about one sixth of total length without caudal and two thirds of length of head, its greatest thickness more than one third of length of head; least hight of caudal peduncle equal to thick- _ hess of body behind the head; head long, with pointed snout, one fourth of total without caudal, snout equal to eye and two ninths of length of head. The maxilla extends backward to 218 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM front edge of preopercle and not to joint of mandible. Inter- orbital space equal to eye; gill rakers numerous, about as long as the eye; teeth minute and weak, nearly uniform in size. Dor- sal origin about midway between tip of snout and base of caudal, dorsal base short, scarcely more than one half as long as head, and about.equal to longest dorsal ray; ventrals little in advance of dorsal origin, very short, only two fifths of length of head; pectoral moderate, equal to postorbital part of head. Axillary scale very slender, less than one half as long as the head. Width of silvery band about equal to length of eye. D, ii, 12; A. i, 15 to 16. Scales 44 to 45. Here described from specimens obtained at Noank Ct. and in Gravesend bay, L. I., the largest about 3 inches long. Upper parts light brown, sides silvery; dark punctulations on base of caudal and sometimes on anal; pense’ even in alcoholic specimens with iridescent colors. The example obtained in Gravesend bay was collected by W.1. De Nyse. It has D.12; A. 15 or 16; seales 45. The close resemblance of this species toS.argyrophanus Cuv. & Val. makes a farther comparison of the two necessary. Perhaps, as long ago suggested by Dr Giinther,! the two are identical S.argyrophanus was collected in the equator- ial Atlantic, and Poey’s species, perfasciatus, is from Cuba and Porto Rico. There seems to be little to distinguish them except the slightly greater number of anal rays in S. argyrophanus, and these have been counted differently by different students; the authors, for example, discovered 17, while Dr Jordan found 19 in the same type. ¢ 122 Stolephorus mitchilli (Cuv. & Val.) Anchovy ; Whitebait Engraulis nitchili CuvIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss.- X XI, 50, 1848. New York; Carolina; New Orleans. Stolephorus mitchili JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus, Le 1883; JORDAN, Cat. Fish. N. A. 38, 1885 (name only); BEAN, Bull. U. S. F. C. VII, 149, 1888; 52d Ann. Rep. N. Y. State Mus. 97, 1900; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 446, 1896; Smiru, Bull. U. 8. KF. C. XVII, 92, 1898. 1Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. 1868. 7:391. FISHES OF NEW YORK Peet A be Engraulis vittatus StorEeR, Hist. Fish. Mass. pl. X XVII, fig. 3, not descrip- tion on page 163. Body compressed, short and deep, its greatest depth one fourth of the total length without caudal, caudal peduncle short and deep, its least depth one half the length of head. Thickness of body equals three sevenths of length of head. Head rather short, its length two ninths of total without caudal. Snout shorter than eye, which is two sevenths as long as the head. The maxilla extends slightly beyond the hind end of mandible, and nearly to the edge of operculum. Interorbital distance not quite equal to eye. Gill rakers nearly as long as the eye. Origin of dorsal fin much nearer to base of caudal than to tip of snout. Length of dorsal base equals two thirds of length of head; longest dorsal ray one half as long as head. Anal origin under the middle of dorsal; length of anal base equals two sevenths of total length without caudal; longest anal ray about two thirds as long as the head. Ventral short, in advance of dorsal, its length one third of length of head. Pectoral one eighth of total length without caudal. Width of silvery band about two thirds of eye. Dorsal and anal scaly sheaths very strong. D. ii, 10; A. 28; V.i,6. Scales 37. Length of specimens examined, 4 inches. Taken at Fire island. Cape Cod to Texas, on sandy shores; the most abundant of the New York species. It enters Gravesend bay in May and re- mains till October. Locally known as anchovy and whitebait. An excellent food fish and very important as the food of larger fishes. : -It is very generally distributed in bays along the south shore of Long Island, having been found abundant in Scallop pond, Peconic bay, in Mecox bay, and almost everywhere in Great South bay from July to September 1898. A specimen taken at Fire island had a lernaean parasite attached to it. At Woods Hole Mass. Dr Smith reports it abundant, associated with S. brownii. Family SALMONIDAE Salmons The whitefishes of New York belong to seven species, repre- senting the four divisions of the genus Coregonus. Intwo 220 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM of the species the lower jaw is included within the upper, the mouth is small, and the intermaxillary bone broad and more or less vertical in position. These two may be readily distin- guished by the structure of the gill rakers, and the size of the mouth. The remaining five whitefishes have the lower jaw as. long as, or longer than, the upper, the mouth large, and the intermaxillary narrow and not vertical in position. They are easily separated from one another by the shape of the body, and the size and contour of the scales. The relations of the groups are shown in the following key. 1 Lower jaw shorter than upper. 1a Mouth very small, upper jaw not reaching to eye; gill rakers short and stout, 13 to 16 below angle of first arch (Proso- pium) QUADRILATERALIS 1b Mouth moderate, upper jaw reaching beyond front of eye; gill rakers long and slender, 20 or more below angle of first arch (Coregonus) CLUPEIFORMIS 2 Lower jaw equal to or longer than upper. 2a Body slender, elongate; scales small, and convex on their free margin; lower jaw longer than upper (Argyrosomus) OSMERIFORMIS A RL ED, Onan PROGNATHUS 26 Body deep, short; scales large, deep, the free margin scarcely convex; jaws equal (Allosomus) TULLIBEE Genus corEGonus (Artedi) Linnaeus Body oblong or elongate, compressed; head more or less coni- cal, compressed, the snout more or less projecting beyond the: lower jaw; mouth small, the maxillary short, not extending beyond the orbit, with a well developed supplemental bone;. teeth extremely minute, if present; scales moderate, thin, cycloid, rather firm. Dorsal fin moderate; caudal fin deeply forked; anal fin somewhat elongate; ventrals well developed. Pseudobranchiae large; gill rakers varying from short and thickish to long and slender; air bladder very large; vertebrae 56 to 60; stomach horseshoe-shaped, with many (about 100) pyloric caeca; ova small. Species about 15, inhabiting the clear lakes of northern Europe, Asia, and America, in arctic regions descending to the sea. Most of them spawn in late fall or FISHES OF NEW YORK Qt winter near the shore, at other seasons often frequenting con- siderable depths. 123 Coregonus quadrilateralis Richardson Round Whitefish; Frostfish Coregonus quadrilateralis RicHARDSON, Franklin’s Journ. 714, 1825. Fort Enterprise, British America; Agassiz, Lake Superior, 351, 1850; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 176, 1866; JorpAN & GILBERT,. Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 298, 1883;, BEAN, Fishes Penna. 66, pl. 26, fig. 47, 1893; Bull. Amer, Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 337, 1897; Jorpan & EVER- MANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 465, 1896. Salmo (Coregonus) quadrilateralis RICHARDSON, Fauna. Bor.-Amer, III, 204, pl. 89, fig. 1, 1886. Great Bear Lake. Coregonus novae angliae PREScorT, Amer. Jour. Sci. Arts, XI, 342, 1851. Lake Winipiseogee, N. H. Coregonus novae angliae GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 186, 1866. This is a small species and very readily distinguished from all other American species except Williamson’s whitefish by its: diminutive mouth. The body is slender, elongate, subterete, its. greatest depth slightly exceeding one fifth of total length to base of caudal. The head is long, its length one fifth of total without caudal, and the snout is thin and obtuse at tip. The broad maxilla does not reach to below the front of the eye, its. leneth less than one fifth of length of head. D. 11; A. 10. Scales in lateral line, 80 to 90. Upper parts dark bluish; sides silvery. This species is called frostfish in the Adirondacks; other names are Menominee whitefish, roundfish, shad-waiter, pilot- fish and chivey, the last term applied to the fish in Maine. The roundfish is found in lakes of New England, sometimes: running into streams, the Adirondack region of New York, the Great lakes and northward into British America and Alaska. Its distribution has been extended by transplanting on account of its great value as food for the Jake trout and other large fish of the salmon family. It seldom exceeds a length of 12 inches. and a weight of 1 pound. Like some other species of whitefish, it spawns in shallow parts of lakes or ascends their small tribu- tary streams for that purpose. The food consists of small oe, NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM shells and crustaceans. The species frequents deep waters, where it falls an easy prey to the voracious lake trout. The roundfish is excellent for the table. Its capture with hook and line is difficult because of its very small mouth and its habit of retiring into deep water. In the Great lakes it does not constitute an important element of the fishery, but in northern regions it is one of the most useful and highly prized of the food fishes. This small whitefish is one of the characteristic species of the Adirondack lakes. James Annin jr Sent specimens for identifi- cation from Hoel pond and Big Clear lake, in Franklin county, N. Y., and from the third lake of the Fulton Chain. He states that the fish spawns in the little inlets or on the sand beaches. It never appears till about the time the water begins to chill and freeze about the edges. On the Fulton Chain of lakes the ‘spawning season of 1895 was practically closed about Novem- ‘ber 20. The frostfish, according to Mr Annin, is “a delicious morsel.” _ The following notes were made on fresh examples received from the third lake of the Fulton Chain Nov. 26, 1895. A male 11? inches long to end of caudal fin had the middle caudal rays, from end of scales, 2 inches long; upper caudal lobe, measured horizontally, 1% inches; head, 14% inches; maxilla, 2 inch; eye, 2 inch; gill rakers, 5+10; the longest + as long as the eye; scales, 8-84-8. A female 11% inches to tip of caudal has upper caudal lobe 2 inches, measured horizontally; middle caudal rays from end of scales, -°s inch; depth of body, 24 inches; head, 1% inches; maxilla and eye, each 2 inch; gill rakers, 5 + 10, the longest + as long as the eye; scales, 8—79-8. Three males received Dec. 11, 1895, showed the following colors. In the male, 132 inches long, from Hoel pond, the back and sides were dark steel gray; the belly white; pectoral, ventral and anal orange; dorsal and caudal chiefly yellow. A male 12 inches long, from Big Clear lake, had the back and sides silvery ‘gray, darker between the lines of scales; the lower fins orange; the dorsal and caudal with traces of yellow. A male 114 inches FISHES OF NEW YORK aS long, from Big Clear lake, showed the same colors as the last. The following measurements in inches and notes were taken. Big Clear Big Clear Hoel pond lake lake 3} fe) a0 | 210122) 60 ee Pate atte Oa ae. a ates 13% 12 11% Caudal lobe, horizontally............ 2168 1% 1% TO AU AL-TAYS «2:0 cee aja ete see ne 34 5B 16 RIPEN EOL YS cle cos ces o's.e, Soe oie ates ares Qe 238 is Least depth of caudal peduncle..... %, 34 4 MMs IMR toi 2k 5 SRleya 2a cia ier ayelericl Syui.s a egai Oiatte: @ 2 134 156 “SSL OTTIE -. La eee eer Y% a Rees Fale PE ote fcc esas so secs s eee Shas oe 16 16 3% DPI UN SERGE SP oc.) cis aidi’a la. afid “ak x aslo eye yas 6 3B 3B In all, the gill rakers are minute, and number: 5+10, 5+10: and5+9. The scales are: 10—-86—9, 10—76-9, and 9-86-8. An example sent by the New York Commission of Fisheries, Game and Forest, from Saranac Lake, Nov. 23, 1897, showed the following characters. MEASUREMENTS Inches Seesen ate MEN LTT UETUE: CAICUAL 605, eho oo skated, «eh desis! abate. ofa site alate oi 8 AS, Length to end of scales. as SEPM Pee oe IB: Length of middle sandal: rays Seton. anid of ae nelateee sie 1p Length of upper caudal lobe (obliquely)................ 2e rere sO ye Ab OR GAL 2 00% 5 s:e6iid doe oho coc bi Sie ee sel Spun ai nee 23% Measineacpeh- of caudal peduncle. oo. eee. cok el OS eae té MORE seer MONTE MUON ay asa! =. tava bceal byleeiei ates faukb’esreralest fie “Que wiles latend : 2 ERE TON VCS 2. Wire heer be acco teler es, Sincaid Gale eels deter Wate. o's 16 Length of maxilla (does not reach orbit)............ te 16 emer MG) SesIIA ATO EDLG Potcre a steve doeho oid. Hloce wide cviecel mee eer ene: eval 34 Pissance from snout to dorsal origin... 00.0000. 6.0... Ble ema pinOt, GOESAL! DASE.) .) Seki 2512 Wheels otele’s cae bois acces bce 1% Memon Or NON SESE GOTSHAL TAY < se neo h ec ncc cese os bee hoe ee ees 154 enseanOt lASt. GOLSal Lay. .sis5 see si'eaie's) aie fv epke Site cakes té Distance from snout to ventral Origin. .......... 0. ee eee BR Meee HIMN ON Pe VV EMN ET Lc hs p85, Al chelis.tw ie Store Shey sek Ble ececa ie, iw nlelaiate abesece is eae chor Ventral APPCNGAGes x. ..0i."tiere to6 sole Se led we bie ere i Distance from snout to anal origin........ Ame Aiton BE 834, MeePei em nN. DIE A LBD SC Ge of 2 ev etalte) diish oh oie: He diei 6 eels, e's! vce wl o shies Irs eran Ol OMS h AMAL TAY sia ax «0's diese wire oce.8 lola als foie aaa 18 Length of last anal ray.............. faeMER: Sh oy RUN Nein al % MSM OMTEO Ts OCIOG AL >) 2 cis c's cite ss niles fc ko ee 00 eves se tie eee « 2 Distance from snout to adipose fin Batons et hela oR 914, Wenoth of base of adipose fin... 0.0. i ee ee eas: Ts eR peHUeO be A CHIPOSE MIN. or. bi cya a. ay oe’ da, sac cies beel« a) ties a 2.8 face ace ms * 36 Pern Od eEOISO@SE VOW ekede ca 8 occbatalts ered sela aw. apo la eh oralulebe & ieleres 38 eM oen Ot LOnPeSt sill: PAK. aie ste ced eek os oa eleieiele ee) Mone 1% 224 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM D. 11; A. 11; V. i, 10; P. i, 14. Scales, 10-84-8. Gill rakers, 6 +10, the longest 4 inch. . Purplish gray; lower parts whitish; pectorals, ventrals and anal vermilion; eye pale golden; head, specially behind the eyes, with iridescent gold and purple tints; caudal, chiefly vermilion in life. . The fish is a male with ripe milt. There are numerous small tubercles -on the scales of the sides above and below the lateral line. : 124 Coregonus clupeiformis (Mitchill) Common Whitefish; Labrador Whitefish; Shadwaiter Salmo clupeiformis Mircui~tt, Amer. Month. Mag. Il, 321, March, 1818. Lake Huron; Cayuga Lake. Coregonus albus LE SuEuR, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. I, 232, May, 1818. Lake Erie; THompson, Nat. Hist. Vermont, I, 143, figure, 1842; Kirt- LAND, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. III, 477, pl. XXVIII, fig. 3, 1841; Dr Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 247, pl. 76, fig. 240, 1842; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 184, 1866. ; Salmo (Coregonus) labradoricus RicHARDSON, Fauna Bor.-Amer. III, 206, 1836. Coregonus sapidissimus AGASSIZ, Lake Superior, 344, 1850. Coregonus latior AGASSIZ, op. cit. 348, 1850. Coregonus clupeiformis JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 299, 1883; GoopE, Amer. Fishes, 489, figure, 1888; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 67, color pl. 3, 1898; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 465, 1896, pl. LXXVI, fig. 202, 1900; CHENEY, Third Ann. Rept. N. Y. Comm, Fish. color pl. facing p..190, 1898. Coregonus labradoricus GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 176, 1866, and of authors generally. The common whitefish of the Great lakes is so well known that it scarcely needs an elaborate description. The body is stout and deep, its depth at the nape greatly increased in adults. The greatest depth is two sevenths of the total length to caudal base. Caudal peduncle short, its depth one half ‘the length of head, which is about one fifth of total without caudal. The snout is sharp, conical, two sevenths as long as the head and | about twice as tong as the eye. The maxilla reaches to below front of eye. The dorsal origin is above the 23d scale of the lateral line, and the ventral begins under the middle of the dorsal. The longest dorsal ray equals length of head. without snout, adipose fin stout and low. The dorsal and anal bases FISHES OF NEW YORK 225 are equal to each other and two thirds of length of head. D.10 divided rays; A. 11 divided rays; V.11; P.15. Scales in lateral line 74 to 80. The upper parts are grayish or light olive in color; the sides white and lustrous in life. Names. The name whitefish is thoroughly identified with this species and is seldom varied except by means of the prefix “common” or “lake.” A well marked variety in Otsego lake, N. Y., has long been known as the Otsego bass. Distribution. The common whitefish occurs in the Great lakes and northward into British America; its northern limit is not definitely known. In Alaska, where the species was formerly supposed to exist, it is replaced by a similar, but well marked form, the Coregonus richardsoni of Giinther. The variety known as Otsego bass is found in Otsego lake. If we may judge from the yield of the fisheries, Lake Michigan has more whitefish than any of the other lakes; Superior ranks sec- ond; Erie third; Huron fourth; and Ontario is sadly in the rear. Size. The largest individual on record was taken at White- fish Point, Lake Superior; it weighed 23 pounds. A 17 pound specimen was caught at Vermilion, in Lake Erie in 1876. The Size varies greatly with locality, ranging in general all the way from 1# pounds to 14 pounds. In Lake Erie in 1885 the average weight was between 2 and 3 pounds. The length of adults will average 20 inches. Habits. There is a movement of the whitefish in many lakes from the deep water early in the summer into the shoal water near the shore. In the midsummer, however, the usual retreat of this species is the deep and cold parts of the lakes which they inhabit. Again, as the spawning season approaches in October, the whitefish come toward the shore to deposit their eggs. It is said that they do not spawn till the water has reached a tem- perature of about 40°. After spawning they again retire to deep water, where they remain during the winter. Mr Milner observed that the shoreward migration varies with locality, and is influenced also by depth of water and temperature. In Lake Erie, for example, which has a high summer temperature, there 226 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM is no shoreward migration in summer. It is to be noted also that the whitefish moves along the shore, and in some cases it ascends rivers for the purpose of spawning. It is believed also. that when the feeding grounds of the whitefish are polluted by mud, the fish temporarily seek other localities. There appears. to be a spring and summer migration likewise from lake to lake. Spawning takes place during October, November and December, on shoals or occasionally in rivers. The female is larger than the male. According to the observations of George Clark, the two sexes, in the act of spawning, frequently throw themselves together above the surface, emitting the spawn or milt with the vents close together. Spawning operations are most active in the evening, are continued at night, and the eggs are de- posited in lots of several hundred at a time. The number of eggs in a fish of 74 pounds was 66,606; the average number being nearly 10,000 for each pound of the female’s weight. The period of incubation depends on the temperature. ‘The usual time of distribution of the young is in March and April. The very young are described as swimming near the surface and not in schools. They are very active and soon seek deep water to escape from their enemies. Their food consists chiefly of small crustaceans. The adults subsist on the same food with the addition of small mollusks. ; Growth. The only means of determining the rate of growth of the whitefish is by artificial rearing. Samuel Wilmot had young fish which were 5 inches long at the age of four months. The growth under natural conditions must be even greater tham this. Mr Wilmot, himself, has seen whitefish measuring 7 inches in December in his ponds. Enemies and diseases. ‘The eggs of the whitefish are destroyed in immense numbers by the lake herring, Coregonus artedi. The water lizard, Menobranchus, also con- sumes vast numbers of the eggs. The young whitefish are eaten extensively by the pike perch, black bass, pike, pickerel and fresh- water ling. The lake trout also feed on the whitefish. A leach parasitic on the whitefish proves very troublesome to that spe- FISHES OF NEW YORK 220 cies, and the scales are liable to a peculiar roughness which has been observed late in November or during the spawning season. There is also a lernean which fastens itself to the gills and other parts of the whitefish. Uses and capture. The excellence of the flesh of the whitefish is so well known as scarcely to require mention. Its commer- cial value is great. In LakeErie in 1885, according to statistics collected by the U.S. Fish Commission, 3,500,000 pounds of white- fish were caught, more than 2,000,000 of this amount by fisher- men from Erie alone. In this year Erie county had 310 persons employed in the fisheries. The capital invested in the business was nearly $250,000. The wholesale value of the fish products was upward of $400,000... The whitefish was the third species in relative importance, blue pike ranking first and the lake herring second. In Erie county whitefish are caught chiefly in July, August and November, and the bulk of them are taken in gill nets. Pound nets are also employed in the capture of whitefish. Artificial propagation. Carl Miiller of New York and Henry Brown of New Haven are credited with the first attempt to pro- pagate the whitefish artificially. Their experiments were made in Lake Saltonstall, near the city of New Haven. The result of the experiments, which were repeated in 1858, is not known. In 1868 Seth Green and Samuel Wilmot began a series of ex- periments in the same direction, and in 1869 N. W. Clark, of Clarkson Mich. took up the same work. In 1870 a half million eggs were placed in hatching boxes by Mr Clark. In 1872, through the aid of the U. S. Fish Commission, Mr. Clark’s hatch- ing house was doubled in capacity, and a million eggs were taken from Lake Michigan. Since that time both the national and state governments have made the whitefish the object of their most extensive operations. ‘Dr Meek saw no specimens of whitefish from Cayuga lake, but he thinks it is an inhabitant. The U. S. Fish Commission ob- tained a specimen at Cape Vincent N. Y. Nov. 17, 1891. A young individual was received from Wilson, Niagara co. N. Y.; caught in a gill net in Lake Ontario and sent by James Annin jr. 228 3 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM A male and a female were received through James Annin jr from Upper Saranac lake Nov. 16, 1895.° Both fish were nearly spent. They were believed to be the common whitefish. A male from Chazy lake arrived through the same source Nov. 22, 1895. It was doubtfully called “ blackfin whitefish.” At that time the fish had left the spawning beds and were in deep water. June 17, 1896, a female 192 inches long was shipped by Mr Annin from Canandaigua lake. Its stomach is pear-shaped with walls more than 4 inch thick; it contained numerous small shells of several genera, not yet identified. ! The species is reported by fishermen to be very abundant in that lake, and to be destructive of eggs of other fish. They say it comes in great numbers into shallow water near the shore in early summer when the water is roily, and can be caught on set lines. “Mr Annin saw men baiting their set lines with small minnows on Canandaigua lake, and, when the lines were taken ~ up in the morning, the whitefish was found on the hooks. It is said that one so taken weighed 6 pounds. Sup’t O. H. Daniels, of the New Hampshire fish commission, forwarded a specimen from Lake Winnesquam, at Laconia, 19¢ inches long, weighing 46 ounces, and he wrote that individuals weighing 74 pounds had recently/been taken. The species was called “ blue- fin’ and whitefish. | 7 The fish-eating habit of the whitefish was fully verified in the - aquarium on examples obtained in Canandaigua lake in November 1896, by Mr Annin. Knowing that the species usually subsists on small mollusks and crustaceans, efforts were made to provide the fish with Physa and Gammarus; but this became difficult in winter, and an experiment was made with small killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus and majalis), which proved satisfactory during the cold months. In summer, however, it was found necessary to return to the use of Gam- marus. The whitefish at first took the killifish without any eagerness, but they soon learned to chase their prey and take it much as trout do. A female received from Canandaigua lake June 17, 1896, in a fresh state, showed the following colors: membrane of pectoral FISHES OF NEW YORK 229 "fins dusky; that of the pectorals tinged with lemon yellow; ven- trals dusky at the tip; anal pale; caudal pale except a narrow dusky portion of the middle rays; eyes pearly with golden iri- descence. The maxilla reaches about to front of eye. ‘The adipose dorsal extends straight backward, and its base is cov- ered with a sheath of small scales *; of an inch wide. The gill rakers are 9+17, the longest 3? of aninch. Very small teeth are present on the tongue. The eggs are minute. In a male example, 174+ inches long, received Nov. 16, 1895, from Upper Saranac lake and nearly spent, no tubercles could be seen on the scales; but several of the males from Canan- daigua lake had them well developed. There is a great differ- ence in the development of the lingual teeth, some of our indi- viduals showing only a trace of them, and it seems as if there may be some relation between their condition and the sexual maturity of the fish. For example, in a male 14 inches long, sent from the fourth lake of the Fulton Chain Nov. 9, 1897, the lingual teeth were present in a large patch; in three males, only a little smaller but sexually immature, from Saranac lake Nov. 11, 1897, the teeth on the tongue could be perceived by the touch only. The following measurements, in inches, and addi. tional notes, were made from the fresh fish. MEASUREMENTS Canandai- Upper Chazy gua lake, Saranac, lake, June 1%, Nov. 16, Nov. 22, 1896 1895 1895 2 fo) ) AEeMStO, INCIUGINGE CAUGAL. 2... 0... ces ee eas 19% 17% 15% Length of middle caudal rays (from end BRMES COALS) ne io) al ves for ge. atlas) dictleieve Sa etd eh acide vote 1 te % Length of upper caudal lobe (horizon- ’ AMINES. cosas os « FEMS wan NS Avera take a bare 3 31% Length of longest caudal ray........... 34 adobe Depth of body at dorsal............. BAe 434, 31% eee Least depth of caudal peduncle......... 1% ea 1% SRS TDs OT OA Fae hse dt wird slans cos rele sfewiels oa’ 33% 234 2% MIME Ter, GENGVCs 6 He cn clic sie seis he wes ove 5g Sree Lee Length of maxilla....... eae Scone cs Big 1 34 8 Distance from snout to dorsal origin.... 8 Bu ale leensth Of dorsal: DaS@.. 2)... 6. eee ces 21% Wength of longest dorsal ray............ 2% ma 230 7 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM vn MEASUREMENTS ‘ -Canandai- Upper Chazy gualake, Saranac, lake, Junel7, Nov. 16, Nov. 22, 1896 1895 1895 2 fe) 3} ‘Length of last dorsal ray............... oH Distance from snout to ventral origin... 9 weed Te beneth ‘of ventral ct). aoe sateen bees le 254 NES betes 4. Length of ventral appendage........... tg Distance from snout to anal origin...... 3135 hengeth of 4anall ASC. nies acee acme ee one 2 Moe jae Length of longest anal ray............. 1% ye 5 oan length of lastyanal areas ene ne % lLenieth of pectoraliwe. . sence ees 3 Distance from snout to adipose fin...... 14 DE Pease Length of base of adipose fin........... af: eigteee ae Reng th ofradiposenim: <2: te pea ee ae ce 34 (Width of base of adipose fin............ % see ERS Length of longest gill raker............. 3 — 8% 16 Taking the fish in the order above given, the gill rakers are: 9+17,10+16,and9+17. The scales are: 10—76-8, 10-87-9, and 11-81-10. The branchiostegals in various specimens examined are 9 to 10; divided dorsal rays, 10 to 11; anal rays, 10 to 11. Genus ARGYROSOMUS AgaSSiZ This genus is very close to Coregonus, from which it differs in the larger mouth and more produced jaws, the pre- maxillaries being placed nearly horizontally, and the lower jaw decidedly projecting beyond them. Gill rakers very long and. slender, about 30 on lower limb; vertebrae 55. These characters are associated with the greater voracity and, in general, greater activity of the species of Argyrosomus. The species are numerous in the northern parts of Europe, Asia and North America, and all are valued as food. 125 Argyrosomus osmeriformis (H. M. Smith) Smelt of New York lakes Coregonus hoyi BEAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. V, 658, 1883; GoopE,-Fish & Fish. Ind. U.S. pl. 197 B, 1884; not Coregonus hoyi Gill. Coregonus osmeriformis Smiru, Bull. U. 8S. F. C. XIV, 2, ‘pl. 1, fig. 2, 1835. Lakes Seneca and Skaneateles, New York. Argyrosomus osmeriformis JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 468, 1896. # 7 FISHES OF NEW YORK ysl Body elongate, moderately compressed, slender; head less com- pressed than body, its greatest width equaling one half the dis- tance from tip of lower jaw to nape, the lower jaw projecting considerably even when the mouth is closed; mouth large, the maxillary reaching to the vertical through the anterior margin of the pupil; preorbital bone long and slender, more than one third as long as the head; supraorbital as long as the eye, four times as long as broad. The greatest hight of the body is considerably less than the length of the head, and is contained five times in the total length without caudal. The greatest width of the body is less than one half its greatest hight. The least hight of caudal peduncle equals the length of the orbit and about one third of the great- est hight of the body. Scales small, nine in an oblique series from the dorsal origin to the lateral line, 82 tube-bearing scales, and eight in an oblique series from the ventral origin to the lat- eral line. The length of the head is one fourth of the total length to the end of the lateral line. The distance of the nape from the tip of the snout is nearly one third of the distance from the tip of the snout to the origin of the first dorsal. The length of the maxilla is one third of the length of the head. The mandible is one half as long as the head. Lingual teeth present. The eye is as long as the snout and one fourth as long as the head. Gill rakers long and slender, the longest five sixths as long as the eye; there are 55 on the first arch, 35 of which are below the angle. The insertion of the dorsal is nearer the tip of the snout than the end of the middle caudal rays. The longest ray of the dorsal equals the greatest length of the ventral and is contained seven times in the total length to the end of the middle caudal rays (six and two thirds times in length to end of lateral line). The length of the pectoral is one sixth of the standard body length. - ‘The insertion of the ventral is midway between the tip of the snout and the end of the middle caudal rays. When the ventral is extended, the distance of its tip from the vent is only one 232 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM fourth of the length of the fin. In this respect this Species. differs widely from C. artedi. | Colors. Back grayish silvery; sides silvery; dorsal and caudal with darker tips. Radial formula. | D.ii1,°9; Avil, 18; V.1, 12; BP ip tes Scales 9-82-8. MEASUREMENTS Current Number Of SPECIMIEM ES. si,scraraeicrs cig cvrarcoete sieve eelelal ais bok aveleiehy ojevelcucvotelecralabaleYele! distaiireterstaratela cesuateraatere 32,162 Milli- Hundredths meters of length Mixtrenie Tene sec eee oes eee ee Geena Aaah ewe toe aetna aus ae DS. asaaeeneare en oth to7vend OF WSCAles Sx scares Mosse is oral etclielaipoubeaeeae 217 100 Body: Greatest chight 25. fics ARAGON AST ag Ali i dee 41 19 Greatest VAG ie oeey sc ee sis Boar ale eS MR eae ao ca 18 8 BHO ME Rats WSUS A Rea veal oie avers eve ies Mladen caneeeeey 40 18% Least niet sony seaile ewer ae ee hae 15 7 Head: Greatest length oo Vo ee eee ie wean eys a ene ania iy? 24 Vf Distance from snout to nape..............-.00e ; 36 16% Great este wii Ve. yee ee eadeae ee SaaS eine eee ote 20 9 Width” of interorbitall area. il ain.) cm oi aateisle eieleeee dW AAP 5 Demet: OF: SHOUME seroceicanie 5 hese hioraouere wlaioes teria eae 14 6% Leneth.of “operculum. 2 ye Pee alee rome 13 6 Leneth- of maa xal laws (2205 Sai es cane Inlet sicscnens eleteueie tee 18 8 Meng th .OF WAC DTS aS ieake teretsie ee aie. woke te opateiealionele 26 12 Diameter (OL SCV Ce Soy viele a ic aie ts, reac ode tee euenavenets 13 6 Dorsal (first): | Distance, from “SNOUT ss Cakes ee eae TONSA AG 112 51144 Teneth :Of DaASes ie ckivrcdlal ain pusicite secs eu ee ee ee 20 9 Length’ of longest ‘Tay 2 0/3... ce eh eee Ean Ge et 33 15 Beneth Ol Mast a yawn’, Myatt e se a eee Ry ase 11 3D _ Anal: DISTANCE VETO ISMOUMB eu euci ckepe are e saws enomors ie dieuats 162 75 Length of base.......... Seba ee a Sahetane whale hea en 24 11 ene th Of TONSOSE PANG Ecleciclei sto Gass bic wreliovensisiaeyeenene 20: 9 Ioenethn Of Masher yy oa) estes dee erekorc scatter eoayeleasitelieMese ohare 8 4 Caudal: Length of middle rays from end of scales....-.. 12 — 5D Mens th vol vExctern all Mayas Ge pics ae cl don eres lence 44. 20 Pectoral: DISTAMES “LOM SSIMOUET pane yack. si 6) ects eee ioc] Melee 52 24% FOTN a i sieve lw: RIE eee meee hair euapey ofa Uaioe Moan tes eases teas ile 36 16% Ventral: | JUDistancel trom, SOL tion cade soe) eine nates ee Pa LAS! s 55 1 YS Oe] § Raa a neni sa: oa dellieheh guna ced Ls RC Ree: 32.7 15 Origin from) anal origini ee). 84. cia Wen ooeaen 48 De End of extended ventral to anal origin......... 15 t ' $ 3 FISHES OF NEW YORK Pia MEASUREMENTS Milli- Hundredths meters of length RU BS SS a Sci, i ALA a Siiase Pan) Slaven ebeheumiile e ehh eek eas Dia ie Sere oe eae PEM T Parr Th iria''a d! ped (esto a alae 9 Bis, 6 e/ ee a aera cece ale tte CS een es Ure Oe so ee ale clate sSsisvere s/bleg as eee ones LG aes tate o care RMTEAL Wee cee e cca hee eee eee tet e se get aereees bed Pate: 8 ic wet ae mamber Of-Seales in lateral Jine. .....00.......6 0.00 RD iol che at Number of transverse rows above lateral line...... IN ce3 eee ee Wee Number of transverse rows below lateral line...... eR Ee a The attention of the writer was called to this graceful little whitefish by the Rev. W. M. Beauchamp and J. C. Willetts. Mr Willetts forwarded numerous specimens from Skaneateles. Individuals were obtained also from Prof. H. L. Smith, which he received from Seneca lake. One of these specimens, 10 inches long, is described above. . “The fish was then somewhat doubtfully supposed by me to be identical with Hoy’s whitefish, but it is now known to be distinct. 126 Argyrosomus artedi (LeSueur) | Lake Herring; Cisco Coregonus artedi LE SuErur, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. I, 231, May, 1818. Lake Erie & Lewistown, Upper Canada; JoRDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 301, 1883; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 69, pl. 26, fig. 48, 1893. ; Salmo (Coregonus) harengus. RICHARDSON, Fauna Bor.-Amer. III, 210, pl. 90, fig. 2, 1836. Coregonus clupeiformis DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 248, pl. 60, fig. 198, 1842; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 198, 1866. Coregonus harengus GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 199, 1866. Argyrosomus artedi JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull, 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 468, 1896. The body of the lake herring is moderately elongated, com- pressed, and the head pointed. The greatest hight of the body at the origin of the dorsal is one fourth of the total length without caudal. The caudal peduncle is short and stout; its least depth is somewhat more than one third of its greatest depth. The eye is contained four to four and one half times in length of head; the snout three and one half times. The max- illary reaches nearly to below the middle of the eye. The lower jaw projects strongly. The dorsal begins midway between tip of snout and base of tail. Its longest ray equals length of — 234 NEW YORK STATE ‘MUSEUM head without snout. The ventral begins under the middle of the dorsal, its longest ray two thirds of length of head. The pectoral is slightly longer than the ventral. The anal base equals the length of its longest ray, which is nearly one half the length of head. The adipose dorsal is slender, its width one half its hight, and about one half the length of eye; 25 to 30 gill rakers below the angle of the first arch. D. 11; A. 10 (counting only divided rays in dorsal and anal); V. 10. Scales 9-80-88. The upper parts are greenish or bluish black; the sides silvery and with narrow pale streaks along the rows of scales, specially above the lateral line. This species is known as the lake herring or cisco. The name cisco is applied more particularly in the small lakes of Wiscon- sin, Indiana and New York. The lake herring is most abun- dant in the Great lakes, extending northward into British America; eastward it has been obtained from Labrador. It becomes variable in certain parts of its habitat, notably in Labrador and in the lakes in which it is known as-cisco. In 1885 more individuals of this species were taken in Lake Erie than in all the other Great lakes put together, more than 19,000,000 pounds having been caught there out of a total of less than 26,000,000. The average leneth of this species is about 1 foot, and the weight 9 to 12 ounces, but examples measuring 19 inches in length and weighing 2 pounds have been recorded. The lake herring frequents shoal waters moderately, and occurs in enormous schools, as one may judge from the quan- tity captured in Lake Erie. Its food consists of insects and crustaceans. During the spawning season of the whitefish, how- ever, it feeds exclusively on the eggs of this species and proves very destructive. The lake herring will take the hook, and has been caught with live minnows. Spawning takes place about the end of Nevember in shoal waters. As a food fish this species is inferior to the whitefish, but it is in great demand over an extensive area of the country, and is shipped in the fresh condition many hundreds of miles east and west. I have elsewhere referred to the enormous number FISHES OF NEW YORK 235 taken in 1885 in Lake Erie. These are caught chiefly in pound and gill nets. The catch in 1885 amounted to more than one third of the entire quantity of fishes taken in this lake. There is no apparent diminution in the number of these fishes, and their artificial propagation has not been practised. A male and a female were forwarded by Mr Annin from Three- mile bay, Lake Ontario, Nov. 22 and 25, 1895. MEASUREMENTS MALE FEMALE Inches Inches (ee GATLD TEL CLI Gta 62 1 1 [ae a Pee 13% 13 mone MIOOe Caldal LAYS. 60.5 ce ws we ee ce eis wae wee Bi ie acre dude atten measmiceprin, of Caudal peduncle... fo. ose ee 1 Wee woky cage MapeerIMOe MOG Yee OTSA 5... os Gree ecocese ge lees Gee eB eays hs oho %s 3 2% Length of Udy Sl SAR ea eA Rap sl sein peu ae 24 2% ere HMMA UNA a wis ss Sick cee eee Scslv'd we cate teens 3 %% UME MMM tem C CULE. sia. e yeie Je asic- enw) Sa telarele oisigi st wiets Baie afacierg els as % iy memsiaron Tomcest, Sill Taker. ose oc ck ee in ee ee eek Dean weet a ated The maie has 17+31 gill rakers; the female, 47. Scales of the male, 8—74-8; of the female, 76. . In the female the maxilla reaches to the front of the pupil; the lower jaw projects a little; the dorsal and anal each have 10 divided rays; the dorsal has a black tip; the pectoral is dusky above; the ventral and anal are pale; the caudal is dusky towards its margin. The cisco,;according to Mr Annin, lives in deep waters and spawns in brooks in December. Dr Meek saw a few specimens of the species from Cayuga lake. The U.S. Fish Commission obtained four specimens at Cape Vincent N. Y. Nov. 11 and 17, 1891. The U. 8. National Museum has a number of examples from Lake Champlain, some of them from Vergennes Vt., and others from Ticonderoga N. Y. DekKay says the shad salmon occurs in the smaller lakes in the interior of the state, which still communicate with our inland seas. 127 Argyrosomus hoyi Gill Mooneye Cisco; Shiner Argyrosomus hoyi GILL, Mss. JornpDAN, Amer. Naturalist, 135, March, 1875, Lake Michigan, near Racine, Wis.; EVERMANN & SMITH, Rept. U. S. YC. XX, 310,.pl. 22, 1896; BEAN, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 342, 1897, Canandaigua Lake; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 469, 1896. 236 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Coregonus hoyi JORDAN, Man. Vert. ed. 2, 275, 1878; JoRDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus, 299, 1883; SmirH, Bull. U. S. F. C. XIV, 6, Dis iS Ole Head, four; depth, four and four sevenths; eye, five (nearly) ; snout, three and one half ; maxillary, nearly three in head, reach- ing to vertical through front of pupil. D. 10; A. 11. Scales, 8-70-9. Gill rakers, 14428, left side, 40 on right side, longest about + inch, about two in eye. Branchiostegals, 8. Body rather elongate, compressed, the back little elevated; mouth rather large, terminal, the lower jaw slightly longer than upper when the mouth is closed; tip of muzzle conicalasin A. artedi; mandible nearly reaching vertical through posterior edge of eye, nearly two in head; head rather long and slender, with pointed snout; interorbital width equal to eye; supraorbital and preorbital long and narrow; distance from tip of snout to occiput two in distance from occiput to origin of dorsal fin;. dorsal rays much longer anteriorly than posteriorly, the longest ray nearly equal to distance from front of pupil to end of head, the last ray only one third as long; longest anal ray two and one half in head, last anal ray two fifths as long as the longest; pseudobranchiae well developed; tongue with evident teeth. Color in spirits silvery, with purplish iridescence on back; scales. without punctulations; belly whitish; dorsal and caudal fins dark on terminal half, pale at base; other fins all pale. Length, without caudal, 8 inches; total length, 94 inches; depth 13 inches; head, 2% inches; eye, ;’¢ inch; maxilla, 7; inch; interorbital width equal to diameter of eye. | Mr Annin wrote me that the people at Canandaigua lake told him that there were large quantities of small lake shiners, as they are called, in the lake. A fisherman said that they are seen m immense schools at the top of the water occasionally, and, by firing a gun loaded with shot into them, men can stun them so as to pick up quite a number. They are eagerly sought after for trolling bait for the salmon trout found in that lake. This species is recorded with certainty from Lake Michigan only. It is taken in gill nets in deep water and, notwithstand- ing its small size, has become commercially important. It is FISHES OF NEW YORK Dat. here for the first time announced as a member of the New York fauna, and the description leaves no doubt of the correctness of the identification. The fish examined, a female with ripe eggs, was taken in Canandaigua lake, Dec. 19, 1896, by Mr Annin’s men. It was the only one caught, and was captured by becom- ing gilled in the funnel of the net. Mr Annin is satisfied that this is the lake shiner of the fishermen, which they sometimes see in immense schools at the surface, and kill for trolling bait by shooting them. 128 Argyrosomus prognathus (H. M. Smith) Long Jaw; Bloater ‘ Coregonus prognathus HucH M. SmiTH, Bull. U.S. F. C. XIV, 4, pl. 4, fig. 3. 1895, Lake Ontario, at Wilson N. Y. Argyrosomus hoyi M1Ln=R, Rept. U. S. F. C. II, 86, 1874, Outer Island, Lake Superior, not of GILL. Argyrosomus prognathus EVERMANN & Situ, Rept. U. S. F. C. XX, 314,. pl. 26, 1896; JorDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 471, 1896. Body oblong, much compressed, back elevated, tapering rather abruptly toward the narrow caudal peduncle, the adult tish hav- ing a slight nuchal hump asin ©. clupeiformis; greatest depth three and one half to four in body length; head rather short and deep, pointed, four to four and one third in length; greatest width half the length, cranial ridges prominent; snout straight, its tip on level with lower edge of pupil; top of head two in distance from occiput to front of dorsal; mouth large and strong, maxillary reaching to opposite middle of pupil, two and one half in head, length three times its width, mandible long, projecting beyond upper jaw when mouth is closed, reach- ing to or beyond posterior edge of eye, one and three fourths to one and seven eighths in head; eye small, five in head, one and one half in snout, one and one third in interorbital space, one and one half in suborbital space; gill rakers slender, about length of eye, 13 above and 25 below angle. Adipose fin the length of eye, its width half its length. Narrowest part of cau- dal peduncle contained nearly four times in greatest body depth. Dorsal rather high, with nine or ten developed rays, the longest one half longer than base of fin and contained one and three 238 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM fourths times in greatest body depth, three and one fourth times in distance between dorsal and snout, and one and one half times in head; free margin slightly concave; origin midway between end of snout and base of caudal; dorsal base opposite nine scales. Anal with 10 to 12 developed rays, the longest ray equal to base of fin and two thirds of hight of dorsal. Wentrals as long ag dorsal is high, their origin midway between anterior edge of orbit and base of caudal. Ventral appendage short, covering about three scales. Pectorals as long as ventrals. Scales rather large, about 75 in lateral line, seven or eight above the lateral line, seven or eight below the lateral line. Lateral jine straight except at origin, where it presents a rather marked curve. Sides of body uniformly bright silvery, with pronounced bluish reflection in life; the back dusky, the under parts pure white without silvery color. Above lateral line, light longitudi- nal stripes involving central part of scales extend whole length of body. Fins flesh color or pinkish in life, the dorsal and cau- dal usually showing dusky edges; postorbital area with a bright golden reflection; iris golden, pupil black. Branchiostegals, eight. Average length, 15 inches. Habitat: Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, and doubtless the entire Great lake basin, in deep water. This fish is called long-jaw in Lakes Michigan and Ontario. Specimens were obtained from John 8S. Wilson of Wilson N. Y. and from George M. Schwartz of Rochester N. Y. Dr R. R. Gurley also secured examples at Nine Mile Point N. Y. in June 1898. This species is quite different from any other whitefish inhab- iting the Great lake basin. It may be at once distinguished from all the whitefishes known to occur in the United States by the general form of body combined with the very long lower jaw, which is contained less than twice in the length of the head and extends backward to or beyond the posterior edge of orbit. 129 Argyrosomus tullibee (Richardson) Tullibee; Mongrel Whitefish Salino (Coregonus) tullibee Ricuarpson, Fauna Bor.