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/ NORTH CAROLINA
GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY

JOSEPH HYDE PRATT, STATE GEOLOGIST

VOLUME II

THE FISHES
OF

NORTH CAROLINA

By HUGH M. SMITH

Deputy U. S Commissioner of Fisheries

Ned) * cs poe -
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we ley

RALEIGH
E. M. Uzzevt & Co., Stare PRINTERS AND BINDERS
1907

GEOLOGICAL BOARD.

Governor RK. B.GLuenn; e@ officio Chairman’: os5e-e er oes Sees oe Raleigh.

EON RY. Tl; PRIWS fos. 8 scccarteueri ete Mose des eae Oe RS et meee cae ot nes cen rea eee ate Winston-Salem.
BRANK Re Mei WEET 2, 5 eteesscis4: cue cee sevex tote arr ciee oisere wel evokes Sect) Seve Ne eR re eienarane Asheville.

de lage:: Ma! 0.Cel 6.) i ee a a ae in Dera fenn eran iio. Soh omoe Wilmington.
BURA WOOD 5) oo tacriae chic waa ws Se su eee reacts aes ease aU eae cn ee I Edenton.
JOSEPH Hypn Prerp, State Geolopisticea: =. 20.4 ct2 eee eee Chapel Hill.

EETrER OF TRANSMITTAL.

Cuapre. Hitu, N. C., January 1, 1907.
To His Excellency, GOVERNOR R. B. GLENN.

Sir:—I have the honor to submit for publication, as Volume II of the
reports of the North Carolina Geological and Economic Survey, the report of .
Dr. Hugh M. Smith, Deputy United States Commissioner of Fisheries, on The
Fishes of North Carolina.

This publication is the second of the series of volumes which represent
more elaborate reports on various subjects and embody, as far as practicable,
the results of maturer investigations.

Yours obediently,
JosEPH Hypr Pratt,
State Geologist.

PREFACE

The following report on The Fishes of North Carolina has been prepared
to meet the numerous inquiries that are constantly being received by the Geo-
logical and Economic Survey concerning the fishes found in the different waters
of the State. It has been the desire of the State Geologist to awaken an in-
creased interest in the local fishes, and to give to the people of North Carolina
and to others a more accurate knowledge of the abundance, distribution, habits,
migrations, spawning, food value, ete., of the fishes, in the belief that sueh
knowledge will lead to a fuller realization of the economic importance of the
fishery resources of the State. It is desirable also that there be created a deeper
interest in the welfare of both fishes and fishermen, and a better understanding
of the condition and needs of the fishing industry, with a view to placing this
important branch on a permanent basis and making it yield an increasing
revenue to both State and people.

In this report there is an account of every fish that has been ascertained to
inhabit the fresh, brackish, or salt waters of North Carolina. All local names
by which the fishes are known are recorded, and diagnostic descriptions are
given that are often based on local specimens. Colored plates or text cuts
representing a very large number of the species have been provided. While
the chief aim in preparing the report has been to make it of practical usefulness
to the fishing interests, the scientific aspects of the subject have not been neg-
lected, and the work will be found to have a value to ichthyologists and to
zoblogists In general.

The report is particularly useful in that it affords a means of identifying
any fish that may be taken in State waters. The artificial keys are based on
external characters that commercial fishermen and anglers may readily appre-
ciate; and the copious index of common names gives a further clue to all the
species whose size makes them objects of capture.

In the preparation of this work the assistance and knowledge of many
local people have been availed of, and to these Dr. Smith makes acknowledg-
ment in his introduction and text.

It is hoped that this volume will be the means of creating such an interest
in the fisheries that suitable laws for their protection may be enacted as needed,
and that the State officers charged with the administration of the fisheries
may have the sympathy and coéperation of all citizens.

JospEPpH Hyp PRatTtT,
State Geologist.

CON FENTS:

PAGE.

Pen MNT ELON TONS) 1. fase werd aly) onde ieee cnet oe nicl eiala Mw ese pase HES ce me Vil
His TEROUDUTT CANON 2.5 Siete oS CRORwO ce? cada Olio e tones Se ales a Se cen es eee 1
PE MEER On N ORTH CAROLINA. .japa nods 2 «dsl so Meade Sf eltesia ei oa 8 a be og He ewes 3
ihetnree physiographic sections of the state. ..... . sg... ee ve eee he see ee 3
Pammertere Stich PRE TO Ty tear pyar eatech Ue An cofte crsncee Pihge = Sy Se $ ache da wie dis ee eig aioe ts 4
Mbeaivers OiiWeenManite COASG. a... 68 sn oa eee iee eg pee de ee ey yale sa Ps sews cea wed 8
shhemiversiot the Mississippi dramace basin: 94... 45.5 oce.2- ee cece estes weet 12
Hei EIS eA AL Or NORTH CAROUINA.-).\ a. aude sts oss $id Wedad slices Ohad yes baa van 14
SUR EO eT OLMNAGLOM Ae. i cs a tees orcidie S/a-a nays aa) as Sha we MEH Gace wae Der Rad ses 14
Genenalicharactenonthetauna nsec acceso sockets oe aces amas ese es wanes 18
Fishes first described from North Carolina waters. .........-. 2.00.0 eseeeeeeeaee 19
Bsns toundonly miNorti@ Carolinas. cars. sos ae ko. oe es Gee eta ee se ees 21
Fishes not previously recorded from North Carolina waters.....................4. 21
Mihelocalmeamesiolthestishestres suas cwedtehsett: cotter averse ssh cos a ciiblse a Ahearn aloe, 8 Said os 22
SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF NORTH CAROLINA FISHES. ..........-.0000 00 ccc e cece eens 25
Pixel At ORNeNG LOS tm ochre ses sc ro Sloe. Ha ees ads kse ahs a Re ed eke 25
iiheelasses of fishes and dish-like vertebrates. 222. 2. Secbe ee ee ccs wn be we sees 26
Classiloeptocarait. “Che leptocardiams: xii 2.260502 occ 8esge ies bet dae ee bgwie sue Ses 27
Order Amipiioxd. ae he Curistomesi sie. =. aise leeches cee eet ec ce es 27