-Amer, III, 201, 1836, Cumberland House, Pine Island Lake. FISHES OF NEW YORK 239 Coregonus tullibee GuNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 199, 1866; Jorpan & ‘GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 301, 1883; JoRDAN, Cat. Fish. N. A. 43, 1885; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 70, pl. 27, fig. 49, 1893. Argyrosomus tullibee JORDAN, Man. Vert. ed. 2, 361, 1878; EvERMANN & SmitH, Rept. U. S. F. C. XX, 320, pl. 28, 1896; JornpAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 473, 1896; BEAN, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 348, 1897. The body of the tullibee is very short, deep and compressed; its greatest hight about one third of the length without caudal. The head is pointed, as in the blackfin, the mouth large, with the lower jaw scarcely longer than the upper. The maxilla extends to below the middle of the eye. The eye equals the snout in length and is two ninths of length of the head. Scales _ much larger on front part of body than on the caudal peduncle. The gill rakers are long, slender and numerous, about 30 below the angle on the first arch. D.11; A.11. Scales in lateral line 74, eight rows above and seven below lateral line; pyloric caeca, 120. The upper parts are bluish; sides white and minutely dotted. The spermary, according to Richardson, is wood brown. This species is usually called the tullibee, but in Lakes Erie and Michigan it-is sometimes styled the mongrel whitefish on the supposition that it is a cross between the common white- fish and the lake herring. The tullibee has been taken recently in Lake Michigan; and Dr E. Sterling had a specimen from Lake Erie. It is found occa- sionally in others of the Great lakes and extends northward into British America; but is comparatively little known to the fisher- men and is very rare in collections. This fish grows to a length of 18 inches. | The late F. C. Gilchrist was the first to describe the habits of the tullibee, and this he did in Forest and Stream in the following language. In September they will again be found gradually nearing the ‘Shoal water, feeding heavily, and plump with fat and the now swelling ovaries. Later on they appear to eat little or nothing and devote all their time to playing until about the 25th of October, when they have settled down to the business of propa- gation, which they have finished by November 10. They prefer shallow water close to shore with clean sand to spawn on, and 240 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM during the day they may be seen in pairs and small schools, pok- ing along the shores, but at night they come in thousands and keep up a constant loud splashing and fluttering, very strange and weird on a calm night. Two years ago I carefuly counted the ova from a ripe fish 24 pounds in weight, and found there were 23,700, closely resembling whitefish eggs in appearance, but somewhat smaller. After spawning the fish are very thin, lank, dull in color, and quite unfit for human food. James Annin jr furnished me the following notes on the spawning of the tullibee in Onondaga lake, N. Y. They generally commence running up onto the shoals about November 15, and the season extends into December. They come ‘up to the banks or gravelly shoals and spawn in from 8 to 6 and 7 feet of water. They have never been caught with the hook in this lake; and an old fisherman told me that he had tried almost every kind of bait, and had used the very finest gut and the smallest hooks baited with Gammarus (fresh-water shrimp) and other kinds of natural food—that is, he supposed the food was natural to them. At the same time, he claims he could see them in large schools lying in the water 8 or 10 feet from the surface. A female tullibee was sent from Onondaga lake by Mr Annin Nov. 18, 1895, and another of the same sex Nov. 25, 1896. The following notes relate to the female obtained Nov. 18, 1895. Inches Length (oend: Of 1Camdar. oes oP oe ce tote cee cea chara Scat tee meee 18% Leneth of upper, caudal dope. iy eek ae eae ee 25% lbeneth. of middleceairdalenays i i.05 seas tos ee ee eae eee 1 Least depth of caudal, pedumele . 2... .2.. 6.68. age oe ne ews 1% PDepth-o£: body. at -Gorsal| Ora oy ase eacete neue ees a enene ee 45% ‘PBenethOk Meads Guess eee ech os coke telah rote Wetec Sed me eae ke eee eae ee 314 Toe Uh sOL AMAR a oe ers oe eh tan cat Rae aut coe tech a en enema RZ WMiamMeLErt OL CVG: cy. ue N cies cla eles Wiel ict NyIe te ager ete ett debe enone 58 heneth: of dongest sei) (rake |. ae ie Bee Sas Seabee keels eee 16 The mandible projects slightly. B. 8; D. 11; A. 11; V. 11. Scales 8—75-8; gill rakers, 17+27. The female received Noy. 25, 1896, is 15 inches long. New York is well supplied with Coregonidae, having seven of the 16 North American species. C. quadrilateralis is the frostfish of the Adirondacks and the Great lakes. C. clupeiformis, the common whitefish, inhabits the Great lakes and Lake Champlain; it is very abundant also in the FISHES OF NEW YORK 241 Adirondacks. Argyrosomus osmeriformis is a shapely little herring of Seneca and Skaneateles lakes. A. artedi is the common lake herring or cisco. of the Great lakes and Lake Champlain. A. hoyi, the lake shiner, or Hoy’s whitefish, is above recorded from Canandaigua lake. A. prognathus, the long-jaw, the only summer spawning whitefish so far as known, lives in Lake Ontario; and, finally, A. tullibee, is the fine whitefish of Onondaga lake. Genus oncoruyncuus Suckley Body elongate, subfusiform, or compressed; mouth wide, the maxillary long, lanceolate, usually extending beyond the eye; jaws with moderate teeth, which become in the adult male enormously enlarged in front; vomer long and narrow, flat, -with a series of teeth both on the head and the shaft, the latter series comparatively short and weak; palatines with a series of teeth; tongue with a marginal series on each side; teeth on vomer and tongue often lost with age; no teeth on the hyoid ‘bone; branchiostegals more or less increased in number; scales moderate or smail; dorsal fin moderate; anal fin comparatively elongate, of 14 to 20 rays; pyloric appendages in increased num- ber; gill rakers rather numerous; ova large; sexual peculiarities very strongly developed; the snout in the adult males in summer cand fall greatly distorted, the premaxillaries prolonged, hooking over the lower jaw, which in turn is greatly elongate and some- what hooked at tip, the teeth on these bones also greatly en- ljarged. The body becomes deep and compressed, a fleshy hump is developed before the dorsal fin, and the scales of the back ‘become embedded in the flesh; the flesh, which is red and rich in ‘Spring, becomes dry and poor. Salmon, mostly of large size, ascending the rivers tributary to the north Pacific in North America and Asia, spawning in the fall. 130 Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum) King Salmon; Quinnat Salmon; Chinook Salmon (Introduced) Salmo tshawytscha WALBAvum, Artedi. Gen. Pisce. III, 71, 1792. Salmo quinnat RIcHARDSON, Fauna Bor.-Amer. III, 219, 1886; GrrarRD, Pac. R. R. Exp. Fish. 306, pl. 67, 1858. ‘Oncorhynchus quinnat GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 158, 1866. QA? . NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Oncorhynchus orientalis GUNTHER, op. cit. 159, 1866. Oncorhynchus chouicha JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 306, 1888; STONE in Fish & Fish. Ind. U. S. I, 479, pl. 186, lower fig. 1884;. BEAN, Bull. U. S. F. C. [X, 190, pl. XLVI, fig. 1, 1891; Fishes Penna. (ike ay Oncorhynchus tschawytscha JORDAN & HVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 479, 1896, pl. LX XVII, fig. 206, 1900. Body stout, moderately elongate, its greatest depth contained three and twothirds to four times in total length without caudal; — caudal peduncle short and stout, its least depth one third of greatest depth of body; head conical, pointed, its length one fourth of total length without caudal; eye small; less than one half of length of snout, and about one seventh of length of head; maxilla slender, its width scarcely one fourth its length, which is one half the length of head; nostrils nearly midway between eye and tip of snout; teeth small, longer on sides of lower jaw than: in front, vomerines few and weak, disappearing in the males; gill rakers usually about 23, of which 14 are below the angle of the first arch; dorsal origin midway between tip of snout and base of upper external caudal rays, the base of the fin as long as the longest ray, one half as long as the head, the last ray two fifths as long as the longest; adipose fin over the end of the anal, its width scarcely one half its length, which is two sevenths of the length of the head. The anal base is three fifths as long as the head; the longest anal ray is two fifths as long as. the head and more than twice as long as the last ray. The ven- tral is under the last rays of the dorsal, midway between. front of eye and base of caudal, its length one half the length of head, its appendage one half as long as the fin. Pectoral as long as. postorbital part of head. B. usually 17 or 18; D. 11; A. in, 15 or 16. Scales usually 27-146-29, sometimes as many as 155 in a longitudinal series. Vertebrae 66. Pyloric caeca 140 to 185. io he quinnat salmon is the largest and finest of the Pacific salmon. It ranges from Monterey Cal. to Alaska and eastern: Asia, ascending rivers in some cases 1500 miles or farther from the sea. It has been introduced into lakes of New York, but there is no evidence that it has become established in any waters. of the state. Possibly better results might be secured if larger fish were selected for the experimental stocking. f ake FISHES OF NEW YORK f 243° This is the largest fish of the salmon family, individuals weighing 100 pounds and measuring upward of 5 feet in length being on record from the Yukon and other Alaskan rivers. The average weight of adults is above 20 pounds. The flesh of this salmon is paler in color than that of the red salmon, but it is Superior in flavor to all others. The quinnat is the first to arrive near the shores in the spring, and the time of the run depends on the latitude, becoming later and later till, in Norton sound, the present known northern limit of its migration, it appears early in June. Unless the spawning period be close at hand, it does not ascend rivers rapidly, but generally plays around for a few days, or even a couple of weeks, near the river limit of tide water. It has been estimated that it proceeds up the Columbia river at the rate of 100 miles a month till the exigencies of reproduction compel a faster rate of travel. In the sea this salmon feeds on herring, caplin, and crusta- ceans. A male of about 35 pounds, taken at Karluk August 4, had in its stomach 45 caplin. In fresh water the fish take no food. Spawning takes place near the head waters of streams in clear shallow rapids. The fish excavate oblong cavities in the gravel beds where there is a current, and in these nests the eggs and milt are deposited. The eggs are protected from some of their enemies and fatalities by their environment, but are still a prey to freshets and to the pestiferous little fresh-water sculpins, or blobs, that abound in all trout and salmon waters, so far as ob- served. The young are hatched in from 60 to 100 days. They are destroyed in large numbers by aquatic birds, blobs, and large fishes. The adults are killed by seals, sea lions, and sharks. After spawning, nearly.all the parent fish die, specially those that ascend rivers a long distance. The quinnat is a very valuable fish for canning, salting and smoking. If it could be acclimated in the Great lakes, it would form the basis of new and important industries. The practica- bility of rearing this species in fresh waters without access to the sea has been satisfactorily demonstrated in France by Dr Jousset de Bellesme, director of the aquarium of the Trocadéro. 244 NEW YORK STATE MUSHUM The results of the experiment of introducing this salmon into New York waters are as yet unknown, but it is to be hoped that it will be successful. Since the change of method by which larger fish are employed for transplanting, the outlook appears to be more favorable. s Genus saumo (Artedi) Linnaeus Body elongate, somewhat compressed; mouth large, jaws, palatines, and tongue toothed, as in related genera, vomer flat, its shaft not depressed, a few teeth on the chevron of the vomer, behind which is a somewhat irregular single or double series of teeth, which in the migratory forms are usually deciduous with — age; scales large or small, 110 to 200 in a longitudinal series; dorsal and anal fins short, usually of 10 to 12 rays each; caudal fin truncate, emarginate or forked, its peduncle comparatively — stout; sexual peculiarities variously developed, the males in typical species with the jaws prolonged and the front teeth en-. _larged, the lower jaw being hooked upward at the end and the upper jaw emarginate or perforate. In the larger and migratory species these peculiarities are most marked. Species of moder- ate or large size, black spotted, abounding in the rivers and lakes of North America, Asia and Europe; no fresh-water species occurring in America east of the Mississippi valley; two Atlantic species, marine and anadromous. The nonmigratory species (subgenus Trutta) are in both continents very closely related and difficult to distinguish, if indeed all be not necessarily re- garded as forms of a single one. The excessive variations in color and form have given rise to a host of nominal species. 131 Salmo salar Linnaeus Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar LinnaEvus, Syst. Nat. ed. X, I, 308, 1758; Seas of Europe; MITCHILL, Trans, Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 485, 1815; DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 241, pl. 38, fig. 122, 1842; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 11, 1866; StorER, Hist. Fish. Mass. 142, pl. XXV, fig. 2, 1867; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 312, 1883; Goopz, Fish & Wish, Ind. U. S. I, 468, pl. 186, upper fig. 1884; Bran, Fishes Penna. 74, color pl. 4, 1898; JorDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 486, 1896; BEAN, Bull. Amer, Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 344, 1897. FISHES OF NEW YORK 2A5 The Atlantic salmon has a moderately thick and elongate body. The greatest hight, at the origin of the dorsal fin, is two ninths of the total length without caudal. The caudal peduncle is rather slender; its least depth about one third of the greatest depth of body. The head is comparatively small; its length in the female about one fifth of total without caudal. The eye is placed at a distance from the top of the head equal to its own diameter. It is one half as long as the snout, and about one seventh of length of head. The maxillary reaches a little past the eye in adults. Its length equals the depth of caudal peduncle. The dorsal origin is midway between tip of snout and adipose fin. The adipose fin is long and narrow, its width one half its length, and equal to length of eye. The base is’ slightly longer than its longest ray, and nearly one eighth of total without caudal. The last dorsal ray is about one third of length of dorsal base. The ventral origin is nearly under the end of the dorsal base. The length of the fin equals one half the length of head. The appendage is two fifths of the length of the fin. The pectoral is as long as the dorsal base. The distance of the ventral origin from the anal origin is a little more than length of head. The longest anal ray equals length of ventral. The last ray is two fifths of length of longest. B. 11; D. 11 divided rays and 3 rudiments; A. 9 divided rays and 3 rudiments. Scales 23, 120, 21. Vertebrae 60. Pyloric cacca 60 to 70. In the adult the upper parts are brownish or grayish; the sides silvery. Numerous X-shaped or XX-shaped black spots on the upper half of the body, side of the head, and on the fins. Males in the breeding season have red blotches along the sides. In the young there are from 10 to 12 dark crossbars mingled with red blotches and black spots. The salmon in America has but a single common name. When the young have reached a length of 2 inches and taken on the -yermilion spots and dark cross bands, they are called parr, and retain this name while they remain in fresh water. Before descending to the sea in the second or third spring, the parr assumes a bright silvery coat and is then known as a smolt. 246 NEW YORK STATD MUSEUM After a sojourn in salt water lasting from four months to about two years, it may return to its native river either as a sexually immature salmon or as a grilse, the female not yet ready for reproducing its species though the male is sexually mature. The landlocked variety of the Atlantic salmon has been vari- ously denominated fresh-water salmon, Schoodic trout, Sebago trout, dwarf salmon and winninish, the last in use in the Sagi- haw region. In some Nova Scotian rivers a misnomer, gray- ling, is applied to the landlocked salmon. | This species inhabits the north Atlantic, ascending rivers of . EKurope and America for the purpose of reproduction. In Europe it extends southward to France, and in the United’ States the most southern river in which specimens have beem obtained is the Potomac. It occurs in small numbers in the Delaware and in large numbers in the Hudson, but in the last three river basins mentioned its presence is the result of arti- ficial introduction. It is not found in abundance south of the Merrimac, and in rivers of New England and Canada in whicl: it is native it is maintained almost exclusively by artificial culture. The usual weight of the Atlantic salmon ranges from: 15 to 40 pounds, but individuals weighing 60 pounds have been: recorded. The growth of the salmon is accomplished chiefly in the ocean. As a rule the adults enter the rivers on a rising tempepature when ready to deposit their eggs, the spawning occurring on the falling temperature in water not warmer than 50°. The time of entering the Delaware and Hudson is April,. the Connecticut a little later, the Merrimac still later; to the Penobscot the salmon come most abundantly in June and July;. and to the Miramichi from the middle of June to October. The salmon is not much affected by changes in temperature of the water, enduring a range of fully 45°. The eggs are deposited in shoal water on sandy or gravelly bottom, the parent. fish making deep depressions by means of their noses or by flopping motions of the tail. The period of egg-depositing lasts from 5 to 12 days. The spawning season begins about the middle of October and may run into December. In some European FISHES OF NEW YORK 247 wivers the season continues till February. The eggs are about one fourth of an inch in diameter, and the female is estimated to have about 1000 for each pound of her weight. In the Penobscot, according to the observations of Mr Atkins, an eight pound female yields from 5000 to 6000 eggs; and a female of 40 pounds about 15,000 eggs. The hatching period ranges from 140 to 200 days or more, depending on the temperature. A newly hatched salmon is about three fourths of an inch Jong, and the yolk sack is absorbed in from a month to six weeks. It then begins to feed on small organisms in the water. At the age of two months it measures 14 inches and begins to show crossbars and red spots, gradually coming into the parr stage. In the sea the salmon feeds on herring, caplin, ssand lance, smelt and other small fishes, besides crustaceans; but during its stay in fresh water it takes no food. Among the worst enemies of salmon eggs are trout, eels, suckers and frogs. Numerous species of birds destroy the fry, among them sheldrakes, kingfishers, gulls and terns. _ The value of the salmon as a food and game fish is so well ‘known as to require no description here. Those that find their way into market are usually caught in pound nets, gill nets or seines, and the bulk of them are taken at or near the mouths of the streams which they are about to enter for the purpose of spawning. Many are captured in the upper reaches of streams by the spear. Eggs of the Atlantic salmon, just on the point of hatching, from the Restigouche river, Canada, were received at the 'New York aquarium from Percy Baker about May 1, 1897. Several hundred healthy embryos were obtained from them. These ‘were reared almost without loss till June 18, when the temper- ature of the water had reached 76° and nearly all perished. November 27, one of the few survivors was 32 inches long. Liver was the principal food of the fry. Mitchill, in the first volume of the transactions of the Literary and Philosophical Society of New York, says that the salmon 4‘has been taken, since the discovery, a few times in the Hudson. 248 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM But here he is a straggling fish, and not in his regular home- There is no steady migration of salmon to this river. Though pains have been taken to cherish the breed, salmon has never frequented the Hudson in any other manner than as a Stray.’ In 1842 DekKay published the following note: The sea salmon rarely now appears on our coast except aS a straggling visitor. Such an occurrence took place in August 1840, when a salmon weighing 8 pounds entered the Hudson river, and ascended it more than 150 miles, when it was taken near Troy... It now is only seen on our northern bor- ders, ascending the St Lawrence from the sea, and appearing in Lake Ontario in April, and leaving it again in October or November. They were formerly very abundant in the lakes in the interior of the state which communicated with Lake Ontario; but the artificial impediments thrown in their way have greatly decreased their numbers, and in many cases caused their total destruction. I have seen some from Oneida lake weighing 10 and 15 pounds... They are occasionally found in Lake Ontario during the whole year; but, as the same instinct which compels them to ascend rivers also leads them again to the sea, and as there is no barrier opposed to their return, we may pre- Sume that these are sickly or possibly barren individuals. Experiments for restocking the Hudson are now in progress, and it is probable that the river may again become a salmomw stream. 132 Salmo salar sebago (Girard) Landlocked Salmon (Introduced) - Salmo sebago GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 380, 18538, Sebago -Lake,. Maine; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 153, 1866. Salmo salar var. sebago JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 312... 1883. Gs Salmo gloverii GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sei. Phila. 85, 1854; GuNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 153, 1866. Salmo salar sebago JORDAN & HVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. ‘AST, 1896; BEAN, Bull. ‘Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 344, 1897. There are at least two well marked races of salar salmom which do not enter the sea but live permanently in fresh water. Both of these differ from the migratory salmon in several par- ticulars: they are smaller, their eggs are larger, they retain the parr marks much longer, they are more subject to_disease attending the egg-producing season, and the young grow more Sa San de. ; be } FISHES OF NEW YORK 249 rapidly. The ou a naniche of the Saguenay river country is the farthest removed from the typical sea salmon by its very much smaller size, larger fins and different pattern of coloration. The larger of the two landlocked salmon of the United States is found in the four river basins of the state of Maine, the Presumpscot, Sebec, Union and St Croix. Here the weights vary considerably, spawning fish ranging all the way from 3 pounds to 10 or 12 pounds, while occasional individuals reach 25 pounds. The Sebago form is the one that has been intro- duced into the Adirondack lakes and other New York waters. Spawning begins late in October, but is at its hight in November. Eggs are shipped in January, February and March, and the fry are ready for planting in June. "At Green lake, Me., the landlocked salmon often endure a: Summer temperature above 80° F., but they refuse to take food when the water reaches 75°. This salmon has been introduced into New York waters from Maine, and appears to have become established in several locali- ties. A very fine example was obtained from the South Side Sportsmen’s Club of Long Island, but it was injured in transpor- tation and never recovered. In April 1896 several individuals from Maine were presented by Eugene G. Blackford. One of these lived in a tank of salt water in the New York aquarium for 19 months, and was then frightened by visitors when the water was drawn low for cleaning, and injured itself so badly that it died after a few hours of struggling. The following measurements were obtained from the fresh fish. Inches OMe TURE en rae Potten, ot lata Chats touat a ae a EWE ia attord) Sra we eaten fall 24 Middle caudal rays from end of scales..... alate a 1% eR tr) Ns Pid ce ac ln\) 0s) any « faba @ wh NK, So @) ein, Slece! Blac aele, whe a 4 Mean ennn OF CAlUOal PCGUNCIE. 2.6 oo ccm c soe cels ow bales cee 1% ite) oe bly cil PRAIA SWS imei 1 A INR AAs 0 Rr ee Ae ee 43/, SNOUT Oe een eee ae mai te TON fo Fa A SOs REM EW AN ULE PN 1% Sia ee eR Ste NS A SMR oct vo 3. vbdleve's, «6 eusleriate, onelgiaiw tela e%e Ié LST ng cyte Peete ieee ARI aa i ih rb ie a 7 OE UE, DSSS TES WL eso Re Sc eS a rn 9% LOU SELL Da Sg Ae Sear kag ick Oe? Oe a ee a ES Ae ce ca 234 of ESE MOIETY ne OR aaa casa st a a ac a ah oc 23% “LES Eh UGS TUUS EDI GN i S95 Satie pak | P20 pe area ean re ea ee oe Ra a a 1% 250 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Inches SOULE TZ LO {AV GMU alte. cesses we peters eeeae ote peher ere taka wien fet «et vane tenet telstra 114% Lengthy Of ventralis 5 sree Sets cain & eNoterctetara ete eis ni wiile dal heteretestvve SoS 20, SMOUt EO sa Ws ec aS Ae Sie a eae et eee ee 163, 20 0620) Ml Cys (ey ey, dames in ee PS SG, ho yigaciy Io NWA OS cae CES Skee So 1B TeONPESt AN AISEDY OF sc ime eels hele otehiets precetere ar cbe ie! jake le choke eect ae enema 1% “7s alae lana. Baty Reed aoe ee Saat tyne,» ko aoe te ee 1% Snoutsto-.adipose, GOrsaks case Se hse Cae sole shcaecs wee cs’ nee ee - 17% Width of adipose dorsal... .......:...5. Ub She Stes ranean ah geno ene Ve Henesth, Of adipose: COrSal ie eb s Gioia sone ones) vce ehetie te ote eee 34 Lens th ‘of pectoral octet hes Mi. SO Ree ate ee 3, EXP BOT. PAWN. chassis aioe ys iecoae gave te’ ouews beve sa loeieyatenie! poles osale wate Mehcla ecae mtn 24 oi] 2 pe) FL el eee reieiry A hah a ee cme maa hi ats REM Eo Sa 2. The head has about 28 dark spots, the largest on the gill cover, oblong, 3 inch long. Body with many large and small black spots, a few with a pale ring around them, and some as large as the largest on the gill cover; one on the caudal peduncle of one . Side distinctly X-shaped. General color dark bluish gray; belly and lower parts iridescent silvery; fins all dusky; the dorsal with many black spots; eye pale lemon, the upper part dusky. Gill rakers, 9411, the longest -2;inch. B. 11; D. 10. Scales, 21-123-20. . 133 Salmo henshawi Gill & Jordan Lake Tahoe Trout; Red-throat Trout (Introduced) Salmo henshawi GILL & JORDAN, Man. Vert. ed. 2, 358, 1878, Lake Tahoe; Rept. Chief Eng. Part 3, 1878, App. NN, 1619, pl. IV;.JorRDAN, Proce. U. S. Nat. Mus. I, 75, 1878. Salmo purpuratus var. henshawi JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 316, 18838. Salmo mykiss CHENEY, Third Ann. Rept. N. Y. Comm. Fish. 239, color pl. facing p. 238, 1898. Salmo mykiss henshawi JORDAN, Bull. U. S. F. C. IX, 14, pl. Il, fig. 5, 1891; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 493, 1896. Salmo clarkii henshawi JORDAN & HVERMANN, op. cit. 2819, pl. LX XIX, fig. 208, 1900. Body elongate, not much compressed, its greatest depth one fourth of the total length without caudal; caudal peduncle rather long; its least depth equaling two fifths of the length of the head; head long, conical, slender, its length contained about four times in the total to caudal base; a slight keel on the top of the head; snout obtusely pointed; maxilla not extending far behind the eye, about equal to pectoral, which is three fifths of FISHES OF NEW YORK 251 length of head; gill rakers short and stout, about 18 on the first arch, of which 13 are below the angle; vomerine teeth in two long, alternating series; hyoid teeth rather weak, in a small - patch; dorsal fin small, its last rays two thirds as long as the highest; anal fin rather high; caudal short and distinctly forked. D. 9 to 11; A. 12; B. 10. Scales 27 to 37-160 to 200-27 to 40; pyloric caeca 50 to 60. Color dark green in life, varying to pale green; the sides sil- very with a broad coppery shade which extends also on the cheeks and opercles; a yellowish tinge on the sides of the lower jaw and red or orange dashes between its rami; back every- where covered with large, roundish black spots; dorsal, adipose _ fin and caudal fin with similar spots, and a few on the anal; ~ belly with black spots. The Tahoe trout is a large species inhabiting Tahoe lake, Pyramid lake, Webber lake, Donner lake, Independence lake, Truckee river, Humboldt river, Carson river, and most streams of the east slope of the Sierra Nevada; it occurs also in the head waters of Feather river, west of the Sierra Nevada, prob- ably by introduction from Nevada. The usual weight is 5 or 6 pounds, but individuals weighing 20 to 29 pounds are recorded. Eggs of the Lake Tahoe (Cal.) trout were obtained by James Annin jr at Caledonia N. Y., and young fish reared at his establishment were sent to the aquarium in November 1896. They throve till the latter part of June 1897, when they were _ overcome by the warm water. They could not endure a transfer to the cooler salt water, like most of the other fish of the salmon family. At Caledonia station, according to Mr Cheney, this fish begins ‘to Spawn before the middle of March and continues for two months. The impregnation of eggs is from 904% to 954, but just before the hatching period a large number of the eggs burst and the embryos are lost. There is loss too between the hatching and feeding times, and the fry do not feed as readily as the brook trout. Altogether, Mr Annin, the superintendent -of 252 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM hatcheries, estimates the total loss between impregnation of the eggs and feeding of the fry as about 40¢. After the fry begin to feed, they are not more difficult to rear than brook trout. 134 Salmo gairdneri Richardson Steelhead; Gairdner’s Trout; Salmon Trout (Introduced) Salmo gairdnerii RICHARDSON, Fauna Bor.-Amer. III, 221, 1836, Columbia River. Fario gairdneri GIRARD, Pac. R. R. Surv. Fishes, 313, pl. LX XI, fig. 1, 1858. 2 Salmo purpuratus GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 116, 1866, not of Pallas. Salmo gairdnerii GUNTHER, op. cit. 118, 1866. Salmo gairdneri JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16,-U. S. Nat. Mus. 318, 1883; BEAN, Bull. U.S. F.C. UX,198, pl. XTX fig) 9) -1S9ih not eo which is young mykiss; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 498, 1896, pl. LXX XI, fig. 215, 1900; CoEnrEY, Third Ann, Rept. N. Y. Comm. Fish. 241, color pl., 1898. Form of 8. salar. Body elongate, little compressed, its greatest depth two ninths of the total length without caudal; caudal peduncle short, its least depth three sevenths of length of head; head rather short, one fifth of total length without caudal, maxilla reaching far behind the eye, its length one half the length of head; eye small, two thirds of length of snout, two elevenths as long as the head; teeth rather small, vomerines in two long, alternating series about as long as the palatine series; gill rakers short and stout, about 20 on the first arch, of which 12 are below the angle; dorsal origin much nearer to tip of snout than to base of caudal, base of dorsal two thirds of length of head, longest dorsal ray one half the length of head and twice as long as last ray; adipose fin very small and nar- row, over the beginning of the anal; caudal fin moderately forked in the young; ventral origin midway between tip of snout and base of caudal, ventral fin one half the depth of body; anal base one half as long as the head, longest anal ray equal to postorbital part of head; pectoral fin one eighth of total length without caudal. B. 11 or 12; D. 11; A. 12. Scales from 137 to 177, usually about 150-28; pyloric caeca 42; vertebrae 38+20— 58. Color olive green above, sides silvery, head, back, dorsal iene ] cay “i - : a . a FISHES OF NEW YORK 253 and caudal fins profusely covered with small black spots, no red between the rami of the lower jaw. The steelhead trout is found in coastwise streams from southern California to Bristol bay, Alaska. It spawns in the late winter and early spring; ripe eggs were obtained at Sitka, ‘Alaska, June 10. Spent fish of this species are frequently taken with the spring run of the king salmon. The economic value of the steelhead is very great; the fish reaches a weight of 30 pounds, though the average weight is under 20 pounds, and the non-anadromous forms seldom exceed 5 or 6 pounds. From information furnished by Mr Annin it appears evident that some of the eggs of trout received at Caledonia N. Y. many years ago from the McLeod river, Cal., as rainbows, really in- cluded both rainbows and steelheads. He finds certain females producing deep salmon colored eggs, while in the same pond and receiving the same food as other females which furnish very light colored, almost white, eggs. Some of the females also differ from others in going to the spawning beds nearly two months earlier. It is now known also that the McLeod con- tains a small-scaled form of the rainbow, known to the Indians as the no-shee, and this also may easily have been sent to the east under the name of rainbow. Striking differences in the appearance and habits of so called rainbows introduced into the various states, lend color to this supposition. . Steelheads were obtained for the New York aquarium in No- vember 1896, from the U. S. Fish Commission. They were hatched from eggs shipped from Fort Gaston Cal. to the station at Craig brook, Me. The length of the trout when received ranged from 4 to 43 inches. After one year they were 10 inches: | long on the average, and weighed many times as much as they did when received. None of them at any time showed a red lateral band such as is present in the rainbow, and they are farther distinguished by the presence of white tips on the ven- tral and anal fins; the dorsal also has a small white tip. They have been kept almost from their arrival in salt water, and 254 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM could not have been kept in the warm Croton water in June. The salt water never rose above 714° F and continued at this high temperature only 10 days. , The N.Y. Fisheries,Game and Forest Commission planted some of these trout in a Long Island stream and some in a lake in northern New York. Those that were planted on Long Island, says Mr Cheney, when rather more than a year old rose to the fly of the trout fisherman and made a most gallant fight, but it is too early to tell the outcome of the experiment. The eggs are one fifth of an inch in diameter; they hatch in 42 to 50 days with water at 50°. 135 Salmo fario Linnaeus ~ Brown Trout (Introduced) Salmo fario LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, I, 30, 1758; Biocu, Ichth. I, 121, taf. 22, & 157, taf. 23, 1785; RicHARDSON, Fauna Bor.-Amer. III, 144, pl. 92, fig. 3, A & B, 1886; Day, Fish. Great. Brit. & Ireland, II, 95, plates CIX, fig.8, CXIII, CXIV, CXVI, fig.1, 1884; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 78, color pl. 6, 1893; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Check-List Fish. N. A. 512, ‘1896. Salmo fario ausonii GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 64, 1866. Salar ausonii CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. X XI, 319, pl. 618, 1848. The brown trout of Europe was introduced into the United States from Germany in February 1883 and in subsequent years; it has now become thoroughly acclimated in the fresh waters of many of the states. The body of this trout is spain short and stout, its greatest depth being contained about four times in the length without the caudal. The caudal peduncle is short and deep, its depth equal to two fifths of the length of the head. The length of the head in adults is one fourth of the total length without. caudal or slightly less. The diameter of the eye is about one fifth of the length of the head, and less than length of snout. The dorsal fin is placed nearer to the tip of the snout than to the root of the tail; the longest ray of this fin equals the dis- tance from the eye to the end of the opercle. The ventral is under the posterior part of the dorsal; its length is about one half that of the head. The adipose dorsal is placed over the end be 7 = > \ft.+ "2" FISHES OF NEW YORK 255 of the anal base; it is long and expanded at the end. The caudal is emarginate in young examples, but nearly truncate in speci- mens 10 inches long. The pectoral is nearly one sixth of the length without the caudal. In the male the jaws are produced, and very old ones have a hook. The maxilla extends to the hind margin of the eye. The triangular head of the vomer has a transverse series of teeth, and the shaft of the bone bears two opposite or alternating series of strong persistent teeth. D. 13-14; A. 10-11; P. 18; V. 9. Scales 25-120-30; pyloric caeca 38-51; vertebrae 57-58. On the head, body and dorsal fin usually numerous red and black spots, the latter circular or X-shaped and some of them with a pale border; a yellowish margin usually present on the front of the dorsal and anal and the outer part of the ventral. The dark spots are few in number below the lateral line. The ground color of the body is brownish or brownish black, varying with food and locality. Names. In European countries in which this species is native it bears the name of trout or brook trout or the equivalents of these terms. In Germany it is bachforelle; in Italy, trota; in France, trwite. In the United States it is known as the brown trout and von Behr trout, the latter in honor of Herr von Behr, president of the Deutscher Fischerie Verein, who has been very active in the acclimation of the fish in America. Distribution. The brown trout is widely distributed in conti- nental Europe and inhabits lakes as well as streams, specially in Norway and Sweden. Tributaries of the White sea, the Bal- tic, the Black sea and the Caspian contain this species. In Great Britain it lives in lakes and streams and has reached a high state of perfection; in Germany and Austria, however, the trout is a characteristic fish, and our supply has been drawn prin- cipally from the former country. Moreau found it at an eleva- ° tion of 7000 feet in the Pyrenees, and a color variety is native to northern Algeria in about 37° north latitude. In the United States the brown trout has been successfully reared in Colorado at an elevation of nearly 2 miles above sea level; it is now well 256 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM established in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Missouri, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Colorado, and several other states. This trout has proved to be well adapted to the region east of the Rocky mountains, which has no native black spotted species, though the western streams and lakes contain many forms in a high state of development. Size. Under favorable conditions the brown trout has been credited with a weight of 22 pounds and a length of 35 inches. In New Zealand rivers, where it was introduced with unusual success, it now approximates equal size; but in most localities 10 pounds is about the limit of weight and 5 or 6 pounds is a. good average, while in some regions the length seldom exceeds 1 foot and the weight ranges from 4 pound to 1 pound. In the United States a wild specimen, seven years old, weighed about 11 pounds. In a well in Scotland an individual aged 15 years measured only about 1 foot in length. These illustrations will serve to show how much the growth of a brown trout is affected by its surroundings and food supply. The species has been known to become sexually mature when two years old and 8 inches long. Habits. The brown trout thrives in clear, cold rapid streams and at the mouths of streams tributary to lakes. In its move- ments it is swift, and it leaps over obstructions like the salmon. It feeds usually in the morning and evening, is more active dur- ing evening and night, and often lies quietly in deep pools or in the shadow of overhanging bushes and trees for hours at a time. It feeds on insects and their larvae, worms, mollusks and small fishes and, like its relative, the rainbow trout, it is fond of the eges of fishes. In Europe it is described as rising eagerly to the surface in pursuit of gnats and is said to grow more rapidly when fed on insects. Reproduction. Spawning begins in October and continues through December and sometimes into January. The eges are from %to + of an inch in diameter and yellowish or reddish in color; they are deposited at intervals during a period of many days in crevices between stones, under projecting roots of trees, and sometimes in nests excavated by the spawning fishes. The Ld FISHES OF NEW YORK 25 parents cover the eggs to some extent with gravel. The hatch- ing period varies according to temperature from 40 to 70 days. Females aged three years furnish on the average about 350 eggs each, but individuals of this age have yielded as many as 700, and even at the age of two years some females produce from 400 to 500. When they are four or five years old, the num- ber of eggs has reached 1500 to 2000. The young thrive in ‘water with a temperature of about 50° F. Sterility in the females is common, and breeding females have been observed to cease reproduction when eight years old. Qualities. The brown trout is in its prime from May to the last of September. Its flesh is very digestible and nutritious, and deeper red than that of the salmon when suitable food is furnished; the flavor and color, however, vary with food and locality. Insect food produces the most rapid growth and best condition. This species has been so long known as one of the noblest of the game fishes and its adaptability for capture with artificial flies because of its feeding habits is so well understood that I need not dwell on these familiar details. The brown trout is remarkably hardy in captivity. A large female, received from Eugene G. Blackford in April 1896, and — placed in a salt-water tank at the aquarium, lived there and throve till 1898. During most of the time the trout was in salt water, but at certain intervals fresh water was substituted for a short time, specially when symptoms of fungus made their appearance. In November 1896 she excavated a shallow depres- sion in the gravel bottom and deposited a lot of eggs. The fish was extremely shy, and never lost its fear of the attendants. Liver and live killifish were used for its food. A very beautiful and interesting hybrid is produced by cross- ing the brown trout and the brook trout. The following is a description of this hybrid: } Salmo (HyBrip—fario+fontinalis) Hybrid Trout In a paper published seven years ago the writer stated, as a result of his studies, that, when a large-scaled trout is crossed 258 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM ‘ with a small-scaled one, the hybrid will be large-scaled which- ever way the cross be made. The hybrid between the brown trout and the brook is a large-scaled form, and it is sterile as far as reported. The aquarium has had this hybrid from the South Side Sportsmen’s Club, and from the New York hatcheries at Cold Spring Harbor L. I. and Caledonia. It is always a strik- ingly handsome fish, and grows to a large size; but it is far less hardy than either of its parents. The cross has always been artificially made, and never occurs naturally. Two specimens studied gave the following measurements in inches: MEASUREMENTS : Caledonia N. Y. Oakdale N. Y- June 10, 1896 Mar. 23, 1897 James Anniv jr G. P. Slade xtreme, lemetly Hoey Pane veh wise xed ele Mae ee nee 9% 144% Length of middle caudal rays from end of scales. 3h eae DDS ENTOESOOGY fisscac hore ter eis telece Giene ekatene ethene ce Geet 1% 316 Least depth of caudal peduncle................. 1B neers Meneth: vot Mead as kee eho ears vouebemoteneyo cue eteuelensos 2 34. TSN SUNOLGS TO UGS oes cio te dere regia ous ig cols ely cle pal tiene teneetebeene % 1% Meme THiOl WPL HAW. vec ieee isos eels oe eis ohe oreialelinntecsda 1% Poca a Th Heng th! Of LOW el Pav es ie Fees 2 olen wee ei oem eae dolecenes 1% PIAA CLS Te OTN OY Coie Siew ro caaere Ne be Gaba even ant Shc wslaci shade onekene setae 16 Ye Distance from snout to dorsal origin............. 354, henethor ‘dorsal DASC I sats. ee ee ie wel een one ee ones 1 ve a Length of longest dorsal ray.................6-- 16 oO 20 Sopa ene thot lastsdorsal ays yvss. sieicuecs says) sioiolisie leceieueheiole 34, eae Distance from snout to ventral origin............ 4% chelate Wens thy ok Vemuri ls ss.) Paceline ee ale Prebeke oho eae Bee ihe 1% gx Distance from snout to anal origin............... 