lass Marsipobranchit, ‘The pouch=gilledamimals:. ... 22... cicadas eee ck ea es 28
Orderstiyperearti.. “The hyperoartians. .... 65.0262 oes e ee eee eee eee 28

(DUGVSGr EAS CaS “oT L OW OTS) ONS mas RCo Reen Ge oka yO Rete ret ee 29
Sub-class Selachii. The sharks, skates, andrays...................0000000000s 29

Order Diplospondylis Lhenetidanoid sharks? .......620....... 0000550 ts ees 29

Order Astcrospondyli- ) Che typiealisharks® 2.25... 262 ge ec ee ee se 31

Order Cyclospondyli. The cyclospondylous sharks......................... 37
Ordenmbanoideas lhemkates andways. sees ssi < «bess a seh anes cha Shed as we 38
Subclass melegstamme, he trie TShes. 2. 25 sc seas soe cu nee ge oo ees a 49

Order Selachostomi. The shark-mouthed ganoids.......................... 54
OrderChondroster)” Whecartilacmous'sanoids.......-..--+...4..5..2-.-:.-.:; 55

Order Rhomboganoidea. “The rhomboid ganoids..:..... 24.02. 0032..2200-5. 58

Order Cycloganoidea. The cylindrical ganoids....................00.0000-- 59

Order Nematognathi. “The whiskered.fishes..... <2. 2c. ese. weeds cee we ee as 61

Wreer Plectospondyli: Theicarp-like fishes: .. co... 02 nc lave ea ens ev eas pe 71

Weer Odes* te LDC CCS :.n) > mfimcicts eeiom ae has Howe tl ian wie enone ates s eR 107

Order Isospondyli. The clupeoid and salmonoid fishes ....................... 114
Orderdslomi:. «Lhe lantern-Gshes.. 22. 6556s at. eee bs cess so beatwee woes 138

Order Haplomi,. ‘he pikes-and pike-like fishes... 2... ..0. 4:2. .ss0e Seen luoedss 140

Order Synentognathi. The gars, half-beaks, and flying-fishes................ 156
Wrderrenmibranchii. The half-oills oo. scl Sh oe eee ee we ee ee ne Sees 168

Order Lophobranchit... The'tuft-gilled fishes: . 2... 0.0 ola ee tect ee eee 169

Order Acanthopterygii. The spiny-rayed fishes......... EE A ee ae 173
Sub-order Heterosomata. The flat-fishes................ 000.000. e ee eeee 385
OrderbPedicnlati,: “Chepediculate fishes: :... 00.5... ieee ee eee Teenie 398
GrossArny or Terms Usmp.In DESCRIBING PISHES........ 0... 02 ces ede eee ae eee en 403

a

al CONTENTS.

PAGE
Tre KisHpRins OF NORTH OAROLINAG = Ne Sem Oe eee See en eee 407
General iniportanceand extent, <: o.55. Shi. oe + ee Cee Se xe Se ee 407
‘The principal fishes. 2512p. cave sikenrc ees, ce ca Ee a eae ees 407
Other’économiciwateranimals. is. uae ces One eee eee ee ee eee 411
Future of theindustrys.2: 2 oe .s cca ee eee ee POE oo gee Re ot ne Oe ars 412
CULTIVATION AND ACCLIMATIZATION OF FIsHES IN NORTH CAROLINA.........-----+---- 413
Importance of such work... =: .!. 3.05.0 ciea4 8.5 ea Se ee Oe ee eae 413
Barly fish-caltumal worl’. .4 cha-fers cicls «apes enc eae ete 414
Introduction of non-indigenous fishes, «22 5.G.-c sn oes Sey Pe eee 415

Recent fish-cultural' work: 0s << cence ee eee eRe ee ee ANT)
BIBLIOGRAPHY sic. Sida Saver tere scat ee et OE Ee ee eee 419
INDEX/OR COMMON NAMES © RUGS EIS) is ee See ee eter Re ag ee 425
InDExX OF SCIPNTIEIC IN AMINSAS.S 35cm adn eo teen ck ee ee eee 433
GUENWRAT, ENDER 5.6.5 5.5 Suge ee race eo este ca oe ese eo 451

ae TE a a a

pe

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PLATES. FACING PAGE.

Biological laboratory of the U. 8. Bureau of Fisheries in Beaufort Harbor, erected
in 1902.

iBoatiogoaashad: seme, Albemarle: Sound |. ...c 6.5. Miche eee bee ev eens 1
SUMO C OM CACUMETISCTOLUTILYIUCI OES) benee taccue vi ay.cterssele si aue © ceaieyn == si) ¢.c gear yd ere 8
Branch herring; goggle-eye (Pomolobus pseudoharengus). Male................. 122
Glut herring; May herring; blue-back (Pomolobus estivalis).................... 124
SSM SLR PATS SI ITED) eine casei MINS essa Sl e's obec 2 hele Syed byete, SON a aes Otaee Sas 126
Landing a shad seine, Albemarle Sound.

Splitting and salting herring at a seine fishery on Albemarle Sound............... 128
hen (Centraunchus Macroprerus):: ...s.ci2 se oes ect oe aint: Pet h 5 Nelaee Seligt si brie age nem 232
iBandedisun—hishi(Miesogonistiusich@todon) ease. 5.0.2.2 sees ose be kee ene 238
Blce-oull; bluejyoe (Lepomis incisor). Females. . 0.0...) d ens oo ewe cee ee 242
Large-mouth black bass; Welshman (Micropterus salmoides) ......0.0.00 002 ees 246
Yellow perch; red-fin; Englishman (Perca flavescens)..........0..000 00 cere 250
Sip eduass KOCK MSI (TLOCCUS LECALUS 2 ccs. a sg asda oso eases eae seals as 272
Pig-ishorhopg=hsh (Orthopristischrysopterus) =... i co... eee be ee Pode e eet 290
Sheenshedd CATchosargus ProvalocepNalus)... oc 0... co oo eet ee ee eens 300
pquetearpue, weak-tish (Cynosciomregalts).<. lee ee ee ee ee ences, 310
Spotted squeteague; spotted weak-fish (Cynoscion nebulosus)...........0.0000004% 312
SOU CHELOSUOMLILS EG IUILULEULS) lee ase neste ae ee Uo isis ac aie eM ouausits 6 ee ees ae aah 316
Croaker (Micropogon undulatus)............ segs Si eee Re eee ee ee 318
Evedidrum red—tisin (GSCUENO PS OCCU GNIS). s. toh bee oe ve eee wee aes 320
A camp of mullet fishermen on Shackleford Banks.

Drag-scine fishing ona North’ Carolinashoal: 0.2.00... 02 s002- beak eee dese een 408
Shad hatchery of the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries on Pembroke Creek near Edenton.
Interior of shad hatchery, showing automatic hatching jars..................... 414

TEXT FIGURES. : PAGE.
Cut of yellow perch showing parts usually referred to in descriptions.............. 24
anceletn \Brarichtostomm LANCCOLatit=~. 2): ess ce joc sc dno access cases ee ews 27
Soe eMIpPLe ye eLrOMYycONMLGLIWUS ais aia a 2 wicks io wee sate eels aise a even wee 28
Rowe ric UE CLAN CHUSGTISCUSC © Sa6, tush Shee ea whee ety ae nie ae wh hod Oe ce RS 30
Bonne;-neaded shark. Sphyrna buro-c. 2:00.65 se Se eee ce ce lee ae dae ees 35
Hammer-headed shark. Sphyrnazygena. Dorsal and dorso-lateral views. ...... 36
SMTi em Pees TS DECENIUGLUS. dtm ethane area eT teas aktele tees Ae Ree baw slaiate oe Ee es 39
Guitar-fish. Rhinobatuslentiginosus. Lateral and dorsal views................. 40
Buerranmemmagacovanieria. Males. 2.2 2262. oe ka ees eee awe e beens 42
ROTC OOMME LCL OM ONGOIOCCIACTILOUS 9) nt.8 a, hes eke ieee ae Sele ake ee Sehgeateas 43
Se Olay NOME L EOS SP ecrarcs eters) Pas os MAVAS cnc os Glee inn seh Deivid Goejl ea oes 48
UEP COREE ACL NCNSOMOLYTRYNCNUS sejilin t.¢ ainsi s dic iea's)o Ses Sas A's speed me cbs Sele ela bs 56

Short-nosed sturgeon. Acipenser brevirostrum
rd hes WG WRI eA HCL OLIES COLO nn cio< Sin dick Dav awe ees Rae ee tee Gna cee ee 60