6 Bee Length Of Amal Wasen sii eve tareye wlaleters to,se 6 sin aie torso acess th ene tly Clon Sest aah MA ys eee ee aloe rete Chamalets te 14 henethvot lastanaliray sie io ec ake ees ‘ % The Caledonian specimen has no hyoid teeth; the vomerines are in a very small patch on the head of the bone only. The gill rakers are 4410, the longest about one half the diameter of the eye. It has about 124 tubes in the lateral line. Branchiostegals, 10. The following color notes were taken from the fresh fish. Dorsal fin with numerous dark blotches resembling those of young rainbow; adipose long and slender, amber color with two obscure dusky blotches, one of these very indistinct; lower half of sides pink; ventral, anal and caudal pink; ventral and anal — FISHES OF NEW YORK 259 with a:‘milk white front margin, that in the anal limited behind by a dark line as in brook trout; sides reticulated with large meshes of lemon yellow interspersed with darker purplish or olive. Dorsal blotches are mingled with pale lemon. Pectoral pale vermilion. Eye silvery white with yellowish reflections. The specimen from Oakdale L. I. weighed 20 ounces. It has a triangular patch of vomerine teeth, as found in fonti- nalis, but continued behind by several teeth in a single row, the entire length of the vomerine series being 7g of an inch. 136 Salmo trutta levenensis (Walker) Loch Leven Trout (Introduced) Salmo levenensis WALKER, Wern. Mem. I, 541, 1811; YARRELL, Brit. Fish. ed. Petey. teal: ed. 3, 1, 257, fic. 1859; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 101, 1866; Day, Fish. Great Brit. & Ireland, IT, 92, pl. CX VI, fig. 2 & 2a, 1884; Barrp, Rept. U. S. F. C. XII, LVIII, 1886. Salmo trutta levenensis JORDAN & EVERMANN, Check-List Fish. N. A. 512, 1896. The Loch Leven trout of Great Britain was introduced into the United States from Scotland in 1885 and subsequent years. It is somewhat closely related to the European brown trout, Salmo fario, and has been artificially crossed with that Species in the United States, so that it is sometimes difficult to find the pure bred Loch Levens in fish cultural establishments at home. The body of the Loch Leven is more slender and elongate than that of the brown trout, its greatest depth contained four and one fourth to four and one half times in the total length without caudal. Caudal peduncle slender, its least depth three eighths of the greatest depth of the body, and equal to length of snout and eye combined. The head is rather short and con- ical, its length two ninths to one fifth of the total length without caudal. The snout is one fourth or slightly more than one fourth as long as the head. The interorbital space is somewhat convex, its width equal to three fifths of the length of post- orbital part of head. The eye is of moderate size, its long diameter contained five and one half to six times in the length of the head, and equaling about twice the greatest width of the 20. -; NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM maxilla. The maxilla reaches to or slightly beyond the hind margin of the eye. Teeth rather strong, those in the intermax- illary and mandible the largest, triangular head of vomer with two or three in a transverse series at its base, teeth on the shaft of the vomer usually in a single, partially zigzag, persistent series. Mandible without a hook and little produced even in breeding males. Dorsal origin distant from tip of snout about as far as end of dorsal base from base of caudal; the dorsal fin higher than long, its base one eighth of total length without caudal, its longest ray equal to longest ray of anal fin. The anal fin is much higher than long, its distance from the base of the ventral equaling length of the head. The ventral origin is nearly under the middle of the dorsal; the fin being as long as the postorbital part of the head. Pectoral equals length of head without the snout. Adipose fin very small, its width one half its length which is about equal to eye. Caudal fin emargi- nate unless fully extended, when it becomes truncate, the outer rays about one seventh of total length including caudal. dD. 18 (iv, 9); A. 12 (iii, 9); P. 14; V. 9. Scales 24 to 28-118 to 130-26 to 30; pyloric caeca 47 to 90; vertebrae 56 to 59. Upper parts brownish or greenish olive, or sometimes with a_ reddish tinge, sides silvery with a varying number of x-shaped black spots, or sometimes rounded brown spots or rounded black spots which may be ocellated; occasionally red spots are seen on the sides, and the adipose fin may have several bright orange spots, or it may show a red edge and several dark spots; sides of the head with round black spots; dorsal and adipose fins usually with numerous small brown spots; tip of pectoral black- ish; anal and caudal fins unspotted, but the caudal sometimes has an orange margin and the anal a white edge with black at its base; a similar edge may sometimes be observed on the ventral. The Loch Leven trout is a nonmigratory species, inhabiting Loch Leven and other lakes of southern Scotland and of the. north of England. Its range in Great Britain and on the con- tinent of Europe has been greatly extended by fish cultural ee a oe oe ee FISHES OF NEW YORK 261 operations, and the fish is now fairly well known in the United States, though mixed to some extent with the brown trout, as remarked above. The Loch Leven trout has been recorded of the weight of 18 pounds, but the average weight at 6 years of age is about 7 pounds, though some individuals of that age may reach 10 pounds. The natural -food of this species includes fresh-water mollusks (snails, Buccinum, etc.), crustaceans, worms and small fish. In captivity it is reared on liver, horse flesh, chopped clams and various other meats. As a food fish the Loch Leven is highly esteemed on account of the red color and the delicate flavor of its flesh when obtained from suitable waters; in some localities the flesh often becomes white from lack of food or improper food. The Spawning season may begin late in September or early in October and continue till December. In Michigan it corre- sponds with that of the brook trout. The egg varies from about + to 4. inch in diameter. A trout weighing 2 pounds contained 1944 eggs, the weight of which was 4 pound. The Loch Leven will take the artificial fly as readily as the brown trout and the brook trout. Its great size and strength add to its attractions for the angler. | 137 Salmo irideus Gibbons Rainbow Trout (Introduced) Salmo trideus GIBBONS, Proce. Cal. Ac. Nat. Sci. 36, 1855, San Leandro Creek, Alameda County, Cal.; JorpDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. | Mise ote, mi part, 1883; BEAN, Bulk’ U. S: F. CXL, 36, pk V, tes. 2 & 3, 1894; Fishes Penna. 77, color pl. V, 1898; Ann. Rept. N. Y. Comm. Fish.; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. pl. LXXXI, fig. 216, 1900. Salmo irideus shasta JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 502, 1896. Body short and deep, its greatest depth equaling two sevenths of the total length without caudal. The least depth of caudal peduncle equals one half the length of head. The head is short and deep; its length is contained about four and two thirds times in the total length without the caudal. The snout is short, 262 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM not much longer than the eye, about one fourth the length of head. Diameter of the eye contained four and two thirds times in length of head; maxilla not quite reaching to below hind margin of eye; vomerines in two irregular series; gill rakers about 20. Dorsal origin a little nearer tip of snout than to caudal base. The length of the dorsal base is contained seven and one half times in total without caudal, and slightly exceeds longest dorsal ray; last dorsal ray one half as long as the long- est. Ventral origin is under middle of dorsal base; the fin is as long as the longest dorsal ray; the ventral appendage about as long as the eye; when the ventral is extended, the distance of © its tip from the vent is one third of length of head. _The anal base is a little more than one half as long as the head; the longest anal ray equals the longest dorsal ray; the last ray 18 not quite so long as the eye. Adipose fin short, its width nearly equal to its length and two thirds of diameter of eye. B. 11; D. 11 divided rays and 4 rudiments; A. 10 divided 1 rays and 3 rudiments. Scales 21-135 to 140-20. The upper parts usually greenish blue, sometimes purplish; the sides more or less silvery and profusely spotted with small black spots, which are most numerous above the lateral line; head, dorsal, adipose, and caudal fins also black spotted. Sea- run specimens are uniform silvery without black spots. In the breeding season the broad crimson lateral band becomes brighter, and the sides of both sexes are iridescent purplish. The jaws of the male in the breeding season are not much dis- torted, but they are very much larger than in the female. The rainbow trout is a native of the mountain streams of the Pacific coast and ranges from California to southern Alaska. A smal! example was taken at Sitka, in 1880, by Admiral L. A. Beardslee, U. S. N., and is now in the collection of the U.S. National Museum. This trout is found chiefly in mountain streams west of the Sierra Nevadas. It rarely descends into the lower stretches of the rivers, but occasionally does so and passes out to sea. The rainbow has been extensively intro- duced into many eastern states, but not with uniform success, In Wisconsin, Michigan, Missouri and North Carolina it has been FISHES OF NEW YORK 263 well acclimatized, and it is also fairly established in New York. The average individuals of this species are iess than 1 foot in length, but specimens measuring more than 2 feet and weigh. . ing 13 pounds have been recorded. At Neosho Mo. the young have been artificially grown to a length of nearly 1 foot in a ‘year. The rainbow feeds on worms, insect larvae and salmon eggs. In streams in which the California salmon and rainbow exist together, the rainbow is more destructive to the salmon eggs than any other species. Spawning takes place in winter and early spring, varying with temperature and locality. The bulk of the eggs are usually taken in January, February and March, and the average yield from each female is about 900 eggs. A few of the females spawn when two years old, but about one half of them begin at three years. The egg is from + to 4% inch in diameter; it has a rich cream color when first taken, changing _to pink or flesh color before hatching. The rainbow will live in water of a much higher temperature than the brook trout will endure and it thrives in tidal streams and even in salt water. On Long Island, for example, the South Side Sportsmen’s Club obtains a great deal of fine sport with this trout in the estuary of its trout brook. The flesh of the rainbow is generally much esteemed, and in most localities the game qualities of the fish are scarcely inferior to those of the brook trout. Large rainbow trout do not stand transportation well when ice is used to cool the water in which they are carried. They frequently injure their eyes, and become blind soon after the end of a journey. ‘They are inveterate fighters, and the strong- est invariably rules and harasses the rest. Contrary to what has been stated heretofore, they will not endure high tempera- tures as well as the brook trout, at least in the aquarium. 138 Salmo lemanus Cuvier Swiss Lake Trout (Introduced) Salmo lemanus Cuvierr, Régne Anim. fide Giinther; GunvHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 81, 1866. | Salmo trutta JURINE, Mém. Soc. Phys. Genéye, III, 1, 158, pl. 4, 1825., 264 ' NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Fario lemanus CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. X XI, 300, pl. 617 (male) 1848. Swiss lake trout ATKiIns, Rept. U. S. F. C. XVII, XVIII, XIX, 1898 and 1894. Head well proportioned in its shape, of moderate size, body rather stout; preoperculum with a distinct lower limb, oper- culum rather broad and high; snout of moderate length, rather i produced in the male sex, in which a mandibular hook is devel- | oped in the spawning season; maxillary longer than the snout, and at least as strong and broad as in S. fario; in specimens 12 inches long it extends somewhat behind the vertical from the hind margin of the orbit. Teeth moderately strong, those on the vomer in a single series, alternately bent toward the right and left, persistent throughout life. Pectoral fin rounded, its length being less, and in young individuals more than, one half of its distance from the ventral. The caudal becomes trun- cate with age; in specimens of from 12 to 15 inches in length it is emarginate, the middle rays being half as long as the i outer ones. The hind part of the body of moderate depth; there are 13 or 14 scales in a transverse series descending from behind the adipose fin forward to the lateral line. Back greenish, sides and belly silvery, numerous very small X-shaped black spots on the sides; opercles and dorsal fin with numerous black dots; the other fins greenish. D. 13; A. 12; P. 14; V.9. Scales 26 to 28-115 to 128-36; pyloric caeca, 45-52; vertebrae 57 (once), 58-59. (After Gtinther) Attempts have been made from time to time to introduce into large, cold lakes of the United States the fine lake trout of Lake Geneva, Switzerland. Eggs have been furnished to the U. S. Fish Commission by the Swiss government, and these were hatched at: the Craig brook (Me.) station, and from there the young were distributed to lakes believed to be suitable for the experiment. In New York, the Adirondack League Club. ob- tained 1000 of the young of this species in 1896 and deposited them in Green Jake, in Herkimer county. ‘The specimen de- scribed below is probably one of the results of that experiment. Swiss lake trout were furnished also to the New York Fish Com- FISHES OF NEW YORK 265 mission for planting in Lake George, and 100 yearlings were presented to the New York aquarium. A specimen taken in Green lake, Adirondack League Club preserve, Herkimer co., July 29, 1899, was forwarded to. the U.S. Fish Commission, Washington D. C., and there described by Dr W. C. Kendall, from whose notes the following account is drawn. The total length of the specimen is 112 inches. When first taken it was reported to measure 11? inches. The body is moderately elongate, its greatest depth contained three and three fifths times in the total length to base of caudal. Head large, slightly more than one third of total length to base of caudal; eye rather large, about one fifth of length of head; snout long, about three tenths of length of head; teeth on jaws, palatines and tongue long, curved and sharp, those of the lower jaw longest, shaft of vomer long with a zigzag row of sharp teeth; gill rakers short, the longest one third of diameter of iris, 4+11 on right side, 5+10 on left side. Hight of longest dorsal ray two thirds of length of head. Pectoral five eighths as long as the head. B. 11-12; D.ii, 9; A.i, 8. Scales in lateral line 115. General appearance of Salmo salar sebago, from which it would probably not be distinguished by the casual ob- Server if caught where the landlocked salmon occurs; but the lemanus is distinguishable by the heavier appearance for- ward of the dorsal fin. Color in spirits, brownish on back, top of head and sides of head; sides and belly very silvery; large roundish black spots above lateral line forward and on cheeks and opercles; perpen- dicularly elongate spots forward below lateral line; black of all spots most intense on edges of scales; posteriorly the spots show only on the edges of the scales, being variously crescentic, double or triple crescentic, X or double X shaped; fins pale with slightly dusky tinge; dorsal with 5 transverse rows of black spots. . Mr De Witt, who sent the specimen, furnished the following notes on Green lake, from whence it was forwarded. ‘“ Maxi- mum depth 42 feet, with temperature at bottom at that depth, as far as I have been able to ascertain, about 40°. Has no 266 NPW YORK STATE MUSEUM outlet so far as we know. No brown trout have ever been put in it, and we take it for granted that the specimen I send is one of the ‘Swiss trout.’ ” Genus cristivomeR Gill & Jordan This genus contains one or two species, large, coarse chars, distinguished from Salvelinus by the presence ofa raised crest behind the head of the vomer and free from the shaft; this crest is armed with teeth. The hyoid teeth constitute a strong, cardiform band. The typical species is a large char or trout, spotted with gray instead of red, and found in the larger lakes of eastern North America. (After Jordan and Kvermann) The species namaycush is found also in a lake (Henry) in Idaho, in the Columbia river basin, and northwestward to northern Alaska. 139 Cristivomer namaycush (Walbaum) Lake Trout; Salmon Trout Salmo namaycush WALBAUM, Artedi. Gen. Pisce. III, 68, 1792.. Hudson Bay, based on the Namaycush Salmon of Pennant; RIcHARDSON, Fauna ‘Bor.-Amer. III, 179, pl. 79 & pl. 85, fig. 1, 18386, Great Lakes; THomp- son, Nat. Hist. Vermont, I, 140, figure, 1842; KIRTLAND, Bost. Jour. Nat. IST) LV, 25,0ply Ti te, 2: 1844: GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 1238, 1866. Salmo pallidus RAFINESQUE, Amer, Month. Mag. II, 120, December, 1817. Lake George, Lake Champlain and other lakes; not ascending brooks. Salmo amethystinus MiTcHILu, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. I, 410, 1818. Salmo hoodii RICHARDSON, op. cit. 17, pl. 82, fig. 2, pl. 83, fig. 2, 1836. Salmo confinis DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 288, pl. 38, fig. 128, 1842. Salmo amethystus DE Kay, op. cit. 240, pl. 76, fig. 241. Salmo adirondacus NoRRIs, American Angler’s Book, 255, 1865. Salmo siscowet GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 124, 1866. Salvelinus namaycush JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 317, 1888; GoopE, Fish. & Fish. Ind. U. S. I, 485, pl. 191B, 1884, BEAN, Fishes Penna. 82, color pl. 8, 1898. Cristivomer namaycush JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus, 504, 1896, pl. LX XXII, fig. 217, 1900; Bran, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 348, 1897. The lake trout or Namaycush has a stout and moderately elongate body. The caudal peduncle is slender; its hight little more than one third of the greatest hight of the fish. The eye is large, placed near the top of the head, two thirds as long as FISHES OF NEW YORK 267 the snout, and contained four and a half to five and a half times in length of head. The maxilla reaches far behind the eye; its length nearly half that of head. The .origin of the dorsal is midway between tip of snout and root of tail. The length of the base equals length of maxilla; its longest ray one sixth of total without caudal. The ventral is under the hind part of dorsal; its length half the length of head. The append- age is very short, about half the length of eye. The fin, when extended, reaches nearly to the vent. The distance between ventral origin and anal origin is one fifth of total length with- out caudal. The anal base is about one third of length of head; the longest ray half of length of head; the last ray equal to eye. The pectoral is nearly two thirds as long as the head. B. 11 to 12; D. 9 to 10 besides several rudiments; A. 9 and several rudiments; V. 9. Scales of lateral line about 200. The coloration is extremely variable, generally grayish, in the variety known as the tuladi, nearly black. Alaskan specimens are usually very dark; occasionally the upper parts are pale. The sides are profusely covered with roundish pale spots, some- times with a reddish tinge. On the back and top of head there are fine vermiculations resembling those of the brook trout. The caudal in addition to numerous pale spots has many small dark blotches. The lake trout has received many names, among which are the following: Mackinaw, Namaycush, togue, tuladi, and salmon trout. Additional names of the species are lunge, red trout, gray trout, and black salmon. Togue and tuladi are names ap- plied in Maine, New Brunswick and Canada; Mackinaw and salmon trout in the Great lakes region, the latter used also in New York. Namaycush is of course an Indian name. The lake trout is native in the Great lakes region, lakes of New York and New England, Idaho and northward into Labrador, British America and Alaska. Extending over such a wide range of country, it varies greatly in size, form and color, which will in part account for the various names which it has received. It has been found above the Arctic circle in Alaska. 268 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM / This is one of the largest species of the salmon family resi- dent in fresh waters. It reaches a length of 3 feet, and speci- mens weighing 40 pounds are not uncommon. It is said that an example of 90 pounds and 6 feet in length has been taken. The species is found in its best condition in Lakes Huron, Michi- gan and Superior. In Alaska it grows to a large size, and is a very shapely and beautifully colored fish. The lake trout is one of the most rapacious fishes of its family. In Lake Michigan it feeds largely on the cisco and other small whitefishes. At Two Rivers Wis. a lake trout measuring 23 inches was found to contain a burbot about 17 inches long. The gluttony of this species is proverbial. It will devour table refuse, and materials of this kind have frequently been taken from its stomach. Even twigs, leaves and pieces. of wood have been taken by this trout. The species is much more sluggish in its habits than the brook trout, and is taken on or near the bottom. The gill and pound nets in which this species is princi- pally captured are set in deep water. The spawning of the lake trout usually begins in October and continues into November. For this purpose they come up on rocky shoals and reefs in depths of from 70 to 90 feet, and spawn near the edges of rock caverns, into which the eggs settle. The young are hatched late in the winter or early in spring. In some localities the depth of the spawning areas ranges from 15 fath- oms to only 7 feet. Mr Milner found 14,943 eggs in a lake trout weighing 24 pounds. In the hatchery, with a water tempera- ture of 47°, the young hatch about the last week of January, but their hatching may be retarded several weeks by lower temperatures. The fishery for the lake trout is most active in September, October and November, and the fish are taken chiefly in pound and gill nets. In some regions many of them also are caught with hooks. In Lake Erie a few large trout of this species weighing from 25 to 40 pounds are taken off the city of Erie. In 1885, according to the statistics of the U.S. Fish Commission, 100,000 pounds of lake trout were taken in Erie county, Pa. FISHES OF NEW YORK 269 The only New York examples of lake trout were received from James Annin jr, Caledonia, in the fall of 1896. They lived and erew rapidly till the warm water killed them in June 1897. _ They could not endure transfer to salt water of a lower temper- ature, aS so many other trout will do, and nothing else could be utilized to tide them over till the completion of the refrigerating plant. Owing to the extensive individual and race variation among trout referred to this species, it seems desirable here to give some notes and measurements made from individuals obtained from New Hampshire and Vermont. Two lake trout weighing about 42 pounds each were shipped in a can only a few inches longer than the fish, from Roxbury Vt. November 17, and, after an express journey of 20 hours without an attendant, one of them Survived in good condition, while the other was nearly dead on arrival and died within one hour. The latter was a female, and appears to have injured itself severely by jumping in the can; it was not in good condition when it left Vermont. 12 large brook trout shipped with the lake trout in two cans arrived without injury; these and the lake trout were presented by John W. Tit- comb, Fish and Game Commissioner. Commissioner N. Wentworth of Hudson Center N. H. for- warded the New Hampshire lake trout, one from Newfound lake, the other from Lake Winnepesaukee. They were sent to determine whether the trout of the two lakes, which the fisher- men assert are different Species, really are distinct. The com- missioner wrote that “the Newfound trout has darker flesh, more like the sea salmon. This is not caused by their food, as both lakes are alive with smelt. The Winnepesaukee lake trout are better biters; tons of them are caught through the ice every winter. The Newfound trout are hardly ever caught through the ice. A few were caught last winter for the first time to my knowledge. I am sure there is but one variety of lake trout in Newfound lake. We had one in our tanks this fall that would weigh 25 pounds.” The only differences to be _ found on examination were such as relate to the depths at which 270 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM the two races habitually live; one is the slim, dark colored tuladi, and the other the common lake trout of the Great lakes region. It is necessary, however, to call attention to the lake trout from northern Vermont which furnished one of the series of measurements given below. The gill rakers in that example are few in number and unusually short, four or five on each side being reduced to mere spiny tubercles. The following table gives dimensions in inches. MEASUREMENTS © Newfound Winnipiseo- Roxbury lake gee lake Vt a) 3 Qu ueneth, inclidine camdale 2 os poe eee 241, 271% 22) Length to base of middle caudal rays...... Waa rete 30/5 19% Least depth of caudal peduncle............ 15% 1% ped Greatest depth of body.:...20. 60.0 0.000 see's 45% 63% 414 EEhiekmess SO WO Gis. bs AUN sis oie co ome oases 234 25% 234. Memo OE AVC AM Se. cietie ete ce bace aeue tel olmectohels cent ne 586 61% 4, Ment OL VSM OU: fe tenance siaetniente 2s anetonace te 1 134 1% Length of postorbital part of head......... 34 3% 21% ene TH OL ADDR Ta Wien ale hee ete a eae oe 234, 37% 236 hene th: of amaxallan Montane. eles SARIN UINE RR: 2, 3 ve Diameter Ol CVO ae we OS ie ay ch oltre elapemens 34, 34, Be IMterorbibale Wve pees it) Re ee me 1% 238 1% Distance from snout to dorsal............. 10% .12% 10 Lene th: of dorsal sDasen Wana ise oN ialeial Oran 258 21% “2 Length of longest dorsal ray........... Bae 3 234, 236 Heneth of last’ dorsalmayins verso. ie). eles: 1% 13% 1% From end of dorsal ‘to adipose fin.......... 4, 5 Aly henethaiof, adipose) Tins tio. eg race Pere S 34 1 34, Width of base of adipose fin.............. 38 16 38 Distance from snout to ventral............ A204, 143% 115% Length of longest ventral ray............. 25% 27% 238 Leneth of. last; ventral iray. i). Jo). 0. ee 136 1% vane Length of ventral appendage.............. 34 3% . 58 Distance from snout to ‘anal..... 0... 16 18% 154% Memoth OL ama l WASe Teer. rs ccore snenetaue ta piel rouge 2 23% 1% “ Length of longest anal ray.....0.) 0.0.06. 234, 21 pile Length of last anal ray,......-...6s. esse, a 1 34. Henethiot, PCCtOrAal sy, came uieici. \leuels senate a te 314 3% 344 ‘Length of upper caudal lobe..:.........-.. 334, 334, tea Length of lower caudal lobe.............. 31% 3%, Length of longest gill raker............... 16 16 18 FISHES OF NEW YORK it Gh In the Newfound lake fish we have: B. 11; D. 11; A. 10 (counting divided rays only); Vai, 8;-P. i, 12. Scales 26-195-34 (about 150 tubes); gill rakers, 9413, the long- est a little more than one half the length of eye, the one in the angle club-shaped at the tip. It is a male with spermaries mod- erately small but soft. The body is gray, darker on the back. The outer edge of the pectoral and ventral and the front margin of the anal are white as in fontinalis. A white tip to the lower caudal lobe and a very small one at the top of the dorsal. Otherwise the coloration is like that of ordinary lake trout, which have the pectoral, ventral and anal chiefly vermilion in the breeding season. The male from Winnepesaukee lake has: Petate ta: D105 A. 10; °V. 1,8; P. 12. Gill rakers 8+12, the longest about one half as long as the eye. The ground color isa little lighter than in the Newfound lake trout, and the vermilion of the pectorals, ventrals and anal is less intense. The sper- maries are larger than in the specimen from Newfound, and in about the same stage of development; the body is considerably stouter. The female from Roxbury Vt. shows the following additional characters. . B12; DP. 10; A. 10; V. i, 8: Gill rakers 8:12, the longest exactly one half as long as the eye. The eggs and ovaries are small as in young females. The pectorals, ventrals and anal are chiefly vermilion, as in the male from Newfound lake. The body is Silvery gray with numerous small, whitish spots, these present also on the dorsal. Hon. H. W. Sage is authority for the information that the lake trout was formerly common in the lake near Ithaca. About 1830 a large individual was found stranded in Cayuga lake inlet, about 14 miles from the lake. Genus sauveuinus (Nilsson) Richardson Body moderately elongate; mouth large or small; teeth of jaws, palatines, and tongue essentially asin Salmo, the hyoid patch present or not; vomer boat-shaped, the shaft much de- 22 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM pressed, without raised crest, with teeth on the head of the bone and none on the shaft; scales very small, 200 to 250 in a lengthwise series; fins moderate, the caudal forked in the young, truncate in some species in the adult; sexual peculiarities not strongly marked, the males with the premaxillaries enlarged and a fleshy projection at the tip of the lower jaw. Coloration dark, with round, crimson spots, the lower fins sometimes with mar- ginal bands of black, reddish, and pale. Species numerous in the clear streams and lakes of the northern parts of both con- tinents, sometimes descending to the sea, where they lose their variegated colors and become nearly plain and silvery. The members of this genus are by far the most active and handsome of the trout, and live in the coldest, clearest and most secluded waters. (After Jordan and Evermann) 140 Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill) Brook Trout Salmo fontinalis MircHiLL, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc, N. Y. I, 485, 1815, near New York; RIcHARDSON, Fauna Bor.-Amer. III, 176, pl. 83, fig. 1, 1886; Dr Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 285, pl. 38, fig. 120, 1842; GuNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 152, 1866. Salmo canadensis HAMILTON SMITH in Griffith’s Cuvier, X, 474, 1834, ‘Canada. Salmo immaculatus H. R. StoR=ER, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist, VI, 364, 1850, Lower St Lawrence. Salmo erythrogaster DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 236, pl. 39, fig. 186, 1842. Baione fontinalis DE KAy, op. cit. 244, pl. 20; fig. 58, 1842. Salvelinus fontinalis JonpDAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. I, 81, 1878, in part; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 320, 1883; GooprE, Fish & Hiish. Ind. U. S. I, 497, pl. 192, 1884; Bran, Fishes Penna. 80, color pl. 7, 1893; Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 350, 1897; Bowrrs, Manual Fish Cult. ed. 2, color pl. frontispiece, 1900; JoRDAN & HVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 506, pl. LX XXII, fig. 218, 1900. The brook trout varies greatly in the shape of the body, which is Sometimes short and deep and again elongate and moderately thin. The depth is usually about one fourth or two ninths total length without caudal, and is about equal to length of head. The least depth of the caudal peduncle is a little more than one third of its greatest depth. The head is large and the snout somewhat obtuse. The eye is in front of the middle of its length, a little more than one half as long as the snout, and about one FISHES OF NEW YORK Fie sixth of length of head. The dorsal fin is about midway be- tween tip of snout and root of tail. The length of its base equals about half its greatest depth of body. The longest ray equals length of ventral. The ventral origin is a little behind the middle of the dorsal. In the male, when laid backward, it reaches nearly to the vent. The length of the appendage equals that of the eye. The anal base is two thirds as long as the ventral, its longest ray equal to ventral. The adipose fin is short and stout, its width two thirds of its length and about two thirds of length of eye. D.10; A. 9. Scales in lateral line 295 to,235; six gill rakers above the angle of the first arch; 11 below. The coloration is highly variable with age and locality. The upper parts are usually grayish much mottled with dark olive or black. The dorsal fin and anterior part of caudal base and top of head are also mottled. The caudal has narrow dark bars. The lower fins dusky with a creamy white interior edge bound behind by a narrow black streak. On the sides numerous pale brownish blotches encircle small vermilion spots. The brook or speckled trout of the east is indigenous to the region east of the Alleghany mountains and the Great lakes region, extending from North Carolina on the south to Labra- dor on the north. The distribution of this trout has been won- derfully extended by artificial introduction, as it has always been a favorite with fish culturists. It is now to be found thriving in many of the western states and territories, and is particularly thrifty in Nebraska, Colorado, Nevada, and Cali- fornia. It has also been sent to Mexico and to European coun- tries. The average brook trout seldom exceeds 7 or 8 inches in length, and smaller individuals are much more abundant and require legal protection. In the northeastern part of its habitat the brook trout grows much larger, specimens weighing from 3 to 6 pounds being not uncommon; and in one of the Rangeley lakes an individual weighing 11 pounds is recorded; while Seth Green took a 12 pound specimen in the Sault Ste Marie, and Hallock mentions one which was said to weigh 17 pounds. 274 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM The brook trout does not flourish in water warmer than 689; and prefers a temperature of about 50°. Jt is an inhabitant of the cold, clear mountain streams, and will leave a region which becomes polluted by mill refuse and other hurtful substances. In the Long Island region and around Cape Cod, where the brook trout has free access to salt water, it has the habit of going to sea in the fall and remaining during the winter. It then grows rapidly and becomes a much more beautiful fish than many which live exclusively in fresh water. In hot weather, when the temperature of the streams becomes too high and lakes are accessible, trout seek the deep parts of the lakes and the vicinity of cold springs. In streams they are to be found in deep pools or in channels. They feed in spring and early summer among the rapids on insects and small crusta- ceans. | The brook trout is a nest-builder. Cavities are made in the gravel, and the nest is shaped with the tail, and the larger stones are carried in the mouths of the parents. After the eggs are deposited, they are covered with gravel. The eggs are not all deposited at one time. Spawning usually begins in October, but brook trout are spawning at some locality in almost every month of the year except midsummer. The egg is about $ inch in diameter, and varies in color from pale lemon to orange red. The average yield of the female is from 400 to 600. Livingston Stone has taken 1800 from a fish weighing 1 pound. . The period of hatching will depend on the temperature, ranging from 165 days in water of 37° to 82 days in water of 54°. The yolk sack is absorbed in from 30 to 80 days, and after its absorption the young fish begin to feed. The rate of erowth will of course depend on the amount of food consumed. In artificial culture yearlings, according to Mr Ainsworth’s esti- mate, will average 2 ounces; fish of two.years 4 ounces; of three years, 8 ounces, and of four years, 1 pound. The value of the brook trout as a food fish and its game quali- ties are so well known that I need hardly refer to them here. — The brook trout is well adapted to domestication in aquarium tanks; it soon overcomes its fear of moving objects, takes its FISHES OF NEW YORK 245 food regularly, and is always attractive because of its beauty and eraceful movements. It will live in fresh and salt water. When it is attacked by fungus in fresh water, the parasite is easily killed by introducing salt water, gradually increasing in salinity, and the trout is not at all injured or inconvenienced by the treatment. In captivity the food consists almost entirely of chopped hard clams and liver for the young, while hard clams, live killifish and occasional earthworms are given to the large fish. The increase in size with such feeding is remarkable. abel caudal somewhat wavy. | Color silvery; upper-parts bluish; sides with numerous oblong Spots of a dull orange, none of them more than one third as long’ as the snout, these spots fully as numerous above the lateral line as below it; the membrane connecting the first eight spines of the dorsal black, the rest of the fin white; soft dorsal with a yellowish tinge, its margin dark; anal and ventral white; pec- toral black inside, yellowish with dark borders outside and covered with dusky points; caudal dusky except at base. The Spanish mackerel inhabits the Atlantic and Pacific coasts . of North America, on our coast ranging north to Maine and south to Brazil. It is one of the choicest of our food fishes and grows to the length of 8 feet and the weight of 10 pounds. The species spawns on the Long Island coast in August or earlier. The eggs are very small, about -#s inch in diameter, and they float in salt water. The rate of growth is unknown, as the 398 NEW YORK STATE MUSHUM young are seldom or never seen by persons who know the fish. The Spanish mackerel is caught chiefly in pound nets. It is recorded that the species has been obtained off the coast of Maine by Capt. Atwood. Mitchill describes the species with- out making any remark on its abundance or scarcity, and states that it comes in July. In 1854 the species had very little im- — portance in the New York market, but at the present time it is one of the most highly prized fishes and is obtained in large numbers. Spanish mackerel have been sparingly caught by trolling off Fire island inlet. We did not obtain the species in Great South bay, but Erastus Gordon of Patchogue informed us that it is obtained in moderate numbers. In 1884 the fish was not plentiful and the average price was about $1 each. They appear in New York waters in July and usually leave in September. The spawning season at Long Island begins late in August and continues about a month. The Spanish mackerel congregate in enormous schools. Mr Earll records the appear- ance of a school off Long Island which was estimated to contain several million individuals. The fish are taken principally in traps; a few are caught by trolling, but this is an unsatisfactory method of capture. } 199 Scomberomorus regalis (Bloch) Cero Scomber regalis Buocu, Ichth. pl. 333, 1795, Martinique. Cybium regale GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 372, 1860. Scomberomorus regalis JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull, 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 426, 1888; JorpAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 875, 1896, pl. CXX XV, fig. 369, 1900. Very similar in shape and general appearance to 8. macu- latus; the greatest depth of body one fifth of total length without caudal, the greatest width two fifths of length of head; the least depth of caudal peduncle one half the length of sh i snout; head longer than in S. maculatus, two ninths of | total without caudal; the snout long and very acute, three eighths as long as the head; the interorbital space scarcely con- vex, its width two sevenths of length of head; jaws equal in * - i= ove BoD kK ~ bec * FISHES OF NEW YORK 39D front, maxilla not reaching to hind margin of orbit, the upper jaw equal to snout and eye combined and much more than one half the length of head; the mandible equal to head without snout, reachirg to below hind margin of orbit; 15 or 16 large, compressed, conical teeth in each side of upper jaw, and about the same number of similar teeth in lower; eye large, more than one fifth of iength of head, nearly equal to interorbital space; gill rakers 3+12, the longest one half as long as the eye. The spinous dorsal originates a little farther back than the pec- toral and nearly over the insertion of the ventral; the base of the fin equals its distance from tip of snout; the second spine is the longest, one half as long as snout and eye combined; the fin is shaped as in S. maculatus, the last spine being very short. The interspace between the dorsals is about one third the diameter of the eye. The second dorsal base is one half as long as the head and equal to its longest ray; the last ray is one half as long as the eye; the fin is followed by eight or nine finlets; its upper margin, like that of the anal, is deeply convex. The anal origin is under the middle of the second dor- Sal; the longest ray a little exceeds longest of dorsal; the last ray one haif the length of eye; the fin is followed by eight fin- lets. The caudal keel is‘one third as long as the head; the caudal fin is very deeply forked, the outer rays as long as the head and the lobes narrow at the base. The ventral origin is. midway between tip of snout and vent; the fin is two thirds as long as the snout and extends to below the seventh spine of the dorsal. The pectoral is broad at the base, falcate, its length equal to snout and eye combined, the fin extending to below the 10th spine of the dorsal. D. XVII-i, 15-VIII; A. ii, 14-VIII; V. 1. 5; P.i, 24. Lateral line curved downward below the second dorsal and the second half of it more or less undulat- ing; pectoral scaly. } Color silvery; a narrow longitudinal stripe of brownish or bronze beginning behind the pectoral and running to base of caudal; numerous oblong brownish spots mostly below this Stripe, none of them more than one half the diameter of eye; 400 NEW YORK STATH MUSEUM upper anterior part of spinous dorsal black, the rest of the fin white. The spotted cero is found from Cape Cod to Brazil, but is not common northward; it is abundant in the West Indies. The Species grows to the length of 5 feet and the weight of 20 pounds; it is a fish of the same good qualities as the Spanish mackerel and is readily caught by trolling. 200 Scomberomorus cavalla (Cuvier) Kingfish; Sierra Cybium cavalla CUVIER, Régne Anim., ed. 2, II, 200, 1829, Brazil. Cybium caballa CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. VIII, 187, 1831, Caribbean Sea; Storer, Syn. Fish. N. A. 938, 1846; GunTuER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 373, 1860. Scomberomorus caballa JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 427, 1883. Scomberomorus cavalla DRESSLAR & FESLER, Bull. U. S. F. ©. VII, 444, pl. | XI, 1889; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 875, 1896. Body more slender and elongate than in the other species of the genus, its greatest depth one sixth to one fifth of total length without caudal; rather less compressed than in §S. regale; the least depth of caudal peduncle one half the length of snout; head one fifth of total length without caudal; snout acute, two fifths as long as head; maxilla long, reaching beyond hind margin of orbit; mandible a little longer than snout and eye combined; eye small, one sixth of length of head, the inter- orbital space convex; teeth triangular, much compressed, about 25 to 30 in each side of each jaw; gill rakers very short, eight below the angle on first arch. The spinous dorsal is inserted directly above the origin of the pectoral and slightly behind the ventral; its base equals one half the distance from tip of snout to origin of second dorsal; the second, and longest, spine is three times as long as the last spine and two sevenths as long as the head. The interspace between the two dorsals equals diameter of eye. The second dorsal originates midway between tip of snout and end of middle caudal rays; the base is as long as the snout and eye combined and is about equal to anal base; the longest ray is six times the length of last ray and equal to snout; the upper margin of the fin is deeply concave; the fin is \ ee FISHES OF NEW YORK 401 followed by nine small finlets, all nearly equal in size, about two thirds as long as the eye. The caudal fin is-crescentic, the width of the lobe at base two fifths of its length, the external rays two and one half times as long as the middle rays, meas- ured from root of fin, and one third of distance from tip of snout to origin of second dorsal. The anal origin is under the middle of the second dorsal; the longest anal ray is four times length of last ray and equal to snout; the upper margin is deeply concave; the fin is followed by eight finlets, the longest about one half the diameter of eye. The ventral is a little in advance of pectoral; its length one half the length of mandible, the fin reaching to below the sixth spine of dorsal. The pec- toral is falcate, median, its length equal to snout and eye com- bined, and reaches to below the ninth spine of dorsal. A patch of elongate scales on head behind and below the eye and at the upper angle of the gill opening; several much enlarged scales behind the head, in front of and above the base of pectoral. The lateral line makes a deep downward curve under the end of the spinous dorsal, and its second half is sinuous. A well devel- meen caudal keel. D. XIV to XV, i, 15=VIII to IX; A. il, 15-VIII; V. 1, 5; P. i, 23. | Color grayish silvery, the sides sometimes with dark spots, or yellowish in the young; spinous dorsal blackish above, or with- | out dark blotch. : The kingfish, or cavalla, is a very important and valuable food fish of the tropical Atlantic, coming in immense numbers to the Florida Keys, the West Indies, and north to Charleston, occasionally, in summer, to Cape Cod. Southward it extends to Africa and Brazil, frequenting the open seas. It grows to the length of 6 feet and the weight of 100 pounds. In habits it resembles the Spanish mackerel; it is caught by trolling, and at Key West it is so abundant that two men in a small sailboat sometimes catch more than 100 in a day. The flesh is excellent, either fresh or smoked. 402 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Family rRICHIURIDAE Cutlas Fishes Genus TRICHIURUs Linnaeus Body extremely elongate, bandlike, the tail very slender, tapering to a fine point, without caudal fin; head long, with a very wide mouth; the jaws armed with unequal and very strong \ teeth; upper jaw with about four long, strongly compressed barbed teeth; teeth on the palatines, none on the vomer; lower jaw iongest; preorbital covering cleft of mouth posteriorly; dor- sal fin single, low, occupying the whole of the back, the spines. not distinguishable from the soft rays; anal very long, its base more than half the length of the body, composed of detached spines which are very short, nearly hidden in the skin, the anter- ior directed backward, the posterior forward; ventral fins want- ing; pectorals small; no scales; lateral line decurved, concurrent with the belly; vertebrae 39+120, ribs excessively frail. Color silvery. Voracious fishes of the high seas, reaching a consider- able size. (After Jordan and Evermann) 201 Trichiurus lepturus Linnaeus Scabbard Fish; Hairtatl ' Trichiurus lepturus LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, I, 246, 1758, America;: CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. VIII, 237, 1881; Dr Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 109, pl. 12, fig. 35, 1842, Jamaica, Sandy Hook;. GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 346, 1860; Jorpan & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 422, 1883; Jorpan & Evermann, Bull. 47, U. S.. Nat. Mus. 889,' 1896, pl. CXX XVII, fig. 375, 1900; Bran, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 360, 1897. ; Trichiurus argenteus SHAw, Gen. Zool. LV, 90, pl. 12, 1803, after LINNAEUS; MITCHILL, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 364, 1815. Body greatly compressed, elongate, tapering to a very fine point, the greatest hight little more than one half of length of head, which is contained from seven and one half to eight and one half times in total; mouth wide, oblique; the lower jaw strongly projecting, the maxilla mostly concealed under the pre- orbital, reaching to below front of pupil, the mandible one half as long as the head and extending to a point behind the orbit; interorbital space flat, its width equal to diameter of eye; snout long and acute, three tenths as long as the head; a single large FISHES OF NEW YORK 403 nasal opening near the front of the orbit; eye round, one sixth as long as the head; gill rakers spiny, few, about seven above the angle of the first arch, those below the arch mostly small or obsolete, the longest above angle about one third of diameter of eye; operculum produced into a long, thin flap, acute behind. The dorsal fin begins at a distance from tip of snout equal to two thirds of length of head; its origin is not far behind the eye; the longest ray is about three eighths as long as the head. The pectoral is partly covered by the opercular flap; its length equals length of snout. The vent is at a distance from tip of snout which equals two and three fourths times length of head. The anal fin, consisting of low, almost concealed, de- tached spines, begins close behind the vent; its base is five and one half times as long as the head. The lateral line drops rapidly downward from the upper angle of the gill opening to a point below the median line. Four long and strong fanglike teeth in the front of the upper jaw and one or two fangs on the front of the mandible, from seven to 10 sharp teeth in each side of each jaw; small teeth on the palatines, none on the vomer. D. 135; A. 109. The individual described was taken at Point Pleasant Ned. Tt is number 49224, U.S. National Museum. Color silvery. The scabbard fish ne warm seas and ranges north to _ Cape Cod and Lower California; it is very abundant in the West Indies. The fish is a voracious inhabitant of the high seas, and. reaches the length of 5 feet. It is highly esteemed for food in Jamaica and at Pensacola; in Jamaica it forms the object of a very important hook and line fishery. The scabbard fish is rarely seen in Gravesend bay. A young individual was obtained from John B. De Nyse’s pound in August 1897. It had been captured by another fish while in the pound; but was rescued in good condition. Family isrioPHORIDAE Sailfishes Genus isrTiopHorus Lacépéde Body slender, much compressed, covered with elongate scales; humerous small teeth on the jaws and palatines; ventral fins 404 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM present, of two or three rays; dorsal fin extremely high, continu- ous, as in the young of Tetrapturus and Xiphias, the rays very humerous, none being aborted, the hight of the first much greater than that of body; anal fin divided; air bladder sacculate; intestine short, nearly straight; sword usually shorter and less flattened than in Xiphias, the edge more rounded, the lower jaw more developed. The skin is also rougher. Large fishes of the warm seas; the number of species uncertain, prob- ably several. (After Jordan and HKvermann) Se 202 Istiophorus nigricans (Lacépéde) Sailfish ; Spikefish Makaira nigricans LAcEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss. IV, 688, 1803, Rochelle. Histiophorus americanus CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. VIII, 308, 1831, Brazil. ; Istiophorus nigricans JORDAN & HEVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 891, 1896, pl. CX XXVIII, fig. 8376, 1900; SmiTH, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVII, 97, 1898; GoopE, Proc. U. 8. Nat. Mus. IV, 415, 1882. Body compressed, highest in front, elongate, the greatest hight one seventh of the total length from tip of upper jaw to end of — middle caudal rays; least hight of caudal peduncle one half of — postorbital length of head; the upper jaw projecting beyond the lower a distance more than equal to greatest hight of body; the profile of the head descending very steeply from the origin of the dorsal to the eye; the lower jaw extending in front of the eye a distance equal to postorbital part of head. The dorsal fin begins — on the nape and extends nearly the entire length of the.back, but the first is separated from the second by a very deep and long notch and a short interspace; the longest spine equals one half the distance from the eye to the second dorsal and is one fourth of total length including caudal; the spinous dorsal forms almost a semicircle when fully expanded, with a deep anterior and a deeper median notch. The second dorsal base is one sixth as long as the head to tip of upper jaw; its longest ray is one half the length of postorbital part of head. The caudal is very deeply forked, its width at base one fourth of length of external rays, which are nearly one fourth of total without caudal. There are two small keels on the base of the caudal. The divided anal fin es FISHES OF NEW YORK 405 begins under the 33d spine of the dorsal, the base of the two fins equaling one fourth the distance from tip of upper jaw to origin of second dorsal; the longest ray equals postorbital part of head; the second anal is similar to the second dorsal, but somewhat smaller. The ventral originates under the fifth spine of dorsal; its length is a little more than one fourth of total length to end of middle caudal rays. The pectoral is one half as long as the beak and eye combined and nearly equals the greatest hight of body. Eve small, one third of postorbital part of head. D. ~>XLIV—7; A. 9 to 10-7; V. 2. Color bluish black, paler below; dorsal dusky bluish, with numerous roundish black spots, from one third to one fourth the diameter of orbit, on its membrane. | The sailfish lives in the warmer parts of the Atlantic, ranging northward to France and, occasionally, to Cape Cod. Here described from a drawing of specimen taken at Woods Hole Mass. ; color notes from Dr Jordan. The species reaches the length of 10 feet. It is valuable for food but rarely comes to -our markets. Genus TETRAPTURUS Rafinesque Body much compressed, covered with rudimentary embedded scales; sword rounded on the edge; caudal keel double; small teeth in the jaws and on the palatines; ventral fins represented each by a single spine; dorsal fins separate in the adult, part of the middle rays being aborted, not greatly elevated, their hight not greater than the depth of the body; air bladder sac- culated; vertebrae 12+12; intestine short, nearly straight; py- loric caeca very numerous. Large fishes of the deep seas. They Swim in deep water, according to Poey, and pass Cuba in pairs im summer, bound for the Gulf of Mexico. Males smaller than females. (After Jordan and Evermann) 203 Tetrapturus imperator (Bloch & Schneider) Billfish; Spearfish ri AXiphias imperatcr BLtocH & ScHNEIDER, Syst. Ichth. 93, pl. X XI, 1801, Mediterranean. Tetrapturus belone CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. VIII, 280, 1883. 406 _ NEW YORK STATE MUSBUM Tetrapturus albidus Pory, Memorias, II, 237, 1861, Havana: Jorpan & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 420, 1883. Histiophorus belone GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 513, 1860. Tetrapturus imperator GOopE, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. IV, 417, 1882; Jorpan & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 892, 1896; SurruH, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVII, 97, 1898. Body similar in shape to that of the sailfish, its greatest depth contained six and one fourth times in total length without caudal; the least hight of caudal peduncle one fourth of the greatest depth. The head forms one third of total length with- out caudal; the upper jaw is exactly twice as long as the post- orbital part of the head and extends beyond tip of mandible a Space equal to length of eye and postorbital part of head com- bined; the maxilla extends far behind the eye; the eye is about one fifth as long as postorbital part of head. The dorsal begins - on the nape, over the upper angle of the gill opening. The first dorsal occupies nearly one half of the total length without caudal; its anterior sixth is elevated and the rest of the fin is low; the longest spine (the fourth) is about one third as long as the head, the 10th is only one seventh as long as the head, and the last is scarcely one half as long as the eye. The inter- space between the dorsals is three elevenths of length of head. The second dorsal base is one seventh as long as the head; its first ray is one and one half times as long as the eye, and its last ray is about equally long, but some of the intervening rays are Shorter. The caudal fin is narrow, crescentic, its width at base of lobes one fourth of its length, the external rays equal to one fourth the distance from eye to caudal base. The first anal fin originates under the 29th ray of the dorsal; the base is one fourth as long as the head; the longest ray two sevenths as long as the head, the last ray minute. The interspace be- tween the anals is one third as long as the head. The base of the second anal equals one third of postorbital length of head, the first and last rays equal, and as long as the base.of the fin, the intervening rays shorter; two strong keels on the base of the caudal, each of them about twice as long as the eye. The ventral is very slender and long; it originates under the ninth ray of the dorsal, its length equal to postorbital part of MS FISHES OF NEW YORK 407 head. The pectoral insertion is under the sixth ray of the dorsal; the fin is nearly one half as long as the head; its position is in the lower fourth of the hight. The sword is rounded on the edges and much narrower than in the swordfish. D. III, 30 to 39-6; A. II, 138-6; V. 1, 4; P. 19; vertebrae 12 + 12. Color deep blue above, a little lighter on the flanks, passing into white below; fins intense blue, second anal and outside of pectoral clearer, first dorsal with rounded spots, more intense, of same color; iris clear blue, cornea blackish. Body covered with lanceolate, embedded scales. The color notes here given are from Dr Goode’s excellent description in Proceedings of the U. S. National Musewm, IV, 420, 1882. The spearfish is found in the West Indies and on our Atlantic coast, ranging northward to Cape Cod. Individuals more than 7 feet long have been taken, and the species is said to reach the length of 26 feet. At Woods Hole it is generally rare; but be- tween 1885 and 1890 numbers were captured in the traps in Vineyard sound and Buzzards bay during July and August, according to Dr Hugh M. Smith. Most were caught in the trap farthest up Buzzards bay, at Quissett harbor. The spearfish in our waters is said to resemble the swordfish in its movements and manner of feeding. Nothing is known of its breeding habits or its young. It is taken by means of hooks in deep water or by spearing at the surface. The hook fishing is not altogether a safe pastime, as the fishermen are often liable to be wounded or drowned by the fierceness and strength of the fish. Numerous instances are recorded of vessels having been pierced by the beak of the spearfish, and parts of such vessels containing the spear are exhibited in several museums. The fiesh of the spearfish is highly esteemed in. some localities. Family x1PpHIIDAE Swordfishes Genus xrpHias Linnaeus Swordfishes without teeth, and without ventral fins. Body somewhat compressed; dorsal fins two, the anterior beginning opposite the gill openings, falcate and elevated, its hight rather 408 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM less than that of the body, second dorsal very small, on the tail, opposite the small second anal. In the young, teeth are present, and the two dorsal fins are connected, the fin being elevated as in the species of _ Istiophorus. First anal sim- ilar to first dorsal, but smaller, less falcate, and far behind it; pectoral fins moderate, falcate; skin naked, more or less rough, specially in the young, which have rudimentary scales; sword flattened and trenchant; caudal keel single; intestines long, sinu- ous; air bladder simple; pelvic arch obsolete. Fishes of great Size, reaching a weight of 300 to 400 pounds, the fiesh red and rich in flavor, highly valued as food. (After Jordan and Ever- mann) 204 Xiphias gladius Linnaeus Swordfish hie gladius LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat.ed. X, I, 248,1758, Europe; BLoc#, Ichth. pl. 76, 1784; MitcHitit, Am. Month. Mag. II, 242, Feb. 1818; CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. VIII, 255, pl. 225, 226, 1831; DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 111, pl. 26, fig. 79, 1842; Gunruer, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 511, 1860; Storrr, Hist. Fish. Mass. 71, pl. XIII, fig. 2, 1867; GoopE & BEAN, Bull. Essex Inst. XI, 14, 1879; JonDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 420, 1883; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47? U. S. Nat. Mus. 894, 1896; SmiruH, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVII, 97, 1898. Body fusiform, tapering greatly toward the caudal fin, the head not long, but with a very long upper jaw produced into a beak or “sword,” the greatest depth of the body one sixth of total length to base of caudal, the least hight of caudal pedun- cle nearly equal to length of eye. The upper jaw is three times as long as the rest of the head; the “sword” is broad and rather thin. The lower jaw extends in front of the eye a space equal to one half of postorbital part of head. The angle of the mouth is well behind the eye. The eye is circular, its diameter one third of postorbital part of head and about ye of total length of head. The dorsal begins over the upper angle of the gill opening; it is very high, nearly as high as the body, strongly falcate, its upper margin deeply concave, and the posterior rays very short. The distance between the dorsals is less than one third of length of head. The second dorsal is very small, its base only one half as long as the eye, and its hight one and four FISHES OF NEW YORK 409 fifths times its length of base; it is located a very little in front of the caudal keel. The caudal is crescentic, its external rays two fifths as long as the head. The caudal keel is single, median, its length nearly one sixth of length of head. The second anal is directly under the second dorsal and is of about the same size; the first anal is equidistant from the root of the caudal and the end of pectoral base; its base is as long as the caudal keel; its longest ray equals postorbital part of head, its last ray minute; the margin of the fin deeply concave. The pectoral origin is below the hind margin of the operculum; the base is narrow, about one fifth of length of fin, which is equal to depth of body. D.39 to 40-2 to 4; A. 18 to 21-3; P. 20. ' Color “above rich purplish blue, shading into whitish be- neath, the sides and belly with a silvery luster. Fins dark bluish with silvery sheen except dorsal. Top of head rich pur- plish blue, the color extending upon the rostrum. Lower side of rostrum rich brownish purple. Eye deep blue.” The swordfish inhabits the Atlantic and comes near both coasts; it is most abundant between Cuba and Cape Breton, rather common in the Mediterranean, and is occasionally taken off southern California. The fish appear in the vicinity of Sandy Hook about June first, and the fishing season continues as far east as Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket shoals till about the middle of September. They disappear to the south- ward as soon as the cold winds begin to blow. They feed cn mackerel, menhaden, and squid. They are often caught on trawl lines, but the chief means of capture is the harpoon. The average length of swordfish is 10 feet, but individuals measuring 16 feet are on record. An individual weighing 750 pounds was killed in 1874 off Portland. The flesh of this fish is very palatable, and the fishery is an important one as well as an exciting occupation. Young Swordfish have the skin covered with small, rough excrescences, the jaws much more nearly equal, and the dorsal and anal fins not divided into two separate parts. 410 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Family CARANGIDAE Crevalles Genus oLiGorLires Gill Body compressed, oblong or lanceolate; caudal peduncle slen- der, not keeled; head short, compressed, acute, occipital keel sharp; mouth rather large, with small, sharp teeth in bands on jaws, tongue, vomer and palatines, none on the pterygoids; jaws about equal, the upper not protractile, except in the very young, in which it is movable as in other Carangidae; maxillary very narrow, without distinct supplemental bone; gill rakers rather long; scales small, linear, and extremely narrow, em- bedded in the skin at different angles; lateral line unarmed; dorsal spines rather strong, three to five in number, nearly free in the adult; second dorsal very long, its posterior rays penicil- lated and nearly or quite disconnected, forming finlets; anal rather longer than soft dorsal, much longer than the abdomen, its last rays forming similar finlets, anal spines strong; ventral fins depressible in a groove; pectoral fins very short. Species few, in the tropical seas of America. (After Jordan and Ever- mann) 205 Oligoplites saurus (Bloch & Schneider) Leather Jacket Scomber saurus Buocnw & SCHNEIDER, Syst. Ichth. 321, 1801, Jamaica. Chorinemus occidentalis GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 475, 1860; not Gasterosteus occidentalis LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. XII, I, 490. Oligoplites occidentalis GiLu, Proe. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 166, 1863. Scombroides occidentalis JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 447, 1883. Oligoplites saurus JORDAN & GILBERT, op. cit. 973, 1883; JORDAN & HVER- MANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 898, 1896, pl. CX XXVIII, fig. 378, 1900; Bran, Bull. Am..Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 360, 1897; Smiru, Bull. U.S: F.C: XV, 97, 1898. Body elongate, much compressed, fusiform, its greatest hight contained three and two thirds times in total length without caudal (4 times in total to end of middle caudal rays), its width two sevenths of its hight and two fifths of length of head; least depth of caudal peduncle equals length of eye; head short, one fifth of total without caudal, its width three sevenths of its length; snout moderately pointed, its length about equal to orbit FISHES OF NEW YORK 411 and three sevenths of length of head; nostrils a little nearer to eye than to tip of snout, the anterior tubular and much smaller than the posterior; interorbital Space convex but with a narrow, sharp, low keel, the width of the space equal to length of snout; the slender maxilla reaches to below the hind margin of the eye, the length of the upper jaw being a little more than the snout and eye combined; the mandible is two thirds as long as the head; a double series of small, sharp, curved, conical teeth in each jaw; vomer and palatines with bands of villiform teeth, an oblong patch of villiform teeth on the tongue; gill rakers about 15, mostly below the angle, the longest two thirds as long as the eye. The origin of the spinous dorsal is nearly over the tip of the pectoral and at a distance from.tip of snout equal to one third of total length without caudal; the length of the base equals length of head without the snout; the first spine, de- pressible forward as well as backward, is nearly as long as the pupil, the third and fifth equal and nearly as long as the snout; the membrane behind the second to. fifth Spimnes one half the hight of spines; the interspace between the dorsals is very- short. The second dorsal base eauals one half the distance from eye to root of caudal; the fin is composed chiefly of detached or semidetached finlets; the longest ray is equal to length of snout and eye com- bined; the last finlet equal to length of eye. 11, 1890. Trachinotus carolinus JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 944, 1896, pl. CXLVII, fig. 398, 1900; Brean, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 363, 1897, 52d Ann. Rept. Nx Y. State Mus. 104, 1900; Smiru, Bull. Pees dt. C. Xx VIL. 98,51898. Body oblong ovate, elevated, profile forming a gentle curve from the middle of the back to the snout, where it descends 444 NEW YORK STATH MUSEUM abruptly. The depth of the body is contained two and one third times in its length; the length of the head is contained four — times in that of the body. Dorsal and anal falcate, their lobes. reaching when depressed nearly to the middle of the fin; pec- toral reaching to opposite the vent. Gill rakers short; slender in the young, becoming thick in the adult. Length 18 inches. D, VI-I, 25; A. 1I-I, 28. Uniform bluish above, sides silvery, golden in the adult, with- out bands, fins plain silvery or dusky. This fish has no other name on our east coast except the southern variation of pompeynose. In Great South bay the name butterfish is applied to it because it is confounded with the Poronotus triacanthus, to which the name properly belongs. Mitchill described it under the name thorn- — backed grunt, a name not now in use. The pompano ranges on our coast from Cape Cod to Florida, the adults rarely or never coming into northern waters, but the young are taken in variable numbers every year. At Woods Hole they sometimes. occur in considerable numbers,and they have been taken in great abundance in Great Egg Harbor bay, but not recently. In Great South bay, in 1890, only a single young individual was secured at Oak Island beach on the last day of September. It occurs occasionally also on the Pacific coast. Dr De Kay, in 1842, mentioned it as an exceedingly rare species on the New York coast. His description was based ona specimen taken off Sandy Hook more than 20 years before. In 1898 young speci- - mens were found in moderate numbers at Oak Island beach, Great South bay, September 14, and on the east side of Fire {sland beach September 16. The young are summer and fall visitors in Gravesend bay. 22 individuals were placed in a tank in August 1897, and grew rapidly till the temperature of the water fell below 60° F in November. During this month ail of them died. at The species reaches the length of 20 inches. It is one of the finest of our food fishes. -BISHES OF NEW YORK ' 445 Family POMATOMIDAE Bluefishes’ Genus pomaromus Lacépede — Body oblong, compressed, covered with rather small scales, which are weakly ctenoid; caudal peduncle rather stout; head large, compressed; mouth large, oblique; premaxillaries pro- tractile; maxillary not slipping under the preorbital, provided with a large suppleméntal bone, lower jaw projecting; bands of villiform teeth on vomer and palatines, those on the vomer forming a triangular patch; jaws each with a single series of very strong, compressed, unequal teeth, widely set, upper jaw with an inner series of small depressed teeth; villiform teeth on the base of the tongue; occipital keel strong; free edge of preopercle produced and serrated; gill membranes free from the isthmus, not united; branchiostegals seven; gills four, a slit behind the fourth; pseudobranchiae large; gill rakers slender, rather few; opercle ending in a flat point, cheek and opercles. scaly; lateral line present, unarmed; dorsal fins two, the ante- rior of about eight weak, low spines connected by membrane and depressible in a groove; second dorsal long, similar to the elongate anal, both fins being densely scaly; fin rays slender; two very small, free anal spines, sometimes hidden in the skin ; ventrals thoracic, I, 5; peduncle stout; pectorals rather short;. caudal fin forked, the lobes broad; air bladder simple, with thin walls; pyloric caeca very numerous; vertebrae 10+14—24 as usual in Carangidae. A single species, found in nearly all warm seas. 223 Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus) Bluefish; Snap Mackerel; Snapper Perca saltatriz LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, I, 298, 1758, Carolina. Gasterosteus saltatrix LINNAEUS, op. cit. ed. XII, 491, 1766. Scomber plumbeus MircuHiLu, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 424, pl. IV, fig. 1, 1815. Temnodon saltator CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. IX, 225, pl. 260, 1833; DE Ikay, N, Y. Fauna, Fishes, 130, pl. 26, fig. 81, 1842; Hor- BROOK, Ichth. S. C. 62, pl. 9, fig. 2, 1856; GuNruER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 479, 1860; Storer, Hist. Fish. Mass. 81, pl. XV, fig. 1, 1867. Pomatomus saltator JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 448, 1888. A446 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM ° Pomatomus saltatrix GoopE & BEAN, Bull. Essex Inst. XI, 20, 1879; JorDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 914, 1883; Bean, Bull. U. S. F. C. ‘VII, 145, 1888; 19th Rep. Comm. Fish. N. Y. 269, pl. XX, fig. 24, 1890; Bull. Am, Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 363, 1897; 52d Ann. Rept. N. Y. State Mus. 104, 1900; Smiru, Bull. U. 8S. F. C. XVII, 98, 1898; MEARNs, ties Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. X, 319, 1898; JorpDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. 946, 1896, pl. CXLVIII, fig. 400, 1900; Aine ee Proc. Linn. Soe. N. Y. 1897, 32, 1898. Body robust, moderately compressed; belly coneneaded to a bluntish edge. The depth is contained four times in the length of the bedy. Head deep; top of head and a ridge on each side above the cheeks naked; cheeks much longer than opercles. The length oi the head is contained three and one third times in the length of the body. Pectorals placed rather low, their length a little more than half that of the head. D. VIII-I, 25; A. II-I, 26; Lat. 1. 95. Bluish or greenish, silvery below, a black blotch at the base of the pectoral. Some of the many names applied to this widely distributed - fish are the following: mackerel (New Jersey), horse mackerel (New York and Rhode Island), snapping mackerel (New Eng- land and New Jersey), skip mackerel (New York), snapper and blue snapper (New England), greenfish (Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina), salt-water jack (southern states), tailor (Chesa- peake bay), whitefish (Hudson river). Bluefish is the name most extensively used on the coast and in the Gulf of Mexico. | The bluefish ranges on our coast from Maine to the Gulf of Mexico, and is believed to frequent warm seas of both conti- nents. It has ranged farther to the northward this year than for many years before. We have heard of its capture in the vicinity of Mount Desert Me. On our coast and elsewhere its movements are erratic, and its abundance fluctuates greatly within certain periods; it disappears sometimes altogether for a term of years. The young, under about 1 inch in length, seem to be unknown. The spawning habits and localities have not been recorded. The smallest known examples were ob- tained at the surface offshore by the U. S. Fish Commission. The writer has seined individuals a little more than an inch long at Ocean City N. J. the last of August. The young ascend rivers into fresh water. | | gS ee 7 | q | FISHES OF NEW YORK 447 This is one of the most destructive of all fishes. It feeds. ravenously, and, when gorged with food, continues to destroy its victims for the sake of gratifying its killing propensity. It follows the great schools of alewives, weakfish, mullets and other valuable food fishes along our coast in summer, and the young may be discovered in shallow bays and sounds pursuing the silversides, young herring, anchovies and other fishes smaller than themselves. According to De Kay bluefish were unknown on the New York coast till about 1810, when a few appeared. In 1815 Dr Mitchill wrote: “ Young ones are taken plentifully with the hook at our wharves by the boys in August.” The largest mentioned by Mitchill was 138 inches long, 3 inches deep and weighed about 14 ounces. The name bluefish was in use at the time of Mitchill’s report. De Kay noticed the gradual disappearance of the weakfish: with the increasing abundance of bluefish. ‘The best known methods of taking bluefish are by trolling at the surface with a squid of metal or bone and by heaving and hauling in the surf near the mouths of streams into which ale- wives are running. Artificial minnows are also used with a light rod, when young bluefish are seen feeding near the sur face. The most recent method in use by anglers is that of chumming in the manner usually employed in striped bass fishing. This — method, which involves the use of rod and reel, was in use near the inlet at Fire Island early in October 1890. During the sum- mer, in this bay, it was not an uncommon thing for anglers to catch 150 or 200 small bluefish with hook and line in a single day. The species is to be found in all parts of the bay visited. by us. It was taken at the following localities: Blue Point cove, Oak Island and Fire Island. Large numbers of bluefish were caught late in September by means of gill nets set in the ocean near Blue Point Lifesaving station. A fisherman caught 450 at one time and 250 at another, the dates being Sep. 23 and 24,1890. In August of that year bluefish ‘drove immense schools. of round herring (Etrumeus teres) on the ocean beach, near the Lifesaving station. September 24, while walking along the beach of East Island, not far from the Blue Point station, in. AAS “NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM a distance of half a mile, I saw 51 round herring lying on the beach, having been chased in a short time previously by bluefish. When the fishermen find the round herring on the shore, they — know that bluefish are present. Small bluefish were caught in ‘a trap at Islip Oct. 1, 1890. In the summer of 1898 young blue- fish were abundant in all the waters visited in Peconic bay and ‘Great South bay and were taken as late as October 16. During the warm season they often run up the rivers, the young, called snappers, frequently into nearly fresh waters. (After Eugene Smith?) The bluefish is so active in its movements that it is difficult to. keep it in captivity. As with the species of Caranx and Seriola, however, its longevity depends on range and tem- perature; in a large body of water, not co-der than 60° in winter, it can be maintained easily. Family RACHYCENTRIDAE co Sergeant Fishes Genus RACHYCENTRON Kaup Body elongate, fusiform, subcylindric, covered with very small, smooth, adherent scales; lateral line nearly parallel with the back; head rather broad, low, pikelike, the bones above appear- ing through the thin skin; mouth rather wide, nearly horizontal, the maxillary about reaching front of eye; ‘both jaws, vomer, palatines and tongue with bands of short, sharp teeth, lower jaw longest; premaxillaries not protractile; preopercle unarmed; first dorsal represented by about eight low, stout, equal, free ‘Spines, each depressible in a groove; soft dorsal long and rather low, somewhat falcate, similar to and nearly opposite anal; two weak anal spines, one of them free from the fin; pectorals mod- erate, placed low; ventrals thoracic, I, 5; caudal fin strong, forked, on a moderate peduncle; no caudal keel; no finlets; gill rakers rather short, stout; no air bladder; branchiostegals seven; pyloric caeca branched; vertebrae 12+13—25. Probably only one species; a large, strong, voracious shore fish, found in all warm seas. Its relations are with the scombroid fishes, though not 1Tinn,; Soc. Ni Y) Procs 1897.>-n0.\9) pu 32. ee eS . ali on) hse . — otf eS ee ee ee a ee ee ees a ee ee FISHES OF NEW YORK 449 close ro any of the other groups. The superficial resemblance to -Echeneis, as Dr Gill has shown, is not connected with any intimate homology. (After Jordan and Evermann) 224 Rachycentron canadus (Linnaeus) Crabeater ; Cobia Gasterosteus canadus LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat, ed. XII, 491, 1766, Carolina. Centronotus spinosus MircHILy, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 490, pl. ILI, fig. 9, 1815, New York. Elacate atlantica CuvirER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. VIII, 334, pl. 255, t6al, Brazil; Dr -IKAy, N. Y. Fauna, Wishes, 118, pl. 25, fig. 77, 1842. Blacate nigra Guntuer, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 375, 1860. Hlacate canada JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 418, 1888; BEAN, Bull. U. S. F. C. VII, 144, pl. II, fig. 13, 1888, 19th Rep. Comm. Fish. N. Y. 270, pl. XX, fig. 25, 1890, (young), Great Egg Harbor Bay. Rachycentron canadus JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 948, 1896, pl. CXLVIII, fig. 401, 1900; Smirn, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVII, 98, 1898. . Head much depressed. The length of the head is contained four and one fourth times in the length of the body; while the width of the body is contained five and two thirds times in its length. Mouth moderate, the short maxillary reaching front of orbit; pectorals broad and falcate; caudal deeply emarginate, the upper lobe slightly the longer; lateral line wavy and irregular, descending posteriorly. Length 5 feet. D. VIII-1, 26; A, II, 25. Color, olive brown; sides with a distinct broad dark band and a less distinct band above and below it; lower parts silvery. The crabeater inhabits all warm seas, occasionally appearing on our Northern coast in summer and ranging northward to Massachusetts bay. Individuals are occasionally taken at Woods Hole Mass. Dr Mitchill had a specimen of the crabeater which was caught in New York bay June 11, 1815. He found in its stomach 20 spotted sand crabs and several young flounders. The fish was eaten at his table, and pronounced one of, the best he had ever tasted. This example was 31 inches long. Dr De Kay styles it the northern crabeater. The specimen described by him was captured in Boston harbor, and placed in a live car with other fish, chiefly porgies (Stenotomus chrysops), and it de- 450 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM stroyed and ate every fish in the car. Dr A. K. Fisher of Wash- © ington has found the young of the crabeater in the Hudson near | Sing Sing. Though we have no specimens of the crabeater from Great South bay, there is scarcely a doubt of its occurrence in that body of water. / : A young example, 3$ inches long, was caught at Somers Point N. J. near the club house, Aug. 2, 1887, by Capt. Richard Cham- berlain. Ground color nearly black; a white stripe, about as wide as pupil, from upper angle of gill opening to caudal; another one, but narrower, begins at lower extremity of pectoral base, curves very slightly upward, fading out near the tail ; upper caudal lobe with a narrow whitish margin along its upper sur- face, relieved by a trace of orange red at its base; lower caudal lobe with a narrow orange red margin; pectorals, ventrals, and caudal black; back fades to a dark green; belly grayish white; iris golden bronze. This species has not previously been re- corded from Great Egg Harbor bay, and the young seems not to have been described. Another example, 4 inches long, was seined in one of the thor- oughfares in the bay August 28. This has the same markings as. the first. The caudal when fully expanded, is rounded, the end truncate; there is no emargination as in the adult. A figure of the young is published in the bulletin of the U. S. Fish Commis- sion, 1888, v. 7, pl. 2, fig. 13. , amily Coryphaenidae Dolphins Genus coRYPHAENA Linnaeus Body elongate, compressed, covered with small cycloid scales; cleft of the mouth wide, oblique, the lower jaw projecting; cardi- form teeth in the jaws and on the vomer and palatine bones, a patch of villiform teeth on the tongue, no teeth on the esophagus; opercular bones entire; skull with a crest which is more elevated. in the adult than in the young; a single, many-rayed dorsal fin, not greatly elevated, extending from the nape nearly to the caudal fin; anal similar, but shorter, both without distinct spines; pectoral fins very short and small; ventrals well developed, ¥ 4 a 4 * ee ee Pe ee ee ae FISHES OF NEW YORK 451 thoracic, I, 5, partly received into a groove in the abdomen; caudal fin widely forked; lateral line present; gill membranes free from the isthmus; branchiostegals seven; no pseudo- branchiae; no air bladder; pyloric appendages very numerous; vertebrae about 30. A genus with probably only two species. Very large fishes, inhabiting the high seas in warm regions, noted for their brilliant and changeable colors. (After Jordan and Evermann) 225 Coryphaena hippurus Linnaeus Common Dolphin Coryphaena hippurus LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, I, 261, 1758, open seas; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 405, 1860; Cuvier & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. IX, 278, pl. 266, 1883; JorDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat; Mus. 914, 1883; JorpAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 952, 1896, pl. CX LIX, fig. 402, 1900; BEAN, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 363, 1897; Smiru, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVII, 99, 1898. Coryphaena hippuris MircHiLy, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 378, 1815. Ooryphaena sueurii CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. IX, 302, 1833. Ooryphaena globiceps DE Kay, N.Y. Fauna, Fishes, 132, pl. 10, fig. 29, 1842, off New York. Coryphaena sueuri JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 455, 1883. Body elongate, compressed, highest anteriorly, the greatest depth equal to length of head and to one fourth of total length without caudal; the greatest width about equal to postorbital length of head; least hight of caudal peduncle one fourth the , length of head; maxilla reaching nearly to below end of eye; upper jaw equal to snout and eye combined; mandible reaching past hind margin of orbit. The profile of the snout becomes nearly vertical with age; the male has the forehead elevated, forming a crest which projects slightly beyond the upper jaw. —_. Eye small, one half the length of snout, one sixth the length of head. The dorsal origin is nearly above the eye; the fin occupies the entire back, the longest spines (12th to 14th) equal postorbital rength of head, the last spine two ninths as long as head. Caudal very deeply forked, the middle rays less than one sixth as long as the external rays, which are one third as long as the dorsal base. The anal begins under the 32d spine of the dorsal; its base is as long as the head and pectoral combined, its longest _ Yay one third as long as the head, its last ray equal to eye, the 452 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM fin emarginate anteriorly. The ventral origin is directly under the pectoral base and under the 18th spine of the dorsal, its length one sixth of total length without caudal. The pectoral origin is below the 18th spine of the dorsal; the fin extends to below the 23d spine, its length equal to length of head without snout. D. 56-64; A. 25-30; V. 1,5; P. 1, 19. Scales about 175; gill rakers 10, all below angle, the longest one half as long as the seye, ; Colors in life brilliant, changing suddenly at death; greenish above, white or golden below, with bright blue spots, the largest on the back and head, forming bands on the snout; dorsal pur- plish blue, with pale longitudinal lines; other fins tinged with blue; caudal yellow; in spirits, silvery with blackish spots, smaller than the pupil, on the sides below the lateral line. The dolphin inhabits all warm seas; it is common in the Gulf of Mexico, and its summer range includes Cape Cod. Large individuals are rare in Vineyard sound, but the young, from 2 to. 12 inches long, are observed nearly every year in floating gulf — weed, usually in July and August. : Mitchill mentions the species without referring to a particular specimen; but De Kay states that an individual 42 inches long was captured off the harbor of New York and presented to the Lyceum of Natural History. An example, 17 inches long and 2? inches deep, was caught off Sandy Hook late in August 1897 by © a fisherman while trolling for bluefish. at The dolphin attains to the length of 6 feet. It is an excellent food fish. 226 Coryphaena equisetis Linnaeus Small Dolphin Coryphaena equisetis LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, I, 261, 1758, high seas; CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. IX, 297, pl. 267, 1833; Gun-_ THER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus, II, 407, 1860; JorDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 914, 1883; Jonpan & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 953, 1896. Lampugus punctulatus Cuvier & VALENCIENNES, op. cit. IX, 327, 183339 Dr Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 134, pl. 11, fig. 31, 1842. ‘f Coryphaena punctulata JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 454, 1883. FISHES OF NEW YORK 453 This is said to be the Lampugus punctulatus of Cuvier and Valenciennes,! to which is ascribed the following characters. Hight of body contained nearly five times in its length; head five and one fourth times; depth of head five sevenths of its length; profile obliquely descending; pectorals one tenth of total length; ventrals one eighth; caudal lobes one fifth; 10 or 12 posterior rays of dorsal and anal dilated at their extremities and projecting beyond the connecting membrane. Color silvery, blackish on the back, with a few small black dots onthe body. D.51; A. 25; V.1, 5; P. 19. The specimen described is 13 inches long. \ It was taken in the Atlantic at the equator. De Kay has described a dolphin measuring 2 feet which was taken on a hook at the light-ship off the harbor of New York and which he supposed to be identical with the species just men- ‘tioned. The characters of the fish are given as follows. Length of head rather less than one eighth of total length; hight of body one eighth and of caudal peduncle at its lowest part one twentieth of total; eye large, its length contained four and four - sevenths times in length of head and more than one diameter distant from tip of snout; dorsal fin beginning just behind the orbit, its last 10 or 12 rays somewhat elevated and projecting beyond the connecting membrane; pectoral origin under ninth dorsal spine; the fin one twelfth of total length including caudal; ventral length contained nine and three fifths times in total; anal origin nearly midway between posterior margin of orbit and base of caudal. Length 24 inches; head 34 inches; whieh; inches. 1D. 53; A. 25; V..1,5; P. 20. Color sea green above the lateral line; silvery on the sides, with metallic reflections on the opercles; iris yellowish; dark reddish brown stripes across the head; a series of distant rounded spots along the base of the dorsal fin; a few scattering ones on the back part of the head, and confused series of Similar spots on the sides below the lateral line; dorsal, pec- torals and ventrals brown; anal and caudal fins light colored. *Hist. Nat. Poiss. PSB ae 3 isons te 454 | NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Jordan and Evermann, in Bulletin 47, U. 8S. National Museum, p. 9538, state that the small dolphin is not recorded from the coast of the United States; but that it inhabits the open At- lantic and occurs rarely in the West Indies. De Kay, however, described a dolphin, above mentioned, which appears to agree with the published descriptions of the Coryphaena equi- setis Linnaeus; and there is no reason to suppose that this pelagic species does not occasionally visit our shores. It is true that all the young dolphins from the New England and New York coasts examined by me belong to the larger species; but materials for study are scarce, and it is unwise to base a con- clusion on insufficient investigation. Family CceENTROLOPHIDAE Rudderfishes - Genus PALINURICHTHYS Bleeker Body oblong, ovate, moderately compressed; profile very blunt and convex; mouth moderate; maxillary narrow, with a small supplemental bone; premaxillaries protractile, little movable; jaws nearly equal, each with about one series of small, slender teeth; no teeth on vomer or palatines; preoperculum, interoper- culum, and suboperculum finely serrated; gill rakers long; gill membranes separate, free from the isthmus; scdales small, smooth, larger, thicker, and more adherent than in Stroma-— teus; cheeks scaly; fins rather low; dorsal fin long, preceded by six to eight short, subequal, rather strong spines, the last ones connected by membrane, the others nearly free, all much © lower than the soft rays; anal fin similar but shorter, preceded — by three spines, which, lke the dorsal Spines, are nearly em- bedded in thick skin; vertical fins densely scaly toward their bases; caudal fin emarginate; caudal peduncle stout; ventral fins large, thoracic, 1, 5; pectoral fins moderate, rounded, or falcate. 227 Palinurichthys perciformis (Mitchill) Rudderfish; Black Pitot Coryphaena verciformis MiTcHILL, Am. Month. Mag. II, 244, Feb. 1818, New York Harbor. -Palinurus perciformis Dr Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 118, pl. 24, fig. 75, 1842; STORER, Hist. Fish. Mass. 74, pl. XIII, fig. 3, 1867. om, a at +2. a eae Wet ry J i oes eae FISHES OF NEW YORK 455 Pammelas perciformis GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 485, 1860. Lirus perciformis JoRDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 452, 1888. Palinurichthys perciformis GiLL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 20, 1860; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U.'!S. Nat. Mus. 964, 1896; GoonE & BEAN, Bull. Essex Inst. XI, 16, 1879; Bran, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. TX; 363, 1897; SuiTtH, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVII, 99, ae: BEAN, 52d Ann. Rept. N. Y. State Mus. 104, 1900. Body ovate, compressed, its depth two fifths of its length without the caudal; head short, blunt, its profile convex, its length two sevenths of the total without caudal; mouth moder- ate; maxillary narrow, reaching to opposite front of pupil; a small supplemental bone; eye with adipose eyelid; eye nearly equal to snout, two ninths as long as the head; top of head scale- less; cheeks scaly; jaws nearly equal, each with about one series of small, slender teeth, no teeth on vomer or palatines oll rakers long; pectorals nearly as long as the head. D. VIII, 20; A. IiI, 16. Lateral line 75. Blackish green, everywhere dark, the belly almost similar and not silvery, sides often mottled with linear blotches. Length 1 foot. The rudderfish is found on the Atlantic coast of North America from Maine to Cape Hatteras; usually off shore under drifting logs, boxes and other objects, but occasionally entering ‘bays; one specimen was taken off Cornwall, having drifted across the Atlantic. The rudderfish is rare in Gravesend bay. One or two will usually appear there during the summer, but some years none are seen. The fish is common 2 or 3 miles off shore, and its capture with a dip net is not difficult. Numerous young and half erown examples were so taken off Southampton is F. Aug. 3, 1898, and a fine adult was captured by Capt. George Yarrington in Clam Pond cove, Great South bay, Oct. 11, 1898. Aug. 4, 1901, a school of rudderfish numbering about 50 was seen at the dock at Water Island, Great South bay, and one of them was obtained for the state museum. Family SrTROMATEIDAE Harvestfishes Genus rHOomBUS Lacépéde Body ovate or suborbicular, strongly compressed, tapering into a slender caudal peduncle, which is not keeled or shielded; { 456 NEW YORK STATH MUSEUM head short, compressed, the profile obtuse; mouth small, ter- minal, the jaws subequal; premaxillaries not protractile; jaws each with a. single series of weak teeth; scales very small, cycloid, silvery, loosely inserted, extending on the vertical fins; opercular bones entire; gill membranes separate, free from the isthmus; gill rakers moderate; lateral line continuous, concur- rent with the back; dorsal fin long, more or less elevated in front, preceded by a few indistinct spines—usually one or more procumbent spines in front of dorsal and anal, each of these with a free point both anteriorly and posteriorly; anal fin similar to dorsal, or shorter, usually with three small spines; ventral fins wanting; a single small, sharp spine, attached to the pubic bone, occupying the place of the ventrals; pectorals long and narrow; caudal widely forked. Species few, mostly Ameri- can. This genus differs from Stromateus chiefly in the prominence of the pelvic bone, which projects as a lamina , beyond the skin. (After Jordan and Kvermann) Subgenus RHomBUS 228 Rhombus paru (Linnaeus) = Harvestfish; Pappyfish Stromateus paru LinNarws, Syst. Nat. ed. X, I, 248, 1758, Jamaica; JORDAN © & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 914, 1883. Chaetodon alepidotus 1.INNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. XII, 460, 1766, Charleston. Stromateus alepidotus JoRDAN & GILBERT, Bull, 16, U.S. Nat. Mus. 451, 1883. Stromateus longipinnis MircHILL, Trans. Lit.-& Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 366, 1815, New York Bay. : Rhombus longipinnis CuvIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. LX, 401, pl. 274, 1883; Dm Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 186, pl. 75, fig. 289, 1842. Stromateus gardeniti GuNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 399, 1860. Rhombus paru JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 965, 1896, pl. CL, fig. 404, 1900; Bean, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 364, 1897; SMITH, Bull. U. S. Ff. C. XVII, 99, 1898. Body ovate or suborbicular, strongly compressed, its greatest depth about three fourths of its length without the caudal; caudal peduncle short and slender, its least depth contained two and three fifths times in the length of the short head; mouth ' very small, oblique, the maxilla reaching to below front of eye; no pores along. side of back; eye round, as long as the snout, and about one fourth as long as the head; profile of head very FISHES OF NEW YORK 457 obtuse; dorsal origin a little behind pectoral origin, base of dorsal almost equal to greatest depth of body, front of fin ele- vated, the longest ray as long as the pectoral, its length con- tained two and three fifths times in total length without caudal; anal base nearly as long as dorsal base, the longest anal ray much longer than the pectoral, the last dorsal and anal rays very short, scarcely two thirds as long as the eye, caudal deeply forked, its lobes equal, the longest rays as long as the pectoral. Scales small, thin and deciduous. D. IV to V, 45; A. II, 43. Scales about 90; vertebrae 15+15. Color greenish above, golden yellow below. Mitchill gives the following description: “silvery, with tints of blue, green and iridescent; dusky on the head, and with inky patches on the belly towards the tail, which in certain lights appear beauti- fully red and purple; back bluish, with occasional clouds.” The harvestfish inhabits the West. Indies and is found on our Atlantic coast from Cape Cod southward, ranging to Brazil. The young are frequently seen swimming beneath the Portu- guese men-of-war. De Kay had several specimens of the species, but found it less common than the short-finned harvestfish, R. triacanthus. At Charleston the fish is called rudderfish. The species reaches a length of 8 inches. It is a valuable food fish. It is a summer visitor in Gravesend bay and is some- times rare, but was formerly abundant there. It is not adapted to a captive life. At Woods Hole Mass. Dr Smith reports it as usually rare, but occasionally common. As a rule only three or four are taken in a season, but one year 300 or 400 were obtained. It occurs mostly in June and July, associated with bthe butterfish, R. triacanthus. Subgenus poronorus Gill 229 Rhombus triacanthus (Peck) Butterfish ; Harvestfish Stromateus triacanthus PECK, Mem. Amer. Acad. II, part 2, 48, pl. 2, fig. 2, 1800, Piscataqua River, N. H.; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 451, 1888; GunTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 398, 1860. 