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE.
Sea cat-fish:, Melichtiysijelts.« 0.23. $5 ua vane <2 ant ao ae ie en oe eee 62
Sea catfish: Galerchthysmilberta...g. n:,.,.4 exec doen CL ee 63
Spottedicat-tish..« Teralurus punctatus... 2. eee en ee eee 64
Brown cat-fish. Armenmrus platyeephalis..1..).0 eek eat eA 2 ee ae 68
Yellow.cat-fish. « Lepiops oltvaris: 2. chant each e ah eee eee 69
Mad-tom. «Schilbeodes juytosus ccs..s00 5k bo fame tS Ae te eee a ae 71
White sucker, ‘Catostomuscommensontt, -scleam.s 2 2 he eet. ee eee ee 7
Chub sucker. 2rimyzon sucetta .)<),..4. 28 Obiekosk erat SD EE 75
spotted. sucker. Menytremamelanops ....0 ... 2s. os ana seer i eee i
sucker; jump-rocks. Wozostomarupiscantes... 22.204. a2 aos sane eae 82
Hornedidaces Semoltilusatromaculatus., «= ae. aee. 2) ee eee eae 86
Reachs” Notenigonus crysoleucass: nea ee ae en Se eee 88
Spawn-eater; shiner. Notropis hudsonius saludanus..............020000eeeeees 92
Milkcy-tailed minnowzes Notropes GOLachuris) sete aeinne ee ae ee eee 93
Mannow.= Notropts telesco pis sn nc ac 0. )0 ae oe eee ee ee 98
Minnow: (Phenacobius uranops cv: a). eck cx PaO Cee on 100
Seale carp; Asiatic carp. eiC yprinus canpiol. <a. a eee es Cee 106
Leather carp.. ‘Cyprinus car pion, o «fo. oe ee 2 shoo ee a 106
Commonieel. “Anguilla chrisiipa....a:8 see eee eee 109
Leptocephalusiof the common eel. / 5.0.25. 4:82.62 5565. a0d Se Bee ee 109
Conger‘eel-. Leptocephalus conger. 22; nace tans, be ee oe eee itil
Taxpon. Tarpon atlaniicus... 5.) ga. aaa ao ee OR tee 115
Big-eyed herring. ~ Hlops:sauruSes +2520 «7 ne eeatis Belek oe Ore) one a aE 116
Moon-eye:” Hrodonsclenops: 21. ..02 neaiud ntsc Som Re ae eS eI ee 118
Gizzard shad; mud shad. Dorosomacepedianwm........22.+2 2042 se- ee ies sees 119
Hackoryshad.. “Pomolobusmedtocrign. 15 2 sate ie ee ee 121
Branch herring; goggle-eye. Pomolobus pseudoharengus.............00000200-. 122
Glutherring:.. omolobus@stivalis. 5 .. sts cute a4 ae ae ee eee 124
Shad. Alosa sapidisstma® snc. nese ae Foe eae Ae Oe oe io ee 126
Menhaden. | Brevoortiatyrannus.........25 occ nts SOS aa eee 131
Gill of menihaden! ies 56 Sales delecih asia Sn casas, ns ee Dek Se NO eta OR eae 132
Brooktrout. Salvelinwusifontinalis. so...) o6c sce eee ae ieee ee 136
Ligard-fish.” .Synodus f@tenssc...... 0. Jaga. ~ daa eee Se eS 139
Mudimimnnow: -Umbra pygm@ans <<) $92... jase Soe e bess = aeeoee oa 2 emacs 141
Chain:pickerel» piket- \Hsomreticiulatus.. os. ks 2. cmt ad ae ee 144
May-fish.. Fundulusmajalts: .Mal@vice s.r eo eau ee wats > sae eee 146
May-fish. Mundulusmajalis. Females.) .: sc: .2eo0ct seat eae - 40- eee 147
Mud-fish. Fundulus heteroclhitus> (Malen.: 2502s: co0 ano eke eee eo eee ee 147
Spring minnow. Mundulusdiaphanus. —Malé.2.. .o...3 s+ 4405) se ee eee 148
Spring minnow. Fundulusdiephanus. Wemale...544.-20- satseee eee 149
Rathbun’sikilh-fish. Pundulusrathbunt.... J2-0-2. a s3ee ee ee 149
Star-headed minnow: Mundulusnottit,.. 3-25 tse e sone) eee eee 150
Variegated minnow. Cyprinodon vartegatus: ...e oe eae eee 151
Topminnow. ‘Gambusia.afinis.. Male. 7 ....c.2x.shete ones see 153
Tepminnow. -Gambusiaafinis:, Female .2 015 ance se ene © ie 153
Top minnow.. ‘Heterandria formosa... 2 oui. Ug eo aeeeed ene ea eee 154
Gar-fish;'bill-fish... “Tylosurus marwiws: s 2. ee aes RE ee ee 157
Hound-fish.. 2ylosinusiacus. .o52 22.02: 02g Se, oe ee a ee eee 158
Half-beak. Hyporhamphiusrobertiz. .5:. 02-4. odes aa ee ee 161
Half-beak. “Hemirhamphus brasiliensis) a7 42 denotes ee eee ee eee ee 162

Skipper; saury.. Scombresox saurius....2. os ae eee ee ee 163

66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
ale
2:
73.
74.
75.
76.
Othe
78.
19.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
hile
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
on:
98.
Oo:
100.
101.
102.
103.
104.
105.
106.
107.
108.
109.
110.
tal.
112.
113.
114.
115.
116.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE
Flying-fish. Cypselurus pT TRE ale a Besa Reo noes pce ei, eR Pere a eae 167
Seashore, Hippocampus hUdsonwus.....- 0.00. sos eee rns teeta eee eee 172
Pirate perch. Aphredoderus sayanus........---0+01 esse errr rtsn nesses 174
Beales WMlen igi metic in e-payment e ia e 176
etivemide. Menidia beryllina cored. .2. 0.2 <p ne sree nen ies cone nee ees ee 177
Striped mullet; jumping mullet. Mugil cephalus.........++0-+esesccerer rece 180
Picea s. Maigil Cuno on. 2a mgs at ie ee Fl se Se nes 182
Tarde 1S phyr@e7ia DOTEQLIS. <....0 2 ion ta oie RE AS me 183
Pee Ul peneus maculatus, cpac .~ jas Ae ee eytlh aala se ee ye 185
Frigate mackerel. Auris FROG EAE NS oe eee Been C 187
Gitiletumny. Gymnosardaalleterata ........ 12000. s teeter ease eee: 188
Spanish mackerel. Scomberomorus maculatus. ......... 00 00r eer c resets enees 191
King-fish. Scomberomorus EOL eee tons near t senator ers be whats aaa 192
Commonmackerel. Scomber scombrus. .. 36-25. - 2s esate rc ens te eat: 194
Cutlass-fish; hair-tail. Trichiuruslepturus...... nie Aone RP ony = eater a 196
esiherjacket.. Oligoplies saurtis...... 0.2. + 2- seen seen eee nant eee eae 200
Pee pales Sertola Lavan. ons 5 ais ons cic Weitere nt eee 203
relly. (Carunciippos. «ce. .< 3d. or een de heise She ne ee A 205
Geilyshard-tail. Coranrcrys0s..... veya tens seagate Se ke 206
Perlis Canemalat det see oc icictre cia fey 2 oes ete: ores cere ee Tes 207
eee fiat AlechisicU tenia in. . oo'< x caonrew poe ae eee ARS Snes pene are SS 208
Moon-fish; horse-fish. Vomer seti DURES a nse cree year Mease eerie gc PE coat: 209
Minpeerenelookdown: Selene vomer... 2.0... 2202 2.2 egher estes tee ee 210
Bamper. Chloroscombrus chrysurus..--. +--+. .1eertsece resets geus ses 211
Gaff-topsail pompano. Trachinotus GUOECUS. | pe Foe eo rh ote pe neha e Gigs eeeney SPS 2V2
Pompano. Trachinotus PRO EELS HOR at air pebee ES 2S trae EY pas emesis 4 ® 214
Tench we Pomatonens Slants s,s 2) hori 2 ee Sais a erates Fel ee RS eA 216
Ren becaters. achycentron CONGAUS 22 2.25 aan ee AR eo eee 220
Portugese-man-of-war-fish. INGMEUS GLONODIU A ds 21a tee he te ee See aye 222
Hiarvest-fish; starfish. Peprilus alepidotus. .2.. 2... - 2202 see crest eres 223
Butter-fish. Poronotus triacanthus:......+-+--+- veers eters taste ects sees 225
Molphin.. Coryphenalippurus....—72--++--ehte tea tena ewes ss ower ms en 226
Pygmy sun-fish. Hlassoma BuCr Glad etl nae einen wees Hate ne: Sree ae 2 229
Calico bass; strawberry bass; crappy. Pomosis sparoides........-++++++ss2s000s 230
Wiiee. Cenfrarchus macropterus...- 2.2. .+ 08sec ener teeters tae ere 231
Mud sun-fish; mud bass. Acantharchus pomotis..........0+0+e0e sree ee tees 232
Pace base) Ambloplites TUpeSRtS. . 5.2. - > tna tee re Pane tein yt ees 238
Warmouth; goggle-eye. Chanobryttus GUO SUS: uh eee Ok eae Aer 234
Black-banded sun-fish. Mesogonistius FT Pion ON ed eee ar nO ee DB
Long-eared sun-fish. Le POMIS QUIBUS.. «eerie ee SHE ONE Roe 240
Small-mouthed black bass. Muicropterus al aTICTE ARI tree eee See 245
Large-mouthed black bass. Micropterus salmoides.......---+++++ +00 sr ttt ttc 246
Wall-eyed pike; pike perch. Stizostedion vitrewm ... 2... esse te irre nets 249
Btallomcperel. Perce flavescens...2. <0. 2 022002 ess hte sees ee 251
Meperch: | Pereina caprodes. «ae es sees ua Someta mates eae 254
Bite ee Hadrapierus Cvides tena ef oof he insist ee ee ee 255
Orange-colored darter. Hypohomus ROTTIAEUB bec < oeaks Botte le Actes ee cha 257
Srenosed darter. Ulocentra stmotera....2- <-> 2++-2yer stents steer 259
Johnny darter. Boleosomanigrum.....-.---+++.c10c per ene treet 261
Swannanoa darter. Etheostoma swannanoa.....-------+2sssrrr estes 264
Blue-breasted darter. Etheostoma camurum........ +. 0002s eres e teres eres 265