458 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Stromateus cryptosus MITcHILL, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 365, pl. IL, fig. 3, 1815. New York Bay. Rhombus triacanthus DE Kay, N. Y. Faun’, Fishes, 137, pl. 26, fig. 80, 1842; STORER, Hist. Fish. Mass. pl. XV, fig. 4, 1867; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 967, 1896, pl. CL, fig. 405, 1900; Bran, Bull. Am. Mus, Nat. Hist. 1X, 363, 1897; SmiruH, Bull. U. 8S. F. C. XVII, 99, 1898; BEAN, 52d Ann. Rept. N. Y. State Mus. 104, 1900. Poronotus triacanthus GOODE & BEAN, Bull. Essex Inst. XI, 16, 1879; BEAN, Bull. U. S. F. C. VII, 140, 1888; 19th Rep. Comm: Fish. N. Y: 257, pl. XI, fig. 14, 1890. Body oval, much compressed. The depth is contained two - and one third times in the length. Dorsal and ventral outlines about equally curved. The length of the head is contained four times in that of the body. Snout very blunt, rounded in profile; mouth small, the maxillary not reaching the orbit; caudal peduncle very short; anterior rays of dorsal and anal little ele- vated; lateral line high, a series of conspicuous pores above it near the base of the dorsal; pectorals much longer than head; gill rakers rather long, two thirds the diameter of the eye, which is four in head. Length 10 inches. D. III, 45; A. III, 38. Bluish above, below silvery. Maine to Cape Hatteras; very abundant. This is known as the Aeeiene harvestfish and lafayette. Mitehill called it the cryptous broad shiner, and De Kay described it under the name short-finned harvestfish. About Cape Cod it is the sheepshead and skipjack. In Connecticut it is called pumpkin seed and at Norfolk starfish. The butterfish ranges from Maine to South Carolina, and is gradually replaced southward by the long-finned harvestfish, Rhombus paru. It is a summer visitor, associated with the mackerel. De Kay records it in New York bay July 1, and obtained it from fyke nets in New York harbor as late as Octo. ber 12.. We seined young examples at Blue Point Lifesaving station October 7, and others were secured September 30 at Oak Island beach. It is taken chiefly in pound nets, and has recently become a highly prized market fish. A few years ago it was little esteemed. The young are to be found in the summer 4 months swimming at the surface in sheltered bays and fre- FISHES OF NEW YORK 459 quently under the shelter of the streamers of jellyfishes, where they are sometimes destroyed by the lasso cells of their host. The harvestfish is present in Gravesend bay from April to November. Adults were taken at Southampton beach Aug. 1 and Aug. 3, 1898. The fish was not found in Great South bay during the summer and fall of 1898. Group PERCOIDEA Perchlike Fishes Family CENTRARCHIDAE Sunfishes Genus Ppomoxys Rafinesque ‘ Body more or less elongate, strongly compressed, the snout projecting; mouth large, oblique; maxillary broad, with a well _ developed supplemental bone; teeth on vomer, palatines, ento- pterygoids and tongue; lower pharyngeals narrow, with sharp teeth; gill rakers long and slender, numerous; opercle emar- ~ginate; preopercle and preorbital, finely serrated; scales large, feebly ctenoid; fins large, the anal larger than dorsal, of six | Spines and about 17 rays; dorsal with six to eight graduated spines, the spinous dorsal shorter than the soft part; caudal fin emarginate; pectorals rounded or obtusely pointed, with 15 or 16 rays, the upper longest; ventrals close together, each with a strong spine; branchiostegals seven; lateral line complete, the tubes straight and extending at least on the anterior half of the exposed surface of the scale; posterior processes of the premax- illaries not extending to the frontals; supraoccipital and pari- etal crest very strong, produced forward on the frontals to be- tween the orbits; vertebrae 18+15—33. 3 ! 230 Pomoxis annularis Rafinesque ; Crappie Pomoxis annularis RAFINESQUE, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. I, 417, pl. 17, fig. 1, 1818, Ohio River ‘Silver perch or Goldring”’; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 464, 1883; Bran, Fishes, Penna. 103, pl. 30, fig. 59, 1898; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 987, 1896, pl. CLIV, fig. 415, 1900. Pomozxis nitidus GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 200, 1857 or, U. S. Pace. R. R. Exp. Fish. 6, pl. 2, figs. 5-8, 1858; GuNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 257, 1859. 460 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM In the crappie the depth of the body is two fifths of the total length, not including the tail. The length of the head is one third of the total. The mouth is oblique and larger than in the calico bass. ‘The eye is about equal to the snout and nearly one fourth the length of the head. The upper jaw nearly one half the length of head; the maxilla reaches slightly beyond the mid- dle of the eye. The longest rays of the dorsal and anal are about one half as long as the head. The pectoral is longer than the ventral and reaches only to above the origin of the anal. ‘The ventral when laid back reaches to the vent. D. VI, 16; A. VI, 17. Scales 7-45-13. There is considerable variation in the number of Spines and rays in the dorsal and anal fins. Color clear silvery olive, the sides mottled with dark greenish blotches. On the upper part of the body are traces of narrow vertical bars. The dorsal and caudal are mottled, but the anal is usually uniform pale. . Among the many names which have been applied to the crap- pie are: bachelor, newlight, campbellite, sac-a-lait, bridge perch, strawberry perch, chinquapin perch, speckled perch, tin perch, goggle-eye, John demon, shad, white croppie and timber croppie. In the lower Mississippi valley the crappie is one of the most common fishes. It is abundant also in the Ohio valley: and oc- curs rarely in Lake Erie. The Ohio, Illinois and Mississippi rivers are particularly noted for an abundance of crappies, and the fish is very plentiful in Lake Pontchartrain, La., where it is one of the most highly prized of the smaller game fishes. | Dr Meek did not obtain the crappie in the Cayuga lake basin, but says it may be found in the canal near Montezuma, where © the calico bass is said to be frequently taken. . The crappie is a very general favorite for pond culture, can be readily transported and under favorable conditions multiplies prodigiously. Its range has been very much extended by arti- ficial means. The best distinguishing marks between the crap- pie and the calico bass are the more elongated form of the crappie, the presence of six spines in the dorsal and the nearly uniform whitish color of the anal. In the crappie the greatest 4 FISHES OF NEW YORK | 461 depth of the body is usually contained two and one half times in the total length without the tail, while in the calico bass the depth equals one half the length. These two species are so similar in size and habits that they are rarely distinguished except by ichthyologists. The crappie grows to a length of about 1 foot and usually weighs 1 pound or less; but in a lake near St Louis an individual weighing 3 pounds has been recorded. Crappie fishing usually begins in June and lasts till the com- ing of cold weather. Large numbers of these fish are collected near Quincy Ill. for distribution to other waters. At Peoria III. Prof. Forbes has taken them in March and April; he has found them also in Pistakee lake and at Ottawa. Cedar lake, Ind. and King’s lake, Mo. are celebrated crappie waters. Near Coving- ton Ky. in private ponds belonging to Joseph Schlosser there are myriads of crappies as well as other game fishes. Prof. S. A. Forbes has studied the feeding habits of the crappie, and finds that the young live chiefly on entomostraca and small insect larvae. The adults subsist on the same food when obtainable. but in times of scarcity they feed to some extent on other fishes. Small minnows and darters have been found in their stomachs. In the autumn Prof. Forbes has - found a larger percentage of small fishes, sometimes constitut- ing nearly two fifths of their food. The hellgramite is eaten by the crappie. In cold weather it does not consume one fourth the amount of food which it takes in the early spring. The crappie prefers still waters, thriving even in warm and muddy water, and has been taken in large numbers in midsummer at depths of only a few feet; in cold weather it retires to deeper water, becomes rather sluggish and takes little food. Dr Hen- _ Shall states that the crappie is found about dams and in deep Still parts of streams and ponds, specially about logs, brush and drift. | The crappie is a very free biter and can be caught readily with minnows or worms. Spoon bait has been successfully used in trolling for this species. It is recorded that two men have 462 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM taken a thousand crappies in three days’ fishing with hook and | line. As the fish is gregarious, congregating in large schools, and fearless, it can be taken in the immense numbers given. The best bait for crappie is a small shiner. It rises well also to the artificial fly. As a food fish this is one of the best in our inland waters, and its adaptability for life in artificial ponds should make it a favorite with fish culturists. 231 Pomoxis sparoides (Lacépéde) Calico Bass; Strawberry Bass Labrus sparoides LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss. III, 517, 1802, South Carolina. Cantharus nigromaculatus LE SuEuUR, in, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. III, 88, 1829, Wabash River. Centrarchus hexacanthus CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. VII, 458, 1831, Charleston, S. C.; KiRTLAND, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. III, 480, pl. XXIX, fig. 2, 1841; Gunruer, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus: I, 257, 1859. Pomotis hexacanthus HoLBRooK, Ichth. 8. C. 15, pl. 3, fig. 1, 1856. Pomoxys sparoides JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 465, 1883; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 102, color pl. 9, 1898. Pomowis sparoides MEEK, Ann. N. Y. Ac. Sci. IV, 312, 1888; Botuman, Rep'’t. U. 8S. F. C. XVI, 559, pl. 68, fig. 2, 1892; Jonpan.& EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 987, 1896, pl. CLIV, fig. 416, 1900; HUGENE SMITH, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. Y. for 1897, 33, 1898. The calico bass has,the depth about one half the length, not_ including the tail, the head about one third. The mouth is very oblique and smaller than in the crappie. The eye is as long as the snout and one fourth as long as the head. The maxilla reaches to slightly beyond the middle of the eye. The dorsal and anal fins are very high; the longest rays are half as long as the head. The pectoral is as long as the ventral, slightly shorter than the longest ray of the dorsal. The ventral reaches to third anal spine. D. VII, 15; A. VI, 17-18. Scales. 7—42-15. The sides are olivaceous with silvery reflections and mottled with pale green. The dorsal, anal and caudal show pale spots surrounded by green reticulations. | The calico bass, on account of its wide distribution and vari- ability, has received a profusion of names. Many of these are variations of the term bass. It is known, for example, as straw- berry bass, grass bass, lake bass, Lake Erie bass, bank lake bass, silver bass, and big-fin bass. Other names for the species are Se Ee a ae ee aya De en ee ee ae FISHES OF NEW YORK 463 ! strawberry perch, chinquapin perch, goggle-eye perch, silver _ perch and sand perch. Still other names of local application are barfish, bitter head, tinmouth, sac-a-lait, lamplighter, razor- back, goggle-eye, black croppie and lake croppie. The species is mentioned in the fish laws of Pennsylvania under the name of Lake Erie bass or grass bass. The distribution of the calico bass is naturally extensive, and it has been still further increased by artificial introduction. The fish has been carried to France, and examples measuring about 8 inches in length were recorded there several years ago. There is, however, some confusion in that country between the calico bass and the common sunfish, and there is no doubt that some of the latter species have been introduced into Germany | under the mistaken belief that they were calico bass. | This bass is indigenous east of the Alleghanies from New Jersey southward to Georgia. It abounds in the Great lakes region, Mississippi valley south to Louisiana, most common northward,and occurs in the Missouri. In the Ohio valley it was rather uncommon till its introduction in large numbers. It was introduced into the Susquehanna river by the Pennsyl- vania Fish Commission, and has become acclimatized there; also into the Monongahela, the Lehigh, and other waters. Fishermen of the region about Montezuma informed Dr Meek that the fish is frequently taken from the canal near that place, where it is known as calico bass. The U. S. Fish Commission obtained two examples in Long pond, at Charlotte N. Y. Aug. 17, 1894. This bass grows to a length of about 1 foot and a maximum weight of nearly 3 pounds, but the average weight is about 1 pound. It spawns in the spring, and the close season in some States extends to June 1. Gravid females were caught near Havre de Grace Md. in May. These were taken in the Susaque- hanna and Tidewater canal, where the species is becoming rather abundant. The food of the calico bass consists of worms, small crustaceans and fishes. Though a native of deep, sluggish waters of western rivers and lakes, it readily adapts itself to 464 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM cold, rapid streams and thrives even in small brooks. The — species is suitable also for pond life and may be kept in small areas of water provided they have sufficient depth. It does not prey on other fishes, and its numerous stiff spines protect it from larger predaceous species. It swims in large schools and is often found in comparatively shoal water. The nest-building habits have been described by Duclos from observations made at‘ Versailles, France. This writer unfortunately had under observation both the calico bass and the common sunfish, and his statements need comfirmatign. The game qualities of this bass are noteworthy. It is a free, vigorous biter, its endurance is rather remarkable considering its size; as a food fish the species is highly prized, and its increase in eastern rivers is greatly to be desired. | : Genus acanruarcaus Gill Body oblong, robust, not much compressed or elevated; mouth not very large, the broad maxillary with a well developed © supplemental bone; lower jaw projecting; teeth on vomer, pala- ‘tines, pterygoids and tongue, lingual teeth in a single patch, pharyngeal teeth sharp; gill rakers few, rather long and strong; opercle emarginate; preopercle entire; scales cycloid, large; - lateral line complete; dorsal spines usually 11; anal spines five; caudal fin rounded behind. Close to Amb1 oplites, differ- ing chiefly in the rounded caudal. One Species known. ne? | 232 Acantharchus pomotis (Baird) | Mud Sunfish Centrarchus ponvitis BatrD, Ninth Smithson. Rep’t, 325, 1855, New Jersey, New York; GuntueEr, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 256, 1859. Acantharchus pomotis JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 469, 1883; BEAN, Bull. U. S. F. C. VII, 148, 1888; Fishes Penna. 107, 18938; _ JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 989, 1896, pl. CLY, fig. 418, 1900; HuGENE Situ, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. Y. for 1897, 34, 1898. The mud sunfish has an oblong and moderately elongate body, its greatest depth, near the vent, two fifths of the total length without the caudal. The greatest thickness is a little less than one half the depth. The caudal peduncle is short and deep, its least depth two fifths of greatest depth of body. The head FISHES OF NEW YORK 465 is moderately large, rather more than one third of total length without the caudal, its width equal to the length of its postorbi- tal part. The snout is very short and obtuse, its length about one half that of the eye. The eye is placed high, its diameter contained three and two thirds times in the length of the head. The interorbital space is slightly convex, its width three fourths the length of the eye. The mouth is large, the maxilla broadly expanded behind and reaching nearly to below the hind margin of the eye. A well developed supplemental maxillary bone, two thirds as long as the eye. Six rows of scales on the cheeks. The operculum ends in two thin, flat points, between which there is a black spot, about two fifths as long as the eye. Gill rakers short and few, five developed on the first arch, the long- est two fifths as long as the eye. The spinous dorsal begins over the fifth scale of the lateral line; its base is as long as the head without the snout. The first spine is very short, one half as long as the eye; the spines increase very gradually in length to the last, which is as long as the eye and snout combined. The soft dorsal base is two thirds as long as that of the spinous dorsal; its rays are longer than the spines, the longest (fourth to sixth) about one half as long as the head. The anal begins under 18th scale of the lateral line; the first Spine one half as long as the eye; the spines increase in length to the last, which is one third as long as the head; the rays are long, the longest (fourth) equal to postorbital length of head. The ventral reaches to the vent. The pectoral reaches to below the 15th scale of the lateral line. The caudal is rounded, its middle rays five sevenths as long as the head. The lateral line is complete and runs parallel to the dorsal outline. D. XII, 11; A. Vi, 10; V.I, 5; P.14. Scales 6-43-12. In spirits the color is dark brown; two or three dusky stripes on the sides below the lateral line; a dark shade around the nape extending back- ward behind the eye; two dark stripes across the cheeks and operculum; a dark opercular flap as described above; the fins unspotted. In life the fish is dark green. The example described, no, 17844 U. S. National Museum, from New Jersey, 4 466 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM | is 44 inches long. It has more dorsal and anal spines than are usually present in this sunfish. The colors of living specimens were described by Prof. Baird as follows: Dark greenish olive, with three or four irregular longitudinal bands of dull greenish yellow, and occasionally cloudy spots of golden green. Sides of the head of this color, with three indis- tinct bands of: dark olive. Iris purplish brown; cornea olive green. Fins quite uniform, very dark greenish olive, with darker margins, except the pectorals, which are light olivaceous, and the ventrals, the spinous rays of which are uncolored. Some specimens may be better described as dark golden green, with longitudinal bands of dark olive, broken uP by cloudings of greenish. Baird called it the bass Sane because of its resemblance in shape to some of the basses. The species ranges from New York to North Carolina in sluggish streams near the coast. Baird collected it in Rockland county, N. Y. Eugene Smith took it in the upper Hackensack valley. Baird found it not rare in Cedar Swamp creek, near Beesleys Point N. J. in 1854; and the writer obtained a single individual in Gravelly run, not far from that locality, in 1887, associated with the pirate perch, striped mud minnow, barred killifish and young pickerel. | The mud sunfish reaches a length of 6 inches. It prefers muddy water and may even lie embedded in mud. Eugene Smith says it is shy, seclusive and nocturnal in its habits. Genus AMBLOPLITES Rafinesque Body oblong, moderately elevated, compressed; mouth large, the broad maxillary with a well developed supplemental bone, lower jaw projecting; teeth on vomer, palatines, tongue, ento- pterygoids and ectopterygoids, lingual teeth in a single patch, pharyngeal teeth sharp; branchiostegals six; opercle ending in two flat points; preopercle serrate at its angle; other membrane bones chiefly entire; gill rakers rather long and strong, dentate, less than 10 in number, developed only on the lower part of the arch; scales large, somewhat ctenoid; lateral line complete, the — | tubes occupying at least the anterior half of the surface of the scale; dorsal fin much more developed than the anal fin, with 10 FISHES OF NEW- YORK 5 bt 467 or 11 rather low spines; anal spines normally six; pectorals obtusely pointed with 14 or 15 rays, the upper longest; caudal fin emarginate. 233 Ambloplites rupestris (Rafinesque): Rock Bass; Redeye Bodianus rupestris RAFINESQUE, Am. Month. Mag. II, 120, Dec. 1817, Lakes of New York, Vermont & Canada. Cichla aenea LE SuEruR, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. II, 214, pl. 12, 1822, Lake Ontario. Centrarchus aeneus CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. III, 84, 1829; DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 27, pl. 2, fig. 4, 1842, Lake Champlain, Great Lakes, streams of western New York, Hudson River; STORER, Syn.-Fish, N. A. 37, 1846. ‘ Ambloplites rupestris JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 466, 1883; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 105, color pl. 10, 1893; EvERMANN & KENDALL, Rept. U. S. F. C. for 1894; 600, 1896; JorpDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 980, 1896, pl. CLYI, figs. 419, A, B, C; MEEK, Ann. N. Y. Ac. Sci. LV, 3138, 1898; EUGENE SMITH, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. Y. for 1897, 33, 1898; MEARNS, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. X, 319, 1898; te 52d Ann. Rept. N. Y. State Mus. 104, 1900. The rock bass has a robust oblong body; its depth iS con- tained two and one third times in the total length without caudal, the head two and four fifths in this same length. The caudal peduncle is stout, almost as deep as long. The dorsal profile is rather steep; strongly concave over eye. The eye is large, about one fourth the length of head, equal to snout. _ The mouth is large, the maxillary reaching to vertical from posterior end of pupil. The heavy lower jaw projects slightly. The vomer, palatines, tongue and pterygoid bones all toothed; the teeth on the tongue in a single patch. The pharyngeal teeth are sharp. The opercle ends in two flat points; preopercle serrated at its angle. Gill rakers long and strong, less than 10 in number; six branchiostegals; scales large, those on the cheeks in about eight rows; caudal rather deeply, emarginate. The dorsal base is about one and one half times as long as that of the anal. The spines of both fins are stout and rather short. The first spine of the dorsal is over the seventh scale of the lateral line, and the last spine is over the 25th scale. The first soft ray is over the 26th scale, and the last ray over the 385th. The anal origin is under the middle of the spinous dorsal, and 468 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM the last anal ray is opposite the last dorsal ray. First dorsal spine shortest, one half the length of longest spine, which is about three fifths as long as the longest ray.. The spines and rays of the anal are in about the same proportion to each other as those of the dorsal, the first spine being the shortest and the longest about three fifths as long as the longest anal ray. The soft parts of the dorsal and anal are high and rounded. The pectoral is rather short and broad. The ventral long and | slender, directly under base of pectoral. The lateral line is complete, placed high on body and follows the contour of the back. 7 Dob bl A Aa i oS cales 5-46-14, Color olive green with a brassy tinge and much dark mottling; the young are pale or yellowish, irregularly barred and blotched with black; adults with a dark spot at the base of each scale, these spots forming interrupted black stripes; a dark spot on the opercle; soft dorsal, anal, and caudal fins with dark mot- tlings; iris golden overlaid with crimson. : The rock bass is known under a variety of names. Among them are the following: redeye, red-eyed perch, goggle-eye and lake bass. It is found in Lower Canada, Vermont and through- out the Great lakes region, west to Manitoba, and it is native in Minnesota and Dakota; southward it ranges through the Mis- Sissippi valley to Texas. In the Ohio valley it is very common, while in the Middle Atlantic states, east of the Alleghanies, it has probably been introduced. Its existence in the Susque- hanna has been known for many years. Whether it is indige- nous in Pennsylvania waters is uncertain. It has been intro- duced into some parts of Virginia, while in other portions of tnat state it is native. It is indigenous in North Carolina. Its distribution in Pennsylvania has been greatly extended by artificial introduction, and it is now well established in the Delaware, specially in its upper waters. De Kay records it from Lake Champlain, the Great lakes and the larger streams in the — western counties of New York. Meek says it is a very common and well known species in the Cayuga lake basin. In the Passaic river and other waters it is an introduced species. Evermann FISHES OF NEW YORK 469 and Bean obtained a specimen in Scioto creek, Coopersville N. Y. July 19, 1894. In the Lake Ontario region the U.S. Fish Com- mission collectors secured it at the following localities in New York state in 1894 and previous years. Marsh creek, near Pointbreeze. Mouth Little Salmon creek Chaumont river Guffon creek, Chaumont Mill creek, Sacketts Harbor Black creek, tributary of Oswego river, Scriba Corner Sandy creek, North Hamlin Mouth Salmon river, Selkirk Cape Vincent Little Stony brook, Henderson bay Long pond, Charlotte Cemetery creek, Watertown Great Sodus bay Grenadier island, Lake Ontario Salt brook, 14 miles above Nine Mile point Nine Mile point, Webster Under circumstances favorable as to water and food supply the rock bass grows to a length of 14 inches and a weight of 2 pounds. It increases in depth and thickness with age. The largest example we have examined is one of 2 pounds weight, length 14 inches, from the James river, Va., taken near Rich- mond. Dr William Overton reports that rock bass weighing 33 pounds have been taken in his vicinity at Stony creek, Va. In February and March this fish frequents the mouths of small streams, and in summer it seeks shady places under high banks or projecting rocks. The species is gregarious, going in large Schools. It thrives where there is not much current and is very well adapted for culture in artificial ponds. It is as common in lakes and ponds as in the streams. Sluggish, pure dark water suits it best. | The fishing season begins in June and lasts till the approach of cold weather. The rock bass feeds on worms, crustaceans 470 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM and larvae of insects early in the season; later its food consists. of minnows and crawfish. The young feed on insects and their larvae. The spawning season is May and June, and gravelly shoals are resorted to for depositing the eggs. The rock bass bites very freely and is a fair game fish and excellent for the table. It fights vigorously, but its endurance is not great. Suitable baits are white grubs, crickets, grass- hoppers, crawfish and small minnows. Common earthworms are: ° also successfully used. Genus CHAENOBRYTTUS Gill | This genus has the general form and dentition of Amblo- plites, with the convex opercle, 10 dorsal and three anal spines of Lepomis. Preopercle entire: branchiostegals six;. caudal fin emarginate; scales weakly ctenoid; vertebrae 13+16—= 29; posterior processes of the premaxillaries extending nearly to the frontals; frontals posteriorly with a transverse ridge con- necting the parietal and supraoccipital crest, which are very strong. 234 Chaenobryttus gulosus (Cuv. & Val.) . Warmouth ; Goggle-eye Pomotis gulosus CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. III, 498, 1829, Lake Pontchartrain and lagoons about New Orleans. Centrarchus viridis CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, op. cit. WII, 460, 1831, Charleston, 8. C. vy Centrarchus gulosus CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, op. cit. VII, 459, 1831; GuNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 258, 1859. | Chaenooryttus antistius McKay, Proc. U. 8. Nat. Mus. 88, 1881, Lake Michi- gan; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 467, 1883. Chaenobryttus gulosus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 468, 1883; Bottman, Rept. U. S. F. C. XVI, 562, pl. 69, fig. 3, 1892; JorDAN. & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 992, 1896, pl. CLVII, fig. 421, 1900. The body of the warmouth is heavy and deep, more elongate than in Lepomis, its greatest depth contained trom two to two and one half times in total length without caudal; head rather long, its length contained from two and one fifth to two and two thirds times in the total without caudal; eye large, about one fourth as. long as the head, and about, equal to the snout; mouth large, the maxillary reaching to below hind margin of eye; gill rakers eight or nine besides some rudiments; oper-_ FISHES OF NEW YORK AGL cular spot about as large as the eye. The dorsal begins farther back than the pectoral, its spines low, the longest equal to dis- tance from tip of snout to middle of pupil; pectoral short, not reaching to anal; ventrals nearly reaching vent, the spine about one half the distance from origin of ventral to vent. D. xX, 9 to 10; A. III, 8 to 9. Scales 6-40 to 46-11 to 12; pores 37 to 42; 6 to 8 rows on cheek. Color in life clear olive green clouded with darker, usually without red or blue; a dusky spot on each scale more or less distinct; vertical fins mottled with dusky; a faint spot on last rays of dorsal bordered by paler; three oblique dusky bars radi- ating from eye; belly yellowish. The warmouth inhabits the eastern United States from the Great lakes to South Carolina and Texas, ranging west to Kansas and Iowa. It occurs chiefly west or south of the Alleghanies. The fish reaches a length of 10 inches and is a food species of some importance. .It is extremely voracious and, consequently, a favorite for angling. In form and color it varies greatly. Genus ENNEACANTHUS Gill Body rather short and deep, compressed; mouth small; the supplemental maxillary bone well developed; teeth on vomer and palatines, none on the tongue; opercle ending behind in two flat points, with a dermal border; preopercle entire; scales rather large, the lateral line sometimes interrupted; gill rakers short, nine or 10 below angle of arch; dorsal fin continuous, normally with nine spines; anal fin smaller than the dorsal, with - three spines; caudal fin convex behind; branchiostegals six. Species of small size and bright coloration, intermediate between Lepomis and Centrarchus. Abnormal vari- ations in the number of dorsal and anal spines have given rise to the nominal genera Hemioplites and Copelandia. 235 Enneacanthus obesus (Baird) Banded Sunfish Pomotis obesus BAIRD, 9th Ann. Rept. Smith. Inst. 324, 1855, Beesleys Fomt:N.. J’. Brytius fasciatus HoxBroox, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 51, pl. 5, fig. 3, 1855, St John’s River, Fla.; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 260, 1859. 472 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM ; Pomotis guttatus Morris, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 8, 1859, Delaware River, Philadelphia, Pa. Enneacanthus obesus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 470, 1883: BEAN, Fishes Penna. 108, 1893; HuGENE SmitTH, Proc. Linn. Soc. 1897, 34, 1898, Hackensack Valley, N. Y. | The body of the banded sunfish is elliptic in form, its depth more than one half the total length without caudal, its thickness equal to two fifths of its depth. The caudal peduncle is short and stout, its least depth one third of greatest depth of body. The head is short, two fifths of total length without the caudal; the snout is very short and oblique, its length about two thirds of the diameter of the eye, which is one third as long as the head, and exceeds the width of the interorbital space. The mouth is oblique, moderate in size, the maxilla broadly expanded pos- teriorly and reaching to below the middle of the eye; a supple- mental maxillary bone. A black opercular flap, two thirds as. long as the eye. Scales on cheeks in four rows. Gill rakers short and spiny, 13 developed on the first arch, the longest scarcely one half as long as the eye. The first dorsal spine is over the pectoral base, minute, less than one half as long as the second, which is two thirds as long as the eye; the spines increase in size to the last, which is one half ag long as the head; the fourth and longest soft ray is two thirds as long as the head. The ventral begins a little behind the pectoral base; the spine is two fifths as long as the head; the fin reaches to the second anal ray, its longest ray produced into a filament. The anal begins under the 18th scale of the lateral line; the base is two thirds as long as the head; the,first spine is two thirds as long as the second, which is as long as the eye; the last spine is as long as the eye and snout combined. The anal rays increase in length to the fifth, which is as long as the head without the snout. The pectoral is below the median line and reaches to above the third anal spine. The caudal is rounded, the middle rays as long as the head without the snout. The lateral line is imperfect after the 17th: tothe 19th scale.’ DUT xX Its AS TT 10. VO ae Scales 5-32-10. The type of the species, no. 6538, U. 8. National Museum, from Beesleys Point N. J. is here described; it is 3% inches long. ia at ilk os } ice al sip tid RT Ay ieee: FISHES OF NEW YORK A473 The banded sunfish inhabits coastwise streams from Massachu- setts to Florida. It occurs in southeastern Pennsylvania but is rare. This species grows to a length of 3 inches. It is olive green in color with five to eight dark cross bars intermingled with golden or purplish spots. There are lines and spots also on the cheeks. The flap on the opercle contains a velvety black spot with a purple border. Below the eye is a dark bar. This is a beautiful little species, but has no economic importance. In our vicinity it inhabits the entire Hackensack valley, pre- ferring quiet, weedy places. For the aquarium it is the most desirable of all the sunfishes, as well on account of its hardiness as of its harmless nature. Hugene Smith 236 Enneacanthus gloriosus (Holbrook) Blue-spotted Sunfish Bryttus gloriosus HotBroox, Jour. Ac, Nat. Sci. Phila. 52, pl. 5, fig. 4, 1855, Cooper River, S. C.; GunTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 260, 1859. Hemioplites simulans Corr, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 218, 1868, Tuckahoe Creek, near Richmond, Va. Enneacanthus simulans JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 470, 1883; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 108, 1893, Trenton, N. J. Enneacanthus eriarchus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 469, 1883. Enneacanthus eriarchus JORDAN & GILBERT, op. cit. 469, 1883. Enneacanthus gloriosus BOLLMAN, Rept. U: S. F. C. XVI, 564, 1892; JorDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 993, 1896, pl. CLVIII, fig. 442, 1900; MEARNS, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. X, 319, 1898. The blue-spotted sunfish has an elliptic body, its greatest depth one half of the total length without the caudal, its thick- ness nearly two fifths of its depth. Caudal peduncle short, its least depth one third of greatest depth of body. Head moder- ately large, three eighths of total length without the caudal; Snout very short and oblique, two thirds as long as the eye, which is nearly one third as long as the head; mouth moderately large, oblique, the broadly expanded maxilla reaching nearly to below front of pupil; lower jaw slightly projecting; the oper- culum ends in two flat points, between which there is a dark spot two thirds as long as the eye and bordered below by a narrow pearly stripe; gill rakers short and stout, 11 developed on first a 2 - 474 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM ‘ = arch, the longest one third as long as the eye; four rows of scales on the cheeks. The spinous dorsal begins over the fourth scale of the lateral line; its base is two thirds as long as the head; the first spine is nearly one half as long as the eye; the spines gradually increase in length to the fourth, which is equal to those that follow it and to the length of the postorbital part of the head; the fifth, and longest, soft ray is as long as the head without the snout; the last soft ray is as long as the postorbital part of the head. The anal origin is under the 14th scale of the lateral line; the base of the anal fin is as long as the head without the snout; the first spine is one fourth as long as the head; the third and longest spine equals the postorbital part of the head in length; the third and fourth soft rays are longest, as long as the head without the snout. The ventral reaches to the second anal ray, its spine as long as the postorbital part of the head. ‘The pectoral is placed below the median line of the body; it reaches to below the 14th scale of the lateral line. The caudal is rounded; its middle rays are three fourths as long as the head. The lateral line is usually complete, sometimes imperfect on one side. D. IX, 11; An IT 105 Vd, bee. 1 Scales 4 anki): In spirits the color is brownish; about seven or eight rows of scales below the lateral line with pearly blotches forming inter- rupted stripes; a dark band under the eye; the dorsal, anal, and caudal profusely spotted with roundish, pearly spots. Young individuals are obscurely banded. In life the spots of the male are blue, and the fins are higher than in the female; the opercle bears a pearly blue spot. The specimens described, no. 20356, U.S. National Museum, are from Trenton N. J. The pa 18 3 inches long. The blue-spotted sunfish is found from New York to South Carolina. According to Cope, it is very common in southeastern Pennsylvania. Mearns obtained it only in Long pond, a sheet of deep water almost a mile in length, 4 miles west of Highland Falls N. Y. He discovered the species there more than 23 years ago, and reports it still common. | 2 se = ‘ ee nd 52 pata ae ee ee ee ee Le eee FISHES OF NEW YORK . 475 e This is a small species, not much larger than the banded sun- fish. It is a handsome fish, but has no importance for food. Genus apomoris Rafinesque This genus is very close to Lepomis, from which it differs only in the development of the A sataiais aoe maxillary bone, which becomes rudimentary or wanting in the adult of Le- pomis. The mouth is largest in the species in which this bone is best developed. Lower pharyngeals narrow, with acute teeth; gill rakers well developed, long and stiff; pectoral blunt- ish, shorter than head; scales moderate, 43 to 50. Species widely distributed in American waters, similar in habit to the species of Lepomis. 237 Apomotis cyanellus (Rafinesque) Green Sunfish; Redeye Lepomis cyanellus RAFINESQUE, Jour. de Phys. 420, 1819, Ohio River; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U.S. Nat. Mus. 473, 1883; BEAN, Fishes Penna, 110, pl. 31, fig. 61, 1898; Merk, Ann. N. Y. Ac. Sci. IV, 318, 1888; EVERMANN & KENDALL, Bull. U. S. F. C. XII, 111, 1894. Pomotis longulus BAIRD & GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 391, 1853, Otter Creek, Arkansas; Marcy’s Expl. Red River, 245, pl. 12. Bryttus longulus BAIRD & GIRARD, 1. ¢. 25, 1854; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 259, 1859. Calliurus longulus GIRARD, U. S. Pacif. R. R. Exp. Fishes, 16, pl. 5, figs. 5-8, pl. 6, figs. 5-8, 1858; Rept. U. S. Mex. Bound. Surv. Tehth. DiS To eV, figs. 1-4, 1859. Calliurus formosus GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 200, 1857, Arkansas; U. S. Pacif. R. R. Exp. Fishes, 14, pl. 5, figs. 1-4, 1858. Apomotis cyanellus RAFINESQUE, Jour. de Phys. Paris, 420, 1819; BOULENGER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 21, 1896; Jornpan & EVERMANN, Bull, 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 996, 1896. | The green sunfish has an oblong body, its greatest depth, at the ventrals, equal to three sevenths of the total length without the caudal, and its thickness three eighths of its depth. The least depth of the caudal peduncle equals four fifths of its length, and about one third of greatest body depth. The head is one third of total length without the caudal, its width nearly one half its length. The snout is moderately pointed, and as long as the eye, which is two ninths as long as the head. The interorbital space is nearly flat, its width a little greater than the length of the eye. The nape is moderately arched. The 476 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM mouth is moderately large, the maxilla not widely expanded behind and reaching to below the front of the pupil. Supple- mental maxillary bone well developed; seven rows of scales on the cheeks; gill rakers short and stiff, 11 developed on the first arch, the longest one third as long as the eye; a short, broad opercular flap, its width and length about equal and two thirds of length of eye. The spinous dorsal begins over the sixth scale of the lateral line, its base nearly equal in length to the head; the first spine is two thirds as long as the eye; the spines increase gradually in length to the seventh, which is two fifths as long as the spinous dorsal base and one half the length of the head without the snout; the 10th spine is nearly as long as the seventh; the seventh and longest soft ray is one half as long as the head; the last ray is one third as long as the head. The base of the soft dorsal is about two thirds as long as the spinous dorsal base. The anal begins under the 24th scale of the lateral line; the first spine is three fourths as long as the eye; the second is nearly twice, and the third two and one half times as long as the first; the length of the anal base equals — one fifth of the total without the caudal; the fourth and longest anal ray is as long as the postorbital part of the head; the last ray is a little more than one half as long as the fourth. The caudal fin is emarginate, the middle rays three fourths as long as the external. The ventral reaches to the vent, its spine one half as long as the head, without the snout, its length one fifth of the total without the caudal. The pectoral reaches to below the 17th scale of the lateral line. The lateral line follows the, outline of the back. D. X, 11; A. ITI, 10; V. 1,5; P. 13. Scales 7-47-14. In spirits the color is pale brown, the fins paler. The oper- cular flap has a dark spot as described above. In life there is generally a black blotch on the hinder part of the dorsal and anal; the ground color is greenish with a brassy tinge on the sides, the lower parts yellowish; blue spots and gilt borders usually ornament the scales, and faint dark bands are often present. The dorsal, anal and caudal have blue or green mark- FISHES OF NEW YORK 477 ings, and the anal is margined in front with orange. The iris is red and the cheeks are striped with blue. The specimen described, no. 36313, U. S. National Museum, from the Sac river, Mo., is 7 inches long. 3 The blue-spotted sunfish, also known as the green sunfish and redeye, occurs from the Great lakes region, throughout the Ohio and Mississippi valleys south to Mexico. It does not occur in the Middle Atlantic states ‘east of the Alleghanies. Dr Meek did not find this fish near Ithaca. A few specimens were taken near Montezuma N. Y. None of the collectors of the U. S. Fish Commission obtained it in the Lake Ontario region. The species reaches a length of 7 inches, and is an extremely variable one. Prof. Cope refers to it as a good panfish and states that it is abundant in the Ohio basin. In the Ohio valley it is one of the characteristic fishes, inhabiting ponds and ascending small streams. It frequents deep holes and the shelter of overhanging roots. . Genus Lepomis Rafinesque Body oblong or ovate, more or less compressed, the back in the adult somewhat elevated; mouth moderate or small, the jaws about equal; maxillary narrow, the supplemental bone reduced to a mere rudiment, or altogether wanting; teeth on vomer and usually on palatines, none on tongue or pterygoids, lower pharyngeals narrow, the teeth spherical or paved, all or nearly all sharp, few or none of them conical; gill rakers mostly short; preoperculum entire; operculum ending behind in a con- vex flap, black in color, which in some species becomes greatly developed with age; branchiostegals six; scales moderate; dorsal fin continuous, with 10 spines; anal with three spines; caudal fin emarginate; pectorals long or short; vertebrae usually 13+16 or 17=—29 or 30. Coloration brilliant, but evanes- cent. A large genus, one of the most difficult in our fish fauna in which to distinguish species. The form of body, develop- ment of ear flap, and hight of spines vary with-age and con- dition, while the general appearance and the numbers of fin rays and scales are essentially the same in all. Several at- 478 NEW YORK STATH MUSEUM tempts have been made to subdivide the group, but the char- acters used, drawn from the pharyngeals, gill rakers, palatine teeth, and pectoral fins, are themselves subject to variation, changing or disappearing by degrees without marked gaps. 238 Lepomis auritus (Linnaeus) Long-eared Sunfish Labrus auritus LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, I, 283, 1758, Philadelphia, Pa. Labrus appendix MitTcHiLtLt, Am. Month. Mag. II, 247, February, 1818. Pomotis appendix DE IwAy, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 32, 1842, from Mircniny; STORER, Hist. Fish. Mass. 14, pl. III, fig. 4, 1867. Pomotis rubricauda STORER, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. IV, 177, 1842, Concord, N. H.; Gunruer, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 262, 1859. Lepomis einiganes and mystacalis JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 475, 18838. Lepomis auritus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 477, 1883; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 113, pl. 31, fig. 68, 1893; JornpAan & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1001, 1896, pl. CLXIX, figs. 425, 425a, 1900; MEARNS, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. X, 319, 1898; HUGENE SMITH, Proc. Linn. Soe. N. Y. 1897, 34, 1898. The long-eared sunfish has an oblong, moderately elongate body, its depth nearly one half of the length without the caudal and its thickness a little more than one third of its depth. The caudal peduncle is moderately short, its least depth three fourths of its length and one third of greatest depth of body. The head is rather large, its length without the flap one third” _of the total without caudal, its width one half of its length. The space between the eyes is convex, its width a little more than the length of the snout, which is two ninths as long as the head including the flap. The upper edge of the snout is oblique. The eye is one fourth as long as the head without the flap. The mouth is moderate in size, the maxilla not very broadly ex- panded behind and extending to below the front of the pupil. The scales on the cheeks are very small, in about eight rows. The opercular flap is long, narrow and pointed, its length equal to that of the snout and about twice its width. The gill rakers are short and stout, about 11 developed on the first arch, the longest one third as long as the eye. The spinous dorsal begins over the sixth scale of the lateral line; its base is two sevenths of total length without caudal; the first spine is two thirds as Pea z ‘ ee a ey aaa i es <— Seed Sc ili. FISHES OF NEW YORK 479 long as the second, which is as long as the eye; the fourth (longest) is one and one half times as long as the eye; after the fourth the spines slightly decrease in length, the last being little longer than the eye; the fifth (longest) soft ray is as long as the base of the soft dorsal and equal to the snout and eye combined; the last soft ray is a little more than one half as long as the longest. The anal begins under the 21st scale of the lateral line; the length of its base equals that of the soft dorsal; the spines are short and stout, the first two thirds as long as the second and one half as long as the third, which is one and one half times as long as the eye; the fourth (longest) soft ray is as long as the base of the fin; the last ray is two thirds of this length. The caudal is emarginate, the middle rays two thirds as long as the outer. The ventral reaches beyond the vent, sometimes to the origin of the anal. The ventral spine is one half as long as the fin. The pectoral has a broad base and extends to below the 19th scale of the lateral line. D. X, 10; A. ITI, 9; V. 1,5; P. 14. Scales 7-43-18. - The lateral line follows the curve of the back. In spirits the color is pale brown; the fins somewhat paler; the ear flap black; a brownish streak in front of the eye and another horizontal one beneath it. In life the color is olivaceous; the belly, specially in breeding males, orange. The scales on the sides have reddish spots on a bluish ground. Dorsal, anal and caudal usually yellowish. The stripes on the head are bluish. The specimen described, no. 33152, U. S. National Museum, | from Bainbridge Pa. is 53 inches long. The long-eared sunfish has a very extensive range and is known under many common names, among which are the fol- ' lowing: bream, red-tailed bream, redhead bream, red-bellied bream, perch, sun perch, red-bellied perch and redbreast. The species is common in streams east of the Alleghanies from Maine to Florida, and in tributaries of the Gulf of Mexico to Louisiana. In the southern states the typical long-eared sunfish is replaced by a variety with larger scales on the cheeks A480 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM and belly and a dusky blotch on the Lesage: part of the soft dorsal fin. Mearns found this sunfish abundant in the Hudson and in Poplopen’s creek, a tributary of the Hudson; he took it also in Highland lake. Eugene Smith reported it to be very com- mon in the upper Passaic river, in the Gta Swamp and in the Bronx river. ; The long-eared sunfish averages about 8 inches when adult and weighs about 1 pound. In the south the size and number of individuals are greatly increased. This fish feeds on worms, insect larvae, crustaceans, mollusks and small fishes. In the Susquehanna this is one of the most common of the sunfishes; in the Delaware also it is abundant, and reaches a large size. Though not important commercially, it is taken in large num- bers on the hook and is an excellent food fish. It takes any kind of live bait very readily and furnishes good sport also with the artificial fly. In the Hudson Highlands region, according to Mearns, it is commonly sold in the markets; fishermen take it in fykes, and by angling, using dough, grasshoppers and angle- worms for bait. He has caught it in the most rapid parts of — Poplopen’s creek when angling for brook trout. 