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Fusiform-darter. Boletchthys jusijormts, <2. 22. os os on tg i ee ea
Copeland’s darter. Copelandellus quiescens.........52. 02.0). seuey. eee ae Fs
Striped bass; rock-fish. Hoccuslineatus:s..). 2. -neeac 2: tae ie os eee
White perch. -Morone americana. 0.0.0 23 oot ote as sea hon ree ae em
Red grouper. Epinephelus morvo...055 os wan od oe ee Se eens eee
Gag. Mycteropercamicrolepis...22 2.22 sane =o on AT ee ee tere
Sea bass: black-fish. Centroprisies stroatus.2......-.. 5-90 == ee ee Oe eee
Rock sea bass. Centropristes philadelphtcus. ... 2... one = - ee ee e eens
Squirrel-fish..' Diplectrum formoswum. «2.22.1. 225 o> 6 He eee ar eee
Triple-tail; flasher: . Lobotes’surinamensts..<\ a0. 2 23). f snes = ie oro
Red snapper. Lutianus blackjordi...... Shy Ssnebte bine Oe ee aon ee
Mutton-fish. /aiamusianalisi...6 aces see ee elie eee ee
Pig-fish; hog-fish. Orthoprisivs chrysopterus.,..7<. >= ade seas. == os ae earns
Grunt... Hemiulon plumiert care oe... is cage ae © one oe ne ee
Grunt; tom-tate. Bathystomantmator..< =o. ons oe a oes nee 8 ho eee
Scup; pin-fish. Stenotomus chrysops), =. a2 Caeser ee
Long-spined porgy. Otrynter caprimus.. <= 2° Sem. oie = Oe ee
Sailor’s choice; robin. Lagodonrhomboides.....72..~ 222s: ©. . oe oe eee
Sheepshead. Archosargus probatocephalus.............-. RE eae a aby cictcte
Spot-tailed pin-fish. Diplodus holbrooktt. 2. <0... o5 ae = a. oo ae ee
Silver squeteague. Cynoscion nothus.... «2.25.2 252 0s sees ee
Squeteacue; weak-fish. Cynascton regalts. 0.22.2 odes Jens | sae eee
Spotted squeteague; southern squeteague. Cynoscion nebulosus...............+.
Yellow-tail. . Bairdiellachrysura...wo.. cee: os oo lace oes eee ee esl io, ee Pe
Spot. detostomus cavenurus: >. chiar eee eeee eects tn tel eee eee a
Croaker.- . Mieropogon undulatus: . . 2 pee o1 ths Sees ons se osteo 2 = ae epee oe
Red drum; red-fish. ‘Sciwnopsiocellatus.. 42-2. ssthiee es oc ss a: hee
King-fish; Carolina whiting. Menticirrhus americanus..............+..2+++0505
Sur whiting: Menteurhiustlittoralis. 22.2 3 0% 30 ae ees sree) eee
Black.drum< Pogonvasicromis 5 2/05. ss. <a eesce. 2s Nehoag hej lore =a een ean ee
Pauitom:. “DaUtoga Onis a). cis stots! leone tobers che peeeinat Sey es es ee
Slioperydiek: “Tridtelbivitiatus =o: 3.2) h sites eet te taide eo Ge ae
Razor-fish. Xyrichthys psittacus............ ed Se er eee rear Asa Sil Ae
Spade-fish; porgees Chetodiptenus} aber 9.72 oem abe « <r eye ile ool < = > <hr
Surgeon-fish: tang: ~ Heparis Dolcanuss on ote apes a. iat Gane el oe een
Grizeer-fish.) -Balisies Carol rien sts. tere ete ey et tele ela einer ha ene
Wilé-fish:. . Monacanthus hispidus n-e osas nets Cees tis 2 cee te
Wile-fish:fool-fish. Ceratacanthusschepit. o.. 2.2. -:0-2es 2 2 See ee es
Camel-fish; trunk-fish. Lactophrystrigonus. 5 can. <n s eeeeere e
Puffer; swell-fish. Spheroides maculatus... 205. 2 -cci 25 / a ee eee eee
Puffer; rabbit-fish. Lagocephaluslevigatus............000cc+esececceeceiees
Porcupine-fish... Diodon Rystria: fon. c ives oan eee oe eel ee eee
Bur-fish; spiny toad-fish. Chilomycterus spinosus.......... 0.05.20. ce ec eeeneee
Sun-fish. Mola molasai.c0dd< os. + 5.t0 Seiecam ee De eee Ec id ee eee
Scorpion-fish. Scorpena brasiliensis........... 0.0. 0cc cece eee n cence ante
Striped sea-robin... Prionotusevolans:..0 vi Wins we ori. slats So te ee eee
Slenderisea-robin: | “Prionohusiscttwlua 22, ees ase ee es ee
Carolina sea-robim. Prionotuscaralunius.”. 2.02 fo. oc on oe 9 os ee aera eee
Flying gurnard. Cephalacanthusvolttans....... 02. 00s e ne ea eo os see Bee eee
Spotted goby. Dormitator maculatus........... as Sg Ae a a cic eee en
Goby. Clenogobiusatigngiicus.. 20% Se aig oso Sse Bie wa SR

168.
169.
170.
iva
172.
173.
174.
175.
76.
a7.
178.
reo.
180.
181.
182.
183.
184.
185.
186.
187.
188.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

EOUMes OW Yee MICCHOGOLTUS NOUNIESE 2 <4 20 steee cody eles ee Qe Waa ve eds Seems
Shark-sucker; remora. Leptecheneis naucrates............. See

ak ae MCISERGSCO MIS NG -OTECIMEN Aids syscn = 2 os aie Wee Sin <inlerele@alus Pewelee vex awe
Pipi HNMCP PISCE ILG MOOR an Site hat) gach Sia sie dia taste 0k 2 Pele sy Ye weldlce Rea wes
EelemOy RMD DSOULCIMUUS RERESS on 0 Sey.) oes sens Rete d sb p.clgys Dede 4a Sede e
Bie MOU mmr AD ATCO NNO UULGTIS: cic Une thos cord csv Sais Sama eNivid bw clove age oWia abe a
MUISRCCE MERE S SOUL DUCT PUNME Saco ae aha ICES wie Bh os See Se ee
Her SePM Ces RPLOE SELENE BIS ne oe ren ng. Janene ee AS Most ae horcee so ics SIGS GD dle saa acd vel BN
Relea PRYEUS TEGUUIS enc. aN Ss cee oot AAs eee Be al Oct esos wb eee
Menienake Olekdecn “UO DNYCISCOTGs a we soko so kte ME oA aes Meee a bee cust eas
Sumimeriounder- plaice. Paralichthysdentatus..4..........5.4..4...2s++----
DS ECON IE DULOS MI 22.0, se gine aie ere si-ald Palle « 3 ne eta: PERE AM sh ai eal ekg ee Se,
Satie HO MMOer © sao PICO PSCU GC AMACULOLG. 6 ak <arcetere ey Soe ee oe Hast. Spies as sakes ba
Wat em e G LER CUYS ANGEL ODS. = sts tycrsye ane Seton. fx es s SiS om thale Ok ov Std bale
Ea MOE eePE OPES ERUSSOLUS Tm pete es one os tats ap soeee Soe euhiok Wo wrod metsihe Pulde es Go yones
Papp ClO Kena eA CRIS [OSCLAUUSS: aaa Bol ey isan: Ses Sw A eh en. PONE oslo eS <
iG Ge fishy SUNUDNUTUS INAGUUSAS 5a... - 9a 6 oe is avis Als Wrst iodo aeba se SRL eS steele s
ibat-ush. ‘(Ogcocephalus vespertilio... Dorsal-view.. 2... 666 si 250026 02s vee sees
Bat-fish. Ogcocephalus vespertilio. Front view....................-. Se fae
Spotted sting ray. Aetobatus narinart. View of undersurface................
ERA UTs SO WAT OLE Sa IS CLIO UMC CUS i o,s% ee oie S adpee st LAREN Gillin sind Sa des hin Dien v cones

TRUNK-FISH, front view.

N. C. GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY PLATE 1

BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY OF THE U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES IN BEAUFORT HARBOR, ERECTED IN 1902.

BOATING A SHAD SEINE, ALBEMARLE SOUND.

THE FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA

by HUGH M. SMITH,
Deputy U. S. Commissioner of Fishertes.

INERO DUCTION.

_ At the request of Professor J. A. Holmes, former director of the North Caro-
lina Geological and Economic Survey, the writer several years ago undertook the
preparation of a report which would serve as a popular guide to the fishes of
North Carolina.

While it has been possible to devote to the preparation of this report only
such time as the writer could utilize outside of his regular duties, the task has
been made easier by the attitude of the Honorable George M. Bowers, U. 8.
Commissioner of Fisheries, who has not only given the work his entire approval
but has provided many special facilities, in the belief that an increased knowl-
edge of and interest in the fishery resources and fisheries on the part of the peo-
ple of North Carolina, and a more intimate acquaintance with the habits, migra-
tions, spawning, growth and distribution of the local fishes, would greatly inure to
the benefit of the state, and at the same time promote the usefulness of the bio-
logical and hatching stations of the United States Bureau of Fisheries by creating
an intelligent sympathy with the work. The writer therefore desires to express
his special thanks to Commissioner Bowers for courtesies and assistance, which
have likewise been extended indirectly but no less effectively to the State of
North Carolina.

Professor Holmes showed a very liberal spirit in planning for the scope,
illustration, and publication of this report, 4nd has placed the writer under
great obligations, as has also Dr. Joseph Hyde Pratt, the present state geologist.

It has been the special aim to make the report useful to all the fishing inter-
ests of the state. To this end, no essential technical considerations have been
slighted, but scientific treatment has been adapted to the needs of fishermen and
others who have had no opportunity to study ichthyology; and it is hoped and
believed that laymen generally will be able to make use of the work in the identi-
fication of species.

While the very considerable amount of literature relating to the fishes and
fisheries of North Carolina has been freely utilized in the preparation of this

2 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

report, the latter is not without much new and original matter which has been
supplied by the author and by many associates and correspondents.