239 Lepomis pallidus (Mitchill) Bluegill; Blue Sunfish Labrus pallidus MITCHILL, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soe. N. Y. I, 407, 1815, near New York. Pomotis incisor CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. VII, 466, 1831, New Orleans; DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 33, 1842 (extralimital). Pomotis gibbosus CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, op. cit. VII, 467, 1831, Charles- ton, S. C. Pomotis speciosus GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 263, 1859. Lepomis pallidus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 479, 1883; MEEK, Ann. N, Y. Ac. Sci. IV, 318, 1888; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 112, pl. 31, fig. 62, 1893; JorpDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1005, 1896, pl. CLX, fig. 427, 1900. The blue sunfish has a deep, elliptic body, its greatest depth at the ventrals one half of the total length without the caudal; the thickness equals about one third of the depth. The caudal peduncle is short and deep, its least hight nearly one half the length of head. The head is one third of the total length with- FISHES OF NEW YORK 481 out the caudal; its width equals one half of its length. The ‘snout is short, obtuse and oblique, less than the eye in length. The interorbital space is slightly convex, its width one third of the length of the head. The mouth is small, oblique, the max- illa not greatly expanded behind, reaching to below the front of the eye. The width of the preorbital equals one half the diameter of the eye. Scales on the cheeks in five rows. The gill rakers are short and stout, about 15 developed on the first arch, the longest little more than one fourth as long as the eye. No supplemental maxillary bone. No palatine teeth. The lower pharyngeal bone narrow, with teeth in only about four series, chiefly acute. The spinous dorsal begins over the fourth scale of the lateral line; the spines are stout, the first as long as the snout and one half as long as the fifth and longest; the spines following the fifth not much shorter; the first seven soft rays about equal in length and one half as long as the head; the last ray one third as long as the head. The base of the spinous dorsal is nearly as long as the head; the soft dorsal is two thirds as long as the spinous. The anal begins under the 20th scale of the lateral line; its base is as long as the head without the snout; the spines are short and heavy, the first five sixths as long as the eye, the second a little longer than the eye, and the third one half as long as the head without the snout; the longest rays are the fourth to the seventh, which are one half as long as the head. The caudal is notched, its middle rays three fourths as long as the outer. The ventral reaches almost to the anal, its spine being one half as long as the head without the snout. The pectoral is broad and reaches to below the 18th scale of the lateral line. The lateral line follows the eurve oF the back. D. X,11; A..1IT, 10; V. I, 5; P. 18. Scales 7-41-15. : In spirits the color is pale brown, the scales with a pale mar- gin; a large dark blotch on the hind part of the soft dorsal; a black opercular flap, its width and length about equal, shorter than the eye. The living fish varies with age from light green to dark green. The young have the sides silvery, tinged with 482 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM purple and with many vertical greenish bands, which are some- times chainlike. The dark blotch of the soft dorsal is often indistinct in the young. In very old individuals the belly is often coppery red. The specimen described, no. 27845, U.S. National Museum, from Peoria IIl., is 74 inches long. The propriety of using Mitchill’s name pallidus for the blue sunfish is extremely doubtful. His description can be much more readily referred to a species of Enneacanthus, and the locality “ near New York” does not possess this sunfish among its native species. 3 The blue sunfish, blue bream, copper-nosed bream or dol- -lardee, is a very widely diffused species and varies greatly in size, color and length of the ear flap. It is found in the Great lakes and throughout the Mississippi valley to Mexico. East of the Alleghanies it ranges from New Jersey to Florida. In Pennsylvania it is abundant only in the western part of the state, including Lake Erie. Dr Abbott has recorded it from the Delaware river. Dr Meek says that it is found in the Cayuga lake basin in small numbers with the blue-spotted sunfish, Apomotis cyanellus, which he took near Montezuma. The blue sunfish grows to a length of nearly 1 foot, and indi- viduals weighing nearly 2 pounds are on record. Adults, how- ever, average 8 inches in length, with a weight of less than 1 pound. The size of the individuals depends on the habitat. In large lakes and streams it grows to a greater size than in small bodies of water. In southern waters it attains to a larger size than in northern waters. It lives in ponds as well as in streams and thrives in warm waters. It is considered equal to the rock bass as a panfish and can very readily be taken by hook fishing. Genus EvupomoTis Gill & Jordan Very closely related to Lepomis, differing only in the blunter and more pavementlike teeth of the lower pharyngeal bones. These bones are, in typical species, broad and concave, specially in the adult. There is considerable variation among the species, and it is possible that this division can not be main- tained. Most of the species have long pectoral fins, the Sup- FISHES OF NEW YORK 483 plemental maxillary lost or very much reduced, and the opercular flap always with an orange patch on its lower posterior part. Gill rakers various, usually short. The reten- tion of this genus is possibly justified by convenience, but neither the longer pectorals nor the blunt pharyngeals separate it sharply from Lepomis. 240 Eupomotis gibbosus (Linnaeus) Sunfish; Pumpkin Seed Perca gibbosa LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, I, 292, 1758, Carolina. Sparus aureus WALBAUM, Artedi. Gen. Pisc. 290, 1792, lakes of New York. Morone maculata MitcuHiLL, Report in Part, 19, 1814. Pomotis vulgaris CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. III, 91, 1829, Lake Huron, New York, Virginia; and Carolina; Dr Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 31, pl. 51, fig. 166, 1842; HoLBRooK, Ichth. S. C. 6, pl. 1, fig. 2, 1856. Pomotis auritus GUNTHER, Cat, Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 261, 1859. Lepomis gibbosus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 482, 1883; MEEK, Ann. N. Y. Ac, Sci. IV, 318, 1888; BEAN, Fishes, Penna, 115, pl. 82, fig. 65, 18938. Eupomotis aureus MATHER, App. 12th Rept. Adirondack Surv. N. Y. 7, 1886. Hupomotis gibbosus JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus, 1009, 1896, pl. CLXI, fig. 429, 1900; BEAN, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 36, 1897; MEARNS, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. X, 320, 1898; EUGENE SMITH, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. Y. 1897, 35, 1898; BEAN, 52d Ann. Rept. N. Y. State Mus. 104, 1900. ~ The body of the common sunfish is nearly ovate, its depth one half the total length without caudal; its thickness one third of the depth. The caudal peduncle is short and compressed, its least depth less than the thickness of the body. The head is moderately large, one third of the total length without caudal, its width one half its length. The snout is short and depressed, its length four fifths of the diameter of the eye, which is one fourth as long as the head. The interorbital space is nearly flat, its width one and one half times the diameter of the eye. The mouth is small and oblique; the maxilla not much expanded behind and reaching to below the front of the eye. Scales on the cheeks in four rows. The opercular spot is short, less than two thirds the diameter of the eye, and has a whitish margin behind. The gill rakers are very short, moderately stout, 10 or 11 developed on the first arch, the longest less than 484 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM one fourth the diameter of the eye. The spinous dorsal begins over the third scale of the lateral line; its base is as long as the head without the opercular flap; the first spine is two thirds as long as the eye; the spines increase in size, the fourth, fifth and sixth being nearly equal in length and about as long as the eye and snout combined; the sixth and longest soft ray is as long as the postorbital part of the head, while the last ray is less than one third as long as the head. The base of the soft dorsal is as long as that of the spinous dorsal. The anal origin is under the 23d scale of the lateral line. The anal base is two thirds as long as the head; the first spine is about one half as long as the third (longest), which is two fifths as long as the head. The first and second rays are the longest, nearly as long as the base of the fin. The last ray is two thirds as long as the first. The ventral reaches beyond the vent; its spine is one half as long as the head without the snout. The pectoral reaches © to above the anal origin. The caudal is emarginate, its middle rays four fifths as long as the outer. The lateral line follows the curve of the back. D. X, 12; A. III, 10; V. I, 5; P. 13. Scales 6-42-18. In spirits the color is pale brownish, the opercular flap black with a narrow whitish margin behind and beneath, and the dorsal fin with faint dusky blotches. In life this is one of the most brilliant of sunfishes, the upper parts being greenish olive with a bluish tinge, the sides profusely spotted with orange, the belly and lower fins orange and the dorsal and caudal fins bluish with orange spots. The cheeks are orange with undulat- ing blue stripes; the opercular flap is black, emarginated behind and underneath with bright scarlet. The specimen described, no. 20304, U. S. National Museum, from the Susquehanna at Havre de Grace, is nearly 6 inches jong. The common sunfish, or sunny, pumpkin seed, bream, tobacco box, and pondfish is one of the best known fishes of the United States. | | It is found from Maine westward through the Great lakes region to Minnesota and in the eastern states south to South / FISHES OF NEW YORK 485 Carolina. In western rivers, however, it is seldom found south of the latitude of Chicago. In New York the sunfish abounds almost everywhere, in the lowlands as well as_ the highlands and in brackish as well as fresh waters; it has even been taken occasionally in salt water on Long Island. Large individuals have been received from Canandaigua lake and from lakes in the Adirondacks. Dr Meek found it very common throughout the Cayuga lake basin. The collectors of the U. 8S. Fish Commis- sion obtained it in almost all the waters visited by them (21 localities) in the Lake Ontario region. Eugene Smith reports it from most of the moraine ponds of Long Island and Staten Island, and in quarry ponds of the Palisades, wherein it is fre- quently placed by boys. Ponds and lakes in the parks of New York city are well stocked with this species. Mearns reported it as abundant in the Hudson and in all the ponds and slow streams of the Hudson Highlands. Mather recorded it as a common fish in most of the Adirondack waters, the exceptions being Piseco lake, G lake, Coald lake, Sents’ lake, T lake, Willis pond, Murphy, Warner and Bug lakes. The common sunfish grows to a length of 8 inches and a weight of about 4 pound. Its food is similar to that of the long-eared sunfish; and it is one of the readiest biters known to the angler. The habits of this fish have been described by Dr Theodore Gill and W. P. Seal. The latter states that the male in the breeding season is readily identified by his brighter coloration, conspicuous ear flaps and a luminous border around the fins awhile in the water. The nest is a depression in the mud, sand or gravel, hollowed out by means of the fins. In the Potomac he found a number of nests which were located from a few inches to several feet apart. The male watches the nest and drives away all intruders. The eggs are only about 35 of an inch in diameter and not very numerous. They are attached to stones and aquatic plants. Mr Seal has reason to believe that the male alone is concerned in building the nest and in the care of the eggs and young. The species is usually hardy in captivity, but is subject to fungus attacks which yield readily to treatment with brackish 486 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM water. In the aquarium, according to Eugene Smith, the com- mon sunfish by incessant attacks often kills associates of many kinds. Itis avery gamy fish, common everywhere and is usually found in the company of shiners, minnows and killies. Im quarry ponds, of the Palisades, says the same author, the fish will thrive and multiply as freely as the goldfish, provided there is water enough throughout the year. Genus MICROPTERUS Lacépéde Body oblong, compressed, the back not much elevated; head oblong, conical; mouth very large, oblique, the broad maxillury reaching nearly to or beyond the posterior margin of the eye, its supplemental bone well developed; lower jaw prominent;. teeth on jaws, vomer and palatines in broad villiform bands, the inner depressible, usually no teeth on the tongue; preopercle entire; operculum ending in two flat points without cartilagin- ous flap; branchiostegals normally six; gill rakers long and slender; scales rather small, weakly ctenoid; lateral line com- plete, the tubes straight, occupying the anterior half of each scale; dorsal fin divided by a deep notch, the spines low and rather feeble, 10 in number; anal spines three, the anal fin much smaller than the dorsal; pectorals obtusely pointed, the upper rays longest; ventrals close together below the pectorals; caudal fin emarginate; posterior processes of the premaxillaries not extending to the frontals; frontals posteriorly with a transverse ridge connecting the parietal and supraoccipital crests, which are very strong; vertebrae 16+16 or 17=82 or 33. Size large. Two species, among the most important of American “game 7 fishes. 241 Micropterus dolomieu Lacépede Small Mouthed Black Bass Micropterus dolomieu LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss. IV, 825, 1802; JonpAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 485, 1883; MATHER, App. 12th Rept. - Adirondack Surv. N. Y. 5, 1886; MEEK, Ann, N. Y. Ac. Sci. IV, 318, 1888; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 116, color pl. 11, 1893; EvERMANN & KENDALL, Rept. U. S. F. C. for 1894, 600, 1896; JorDAN & HVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1011, 1896, pl. CLXII, figs. 480, 430a, 1900;. BEAN; Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 364, 1897; MEarwns, id. X, 320,. 1898; EUGENE SmiTH, Proce. Linn. Soe. N. Y. 1897, 35, 1898. iz ee Woes FISHES OF NEW YORK 487 Centrarchus obscurus DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 30, pl. 17, fig. 48, 1842, Onondaga Creek, N. Y.; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 258, 1859. The small mouthed bass differs most markedly from the large mouthed in the size of its jaws, the shallower notch in the dorsal fin and the smaller scales. There are about 11 rows of ‘scales above the lateral line and seven below it; 72-74 scales in the lateral line. The ninth spine of the dorsal is longer than the eye and fully two thirds as long as the fifth and longest spine. The upper jaw extends backward to below the hind margin of the eye. The body is ovate oblong in shape, its greatest depth about equal to length of the head and one third of the total without caudal, becoming deeper with age. ‘The eye is less than two thirds as long as the snout and about one sixth the length of head. The pectoral is not much longer than the ventral and slightly more than one half the length of head. The soft dorsal and anal are more scaly at the base than in the large-mouthed species. The scales on the cheeks and breast are very much smaller than those on the middle ‘of the ‘sides. D. X, 13-15; A. III, 10. The young are dull yellowish green, the sides mottled with darker spots, which sometimes form short vertical bars. Three dark stripes on the head; caudal yellowish at the base; a broad black band near middle of tail and a broad whitish margin behind. The dark lateral band -characteristic of the large mouthed species is not found in the small-mouth.* In the adult the prevailing color is olive green,.the stripes on the head remaining more or less distinct. One of the early names for the small mouthed black bass is that of growler, which appears in the writings of Cuvier, who was under the impression that the name was applied because of a noise sometimes produced by this bass. At the time of his Writing the name growler was pretty generally identified with the black bass. Among the names applied to this fish by Rafinesque are lake bass, big bass, spotted bass, and achigan. ‘He also mentions it under the names painted tail, bridge perch, yellow bass, gold bass, brown bass, dark bass, minny bass, little 488 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM bass, hog bass, yellow perch, black perch, trout perch, streaked head, white trout and brown trout. In the southern states the small-mouth is known as the trout, perch and jumper. In Ala- bama it is called mountain trout. Some persons style it the bronze backer. The most appropriate name and the one by which it is best known is that of black bass or small mouthed black bass. This species is indigenous to the upper parts of the St Law- rence basin, the Great lakes region and the basin of the Mis- Sissippi. East of the Alleghanies it is native to the headwaters: of the Ocmulgee and Chattahoochee rivers, but north of these streams, though not originally an inhabitant of the waters, it has been widely distributed by artificial introduction. In the St Lawrence river Evermann and Bean obtained the fish 3 miles below Ogdensburg N. Y. July 17, 1894, evidently the young of the year, as the specimen is 13 inches long. In Scioto: creek at Coopersville N. Y. they secured an example 12 inches: long July 19, 1894. Field assistants of the U. S. Fish Commission, collecting in the Lake Ontario region of New York in 1894 and preceding years, took specimens in the following localities. Big Stony creek, Henderson Harbor Mouth eee river, Selkirk Marsh creek, Point Breeze Four mile creek, Nine Mile point, Webster. Wart creek Black river, Huntingtonyille Cape Vincent Mouth Little Salmon creek Great Sodus bay | Sandy creek, North Hamlin Long pond, Charlotte : ' Meek did not find this species in the vicinity of Ithaca. Near Cayuga and Montezuma it is less common than the large- mouthed black bass. Mather reported the species in Racquette,,. Forked, White, Fourth, Bisby and Sucker lakes, Black and Moose rivers, and in Partlo pond, St Lawrence county, in all of FISHES OF NEW YORK 489 which it has been introduced. The fish is not uncommon in Lake Champlain; it is abundant in the vicinity of Caledonia N. Y. Eugene Smith records it from the Passaic river. The writer has found it abundant in the Bronx. Mearns mentions it from Long pond, in the Hudson Highlands, where it reaches the weight of 5 or 6 pounds. This bass does not grow so large as the large mouthed, seldom exceeding 8 pounds in weight and averaging but 24 pounds. A fish of the latter weight will measure 15 inches in length, while one of 8 pounds will measure 2 feet. The food of the black bass consists of crawfish, frogs, insects and their larvae, minnows and other aquatic animals of suitable size. The young can be fed on small fresh-water crustaceans, such as Daphnia and Cyclops. Among the successful baits for this species are stone catfish, hellgramites and crickets. The black bass prefers rapid water, is extremely active, and frequents clear, pure, swiftly flowing streams, and thrives at greater elevations than those preferred by the large mouthed species. It hibernates in the winter and spawns in the shallows on gravelly bottoms in spring. It follows its prey into shallow water and frequently leaps far out of the water in its efforts to escape from the hook or when frightened by the sudden approach of an enemy. It swims in schools and is often found in the shelter of sunken logs and in the vicinity of large rocks. The spawning season begins in March and ends in July. The period of incubation lasts from seven to 14 days. The eggs are bound together in bands or ribbons by an adhesive substance. They adhere to stones on which they are deposited. The parent fish build nests and protect the eggs and young. In the Dela- ware the current is more rapid and the temperature lower than in the Susquehanna; hence the bass spawn earlier in the latter than in the former. The spawning fish have nearly all left their spawning beds in the Susquehanna early in July, but at this time most of the nests in the Delaware are still full of eggs. By some writers it is believed that the female prepares the nest before the male joins her. The males fight for the 490 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM possession of the female and are said to help the process of ejecting the eggs by biting or pressing the belly of the female. After the eggs are deposited, the female guards the nest from the attacks of the crawfish and other fishes. The young are consumed by many birds and by frogs and snakes. Yet, notwithstanding the numerous enemies of the black bass, its multiplication has been rapid and enormous. | The small mouthed black bass ceases to take food on the approach of cold weather and remains nearly dormant through the winter, except in artificially heated water. A number of the young of the year, received from James Annin jr of Cale- donia N. Y. Oct. 6, 1896, scarcely fed at all in the following winter, but when the spring was advanced they fed eagerly and grew rapidly. | 242 Micropterus salmoides Lacépéde Large mouthed Black Bass— Labrus salinoides LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss. LV, 716, 1802, South Carolina. Huro nigricans CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. II, 124, pl. 17, 1828, Lake Huron; DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 15, pl. 69, fig. 224, 1842; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 255, 1859. Micropterus pallidus GoopE & BEAN, Bull. Essex Inst. XI, 19, 1879. Micropterus salmoides JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 484, 1883; MEEK, Ann. N. Y. Ac. Sci. IV, 313, 1888; BEAN, Wishes Penna. 118, pl. 82, fig. 66, 1898; Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 364, 1897; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1012, 1896, pl. CLXIII, fig. 481, 1900; MrARnNs, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist: X, 320, 1898; HuGENE SMITH, Proc. Linn. Soc? N. Y. 1897, 36, 1898; Bran, 52d Ann. Rept. N. Y. State Mus. 105, 1900. | Oa The large mouthed black bass takes its common name from the size of its jaws; the lower jaw projects very strongly, and the maxilla in the adult extends beyond the hind margin of the eye. The depth of the body is about one third of the total with- out caudal, and does not equal the length of the head. The eye is shorter than the snout, about one sixth of the length of the head. The pectoral is half as long as the head, much longer than the ventral. The spinous dorsal is very low, its ninth and 10th spines not so long as the eye, its fourth spine longest, about one fourth the length of head. Seven to eight scales above the lateral line, below 16 and in the lateral line about eee FISHES OF NEW YORK 491 ‘68. The color is greenish, silvery below. The young have a broad dark lateral band. D. X, 18; A. ITI, 10-11. This species may best be distinguished from the small ’ mouthed black bass by the size of its mouth and the number of rows of scales above the lateral line. The young of the small mouthed species, also, never have a dark lateral band. Common names for this species are, Oswego bass, river bass, green bass, moss bass, bayou bass, trout, jumper, chub and Welshman. Throughout the north it is generally known as bass, in Virginia and North Carolina as chub and in Florida and west to Texas as trout. The large mouthed bass has a wide distribution, being indigenous to the eastern United States, from Manitoba to Florida and Texas, except New England and the Middle Atlantic states east of the Alleghanies, where it has been extensively introduced. It inhabits the fresh-water ponds, lakes and slug- gish streams. It is found also at the mouths of rivers empty- ing into the Gulf of Mexico, where the water is brackish. Dr Meek found the large mouthed species scarce near Ithaca and more common near Montezuma and Cayuga. James Annin jr collected the young at Caledonia. The U.S. Fish Commission had it from the following places in the Lake Ontario region: Lakeview hotel, 7 m. n. e. of Oswego Marsh creek, Point Breeze Mouth Salmon river, Selkirk Mouth Little Salmon creek Stony Island Four Mile creek, Nine Mile point, near Webster ‘Creek at Pultneyville Chaumont river Great Sodus bay ‘Three Mile creek, Oswego Long pond, Charlotte Dr Mearns first observed the species in the Hudson in the autumn of 1882, where the fish were caught in fyke nets during October and November. Eugene Smith records it from all lakes and rivers adjacent to New York city. 492 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Young individuals, from 14 to 2 inches long, were seined in Bronx river in August 1897. The average weight of the large mouthed. bass in southern waters is less than 5 pounds, and still less in northern waters. In Florida it attains a large size, as much as 3 feet in length, and a weight of 25 pounds.. Its growth and size depend on the waters where it is found, and the natural food supply of small fish, crawfish and frogs. It is a very active fish; its movements are affected by season- al changes and the search for food and places for spawning. In polluted streams the bass are often compelled by the impuri- ties to seek new haunts in pure water. The young bass feed on animal food at an early age. The large mouthed bass is said to be more cannibalistic than the small mouthed. Small fishes. (minnows) of all kinds, crawfish, frogs, insects and their larvae, and aquatic animals of all kinds, suitable in size, make up the diet of this fish. It feeds both at the surface and on the bot- tom, pursuing its prey with great activity. When surrounded by seines or caught on hooks this species will often leap 5 or 6 feet out of the water, and its habit of jumping over the cork lines of seines has given it the name of “jumper.” In cold weather the bass seeks deep places, often hibernate under rocks, sunken logs and in the mud. Favorite localities. are under overhanging and brush-covered banks, in the summer, and among aquatic plants, where the fish lies in wait for its prey. The spawning season of the large mouthed bass is about the same as that of the small mouthed species, beginning in April and lasting till July. Its eggs are adhesive, sticking to stones: during the incubation period, which lasts from one to two weeks according to the temperature of the water. The young bass remain in the nest a week or 10 days; and at the age of two weeks will measure about # of an inch in length. In suitable waters it is estimated that the large mouthed bass will weigh at the age of three years from 2 pounds to 4 pounds. The Oswego bass is even more destructive to fish than M. dolomieu. It will eat any fish which it can manage to get FISHES OF NEW YORK: 493. into its mouth and will lie on the bottom for days so gorged that it can not stir. In voracity it is only equaled, but hardly excelled by the pike. This bass bears captivity well. (After Eugene Smith?) 3 The young above referred to as coming from Caledonia N. Y. hibernated and took scarcely any food during the winter, but fed ravenously in spring, summer, and fall. They proved very hardy in captivity. Family PERCIDAE Perches Genus sTIZOSTEDION Rafinesque Body elongate, fusiform, the back broad; head subconical, long; cheeks, operéles, and top of head more or less scaly; mouth large, the jaws about equal; premaxillaries protractile,. little movable; teeth in villiform bands, the jaws and palatines. with long, sharp canines; gill rakers slender, strong; gill mem- branes separate; preopercle serrated, the serrae below turned forward; opercle with one or more spines, terminations of radiating striae; dorsal fins well separated, the first with 12 to 15 spines, the second with 17 to 21 soft rays, last dorsal spine not erectile, bound down by membranes; anal spines two, slen- der, closely appressed to the soft rays, which are rather long, 11 to 14 in number; ventral fins well separated, the space between them equal to their base, ventral spine slender, closely appressed to the soft rays; scales small, strongly ctenoid; lateral line continuous; branchiostegals seven; pseudobranchiae well developed; pyloric caeca three to seven. Two species, differing considerably from each other. Large carnivorous fishes of the fresh waters of North America. Subgenus sTizosTEDION 243 Stizostedion vitreum (Mitchill) Pike Perch; Pike; Wall-eyed Pike Perca vitrea Mitcuitt, Am. Month. Mag. II, 247, Feb. 1818, Cayuga Lake, Ni Y. Lucioperca americana CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. II, 122, 1828, New York; DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 17, pl. 50, fig. 163, 1842; GUNTHER, Cat, Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 74, 1859. *Linn. Soc. N. Y. Proc. 1897. no. 9, p. 36. € 494 . NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Stizostedium vitreum JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 525, 1883. Lucioperca vitrea EUGENE SmirTH, Proc. Linn. Soc, N. Y. 1897, 38, 1898. Stizostedion vitreum MEEK, Ann. N. Y. Ac. Sci. IV, 314, 1888; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 127, color pl. 18, 1893; EVERMANN and KENDALL, Rept. U.S. F.C. for 1894, 601, 1896; JoRDAN & HEVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1021, 1896, pl. CLXIV, foe 433, 1900; BEAN, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 364, 1897. The pike perch belongs to the genus Stizostedion, which has been distinguished from the saugers by the structure of its pyloric caeca, which are three in number, nearly equal in size, and about as long as the stomach, and also by the presence of 21 soft rays in the second dorsal, while the saugers have 18. It may be remarked that all of these characters are more or iess variable. The 8S. vitreum has the body long and moderately deep, its depth varying with age and equaling from one sixth to one fourth of the total length without caudal; the length of the head is contained in the same standard four and two thirds times; the eye is moderate, about two thirds as long as the snout and a little more than one sixth of the length of the head; the lower jaw projects slightly; the maxilla reaches to beyond the pupil; the cheeks and opercles are more scaly than in thesaugers; the soft dorsal is nearly as long as the spinous; length of long- est dorsal spine about half the length of head. D. XIII, I, 21; A. II, 12 to 18. About 90 scales in lateral line, 10 above and 19 below. The pectoral reaches to below the 10th spine of the dor- sal; it is as long as the ventral and one half the length of head; the vent is under the fifth ray of the second dorsal. | Color olivaceous, mingled with brassy; sides of the head ver- miculated; the dorsals, caudal and pectoral with bands; those of the dorsals and caudal not continuous; sides with about seven oblique dark bands, differing in direction; a jet black blotch on the membrane behind the last spine of the dorsal. The pike perch has received a great many common names. One of the most unsuitable is “ Susquehanna salmon,” which is used in Pennsylvania. In the eastern states the species is styled the perch pike or the pike perch, glasseye and wall-eyed pike. In the Great lakes region it is known as blue pike, yellow pike, green pike and grass pike. In the Ohio valley and western North Caro- FISHES OF NEW YORK 495, lina it is the jack; in' Lake Erie and Canada, the pickerel; in some parts of the Ohio valley, the white salmon or jack salmon. The Cree Indians call it the okow and the French Canadians doré or picarel. Among the fur traders of British America it is called the hornfish. | The pike perch or wall-eyed pike inhabits the Great lakes region and extends northward into British America, where it has been recorded as far as 58° north by Dr Richardson. It ranges south in the Mississippi valley to Arkansas, and in At- lantic streams to Georgia. According to Dr Meek the species is. found in Cayuga lake, but is not common. In Lake Champlain it is one of the principal game fishes. James Annin jr of Cale- donia obtained specimens in, the Canandaigua lake region. It has been introduced into numerous lakes by the Fisheries, Game and Forest Commission of New York. The.U. 8. Fish Commis- sion secured examples in the Oswego river at Oswego and at _ Point Breeze in August 1894. This species is said to reach a weight of 50 pounds, but the average weight of the market specimens is less than 5 pounds. In the Susquehanna it occasionally reaches 10 pounds or upward in weight. The pike perch feeds on the bottom on other fishes, and has been charged even with destroying its own young. It prefers clear and rapid waters, and lurks under submerged logs and rocks, from which it can readily dart on its prey. Spawning takes place in April and May, and in Pennsylvania continues till June. Favorite spawning localities are on sandy bars in shallow water. The period of hatching varies from about 14 to 30 days, depending on the temperature of the water. The eggs vary from about 17 to 25 to the inch, and a single female has been estimated to contain from 200,000 to 300,000. In a state of nature only a small percentage of the eggs are hatched out; the greater proportion are driven on the lake shores by storms or devoured by fishes on the spawning beds. The number of pike perch annu- ally hatched by artificial methods is enormous. This advance is due to improvements in the treatment of adhesive eggs. For- merly these were hatched by placing them on glass plates, to. ° \ 496 - NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM which they readily adhere. Recently it has been found that the sticky substance can be washed off the eggs, after which they are placed in jars and hatched like eggs of the shad and whitefish. “Dexter,” in Forest and Stream, Aug. 14, 1890, makes the fol- lowing statement about the habits of this species in the lakes. These fish run up the rivers before or as soon as the ice is out, and after spawning lie off the river’s mouth feeding on and off the sand flats, as the spring rains bring down plenty of worms, and probably other matter which they feed on. As soon as the water gets warm, they sag off and work along the shores in 10 to 30 feet of water, preferring cobbly bottom; from here they go into very deep water, coming on the reefs to feed, and when the wind blows very hard, or for a day or so after a big blow, you will find them right on top of a reef. I think the wind changes the water over the reefs, making a new current and cooler water, so they come up to feed. They are a bottom fish, and to fish for them successfully one must go to the bottom for them. They are nearly as particular as salmon trout about the water they inhabit and consequently rank very high as a food fish, being white, solid and extremely free from bones. The colors of the pike perch change remarkably with age. The young have oblique dark bands much like those of the kingfish of our east coast, and bear little resemblance in the pattern of coloration to the parent. The eye of the living fish is like a glow- ing emerald. The rate of growth must be rapid. In July 1888 we took examples from 4 to 6 inches long, some of which seemed — to be the young of the year. This is one of the finest food and game fishes of the United States. Its flesh is firm and white, flaky and well flavored. Com- mercially the species ranks high in the Great lakes region, being next in importance to the whitefish. In angling for the pike perch live minnows are used in preference to all other baits, par- ticularly such as are more or less transparent and with silvery Sides, as the fallfish or dace, the corporal roach, the redfin and the gudgeon. On some parts of the Susquehanna, between Columbia and Harrisburg, the favorite mode of capture is by trolling with the spoon with the same kind of tackle as is used for the black bass. : a FISHES OF NEW YORK 497 James Annin jr of Caledonia sent two individuals Ap. 25, 1896, for identification. They furnished the following notes and measurements in inches. 9? fe) Length, including caudal.,............. 18% 18 Length to end of middle caudal rays.. 18 171% ME TIERS CEL EIGCLYio. sas lakh efaga ects ate fede we 3% 3 Least depth of caudal a ele yt pacts’ Set 1% 1% Mem TNs OL NOAG.). 0s iiciec wens as she's 434 436 POVESUOE (STIOUUL. 4's. ccs0ee «st eka se as 2 ok 1%, 1% PIAMCEL OF OVE es oe eet es 16 te Menmornr Or Maxila yoke ie 2, 1% Pee SEN OF MANGIDIC se. oi. cate e's see es 234, 214 PROMI tae hes oN a, COn a hnica ev cks,« fej Seauiabsigete ry on 28 MLV, TS 2h XIV, I, 20 MRE Ctariral hrc! MoRa aie sas b cobatehe ate wid erecg LEG ad 1 ea Ub SEES: RAR ee Ae ee eRe ree Paes 92 93 The pyloric caeca are long and loaded with fat. The male is ‘brassy; the female gray and whitish. In November of 1896 and 1897 Mr Annin shipped adult individ- uals from Canandaigua lake by express without an attendant, -and there was scarcely any loss of fish in transportation, though _ the journey lasts 12 hours. The blue pike of Lake Erie, or white salmon of the Ohio river, ‘was formerly distinguished by name from the common pike perch, but is now considered unworthy of a separate name. This is a very small variety seldom exceeding 15 inches in length and a weight of 2 pounds. The dorsal has 14 spines and 20 rays. ‘The spines are rather lower than in the pike perch, the colora- tion similar, but the adult is bluish or greenish and has no brassy mottling. The fins are darker, and there is a trace of a band . along the dorsal, besides the black blotch on the hind portion. Jordan & Evermann say of this variety: “The name sal- moneum has been applied to the so called ‘ blue pike’ origin- ally described from the Ohio river, but more common in the Great lakes, particularly Ontario and Erie. It is smaller and deeper in body than the ordinary vitreum and different in color, but it is not likely that any permanent distinctions exist, this Species, aS usual among fresh-water fishes, varying largely with the environment and with age.” 498 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Subgenus cynoperca Gill & Jordan 244 Stizostedion canadense (Smith) Sauger; Sand Pike Lucioperca canadensis C. H. SmitTu, in Griffith’s Cuv. Régne Anim. X, 275,. pl. 7, 1834; DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 19, pl. 68, fig. 221, 1842: (extralimital); GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 75, 1859. - Stizostedium canadense JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 526,. 1883. atts. Stizostedion canadense MEEK, Ann. N. Y. Ac. Sci. IV, 314, 1888; BEAn,. Fishes Penna. 130, pl. 34, fig. 70. 1893; EVERMANN & KENDALL, Rept.. De So F.C) for 1894, 601. 1896; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U.S.. Nat. Mus. 1022, 1896, pl. CLXIV, fig. 484, 1900. | Body slender, not much compressed, roundish; its depth con- tained four and one half to five times in the total without caudal. The head is pointed, about two sevenths of standard length and contains the eye five to five and one half times. The- mouth is smaller than in the pike perch; the maxilla reaches to: the hind margin of the eye. D. XII to XIII, I, 17 to 18; A. II,. 12. Scales 92 to 98; 4 to 7 pyloric caeca, unequal in size and’ all of them shorter than the stomach. Color olivaceous above; sides brassy or pale orange, mottled’ with black in the form of irregular dark blotches, which are best defined under the soft dorsal. The spinous dorsal has. several rows of round black spots on the membrane between: the spines; no black blotch on the hind part of the spinous: dorsal. Pectorals with a large dark blotch at base; soft dorsal. with several rows of dark spots irregularly placed; caudal yel- lowish with dark spots forming interrupted bars. The sauger is known also as sand pike, gray pike and green: pike, pickering, pickerel and horsefish. It is found in the St Lawrence river and Great lakes region, the upper Mississippi: and Missouri rivers and in the Ohio, where it is said to have: been introduced from the lakes through canals. This is a small fish, seldom exceeding 18 inches in length, and embraces several varieties. It is very common in the Great lakes and is abun- dant in the Ohio river. It is doubtful whether it is native to: Ohio or introduced. It is also found rarely in Cayuga lake... Rey. Zadock Thompson, in his History of Vermont, says it is much: FISHES OF NEW YORK 499 less common in Lake Champlain than the pike perch, but is fre- quently taken in company with it. It usually swims very near the bottom of the water, and hence it has received the name of ground pike (pike perch). As an article of food this species is locally held in the same high esteem as the common pike perch. John W. Titcomb of St Johnsbury Vt. informed Evermann and Kendall that the sauger, or rock pike, as it is locally called, is caught in seines while fishing for the pike perch. It does not grow as large as the latter, and is not much valued as a food fish. The authors mentioned received two examples of the fish from A. L. Collins of Swanton Vt., one of them a nearly ripe female 144 inches long, weighing three fourths of a pound, the other an unripe male 15 inches long, weighing three fourths of a pound. These specimens were believed to indicate that the sauger spawns earlier than the pike perch. The stomach of the male contained a three inch minnow, too badly digested for identification, and a number of small insects. It is very extensively used for food, but is not generally con- sidered equal to the pike perch. 245 Stizostedion canadense griseum (DeKay) Gray Pike; Sauger; Sand Pike _ Lucioperca grisea DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 19, 1842, Great Lakes; streams and inland lakes of western New York; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 76, 1859. Lucioperca pepinus EstEs, in HAttocn’s Sportman’s: Gazetteer, 322, 1877, Lake Pepin. Stizostedium canadense var. grisewm JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull, 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 526, 1883. Stizostedion canadense griseum JORDAN & HVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1022, 1896. This is the common sand pike or sauger of the Great lakes region and southwestward. It differs from the typical cana- dense chiefly in the smoother opercles and head bones, the fewer opercular spines, and the less complete scaling of the head. The two need fuller comparison and may prove to be distinct species, but this is unlikely. Length 10 to 18 inches. 500 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Genus ' PERCA (Artedi) Linnaeus Body oblong, somewhat compressed, the back elevated; cheeks scaly; opercles mostly naked; the operculum armed with a single spine; preopercle and shoulder girdle serrated; pre- opercle with retrorse, hooked serrations below; mouth moder- ate, terminal; premaxillaries protractile; teeth in villiform bands on jaws, vomer, and palatines, no canine teeth; bran- chiostegals seven; gill membranes separate; pseudobranchiae small, but perfect; no anal papilla; scales rather small, strongly etenoid, lateral line complete, the tubes straight and not extend- ing to the extremity of the scale; dorsal fins entirely separate, the first of 12:to 16 spines; anal fin with two slender spines, well separated from the soft rays; ventral spines well devel- oped, the ventral fins near together; caudal emarginate; air bladder present; pyloric caeca three; vertebrae very numerous, 21+20 or 21—41 or 42. Fresh waters of northern regions; three closely related species now known, Perca fluviatilis in Europe, P. schrenckii in Asia, and P. flavescens in North America. 246 Perca flavescens (Mitchill) Yellow Perch; Ring Perch ~ Morone flavescens MITCHILL, Report in Part, 18, 1814. Bodianus flavescens Mircuityu, Trans, Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 421, 1815. Perca serrato-granulata CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. II, 47, 1828, New York; DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 5, pl. 22, fig. 64, 1842. Perca granulata CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, op. cit. II, 48, pl. [X, 1828, New York; DE Kay, op. cit. 5, pl. 68, fig. 220, 1842. Perca acuta CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, op. cit. IT, 49, pl. X, 1828; DE Kay, op. cit. 6, pl. 68, fig. 222, 1842. Perca gracilis CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, op. cit. II, 50, 1828, Skaneateles Lake, N, Y.; DE Kay, op. cit. 6, 1842; GuntuEr, Cat, Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 60, 1859. Perca americana JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 524, 1883. Perca flavescens CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, op. cit. II, 46, 1828; DE Kay, op. cit. 8, pl. 1, fig. 1,°:1842; GunruEr, .op., cit, 91) So a pieass STORER, Hist. Fish. Mass. 4, pl. II, fig. 1, 1867; Mrrex, Ann. N. Y. Ae. Sci. LV, 314, 1888; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 126, color pl. 12, 1893; HvER- MANN & KENDALL, Rept. U. S. F. C. for 1894, 602, 1896; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1028, 1896, pl. CL:XV, fig. 435, 1900; Bran, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 365, 1897; MEARNS, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. X, 320, 1898; HuGENE Smitu, Proc. Linn. Soc. Ni Xe 1897) BF, 1808: FISHES OF NEW YORK 5OL The yellow perch has a fusiform and moderately elongate body, its greatest hight at the ventral origin two sevenths of the total length without the caudal and nearly equal to the length of the head. The least depth of the caudal peduncle equals one third of length of head. The greatest width of the body equals one half its greatest hight. The head is moderately long, its length contained three and one fourth times in the standard, with pointed snout, one and one third times as long as the eye. The interorbital region is flat, its width one and one half times the diameter of the eye. The mouth is rather large, the jaws equal, and the maxilla reaching to below middle of pupil. The preopercle is coarsely dentate on its hind margin, the teeth on the superior border directed partly upward and partly backward, those on the lower limb pointing down- ward and some of them forward. The scapula and humerus are finely serrate. Scales on the cheeks in about 13 rows from before backward; a Single row or two imperfect rows of scales on the subopercle; four short rows of scales on the upper an- terior part of the opercle. Gill rakers 6+14, the longest one half as long as the eye. The spinous dorsal begins over the base of the pectoral; the first spine is one third as long as the ' head to the end of the opercular spine; the fourth and longest Spine is as long as the eye and snout combined; the last spine is minute and concealed in the dorsal furrow. The soft dorsal in the specimen described is preceded by two spines, the first two thirds as long as the eye and one half as long as the second; the longest ray is as long as the longest spine, and twice as long as the last ray. The ventral origin is under the fourth spine of the dorsal; the fin equals one fifth of the total length without the caudal. The anal origin is under the fourth or fifth soft dorsal ray; the first anal spine one third as long as the head and nearly as long as the second; the last anal ray less than one half as long as the longest, which is one half as long as the head. The caudal is notched, the middle rays con- tained one and one third times in the length of the outer rays. Mhe pectoral is as long as the ventral. D. XV, II, 13; A. II, 8; / 502 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Vd og BE. lon Scales 72ai—\o: The lateral line curves upward in a long curve following the dorsal outline till below the end of the soft dorsal, where it becomes straight and median. Color olivaceous varying into greenish or bluish, the sides yellow, with about six to eight dark bands, the widest wider than the eye is long. The upper fins are olivaceous, the lower orange and rosy. The specimen described, no. 22862, U. S. National Museum, Washington D. C., is 9 inches long. | The yellow perch, ringed perch or striped perch is found throughout the Great lakes region, rivers and ponds of New England and northwestward, and in streams east of the - Alleghanies south to Georgia. It does not occur in the Ohio valley or southwest, though, after the construction of the Ohio canal, Kirtland recorded it from the Ohio river. In 1790 Dr Mitchill transferred some of them from Ronkonkoma to Sue: - cess pond, a distance of 40 miles, where they soon multiplied. In 1825 yellow perch were transported from Skaneateles to Otisco lake and Onondaga lake; in the latter they increased re- markably. In Otsego lake DeKay caught some weighing nearly three pounds. Meek states that the species is common through- out the Cayuga lake basin. Evermann and Bean took it in the St Lawrence river, 3 miles below Ogdensburg; also in Scioto creek, Coopersville N. Y., July 19, 1894, young specimens 14 to 13 ‘inches long. In the Lake Ontario region the U.S. Fish Commis- sion collectors obtained it at the localities in this state here mentioned. Mouth of Salmon river | Mouth of Little Salmon creek Black creek, tributary of Oswego river, Scriba Corners Sandy creek, Hamlin Grenadier island Stony island Chaumont river Outlet of Long pond, Charlotte Little Stony brook, Henderson bay Cape Vincent FISHES OF NEW YORK 503 Creek at Pultneyville Great Sodus bay Four Mile creek, 1 mile above mouth Lakeview hotel, 7 m. n. e. of Oswego Three Mile creek, near Oswego Long pond, Charlotte Salt brook, 14 miles above Nine Mile point. The yellow perch is one of the most abundant fishes of Lake Shampiain and in the mouths of rivers falling into that lake. The fish abounds in the parks of New York and Brooklyn. In the Hudson Highlands Dr Mearns reported it as abundant in the Hudson as well as in all of the larger mountain lakes and ponds. It habitually frequents Poplopen’s creek from its source to its mouth. In the Hudson, he was informed, it is unusual to take specimens weighing more than 1 pound; but in Poplopen’s pond he has taken a number that weighed about 2 pounds each. In the same pond Jerome Denna caught two which weighed 24 to 3 pounds each; and a fisherman named Samuel Runnels assured Dr Mearns that he had taken a yellow perch there which weighed 41 pounds. The fish continue to feed in that region throughout the winter. Eugene Smith ob- tained the fish in Greenwood lake, Orange co., and in Hacken- sack streams, in Rockland county. The species reaches a length of 1 foot and weight of two pounds. It is one of the best known of our food fishes and has excellent game qualities. Its flesh, however, is rather soft and coarse and is far inferior to that of the black bass and other members of the sunfish family. It is a voracious feeder, its food consisting of small fishes, crustaceans and other animal matter. | The yellow perch spawns early in the spring. The eggs are adhesive and inclosed in thin translucent strips of adhesive mucus. . The spawning of this species was described by William P. Seal in Forest and Stream of Ap. 17, 1890. The spawning season extends from December to April. Mr Seal describes the egg mass as having the shape of a long tube, closed at the ends -504 . NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM and arranged in folds like the bellows of an accordion. When folded the mass was about 8 to 12 inches long, but was capable of being drawn out to a length of 3 or 4 feet. Spawning in the aquarium took place at night and was observed by William Maynard, who describes it as follows. ‘The female remained quiet in one spot on the bottom of one of the hatching aquaria tanks, one or more of the males hovering over and about her with pectoral fins vibrating with intense activity. The males would at times lie close alongside of her and at other times endeavor to force themselves under her with the evident inten- tion of assisting in the extrusion of the eggs.” Mr Seal remarks — that “ the roe when taken from the dead fish not yet ripe is in a single compact mass, covered by a thin membrane; but in spawning the mass separates, one side being spawned before the other.” This was noticed in a specimen which had spawned one side and appeared to be unable to get rid of the other. It was stripped from her and artificially fertilized successfully. — Mr Seal believes that the yellow perch spawns at: the age of one year. : The yellow perch thrives moderately in captivity, though sus- ceptible to attacks of fungus, which are easily overcome by the use of brackish water. Its food in captivity consists chiefly of chopped hard clams; sometimes live killifish are used. Genus perciva Haldeman Body elongate, slightly compressed, covered with small, ctenoid scales; lateral line continuous; ventral line with en-_ larged plates which fall off, leaving a naked strip; head depressed, rather pointed, the mouth being small and inferior, overlapped by a tapering, subtruncate, piglike snout; upper jaw not protractile, maxillary small, exposed; teeth on vomer and palatines, gill membranes scarcely connected; dorsal fins well separated, the first the larger, of 13 to 15 spines, the second dorsal rather longer than the anal, which has two spines, the — _ first of which is usually the shorter; pectorals symmetric, rounded or bluntly pointed, their rays 14 or 15, their spines moderate; ventral fins well separated, the interspace about FISHES OF NEW YORK 5OS equal to their base; air bladder and pseudobranchiae present, rudimentary; vertebrae (P. caprodes) 23421—44. General pattern of coloration olivaceous, with dark vertical bands alter- nately long and short. Size largest of the darters, approach- ing that of Aspro, a genus to which it is more nearly related than the other darters are. 247 Percina caprodes (Rafinesque) Log Perch; Hogmolly Sciaena caprodes RAFINESQUE, Am. Month. Mag. 534, 1818, fide JoRDAN & _EVERMANN. Etheostoma caprodes RAFINESQUE, Ichth. Ohien, 38, 1820; SrorErR, Syn.. Wish. N. A. 18, 1846; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 122, pl. 33, fig. 68, 1893. ~Pileoma semifasciatum Drm Kay, No Yo Pauna; ‘Fishes, 16, pl..50, fig. 162; 1842; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 76, 1859. Percina caprodes JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 499, 18838; EVERMANN & KENDALL, Rept. U.S. F. C. for 1894, 602, 1896; JorDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1026, 1896, pl. CLXYV, fig. 436, 436a, 1900. ie teed Body long, moderately compressed; head long, with pointed Snout; mouth small, the lower jaw not reaching near to tip of snout, and the maxilla not extending to the front of the eye. The head forms one fourth of the total length without the caudal, and the depth equals about one sixth. Seales on cheeks and gill covers, also on the space before the first dorsal; breast scaleless. A row of enlarged plates on the belly, which are sometimes deciduous. Fins moderately low and rather long. D. XV, 15; A. II, 9. Lateral line with 92 scales. Color green- ish yellow; sides with about 15 dark cross bands, extending from back to belly; alternating with these above the lateral ,line are fainter bars. Fins barred. A black spot at the base of the caudal. The log perch, hogfish, hogmolly, rockfish or crawl-a-bottom is found in the Great lakes region, Quebec and the eastern states south to Virginia, also in the Mississippi valley south to Ala- -bama and Texas. De Kay obtained it at Westport on Lake Champlain, where it appeared to be very abundant, as well as in many streams in that vicinity. Its local name there he gives as little pickerel or pickerel, which it shared in common with 506 ' NEW YORK STATH MUSEUM many other species. Evermann and Kendall had it from Rouse Point and Plattsburg, on the west shore of Lake Cham- plain. ae . | This is the largest of the darters, reaching a length of 8 inches, and in many respects resembles the perches. 1: takes the hook very readily. The log perch is found in rapid streams with gravelly or rocky bottom and prefers clear waters. 248 Percina caprodes zebra (Agassiz) Manitou Darter Pileoma zebra AGAssiz, Lake Superior, 308, pl. IV, fig. 4, 1850. ’ Percina manitou JORDAN, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 53, 1877. Percina caprodes var. manitou JORDAN and GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. | Mus. 500, 1883. Percina caprodes zebra JORDAN and EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1027, 1896. ; Head four and one fourth; depth seven; nape always naked; — lateral black bars short, shorter than in caprodes, not extending much above lateral line, these also more or less con- fluent, about 20 in number; a black caudal spot;. dorsal and caudal mottled. D.XV-14; A. II, 10. Scales 90: Lakes of northern Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and north- ward to Lake Superior; the common form in the Great lakes. The typical zebra is well distinguished from caprodes, but specimens ‘variously intermediate have been obtained in Illinois by Dr Forbes, and in the Potomac by Dr Bean. (After Jordan and Evermann) | Evermann and Bean obtained the Manitou darter in the Racket river, at Norfolk N. Y. and in the St Lawrence 3 miles below Ogdensburg; also in Scioto creek, at Coopersville N. Y. Collectors for the U. S. Fish Commission secured specimens at the following places in 1893: Nine Mile point, Lake Ontario | June 11 Grenadier island | June 27 Horse island, Sackett’s Harbor June 30 Mouth Salmon river, Selkirk July 25 Mouth Little Salmon creek | July 25 Marsh creek, Point Breeze Aug. 2 oN a eee FISHES OF NEW YORK 507 GenuS HADROPTERUS Agassiz Body rather elongate, compressed or not; mouth rather wide, termina!, the lower jaw included, the snout above not protruding beyond the premaxillaries, which are not protractile; teeth on | vomer and usually on palatines also; gill membranes separate or more or less connected; scales small, ctenoid, covering the body; belly with a median series of more or less enlarged spinous plates or ctenoid scales, which in most species fall off at intervals, leaving a naked strip, in some species persistent and but slightly enlarged; sides of head scaly or not; lateral line complete or nearly so; fins large, the soft dorsal smaller than the spinous or the anal; anal spines two (one of them very rarely obsolete); dorsal spines 10 to 15; ventral fins more or less widely separated, specially in species with caducous plates. ‘Vertebrae 39 to 44; H. aspro, 19:23—42; H. evides, 18;22—40; H. scierus, 18+22—40;H. phoxocephalus, 19+20—39. Parietal region more or less depressed, not strongly convex in cross-section; supra-occipital crest usually present, but small. Pyloric caeca two to four. Coloration bright, often brilliant, sides usually with dark blotches. Subgenus atvorpivus Girard 249 Hadropterus aspro (Cope & Jordan) Black-sided Darter Alwordius aspro CorpE & JORDAN, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 51, 1877, substi- tute for Etheostoma blennioides of KIRTLAND and AGASSIZ; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 501, 1883. Etheostoma aspro BEAN, Fishes Penna. 128, 1898. Hadropterus aspro JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1032, 1896, pl. CLXVI, fig. 438, 1900. \ Body slender, fusiform, elongate, its greatest depth one sixth of length without caudal; least depth of caudal peduncle nearly one third of length of head; head rather long and pointed, one fourth of total length without caudal; the maxilla extends slightly past front of eye; the mandible is included; the eye large, equal to length of snout and to one fourth the length of head; gill membranes slightly connected; postorbital part of head a little longer than the remainder; the nape scaly or naked; cheeks 508 - NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM with very small scales, sometimes hardly visible; large scales. on opercles; dorsal origin at a distance from eye equal to length of pectoral, base of spinous dorsal nearly equal to one third of - total length without caudal, fourth to seventh spines longest, equal to snout and eye combined, last spine two thirds as long as the first and equal to snout; base of second dorsal one half as long as first, the longest ray twice as long as last ray and equal to postorbital part of head; the caudal peduncle rather long and slender, from end of second dorsal to end of scales being nearly equal to the head; caudal fin slightly emarginate, the middle rays three fourths as long as the external, and one third of length of head; the anal origin at a distance from tip of snout equaling twice the length of spinous dorsal base, the anal base equal to postorbital length of head, the two spines nearly equal, about one third as long as the head, the longest ray (fifth) equal to one half the length of spinous dorsal base; the ventral not far behind the base of the pectoral, its length about one half the distance from its. origin to origin of anal; pectoral one fifth of total length to end of middle caudal rays; lateral line straight, extending from eye to base of caudal fin; breast naked; a series of enlarged caducous scales on median line of belly. “D.OXIT te XV, dito. 13, A. TE, 8 tor 10 Vic a iii, aie Scales 9-65 to 80-17; vertebrae 19+23=—42; pyloric cacea three. The sides are straw colored or greenish yellow, with dark tessellations and marblings above and with about seven large dark blotches, which are partly confluent; the fins are barred, and there is a small spot at the base of the caudal. The black-sided darter, or blenny darter, is found in the Great lakes region westward to Manitoba and southward to Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky and Arkansas, being specially abundant in the Ohio valley. The U. 8. Fish Commission had it from Marsh creek, Point Breeze. It prefers clear streams with gravelly bot- toms and is more active in its habits than most of the other darters, not concealing itself so closely under stones. It grows to the length of 4 inches. As an aquarium fish it is unsurpassed by any of its kindred, and its sudden and remarkable changes FISHES OF NEW YORK 509 of brilliant colors during the breeding season render it unusually attractive. Genus CoTrocasTeER Putnam Body rather robust, littl compressed; head moderate, bluntish; mouth moderate or small; the lower jaw included; premaxillaries protractile or occasionally (in shumar di) joined by a narrow frenum to the frontal region; maxillary not adherent to the preorbital; teeth on vomer; gill membranes nearly separate; scales ctenoid; the 'middle line’ of the belly anteriorly naked or with caducous scales; lateral line continu- ous; dorsal fins large, the second usually smaller than the first and smaller than the anal; anal spines two, the first the longer; pyloric; caeca three; vertebrae 18+20—38 (co pelandi); skull short, the frontal region not very narrow, parietals little convex transversely, sutures distinct; no supra-occipital crest. Colora- tion not brilliant. Size moderate. 250 Cottogaster copelandi (Jordan) Copeland’s Darter Boleosoma tessellatum THOomMPSON,. Appendix Hist. Vermont, 5, 1853, not of DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 20, 1842. Rheocrypta copelandi JORDAN, Bull. 10, U. S. Nat. Mus. 9, 1877. Cottogaster putnanii JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 498, 1883. Cottogaster copelandi JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. 8. Nat. Mus. 1045, 1896. Body rather slender and elongate, the depth being contained from five and one half to six and one half times in the length; head rather large and long, somewhat narrowed, resembling that of Boleosoma. Its length is contained from three and three fourths to four and one fourth times in the length of the body. Mouth small, horizontal, subinferior; cheeks naked; opercles and neck each with few scales; throat naked; ventral plates well developed; scales moderate, strongly ctenoid; pectoral as long as head. D. X to XII-10 to 12; A. II, 8 or 9. Scales 6-44 to 56-8. Color brownish olive; a series of rather ‘small, horizontally oblong, black blotches along the lateral line, forming an inter- rupted lateral band; back tessellated; blackish streaks forward 510 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM and downward from eye; ventral fins dusky in the male; vertical fins with dusky specks; a small inklike speck at base of caudal persistent in most specimens; a black spot on anterior rays of Spinous dorsal. Length 24 to 3 inches. Great lakes region, from Lake Cham- | plain to Lake Huron; represented in New York waters by the Subspecies C. putnami. | 251 Cottogaster cheneyi Evermann & Kendall Cottogaster cheneyi HVERMANN & KENDALL, Bull. U. S. F. C. 1897, 129, pl. 8, fig. 8, 1898, Racket River near Norfolk, N. Y.; JORDAN & HVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. III, 2851, 1898. . Head four; depth six; eye four in head; snout four; maxillary three and one half; interorbital width five and one half. D. XI-12; A. II, 8. Scales 7-56-6. Body rather stout; heavy for- ward, compressed behind; head heavy; mouth moderate, slightly oblique, lower jaw included, maxillary reaching front of pupil; premaxillaries protractile; cheeks, opercles, breast, and nape entirely naked; scales of body large and strongly ctenoid; lat- eral line complete, straight; median line of belly naked ante- riorly, with ordinary scales posteriorly; fins large; dorsals sep- arated by a space equal to half diameter of eye, origin of spinous dorsal a little nearer origin of soft dorsal than tip of ' snout, its base about equal to length of head, longest dorsal Spine two and one half in head, the outline of the fin gently - and regularly rounded; soft dorsal higher than spinous portion, the second to 10th rays about equal in length, scarcely twice in head, the first, 11th, and 12th rays but slightly shorter than the others; anal moderate, its origin under base of third dorsal ray, the spines slender, the second a little longer than the first, whose length is three and three fourths in head, longest anal rays about two and one fifth in head; caudal lunate, the lobes more produced and pointed than usual among darters; pectorals long and pointed, the middle rays longest, about one and one sixth in head, reaching tips of ventrals; ventrals well separated, not nearly reaching vent, the longest rays one and one fourth in head. Color in alcohol, back dark brownish, covered with FISHES OF NEW YORK . 511 irregular spots and blotches of darker; side with about eight or nine large dark spots lying on the lateral line; belly pale; top of head dark; snout black; lower jaw and throat dark; a broad black line downward from eye to throat; cheek and opercles rusty; spinous dorsal crossed by a median dark line; ventrals blue black; other fins pale, but dusted with rusty specks. An examination of the 14 cotypes shows some variation in the species. In two examples there is a well developed frenum, rendering the premaxillaries nonprotractile, and in a third specimen the frenum is partially developed; in some individuals the origin of the spinous dorsal is exactly midway between the tip of snout and origin of soft dorsal. The females and imma- ture males are less highly colored than the adult male described above. Length 12 to 24 inches. This species seems most closely related to Cottogaster Shumardi, from which it may be readily distinguished by the shorter snout, the naked cheeks and opercles, the smaller soft dorsal, the smaller anal and the coloration. 15 examples of this interesting darter were obtained July 18, 1894, by Evermann and Bean in the Racket river near Norfolk, St Lawrence co. N. Y. It did not seem to be very common, as only 15 examples resulted from numerous hauls of the collecting seine. Named for A. Nelson Cheney, state fish culturist of New York in recognition of his valuable contributions to our knowledge of the food and game fishes of that state. (After Kvermann and Kendall) Genus pDiPpLEsiIon Rafinesque Body rather elongate, subterete; head very short and blunt, with tumid cheeks; the profile very convex; mouth small, inferior, horizontal; premaxillaries protractile, little movable, joined to the forehead mesially by a slight frenum; maxillary not protractile, adnate for most of its length to the fleshy skin of the preorbital ; lower jaw very short; teeth in jaws strong, no teeth on vomer or palatines; gill membranes broadly con- 512 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM nected; gill rakers very short; scales moderate, rough; lateral line complete; no enlarged ventral plates; dorsal fins large, the Spinous dorsal longer and lower than the second, of about 13 spines; anal smaller than second dorsal, with two strong spines; ventrals moderately separated; pectorals long, symmetric; ver- tebrae (blennioides) 194+238—42; pyloric caeca four; frontal region of skull very narrow, ethmoid region abruptly decurved, parietal region moderately convex (less so than in E t h e’o - stoma, moreso thanin Boleo som a); no supraoccipital crest. Coloration largely green. 252 Diplesion blennioides (Rafinesque) _ Green-sided Darter Etheostoma (Diplesion) blennioides RAFINESQUE, Journ. de Physique, 419, 1819. Etheostoma blennioides BEAN, Fishes Penna. 121, 1893. Diplesion blennioides JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 497, 1883; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1053, 1896, pl. CLXX, fig. 449, 1900. The body is stout and long; the head moderate in size, its length contained four and one half times in the total without caudal and slightly exceeding the depth of the body; mouth small; lower jaw included within the upper; eyes large, placed high and narrowly separated by a longitudinal furrow; scales rather small except some larger ones on the belly, which are not shed; cheeks finely scaled; gill covers with large scales; nape scaly; breast naked. The males have a large anal papilla. Anal spines stout; caudal fin notched. Males have the lower pectoral rays and the ventral and anal rays enlarged and thick- ened.. D. XIII-18; A. II, 8. Scales 65 to 78; vertebrae 42. Color olive green; upper parts tessellated; sides with seven or eight double crossbars, each forming a Y-shaped figure, these bars sometimes joined above so as to form an undulating lat-_ eral band and clear deep green in life, and the sides speckled with orange. There is a dark bar from the eye forward and another downward, besides some olive stripes on the head. Spinous dorsal blue above with a pale margin and dark orange brown at base; soft dorsal and anal deep blue green tinged with FISHES OF NEW YORK 513 red; caudal greenish with faint bars. Females and young are Jess conspicuously colored, but in the same general pattern. The green-sided darter extends from Pennsylvania westward to Kansas and south to Alabama. The U.S. Fish Commission had specimens from Sandy creek, North Hamlin N. Y., Aug. 20. The species is notable for its beauty; it grows to a length of 5 inches; it is common in gravelly streams and occurs only in clear water. In habits it is similar to the Johnny darter, but it is less tenacious of life than that fish. In the aquarium it is shy and retiring, spending most of its time in the concealment of water plants or decorative rock work. | Genus sotEosoma De Kay Body moderately elongate, fusiform, but slightly translucent; head small, narrowed forward, the profile convex; mouth small, horizontal, the lower jaw included; premaxillary protractile; maxillaries not adnate to preorbital; vomerine teeth present; scales large; lateral line continuous or interrupted behind; belly with ordinary scales; gill membranes broadly or narrowly con- nected; dorsal spines usually nine, very slender and flexible, soft dorsal much larger than anal; anal normally with a single, short, slender spine, the first soft ray simple, but articulate; ventrals well separated; vertebrae (B. nigrum) 154+22-—37; pyloric caeca three to six; frontal region of skull very short and narrow; parietal region flattish above; no supraoccipital crest. Colora- tion olivaceous and speckled, the males with inky black in spring; no red or blue. Size small. Very active little fishes, abounding among weeds in clear streams. 253 Boleosoma nigrum (Rafinesque) Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum RAFINESQUE, Ichthyol. Ohien, 37, 1820; Bran, Fishes Penna. 120; 1893. Boleosoma maculatum AGAssiz, Lake Superior, 305, pl. IV, fig. 3, 1850, Fort William; GunrueEr, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 77, 1859. Boleosoma nigrum JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 492, 1888; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1056, 1896, pl. CLXX, fig. 450, 1900. The body is slender, spindle-shaped. The conical head is con- tained slightly more than four times and the depth.about five . t 514 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM times in the total length. The snout is somewhat decurved. Mouth small and the lower jaw included within the upper. The gill covers are scaly, cheeks naked except in occasional individ- uals, and the nape is usually scaled. The fins are high, but lower and smaller than in other species of Boleosoma. D. VIII to X, 10-14; A. I. 7 to 9; scales 5-44 to, 55-9. Color olivaceous; the back with brown tessellations; sides with many W-shaped blotches. The head is speckled above; in males generally black. In the breeding season the whole anterior part of the male is often black. A dark line forward from the eye and sometimes another downward. This is one of the small species, attaining a length of only 24 inches. It is found on the bottom in clear small brooks, where it lies partly concealed by sand, and changes its colors according to its surroundings. The Johnny darter ranges from western Pennsylvania to Mis- souri and Dakota. In the Great lakes region it is abundant, and it is one of the commonest darters in the streams of Ohio.. It does not occur in eastern Pennsylvania. In New York it ap- pears to occur in the Great lakes region only. 254 Boleosoma nigrum olmstedi (Storer) Tessellated Darter Etheostoma olmstedi STORER, Jour. Bost. Soe. Nat. Hist. 61, pl. 5, fig. 2, 1841; Hist. Fish. Mass. 30, pl. IV, fig. ie 1867; Bran, Fishes Penna, 120, pl. 33, fig. 67, 1893. Boleosoma olmstedi GOODE & BEAN, Bull. Sleaee Inst. XI, 19, 1879. Boleosoma olmstedi JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 492, 18833. BEAN, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. TX, 365, 1897. Etheostoma nigrum olmstedi MEEK, Ann. N. Y. Ac. Sci. TV, 318, 1888. Boleosoma nigrum olmstedi EVERMANN & KENDALL, Rept. U. S. F. C. 1894, 603, 1896; JoRDAN & HEVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1057, 1896,. pl. CLXXI, fig. 451, 1900; EucENnE Smiru, Proc. Linn, Soc. N. Y. 1897, 36, 1898. Boleosoma tessellatum DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 20, pl. 20, fig. 57, 1842. The head is contained four and one fourth times in total length; depth five and one fourth times. The cheeks and opercles are scaly; nape and breast naked. The lateral line is complete, with about 50 scales. D. IX, 14; A. |, 9. | The color is olivaceous; fins with many narrow bars; the back tessellated; sides with blotches and zigzag markings. Head in FISHES OF NEW YORK 515 spring males black. A dark streak forward from the eye and another downward. This darter secretes itself on the bottom in small clear brooks, Swimming rapidly for a short distance when alarmed. The sexes are very different in appearance, the males having higher and more brightly colored fins than the females. The males are larger than the females and in the spring are much spotted with black. The common darter, or tessellated darter, is found from Massachusetts to Georgia. It is replaced in Cayuga lake and some other regions to the southward by a black spotted variety, which differs from the common form still further in having the nape and breast closely scaled. De Kay states that it occurs in most of the fresh-water streams of the state. It is found in Lake Champlain. Evermann and Bean took it in Scioto creek, at Coopersville, in the Saranac, at Plattsburg, in the St Law- _ rence river, 3 miles below Ogdensburg, and in Racket river, at Norfolk. In the Lake Ontario region the U.S. Fish Commission collectors obtained it in the following localities: . Cape Vincent June 21 Mud creek, Cape Vincent June 25 Grenadier island June 27 Horse island, Sackett’s Harbor June 30 Mill creek, Sackett’s Harbor July 2 Stony Island : July 2and 3 Little Stony brook, Henderson bay July 4 Cemetery creek, Watertown July 5 Guffon creek, Chaumont eel yeee ct Chaumont river July 10 Spring brook, Pulaski July 24 Mouth of Salmon river, Selkirk July 25 Mouth Little Salmon creek 3 2 July 25 Three Mile creek, Oswego July 27 Great Sodus bay | Aug. 6 Long pond, Charlotte Aug dt Sandy creek, North Hamlin Aug. 20 516 \ NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM According to Dr Meek it is common at each end of Cayuga lake, but is not found in the streams at the southern end above the falls. The species was obtained in small numbers by the writer in Bronx river in August, 1897. Eugene Smith has obtained it in tidal creeks where the water is impure but not saline. It is recorded from streams of Long Island. The tessellated darter grows to the length of 34 inches. It is a near relative of the Johnny darter, Boleosoma nigrum of Rafinesque. In captivity Eugene Smith has found it delicate, able to live only in water of low temperature and not deep unless in circulation. In balanced tanks it thrives and feeds freely on minced clam, Gammarus, and earthworms, the last to be used only occasionally. De Kay observed it usually at the bottom of clear springs or streams, lying for a while perfectly still near the bottom, and then suddenly darting off with great velocity at its prey, a habit — from which is derived its name of darter. He mentions also the name grand-oranchee, applied to it in New York by the de- scendants of the Dutch colonists, but this name is not satis- factorily explained. The best account of the movements of the fish is given by Zadock Thompson in his History of Vermont. He noted its power of bending its neck and moving its head without moving the body, a very unusual faculty among fishes. Genus ETHEOSTOMA Rafinesque . Body robust, or rather elongate, compressed; mouth terminal, or subinferior, varying in size; the lower jaw included or pro- jecting; premaxillaries not protractile; maxillary movable; teeth rather strong, usually present on vomer and palatines; gill membranes separate or more or less broadly connected; scales moderate or small, ctenoid, top of head without scales, scales of the middle line of the belly persistent and similar to the others; lateral line well developed, nearly straight, often wanting posteriorly; fins large, with strong spines, first dorsal usually longer and larger than the second, with seven to 15 spines; anal with two strong spines, the anterior usually the — FISHES OF NEW YORK B17 larger, the second rarely obsolete, anal fin always smaller than the soft dorsal; ventral fins more or less close together; skull narrow, the parietal region very strongly convex in cross- section, supraoccipital crest very small or wanting; lower pharyngeals very narrow; vertebrae 33 to 39, usually 15+21—36; pyloric caeca three or four; bones rather firm. Coloration various, often brilliant. As here understood, a very large genus covering a great variety of forms. Many attempts at further subdivision have been made. Intergradations of all sorts occur, and the technical characters do not always indicate the real relationship. Many of the species are excessively variable, each brook having its peculiar race. Subgenus OLIGOCEPHALUS Girard 255 Etheostoma coeruleum Storer Blue Darter; Rainbow Darter Etheostoma coerulea STORER, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. II, 47, 1845, Fox River, Ill. Poecilichthys coeruleus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 517, 1883. Htheostoma coeruleum MEEK, Bull. U. S. F. C. 119, 181, 155, 1891; Bran, Fishes Penna. 125, 1893; JoRDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1088, 1896. Body short, comparatively stout; head large; mouth moder- ately large, the lower jaw included within the upper. The maxilla extends to the front of the eye. The length of the head is contained three and three fourth times in the total length without the caudal, and the depth of the body four and one fourth times. Five rows of scales above the lateral line, eight rows below the lateral line, and 45 rows from head to base of caudal, nape and breast generally scaleless. D. X, 12; A. II, 7. The body of the male is olivaceous with darker blotches on the back, 12 bars of indigo blue running obliquely downward and backward across the sides. The spaces between the bars are orange, as are also the throat, breast and cheeks. The base of the spinous dorsal is crimson, surmounted by orange and margined with blue. The soft dorsal is orange, its base and ‘margin blue. In the female the blue and orange colors are 518 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM chiefly wanting, and the dorsal, anal and caudal are checked or barred. : The blue darter, blue Johnny, rainbow darter, or soldier fish, is found in the.Ohio valley and in some parts of the Mississippi valley. It abounds in gravelly streams and ascends small brooks, but not in large numbers. The U. S. Fish Commission obtained many individuals in Marsh creek at Point Breeze N. Y. Aug. 2, and a few in Salt brook, 14 miles above Nine Mile point, June 11, 1893. The blue darter reaches a length of 3 inches. It is not so active as some of the other darters, but in coloration it is the most beautiful of all. One of the most interesting accounts of its habits is republished in Bulletin 47, U. S. National Museum, from the writings of Jordan and Copeland. It will follow to the sur- face of the water a piece of meat suspended by a thread and has been seen to catch a water insect by a swimming leg and release it several times, apparently for the mere pleasure of playing tricks. | Subgenus ETHEOSTOMA 256 Etheostoma flabellare Rafinesque Fantail Darter Etheostoma flabellaris RAFINESQUE, Jour. de Physique, Paris, 419, 1819. Etheostoma linsleyi STORER, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. 37, 1851, Wolcott, Wiayne County, N. Y. ; Catonotus fasciatus GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 68, 1859, Madrid, Ni X. Catonotus flabellatus VAILLANT, Recherches sur Htheostom. 121, 1873, with. plate. Etheostoma flabellare JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 513; 1888; MEEK, Ann. N. Y. Ac. Sci. IV, 314, 1888; Bran, Fishes Penna. (125, 1893; JorpDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1097, 1896;. HUGENE SMITH, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. Y. 1897, 37, 1898. Body slender, elongate; head long, lower jaw strongly ee jecting. The species is readily recognized by its low fins, specially the spinous dorsal, and its prominent lower jaw. It runs, however, into several varieties, one of which, occurring im Indiana and northwestward, has black spots on the scales form- ing lateral stripes; another variety from the Cumberland river FISHES OF NEW YORK. 519 is distinguished by its thick jaw and nearly plain coloration. In the male the spinous dorsal is one half as high as the soft dorsal. The female has higher spines than the male; the spines have fleshy tips. No scales on nape, head and breast. A large | black humeral scale. The length of the head equals one fourth of the total length without caudal, and the depth one fifth. D. VIII, 12; A: II, 8.. Scales 7-50-7. The lateral line ends at the middle of the length. The general color is olivaceous, the upper parts dusky; the sides with dark streaks formed by the spots at the base of the scales. The males have dusky crossbars; the soft dorsal and caudal barred. The spinous dorsal of the male has an orange margin. | The fantail darter is found from western New York to North Carolina, and in the Ohio valley. In the Lake Ontario region the U.S. Fish Commission collectors obtained it from the follow- ing places in 18938: Salt brook, 14 miles above Nine Mile point June 11 Grenadier island . June 28 and 29 Horse island, Sackett’s Harbor June 30 Mill creek July 2 Little Stony brook, Henderson bay July 4 Cemetery creek, Watertown July 5 Chaumont river i July 10 Big Sandy creek, Belleville July 12 ‘Wart creek : July 24 Spring brook, Pulaski | July 24 Three Mile creek, Oswego July 27 Great Sodus bay Aug. 6 Four Mile creek, Nine Mile point, Webster Aug. 9 Sandy creek, North Hamlin Aug. 20 Marsh creek, Point Breeze | Aug. 21 Writing of the fishes of Cayuga lake basin, Dr Meek makes the statement that the fantail darter is found with the tessellated darter at each end of Cayuga lake; that these two 520 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM are the only species of darters in the lake, and neither of them occurs in the streams on the uplands. Though usually considered as being limited to western New York, Eugene Smith says it is not altogether rare in the Hackensack valley streams, perhaps the easternmost locality ~ in which it occurs. | . It grows to a length of 23 inches and abounds in clear rocky streams. It is very active and tenacious of life and is am excellent species for the aquarium. | Genus BOLEICHTHYS Girard This genus contains small and slender species allied to those of the section Oligocephalus under Etheostoma. The lateral line is incomplete and has a slight upward curve anteriorly instead of being straight, as in all the species of Etheostoma. Top of head not scaly. Lowland streams. and swamps. The species few, variable and hard to determine. . 257 Boleichthys fusiformis (Girard) Boleosoma fusiformis GIRARD, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. 41, 1854. Hololepis fusiformis VAILLANT, Recherches sur Htheostom. 131, 1873, with. plate. Poecilichthys fusiformis JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 520, 1883. ; | Etheostoma fusiforme EVERMANN & KENDALL, Bull. U. S. F. C. XII, 115, 1894; EUGENE SMITH, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. Y. 1897, 37, 1898. Boleichthys fusiformis JORDAN & HEVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1101, 1896, pl. CLXXVII, fig. 469, 1900. Body moderately elongate, strongly compressed. The depth is contained six times in the length. Head rather long and narrow. The length is one fourth that of the body. The muzzle short, decurved, shorter than eye; mouth comparatively ‘large, terminal; maxillary reaching past front of eye; eyes: large, four in head; opercular spine strong; lateral line begin- ning at the eye, on about 12 to 15 scales; neck scaly; belly and throat scaly. D. X-9; A. II, 7; lateral line 55. Olivaceous, dotted with dusky points; second dorsal and anal. speckled. FISHES OF NEW YORK 521 This little darter is recorded from Massachusetts to New Jersey and will doubtless be found in New York. It grows to _ the length of 2 inches. 258 Boleichthys fusiformis eos Jordan & Copeland Boleichthys eos JORDAN & COPELAND, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 46, 1877, Rock River, Wisconsin; Wisconsin River, Wisconsin; Fox River, Illinois. Poecilichthys eos JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 520, 1883. Boleichthys fusiformis eos JORDAN and EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. 8. Nat. Mus. 1102, 1896. Body elongate, slender, somewhat compressed, specially behind, rather’ heavy forward, with very long and slender caudal peduncle; head long, rounded in front; mouth small, little, oblique, the upper jaw a very little the longer; dorsal fins high, about equal; caudal truncate; cheeks, opercles, and neck closely scaled; breast naked, or with a median series of small scales; lateral line developed on 22 to 26 scales. Head one fourth of total length without caudal; depth +. D. IX-11; A. II, 7; lateral line 58. Color dark olive, with darker markings; 10 or 12 dark dorsal Spots or bars, and as many short dark blue bars across the lateral line nearly opposite the dorsal bars, but not continuous - with them; the interspaces between these bars, as well as most of the ventral region, bright crimson in the males, nearly plain in the females; lower parts of the sides, cheeks, etc. with various Sharply defined but irregular black markings; second dorsal, caudal, and pectorals strongly marked with wavy bands; first dorsal bright blue in the males, with a broad median band of crimson, speckled in the females; top of head dark; black streaks downward and forward from eye. The describers of the species recorded its distribution from Indiana to Minnesota; abundant in clear cold streams. It grows to the length of 24 inches, and is one of the prettiest of the darters. Specimens were obtained for the U.S. Fish Commission in Mud creek, Cape Vincent N. Y. June 25, the species being abundant there, at Grenadier island, June 27, and in Guffon creek, Chaumont N. Y. July 7. / 522 ae NEW YORK STATE) MUSEUM . Re Family seRRANIDAE Sea Basses Genus roccus Mitchill Base of tongue with one or two patches of teeth; anal spines graduated; dorsal fins entirely separate; anal rays III, 11 or 12; supraoccipital crest scarcely widened above; lower jaw project- ing. Vertebrae 124+18—25. Otherwise as in Morone, the body more elongate, the scales smoother, and the fins more slender than in Morone. Species all American, valued as food fishes. In both Roccus and Morone, the antrorse preopercular spines (characteristic of the European genus or subgenus Dicentrarchus) are wanting. 259 Roccus chrysops (Rafinesque) White Bass Perca chrysops RAFINESQUE, Ichthyol. Ohien. 22, 1820. Labrax albidus DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 18, pl. 51, fig. 165, 1842, Buffalo. Labraz notatus RicHARDSON, Fauna Bor.-Amer, III, 8, 1836; GunTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 67, 1859. Roccus chrysops GILL, Rept. Capt. Simpson’s Surv. Great Basin Utah, 391, pl. 1, fig. 1-7, 1876; JornDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 529, 1883; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 132, pl. 34, fig. 71, 1893; Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 365, 1897; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1182, 1896, pl. CLX XX, fig. 477, 1900; EUGENE RATES Proc. Linn. Soc. N. Y. 1897, 38, 1898. The white bass has the body oblong, elevated and compressed ; its depth contained two and one half times in the total length without caudal, the length of the head about three and one third times in this length; head subconical, depressed over eye; mouth moderate, the maxillary reaching to below middle of eye; length of eye almost equal to length of snout; villiform teeth in bands on jaws, palatines, vomer and tongue, the dorsal outline is much curved, the fins well separated. D. IX,1,14; A.III,11 to 12. Scales 8-60-13. General color silvery, tinged with golden on sides; eight or more blackish longitudinal streaks on sides, those below more or less inter- rupted. 4 FISHES OF NEW YORK 523 The following measurements were taken from a specimen obtained by Mr James Annin jr, in Oneida lake, Sep. 4, 1896. _ Inches Be Pe UME Mpa il A ames ah. eral (bls wa Wada’ 124 Length to end of middle caudal rays........ 114 Length to end of scales....... SRR Non ees 10 Mien, of body .2:2.. 2:2... SORTS ween Gl 4 Least depth of caudal peduncle............. 13 Pern WEA ON se dela onl S ollwaa vie 3 Be eT lee SACU Loy) ccah sy oer Pakal gi crs, 2 Menticirrhus nebulosus GOooDE & BEAN, Bull. Essex Inst. IX, 17, 1879; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 577, 1888. Menticirrhus saxatilis BEAN, Bull. U. S. F. C. VII, 141, pls. IJ, III, figs. 7 and 8, 1888; JoRDAN & HIGENMANN, Rep. U. S. F. C. for 1886, 431, 1889; BEAN, 19th Rep. Comm. Fish. N. Y. 259, pl. XII, fig. 16, 1890; Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 368, 1897; H. M. Smiry, Bull. U. S. EH’. C. 1897, 101, 1898; JornpDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1475, 1898; BEAN, 52d Ann. Rep. N. Y. State Mus, 106, 1900. Body robust, elongate, its greatest depth about two ninths of total length without caudal; the least depth of caudal peduncle one third length of head. Head one fourth to two sevenths of total length without caudal; snout one fourth as long as the head; eye small, two thirds as long as snout. Mouth large, the maxillary reaching to below middle of eye. Outer teeth of upper jaw not much enlarged. Spinous dorsal elevated, the third spine longest, two thirds as long as the head, reaching slightly past origin of soft dorsal; first spine minute, last two spines very Short. Base of soft dorsal one third of total length without caudal; the longest ray less than one third length of head. Caudal concave above, convex below, the middle rays about one half as long as the head. Anal base under the middle portion of the soft dorsal, its length about equal to least depth of caudal peduncle, the spine one third as long as the pectoral, the longest 586 ets NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM ; ray equal to snout and eye combined. Pectoral large, nearly as long as the head, reaching past origin of soft dorsal. Ventral one half as long as the head. Scales all ctenoid. D. X, I, 26 or 27; A. I, 8; scales 7-53-14. Color dusky gray above, sometimes blackish, the back and sides with distinct dark oblique cross bands running downward and forward, the anterior one at the nape extending downward, meeting the second and thus forming a V-shaped blotch on each side; a dark lateral streak bounding the pale color of the belly, most distinct posteriorly, and extending on lower lobe of caudal; inside of gill cavity scarcely dusky; pectorals dark. | The kingfish, according to De Kay, was so named by the early English colonists because of its excellent flavor. The name hake is given to it in New Jersey and Delaware; in the Chesapeake it is sometimes called black mullet; in North Carolina, the sea mink; in the south it is the whiting or Bermuda whiting; on the Connecticut coast it is known as the tomcod. The kingfish occurs northward to Cape Ann and south to the Gulf of Mexico. Large individuals are not common as far north as Cape Cod, but the young may be seen in moderate numbers in the summer months. They occur in abundance throughout Great South bay and near the inlet their number is increased. We have collected them at the mouth of Swan creek, in Blue Point cove, at the Blue Point Lifesaving station, Oak Island and Fire Island. An individual was obtained October 7, in the bay, and others were found during September. Adult kingfish used to be com- mon in Great South bay, but in 1884 they were rare, according to Mr Erastus Gordon, of Patchogue. In 1898 only one adult was taken by the writer and that was found in Clam Pond cove, August 26. Young were seined at Fire Island inlet, Nichols’s Point, Howell’s Point, Blue Point cove, and in Peconic bay. In 1901, large kingfish were not uncommon in Great South bay, but the young were unusually rare, only two specimens measuring from 32 to 4 inches having been obtained; these were seined at Duncan’s creek, September 14. The kingfish ‘was formerly abundant in Gravesend cae but it seldom occurs there now. ~ FISHES OF NEW YORK 587 . The species evidently breeds at Woods Hole Mass. Dr Smith says that adults full of spawn are common there in June and un- common after July 15. ‘The young about an inch long appear in the middle of July,and the young are numerous on sandy beaches during the summer and till early October, when they leave, shaving attained a length of 4 or 5 inches. Some of the young are almost entirely black, while others of the same size taken at the same time show the color markings of the adults. The maxi- mum weight there is about 2 pounds. The species is a favorite in New York waters and well merits its reputation as a choice food fish. It takes the baited hook very readily. Hard clam, cut small, shedder crab, black mussels aod various kinds of fish are good baits. It goes in schools and associates with the weakfish. The name kingfish is said to have been given it in honor of the king by colonial New Yorkers, who esteemed the fish highly. Genus Poconias Lacépéde Body short and deep, the dorsal outline much elevated, the ventral nearly straight. Mouth moderate, the upper jaw long- est; teeth small, in villiform bands, the outer not enlarged; lower pharyngeal bones large, fully united, armed with strong paved teeth; lower jaw with numerous barbels, each about one half as Jong as the eye; preoperculum entire, with a membranaceous edge. Dorsal fins slightly connected, the spines high and strong; caudal fin subtruncate; first anal spine short, the second exceed- ingly large, nearly as long as the soft rays; pectorals and ventrals | long; gill rakers short and bluntish. Pseudobranchiae large. Marine species, reaching a very large size, among the largest of the Sciaenidae, two species known. 286 Pogonias cromis (Linnaeus) Drum Labrus cromis Linnagnus, Syst. Nat. ed. XII, 479, 1766, Carolina. Pogonias fasciatus LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss. III, 137, 1802; Cuvier & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. V, 210, pl. 118, 1830; De Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 81, pl. 14, fig. 40, 1842; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. \ II, 270, 1860. Mugil grunniens MitcHiLy, Rep. Fish. N. Y. 16, 1814, New York. Mugil gigas M1TcHILL, Rep. Fish. N. Y. 16, 1814, New York. 588 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM ¥ Labrus grunniens MircuHiLy, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 405, 1815. Sciena fusca MItTcuiLL, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 409, 1815, New~ York. | Sciena gigas Mrrcwtty, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 418, 1815, New~ York. Pogonias chromis CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. V, 206, 1830;- DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 80, 1842; Ho~Broox, Ichth. S. C. ed. 1, 112, pl. 16, fig. 2, 1856; GunruER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 270, 18603. JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 568, 1888; Bran, 19th Rep: Comm Mish; N.Y: 261, pl. Xb fie. 17. 1890; Pogonias cromis BEAN, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 1X, 368, 1897, Gravesend . Bay; H. M. Smitu, Bull. U. S. F. C. 1897, 101, 1898; Jornpan & HivER- MANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1482, 1898, pl. CCX XV, fig. 573, 1900. . Body oblong, compressed, heavy forwards, its greatest depth two fifths to one third of total length without caudal; least hight of caudal peduncle one third length of head. Head large,. its length about two sevenths of total without caudal; snout short, strongly declivous, a very shallow depression over the: eyes, nape much arched. Lower jaw slightly shorter in front than upper; maxillary reaching to below middle of eye. Teeth: in broad bands, the outer series in maxillary scarcely enlarged; lower pharyngeals large, completely united, covered with many blunt molars and a small patch of conical teeth at the outer: posterior corner. Gill rakers 4+12 on first arch, very short and slender. Spinous dorsal triangular, the fourth and fifth: longest, two. fifths as long as the head, the spines rapidly diminishing in size to the front and rear, the first one being minute; the base of spinous dorsal as long as the head without the snout. Soft dorsal lower than spinous, the longest rays one: third as long as the head. Anal base short, under second half of soft dorsal, the first spine minute, the second about one third as: long as the head, the longest ray twice as long as the last ray and one half as long as the head. Caudal truncate, the middle rays about one half as long as the head. Pectoral long, reaching” to below the fourth ray of soft dorsal, as long as the head. Ven-. tral equal to postorbital part of head, reaching to below the: origin of soft dorsal. Scales on breast small, others large. DD: X, I, 21 to 22; A. II, 5 to 6; P. 1,17; V. 1,5. Scales 7-47 to 52-11. Color grayish silvery, with five broad dark bars three of which extend upon the dorsal fins, these bars disappearing with age;; FISHES OF NEW YORK 58 usually no oblique dark streaks along rows of scales above; fins dusky. Dr Mitchill describes the drum under the names, black drum and red drum. The black drum which he described weighed 34- pounds. He hada specimen of 80 pounds, and states that he was. credibly informed of one that weighed 101 pounds. The species, according to Dr Mitchill, was taken abundantly during the sum- mer with line and net. The name drum, he says, is derived from the drumming noise made by the fish immediately after being taken out of water. ‘“ He swims in numerous shoals in the shal- low bays on the south side of Long Island, where fishermen dur- ing the warm season can find them almost like a flock of sheep;. is a dull sort of fish.” The red drum he considered merely a variety of the black drum. Dr De Kay says of the species, which: he calls the big drum: “ They are gregarious, and frequently taken in great numbers by the seine during the summer along the bays and inlets of Long Island.” De Kay adopted a different specific name for the young of this species, and called it the banded drum. Other names for this stage given by De Kay are: grunter, grunts, young drum and young sheepshead. He saw the young in September, and states that it is found in New York waters also in October and November. The adults, according to. De Kay, are a coarse food, but the young are considered a great delicacy. The drum is occasionally taken on our coast as far north as. Cape Cod; southward it extends to the Gulf of Mexico. 3 The drum is an occasional summer visitor in Gravesend bay. In the-fall of 1896, 14 young individuals, 8 inches long, were brought from there alive to the aquarium, and lived till February 10, 1897, when the low temperature of the water (88°) killed them. In the fall of 1897 none were seen in the bay. In the vicinity of Woods Hole Mass. the drum is very rare.. Dr Smith records the first one as having been taken May 7, 1874, and it has been observed only three or four times since. The recent specimens have been caught in traps at Quisset Harbor, in the latter part of September or early in October;. 590 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM these specimens weighing each 44 or 5 pounds. The largest -drum recorded was taken at St Augustine Fla. and weighed 146 pounds. The large fish are not much valued for food, but small ~ ones are said to be excellent. Genus apLopinotTus Rafinesque Body oblong, the snout blunt, the back elevated and com- pressed; mouth rather small, low, horizontal, the lower jaw included; teeth in villiform bands, the outer above scarcely enlarged; no barbels; pseudobranchiae rather small; gill rakers short and blunt; lower pharyngeals very large, fully united, with coarse, blunt, paved teeth, as in Pogonias; preopercle slightly serrate; dorsal spines strong and high, with a close fitting scaly sheath at base, the two dorsals somewhat con- nected; second anal spine very strong; caudal double truncate; air bladder very large, simple, with no appendages; pyloric -caeca seven; vertebrae 10+14— 24. Fresh waters of the United States; large, coarse fishes, feeding chiefly on crustacea and mollusks. The genus is apparently allied to Pogonias, and both may be descended from allies of Roncador, which is intermediate between them and Sciaena. 287 Aplodinotus grunniens Rafinesque Fresh-water Drum; White Perch Aplodinotus grunniens RAFINESQUE, Jour. de Phys. Paris, 88, 1819, Ohio River; BEAN, Fishes Penna. 135, pl. 35, fig. 73, 1898; JORDAN & HVER- MANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1484, 1898, pl. COX XVI, fig. 574, 1900. Sciaena oscula LE SuEUR, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 252, pl. 18, 1822, Lake Ontario. Amblodon neglectus GIRARD, U. S. Mex. Bd. Surv. Fish. 12, pl. 5, figs. 6-10, 1859. Amblodon grunniens GIRARD, U. S. Pac. R. R. Surv. Fish. 96, pl. 23, 1858. Haploidonotus grunniens Gitu, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 104, 1861; oe & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 567, 1883. ‘ Corvina oscula DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 73, pl. 21, fig. 68, 1842, Lakes Erie & Ontario; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 297, 1860. The shape. of the fresh-water drum is similar to that of the salt-water species, the body being moderately elongate, its greatest hight one third of its length without the caudal; the gides are moderately compressed and the back very much so. FISHES OF NEW YORK 5Of The least depth of the tail is less than one third of the depth of the body. The head is rather short, its length contained three: and two thirds times in the total without caudal. The eye is about four fifths as long as the snout and one sixth length of head. Snout obtuse. The maxilla reaches to below the middle of the eye; the lower jaw is shorter than the upper. The pec- toral is nearly as long as the head and reaches to below the beginning of the soft dorsal. The ventral is about two thirds. length of head. The third dorsal spine is the longest, nearly one half as long as the head. The second anal spine is much the longer and stouter, its length two fifths that of head. The rays of the soft dorsal are longest near the end of the fin. The . scales are very irregularly placed, about 55 in the lateral line. DerxX, I, 80-31; A. II, 7. | The color is grayish, darker on the back; lower parts silvery. Young specimens have dark spots along the rows of scales, form- ing oblique lines. The fresh-water drum has received a great number of common names. In the Ohio valley and South it is known as the white perch; in the Great Lake region it is called sheepshead or fresh- water drum on account of its resemblance to the salt-water drum. At Buffalo and Barcelona, New York, it is known as Sheepshead. The name crocus, used on lakes of northern In- diana is a corruption of croaker, a name of a marine fish of the same family. In the southern states the name drum is gen- erally applied to the species, and in addition the terms thunder pumper, gaspergou and jewel head are used. Gaspergou is a term used in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. The names drum, croaker and thunder pumper have reference to certain sounds. produced by the fish either by means of its air bladder or by grinding together the large molarlike teeth in the pharynx. The name jewel head probably refers to the otoliths or ear- bones, frequently called lucky stones, which are found in the skull of this species. In Texas, adjacent to Mexican territory, occurs the name gaspagie, a variation of the name gaspergou. The fresh-water drum is widely distributed; it occurs in Lake a ¥. 592 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM ‘Champlain and the entire Great lakes region, the Ohio and Mississippi valleys southward to Texas. The U.S. Fish Commis- sion obtained a specimen at Point Breeze N. Y. on Lake Ontario. De Kay reported it as very common in Lake Erie and called ‘sheepshead at Buffalo. At the time of his writing the fish was — scarcely ever eaten. It is found principally in large streams and lakes and rarely enters creeks and small rivers. In - western Texas the species is rare. In the wilds of Texas, New Mexico and northern Mexico Mr Turpe has found this fish in clear limestone streams emptying into the Rio Grande. This species is usually found on the bottom, where it feeds chiefly on crustaceans and mollusks and sometimes small fishes. It is specially fond of crawfish and small shells such as Cyclas and Paludina. Mr Turpe mentions water plants as forming part of its food and states that it will take a hook ‘baited with worms or small minnows. | The fresh-water drum grows to a length of 4 feet and a weight ‘of 60 pounds, but the average market specimens rarely exceed 2 feet in length and in many parts of the West much smaller. ‘ones are preferred. Nothing is recorded about the breeding habits of this species, and as to its edible qualities there is the greatest difference of opinion. Some writers claim that its flesh is tough and coarse with a disagreeable odor, specially in the Great lakes. Individuals from the Ohio river and from more southern streams are fairly good food fish, while in Texas Mr -Turpe considers it one of the most excellent of the fresh-water fishes, comparing favorably with black bass. Mr Robert Ridg- way of the National Museum at Washington, pronounces the species from the Wabash river in Indiana, a fine table fish though, he says, other people there consider it inferior. Rich-— -ardson described what is supposed to be a deformed specimen of ‘this drum under the name of malashegany, which he had from Lake Huron. He described it as a firm, white, well-tasting fish, ‘but never fat and requiring much boiling. ,) | FISHES OF NEW YORK | 593 Suborder PHARYNGOGNATHI Labroid Fishes Family LABRIDAE Wrasse Fishes Genus TAUTOGOLABRUS Giinther Body oblong, not elevated, comparatively slender and com- pressed; head moderate, more or less pointed, but the jaws not ‘notably produced; teeth in the jaws in several series, the outer- most very strong; the teeth unequal, conical and pointed; no ‘posterior canines. Cheeks with small scales; opercles with large ones; interopercles naked; preopercle with the vertical limb ‘finely serrated. Branchiostegals five. Gill membranes consid- erably united, free from the isthmus; gill rakers short. Scales ‘moderate, 35 to 50 in the lateral line; lateral line continuous, -abruptly bent opposite posterior part of second dorsal; dorsal long and low, the spinous portion much longer than the soft, ‘of 18 or 19 low, subequal, rather strong spines; soft dorsal slightly elevated; anal fin similar to soft dorsal, with three strong graduated spines; caudal truncate; pectorals short, the ventrals inserted behind their axils. Species two, both Amer- ‘ican. This genus is very close to the European genus Cteno- labrus, differing in the less perfect squamation of the head -and in the greater number of dorsal spines and vertebrae. 288 Tautogolabrus adspersus (Walbaum) Bergall; Cunner; Chogset; Nipper Labrus adspersus WALBAUm, Art. Gen. Pise. 254, 1792. ‘Tautoga Caerulea MircHILL, Rep. Fish. N. Y. 24, 1814, New York. Labrus chogset MircuiLu, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 402, pl. 3, fig. 2, 1815, New York. Labrus chogset fulva MitTcHILt, 1. c. 403, 1815, New York. -Otenolabrus uninotatus CuVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. XIII, 239, 18389, New York, young; DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 174, pl. 29, fig. 90, 1842; GunTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. IV, 90, 1862. ’-Ctenolabrus burgall Guntusr, |. c. 90, 1862, Canada. -Ctenolabrus chogset CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. XIII, 237, 1839. -Otenolabrus ceruleus DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 172, pl. 29, fig. 93, 1842. Color bluish or brownish, usually with a brassy luster on sides; head and back sometimes spotted with brassy; young with ; darker blotches and markings, and often with a black blotch near the middle of the dorsal fin. Some individuals are yellow- ish and the young are often green. _ The cunner is known also as chogset and bergall (this changed to bengal in Great Egg Harbor bay, N. J.). Mitchill gives the name of bluefish as in use in New York in 1815; perch, sea perch and blue perch are New England names given for this fish. Names used with reference to its bait-stealing propensities are: nipper and bait-stealer. The cunner is common from Labrador to at least as far south as New Jersey. . “The bergall is found in Gravesend bay throughout the year. In 1898, the writer found it in Peconic bay and the adjacent Scallop pond; south side of Great South bay opposite Patch- ogue; Fire Island inlet; Blue Point cove; and Duncan’s creek. In 1899, young examples were taken at Water Island ocean beach, June 6. In 1901, young of a yellow color and only 12 inches long were seined in a creek near Fire Island inlet, August 15. Half grown and adults were caught at a wreck on Tobey’s Flat, August 14, and at Smith’s Point, August 23. At Woods Hole Mass. the cunner is very abundant and remains during the ertire year. Thousands perish from cold every win- ter. The fish spawns in June. The egg is about #s;inch in diameter, buoyant, and has been hatched in the tidal cod-jar in five days in water of a mean temperature of 56° F. By August 1 the young an inch long are observed. Outside of Gayhead and Cuttyhunk the fish reaches a weight of 24 pounds, but the usual weight is from 4 to 4 pound. In February 1901, thousands of cunners were killed by extreme cold at Woods Hole. The cunner endures captivity very well, individuals having been kept three years or longer. The species is usually asso- ciated with the tautog or blackfish; in many places it proves a great annoyance to fishermen. In some parts of New England the fish is highly esteemed, but farther south it is not in high 596 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM repute, the hard scales and stiff, sharp spines making it incon- venient to prepare for cooking. | Dr Mitchill describes a yellow variety of the cunner, and De Kay has considered the young, which has a black spot on the anterior portion of the dorsal fin, as a distinct species, named by him the spotted bergall. The young vary greatly in color. We have seen some dull ‘brown, others that were yellowish, and still others of a bright green. Dusky bands are characteristic, also, of the young stages. Examples were taken at Blue Point cove and at Fire Island. The cunner is a permanent resident, and does not retreat into deep water except in very cold weather. Its spawn- ing takes place in June and July. The species is fished for with the hook, and is taken in nets, which are baited and set among the rocks. The catch of the Irish‘cunner boats of Boston has ~ been estimated at about 300,000 pounds annually. Genus Trautoea Mitchill . \ Body long, not elevated nor greatly compressed. Head large, nearly as deep as long, with a convex profile. Mouth rather small. Teeth very strong, conical, in two series; the outer somewhat incisorlike; the two anterior teeth in each jaw strong; the posterior teeth small, without canines. Eye small, high up. Cheeks with small scales; interopercle naked; opercles naked, except above; scales on body rather small, in about 60 transverse series, those on ventral region reduced in size; lat- eral line continuous, abruptly decurved opposite the end of the soft dorsal. Dorsal fin long, low, continuous, the spinous part much the longer, with about 16 low, strong, subequal spines, each with a small cutaneous appendage at tip; soft dorsal higher than spinous; anal similar to soft dorsal, with three stout, graduated spines; pectorals broad and rather short; caudal short, truncate, with rounded angles; the soft parts of the ver- tical fins with the membranes somewhat scaly; ventrals -con- spicuously behind pectorals. Branchiostegals five. Guill rakers very short and feeble; gill membranes somewhat connected, free from the isthmus. Vertebrae 16+18—34. This genus contains a single species, a large Labroid, abundant on the Atlantic coast © of the United States. : oy inne FISHES OF NEW YORK 597 289 Tautoga onitis (Linnaeus) Blackfish ; Tautog Labrus onitis LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, 286, 1758; ed. XII, 478, 1766. Tautoga niger MiITCHILL, Rep. Fish. N. Y. 23,:1814, New York. Labrus tautoga MiTcHILL, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soe. N, Y. I, 399, 1815, Long Island. Tautoga americana DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 175, pl. 14, fig. 39, 1842; STORER, Hist. Fish. Mass. 110, pl. XX, fig. 2, 1867. Tautoga onitis GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. IV, 88, 1862; Goopr & BEAN, Bull. Essex Inst. XI, 14, 1879; JoRDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 600, 1883; Bran, Bull. U. S. F. C. VII, 187, pl. III, fig. 3, 1888; 19th Rep. Comm. Fish. N. Y. 252, pl. V, fig. 7, 1890; Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. [X, 368, 1897; H. M. Smirn, Bull. U. S. F. C. 1897, 102, 1898; ‘JonDAN & EvEeRMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1578, 1898, pl. CCXXXVII, fig. 596, 1900; Bran, 52d Ann. Rep. N. Y. State Mus. 107, 1900; SHERWOOD & EDWARDS, Bull. U.S. F. C. 1901, 30, 1901. Body deep, moderately compressed, the outline of head and back convex, the greatest depth three eighths to one third of total length without caudal, the least depth of caudal peduncle equal to postorbital part of head. Head short, blunt, its length contained three and one fourth to three and one half times in total without caudal; profile of snout very steep; preorbital very wide, wider than the eye; mouth small, with very thick lips, the maxillary reaching the vertical from anterior or posterior nos- tril; eye one fifth as long as the head; snout one third as long as the head; jaws nearly equal in front, with two or three large canines and smaller ones on the side, gradually diminishing in size backwards. A patch of small scales behind eye extending downward to middle of cheek where there are five or six Series; a small patch of scales at upper edge of opercle; head elsewhere naked. About 3+6 very short and blunt gill rakers on first arch. Spinous dorsal composed of stout, sharp spines, the connecting membrane between them projecting beyond them; the first spine as long as the eye; the spines gradually increasing in length to the 11th which is one third as long as the head and twice as long as the first; the remaining spines are about equal to the 11th; the base of soft dorsal is one half as long as the head; the longest ray is nearly twice as long as the last ray and more than one half as long as the head. ‘Caudal convex, the middle rays about one half as long as the ~ 598 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM head. Anal base coterminous with the dorsal base, two thirds as long as the head, the spines rather long, stout, and gradu- ated, the first a little longer than the eye, the third twice as long: as the eye; the third and fourth rays longest, as long as post- orbital part of head. Pectoral large, as long as the head with- out the snout, reaching to below the 10th spine of the dorsal. Ventral one half as long as the head, reaching to below the 12th spine of the dorsal. D. XVI to XVII, 10; A. TY Sree J, 5; P. 1,15. Scales 14-60 to 65-29. Color blackish, greenish, frequently pale bluish or bluish black with metallic reflections. Often with irregular bands of a deeper hue. Lips, lower jaws and abdomen lighter, sometimes pale, sprinkled with black points, and sometimes of the same color as the rest of the body. Eye greenish. This is better known in New York as the blackfish; rahe south it is styled chub or salt-water chub, Moll, Will George and oyster fish. Mitchill gives the name tautog as of Mohegan origin. He publishes for the species the names toad, blackfish and runner. The Mohegan name tautog, according to De Kay,. is said to mean black. The fish is found from Nova Scotia to: Virginia. It occurs in all parts of Great South bay visited by us. Some of the localities at which it was taken are the fol- lowing: Blue Point cove and Lifesaving station, Great River: beach and Fire Island. The name used ‘at Patchogue is black- fish. We saw a few tautog among the fishes caught in a trap at Islip, October 1, 1890. In 1898 specimens were obtained in Peconic bay, at Blue Point cove, Islip, Nichols’s Point and Fire Island inlet; young individuals were taken July 29, August 25,. ‘September 1 and 16. Following is a list of localities in which the tautog was sparingly taken in Great South bay in 1901: Cla Om d COV ose al, ioe foyel son he tale) ee aie ae tee oe July 19 Fire Island, inletiw: -se cet es ss cee een ae August 15 Cherry “Groves fins... ante seagate SS agers Be ESS Sata oie Be August 17 Sriitin7s. Pointe 3 es eter a 0 a ia te ee ser ae sane August 23 Mouth Swan Tiviery, cpus we lec lees chars ecu os eee September | a 8 Off Widow’s creek (young)...... Os en aan ea toes September 28: Of Swan river (yOUmE) eee ete eet October 7 and 11. ~ / FISHES OF NEW YORK 599 Dr Mitchill gives a most entertaining account of the habits and mode of capture of this well known species. At the time of his writing, in 1814, the price varied from eight to 12 cents a pound. It has been known to reach a length of 3 feet and a weight of 214 pounds. Individuals of 12 to 14 pounds have occasionally been taken off Cape Ann. The fishing season begins in April and may last till winter. Examples are sometimes speared in the winter months in New England rivers. The tautog is not migratory, but hibernates in cold weather, going into the mud in November or December. It is sometimes destroyed by freez- ing; such accidents have occurred in ponds on Martha’s Vine- yard and elsewhere. The spawning season begins late in April. The eggs are deposited in depths of 6 to 8 feet or more among the rocks. In the fish cultural operations at Woods Hole Mass. it was found ‘dhat the egg is buoyant and only-3; inch in diameter; in the automatic tidal box they hatched in about five days with the water temperature at 69° F., and in two or three days with the temperature at 71°. There is great diversity in the colors of the young, just as in the case of the young cunners. Some are bright green, others ‘brown or red and some are mottled with brown, red and green, intermingled with pale areas. The food of the tautog consists of mollusks and crustaceans; crabs, and specially fiddlers, bar- macles, clams and lobsters are among the favorite articles of food. The annelids, known as sandworms, are also very attrac- _ dive to it. The tautog is an excellent food fish and one of the commonest of our market species. It is a permanent resident in the bays and is hardy in captivity. Individuals have been kept longer than three years and some of them have erown remarkably. ‘Their food includes chopped hard clam, live killifish, shrimps, and fiddler crabs, of which latter they are extremely fond. Spawning takes place regularly in the tanks in spring, but, as the eggs are very small and buoyant, they must invariably be lost at the overflow. As the newly hatched embryos are only zs inch long they too would fiow out unseen if any were left for development. 600 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Group ZEOIDEA Family zE1DAE John Dories Genus ZENopPsis Gill Body ovate, much compressed, without scales, and without warts or humps in the adult. Head deeper than long, its ante- rior profile steep. Mouth rather large, upper jaw protractile; teeth small on jaws and vomer, none on the palatines. Various bones of the head and shoulder girdle armed with spines. Series of bony plates along the sides of the belly and the bases | of both dorsal and anal, each plate armed with a strong spine. Kye large, placed high. Gill rakers short. Dorsal spines very strong, usually 10 in number, some of them filamentous; anal: spines three; ventral fins long, the rays I, six or IJ, seven. Caudal peduncle slender, the fin not forked. Three species. known, differing from the European genus Zeus mainly in the presence of three anal spines instead of four, and in the greater development of the spinous armature. Pelagic. 290 Zenopsis ocellatus (Storer) John Dory Zeus ocellatus STORER, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. VI, 385, 1858, Province-- town Mass.; PUTNAM in STORER, Hist. Fish. Mass. 279, 1867. Zenopsis ocellatus Gitu, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. VI, 126, 1862; Jorpan & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U.S. Nat. Mus. 456, 1883; GoopE & BEAN, Oceanic Ichth. 224, with plate, 1896; JorpAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1660, 1898, pl. COXLVI, fig. 618, 1900. Body short, deep, compr essed, its greatest depth one half of — total length including caudal; the caudal peduncle short and very slender, its least depth scarcely more than one half diame- ter of eye. Head subquadrangular, large, the mouth large and very oblique, the maxillary one sixth of total length without caudal, its width posteriorly nearly one half its length. A slight concavity over the eyes. Eye two ninths as long as the head and placed high. Snout two fifths as long as head. Top of head with roughish ridges, but without spines; a spine at the base of each dentary bone; a supplemental maxillary bone; teeth nearly obsolete. Gill rakers short. Skin naked except for the / me » 3 a FISHES OF NEW YORK 601 bony bucklers which are armed each with a central spine hooked backward and marked with radiating ridges ; seven bucklers along the base of the dorsal, the fifth and sixth largest, these located under the fifth to the 19th dorsal ray; two on the median line in front of the ventrals, the second larger, as long as the eye; about eight plates between ventrals and anal origin, and five along base of anal. Dorsal spines stout and long, the first four or five filamentous, the second longest, equal to total length without the head and the caudal fin; the base of the fin five sixths as long as the head. Soft dorsal base a little longer, as long as the head; the rays short, the longest, near the end of the fin, equal to diameter of eye. Caudal fin short, rounded, the middle rays as long as the postorbital part of head. Pectoral - short, about as long as snout. Ventrals long, nearly as long as the head, and almost reaching to the anal origin. Anal long, one half of total length without caudal, the spinous and soft portions scarcely connected; the first spine longest, one and one half times as long as the third, and one fifth as long as the head; the longest anal ray nearly one third as long as the head. Peewee A. Lil, 24: V. 1,5; P.12. Color silvery, nearly plain; a black lateral ocellated spot in life, disappearing in spirits. Of this pelagic species only one specimen is known; this was taken off Provincetown Mass. and presented to the museum of the Boston Society of Natural History by Capt. N. E. Atwood. Suborder SQUAMIPINNES Scaly Fins Family EPHIPPIDAE Spadefishes Genus CHAETODIPTERUS Lacépéde Body much elevated and compressed, its outline nearly orbic- ular, the anterior profile nearly vertical. Scales small, 55 to 70 in the course of the lateral line. Jaws about equal; no teeth on vomer or palatines; teeth on jaws slender, somewhat moy- able; preopercle finely serrulate. Branchiostegals six. Dorsal fins two, somewhat connected, the first of usually nine spines, 602 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM _ the third of which is elongate; anal spines three, small, the sec- ond the longest; ventral with a large accessory scale. Pyloric caeca four to six. American; distinguished from the Asiatic genus Ephippus by the very much smaller scales. 291 Chaetodipterus faber (Broussonet) S padefish ; Triple-tail; Angelfish ; Moonfish Chaetodon faber BROUSSONET, Ichth. Decas. 1, V, pl. 4, 1782, Jamaica; Caro- lina.. Chaetodon oviformis MitcHILL, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 247, pl. V, fig. 4, 1815, New York; Am. Month. Mag. II, 247, February, 1818. Ephippus gigas CuvIER, Régne Anim. ed. 2, vol. 2, 191, 1829, America; De Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 99, pl. 23, fig. 71, 1842, New York; HOLBROOK, Ichth.,S. C. ed. 1, 105, pl. 15, fig. 2, 1856; GUNTHER, Cat. _ Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 61, 1860. . Ephippus faber DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 97, pl. 23, fig. 68; HoLBROOK, Ichth. S. C. ed. 1, 108, pl. 15, fig. 1, 1856; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 61, 1860. 7 Chaetodipterus faber JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 613, 1883; BEAN, 19th Rep. Comm. Fish. N. Y. 253, pl. VI, fig. 8, 1890; H. M. SmiTH, Bull. U. S. F. C. 1897, 102, 1898; JorpANn & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1668, pl. CCXLVII, fig. 619, 1900. Body oblong-ovate, its greatest depth equal to the distance from the eye to the end of the dorsal base or anal base; least depth of caudal peduncle one half length of head. Head short, two sevenths of total length without caudal; snout two fifths as long as the head; preorbital deep, equal to diameter of eye, which is three tenths as long as the head; mouth moderate, nearly horizontal, the maxilla reaching to below front of eye; chin with a row of pores; dorsal and ventral outlines similar, greatly convex. First dorsal spine minute; second very short, one half as long as the eye; third spine longest, as long as the head without the snout; fourth spine one third as long as the head; the remaining spines rapidly diminishing in size to the last which is one third as long as the eye. The soft dorsal is separated from the spinous by a deep notch; the anterior part of the fin is greatly elevated, the longest ray being three sev- enths of total length without caudal; the fin is faleate, the last rays being short. ,Caudal crescentic with the outer rays pro- duced, and about as long as the head. Anal similar in shape FISHES OF NEW YORK 6038 to the soft dorsal; the first spine one half as long as the eye, the second as long as the eye, and the third three fourths as long as the second; the longest rays equal one half of greatest depth of body. Pectoral short, rounded, one half as long as the head. Ventral much longer, as long as the head, reaching beyond the vent. eee) 20 tones ASI tS 5.V23; 53 P.1,, 165, lateral. line 60 to 65; pyloric caeca 4 to 6; vertebrae 9 or 10-14. Grayish; a dusky band across the eye to the throat; a second similar band, broader, beginning in front of the dorsal and ex- tending across the base of the pectoral to the belly; a third band, narrower, extending to the middle of the sides from the base of the fourth and fifth dorsal spines; a fourth broader band from the last dorsal spines to anal spines, the remaining bands alternately short and long; all of these bands growing obscure and disappearing with age; ventrals black. The moonfish is the sheepshead chaetodon of Mitchill, and the banded ephippus of De Kay. Dr Mitchill records it as taken at the east end of Long Island, July 27, 1815. De Kay, in his New York Fauna, has the following concerning the species: “About twenty years since, they were caught here in seines in great numbers and exposed in the markets for sale. Some of them were 18 inches long. Those described by Mitchill were captured in 1815 and 1817. The popular names of three-tailed sheepshead and three-tailed porgee were given them by the fishermen in allusion to,their prolonged dorsal and anal fins. . . Schoepff states that it is called angelfish in South Carolina.” The species is called spadefish in the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico. The moonfish has occasionally been taken as far north as Cape Cod. Dr Smith records it as a very rare straggler in Vine- yard Sound, Mass. A specimen was obtained in 1889, and three have been observed since. All were taken in traps at Menemsha in August and September. | The fish were uniform in size and about 16 to 18 inches long. The species reaches a length of 2to 3 feet. Southward it is recorded from as far as Guatemala. 604 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM It occurs in the West Indies. In Chesapeake bay it is moder- ately. common. As a food fish this Species is highly prized by those who are | familiar with its aualities. Family CHAETODONTIDAE Butterfly Fishes Genus cHaETopon (Artedi) Linnaeus Body short, deep, very strongly compressed, specially above and behind; head small, compressed, almost everywhere scaly; mouth very small, terminal, the jaws provided with long, slen- der, flexible, bristlelike teeth; vomer sometimes with teeth; pre- — operculum entire or nearly so, without spine. Dorsal fin sin- gle, continuous, not notched, the spinous part longer than the soft part, of about 13 spines, the spines not graduated, some of the middle ones being longer than the last; last rays of soft dorsal usually rapidly shortened, some of them occasionally fil- amentous (in East Indian species); caudal peduncle short, the caudal fin fan-shaped; anal similar to soft dorsal, preceded by three or four strong spines. Body covered with rather large ctenoid scales, somewhat irregular in their arrangement; the lateral line curved, high, parallel with the back. Gill openings rather narrow, the membranes narrowly joined to the isthmus; branchiostegals six. A very large genus of singular and beauti- ful fishes abounding in the tropical seas, specially about vol- canic rocks and coral reefs; most of them have the body crossed by transverse black bars. They are all very active, feeding on small animals. Subgenus CHAETODONTOPS 292, Chaetodon ocellatus Bloch Parche Chaetodon ocellatus BLocu, Ichth. III, 105, pl. 211, fig. 2, 1787; HIGENMANN ~ & Hornine, Ann, N. Y. Ac. Sci. IV, 7, 1887; BEAN, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 368, 1897; H. M. Suir, Bull. U..S. F. C. 1897, 102, 1898; JORDAN & EXVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1674, 1898, pl. CCX LIX, fig. 621, 1900; H. M. Smrru, Bull. U. S. F. ©. 1901, 33, 1901. Chaetodon bimaculatus Buiocu, Ichth. pl. 219, fig. 1, 1790; CuviER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. VII, 67, 1831; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 9, 1860; Jorpan & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 940, 1883. FISHES OF NEW YORK 605 Sarothrodus maculocinctus GILL, Proce. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 99, 1861, New- port R. I.; young. Chaetodon maculocinctus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U: S. Nat. Mus. 616, 1883; BEAN, Bull. U. S. F. C. VII, 1388, pl. I, fig. 4, 1888. Body subovate, strongly compressed; greatest depth three fifths to two thirds of total length without caudal; least depth of caudal peduncle about one third length of head. Head two fifths of total without caudal; the upper profile concave except for a slight protuberance over eyes; snout equals five sixths diameter of eye, which is one third as long as the head; the maxilla reaches to below the anterior nostril, its length equal to: length of snout; lower jaw somewhat produced; suborbital bone one half as wide as the eye. First dorsal spine one fourth as. long as the head; second spine about one half as long as head;. third and fourth spines longest, as long as the head without the snout; last spine two fifths as long as head; longest soft ray one half as long as the head. Anal fin under the posterior half of the dorsal; the first spine as long as the snout; the second longest, nearly one half as long as the head; the third nearly as long as the second; the longest ray as long as the second Spine; the base of the fin equals one third of total length with- out caudal. Caudal rounded, the middle rays one half as long as the head. Pectoral reaching to below the 10th spine of the dorsal, as long as the head without the snout. Ventral reach- ing to the second anal spine, four fifths as long as the head. D. XII or XITI, 18 to 20; A. III, 16 to 18; V. 1,5. Scales 8-45. to 50-20. ) Color golden gray, sometimes yellow or orange; a large, oblong, dark blotch on base of soft dorsal extended downward by a black band crossing the body and continuing faintly upon the base of the anal; a dark band from the origin of the dorsal through the eye and extending downward across the cheek. The bands are nowhere more than one half as wide as the eye. The parche belongs to the West Indian fauna; it is common at Havana, and the young follow the Gulf Stream northward in summer to New Jersey, Long Island, Rhode Island, and Cape Cod. In the vicinity of Woods Hole Mass. according to Dr Smith, 606 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM it must now be regarded as 4 common species, for, in 1900, the number of specimens taken at Katama bay was 123; these were observed on 18 different. occasions between August 15 and October 26; on September 8 the number taken was 26 and 21 were seined on October 3. Up to 1897 only a few specimens had been secured annually in October and N ovember—not more than five in any one season. A single individual, 14 inches long, was taken in the seine at Beesley’s Point N. J. September 2. The general color of the sides was yellow, more persistent in alcohol on the ventral surface and caudal peduncle than else- where. D. XIII, 20; A. III, 18; lateral line, 45; third and fourth dorsal spines equal, and as long as the head without the snout. The parche is very rare in Gravesend bay. ‘Two small indi- viduals were taken by Mr De Nyse in October 1898. Mr De ‘Nyse informs me that the roundish black spot in the soft dorsal remains fixed under all conditions, while the band extending “from it to the anal fin sometimes disappears. The whole body of the fish at times appears to have an orange tinge, but at other times it is gray. Lik An individual about 2 inches long was obtained from a fish pound near Clam Pond cove, Oct. 17, 1898. This species is con- Spicuously beautiful on account of the orange color of its fins contrasting sharply with the dark bands on the head and body. Family re uTHIDIDAE Surgeons Genus TEeurnis Linnaeus This genus includes those Teuthididae which have the tail armed with a sharp, antrorse, lancetlike, movable spine; strong, fixed, incisor teeth; ventral rays I, five, and usually nine spines in the dorsal fin, The numerous species are found in all tropical seas, herbivorous fishes living about coral reefs. The adult is protected by the murderous caudal spine, which grows larger with age. idlimete dite aan : - ie : FISHES OF NEW YORK 607 293 Teuthis hepatus Linnaeus Surgeons ; Doctor Fish; Tang Teuthis hepatus LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. XII, 507, 1766, Carolina; MEEK & | HorFMAN, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila.’229, 1884; BEAN, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 368, 1897; JonDAN & HVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1691, 1898. : Acanthurus phlebotomus CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. X, 176,. 1835, New York, etc.;-DE Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 189, pl. 73, fig. 234, 1842. Acanthurus chirurgus CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. X, 168,. 1835; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. 329, 1861; JorpDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 617, 1883. Acanthurus nigricans JORDAN & GILBERT, I. c. 941, 1883. Body ovate, its greatest depth one half of total length with- out caudal; anterior profile moderately convex, forming an angle of 45° with axis of body. Caudal lunate, its inner rays about two thirds length of outer rays; caudal lobes subequal, the upper never filamentous. Head rather short, two sevenths of total length without caudal. D. IX, 26; A. III, 24. Color dark olive brown, more or less distinctly greenish; middle of sides paler; sides with about 12 distinct blackish vertical bars, rather narrower than the interspaces, most dis- tinct over front of anal; a brownish stripe along base of dorsal; spinous dorsal with alternate stripes running upward and back- ward, of dark blue and bronze olive, the two colors of about equal width; soft dorsal with a bluish streak on the anterior side of each ray, and a bronze stripe behind it; fins very dark, often almost black. The surgeon is common in the West Indies and from Florida to Bahia and northward in summer to Cape Cod. _A young individual, about 3 inches long, was caught in Mr John B. De Nyse’s pound, Gravesend bay, Oct. 22, 1897. The species had not been certainly known before to occur north of Charleston S. C. De Kay described and figured it as a New York species solely on the authority of Cuvier and Valenciennes. Dr Smith records the capture of a few specimens in the vicinity of Woods Hole Mass. during the summer of 1900. It was last observed on October 3 when one example was taken. 608 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM Group PLECTOGNATHI Suborder