In the preparation of this report, the author has had the generous assistance
and advice of associates in the Bureau of Fisheries, particularly Dr. Barton W.
Evermann, assistant in*charge of scientific inquiry; Dr. W. C. Kendall, Mr. E. L.
Goldsborough and Mr. T. E. B. Pope, scientific assistants; Mr. 8. G. Worth,
superintendent of the Edenton station; Dr. Caswell Grave, late director of the
Beaufort laboratory; Dr. Robert E. Coker, late custodian of the laboratory; and
Mr. H. D. Aller, present custodian.

The Bureau of Fisheries has permitted free access to the collections and
records of the Beaufort laboratory; this material has been invaluable, and has
contributed more than anything else to the knowledge of the salt-water fishes of
the state. The Bureau has also permitted the copying of many of the cuts of
fishes, the use of photographs illustrating the fisheries, and the compilation of
special statistics of the North Carolina fishing industry.

Special acknowledgments are due to Dr. Coker for much detailed informa-
tion regarding the abundance, habits, and commercial importance of the fishes
of Beaufort and vicinity.

To Dr. Kendall the writer is under obligations for the use of his manuscript
notes on fishes of various parts of the North Carolina coast, and for material
assistance in studying several collections of small fishes received from the Beau-
fort laboratory and other sources.

The material for the historical and descriptive account of fish culture in
North Carolina has been furnished by Mr. 8. G. Worth, who, as former fish com-
missioner of North Carolina and present superintendent of the government
fish-cultural work in the state, is better qualified to discuss the subject than any
other person. Mr. Worth has also supplied many interesting notes and speci-
mens from the region of Beaufort and vicinity.

The authorities of the National Museum have given access to the fish records
and collections, and have permitted the making of many illustrations of fishes
from cuts belonging to that institution. Mr. Barton A. Bean, of the department
of fishes, has furnished every facility for the examination of the extensive series
of fishes from North Carolina in the museum, and has also supplied data based on
his own collections and observations.

Mr. William P. Seal, of Dela®, N. J., has supplied very useful information
concerning the fishes of the Wilmington region, and has forwarded a number of
specimens therefrom which represented species not previously known from the
state.

Dr. Theodore Gill, associate in zodlogy of the Smithsonian Institution, has
given valuable advice and suggestions.

- Useful information, valuable specimens, and various courtesies and assist-
ance have been received from local fishermen, fish dealers, fishery operators, and
others in the State, their service extending over many years and being shown
either directly to the author or to his associates at the Beaufort laboratory.

THE WATERS OF NORTH CAROLINA. 3

Among those to whom acknowledgments are due the following may be specially
mentioned:

Min mW AT ANGEL... hse. Saves ss vine Sa oe ceee Set Morehead City.

DEER OCELS tS 1 8 TT CTT aa Gre Raleigh.

1suiteye" & (5.21 5 Lind 5) e012) oes ne Raleigh.

MTR E tiue OADEDATYS Re 5 Oo. Mom. cx . Scie ce ante eva Poa oa Avoca,

1s, \CTecnre resid 29 72h ie en ea Beaufort.
Peep ie WIV RIS = riers unio nite cuins Oye he acica es sks Zonta esos Manteo.
Miembamiol Ge awl tert cus 2h cas aah s ccs ecu ne eke sy. Washington.
Pea vicistae ss GO WCLY: ctnic ct: G'Sieh 2 Fa Sern ded ok ks bee Beaufort.
Drew RG MGPEl soe eae sete Salo tienes. . ooiee el, Greensboro.
Mirai Charles atseleec. styamieccten see cei a tees Se. Beaufort.
lame COlPer NERVES noel. OSes eS ass boas oe oes a ones New Bern.
Lie. sO LSSTES 0) 1S Le eer Beaufort.
Mite abiseitinw AG MACE. 22 ee ca cis 2 5 o£ eieterers, ait ein Dawe wb: Beaufort.
ire Te [a9 B00 32) eee a on a a Beaufort.
COTTE Jel BV 7 RET oe ie ae ae Marshalburg.
MENT AN SLMOCIS ane ish biases 4 itids sic toe da oe be Wilmington.
Mirae LMU st VOT hAcei yeas cose tve at ate ae Wk tale Dawid Snes Wit.

WOT MBE eee cular oR chcenny 38 css oon ci aha Two Se Brea ware Morehead City.
Pree SemNet POP as Ca hava Mian Ohta Seo he ain Morehead City.
PAU OTUZ Of LAGMIAS om where Se = Sacks Sis Glo whe aw ea aces Beaufort.
epee WN USO vaio. sti tapers. 2 Sets aS ed ee ei 8 es Chapel Hill.
Ilr, Torgyailke A Wyeoy eye lnk es ee tA Edenton.
Mpa ee Ra DPaicilerPonienw ha Scan hay de wists oa tee y SE Goths Wilmington.

Mr. A. H. Baldwin, the well-known fish artist, has made especially for this
work a series of water-color drawings of some of the more important and char-
acteristic fishes of the state. These drawings were based on living specimens
and faithfully represent their colors; and in the accompanying plates made
therefrom by Messrs. Hoen & Company the colors have been accurately repro-

duced.
HHE WATERS OF NORTH CAROLINA.

THE THREE PHYSIOGRAPHIC SECTIONS OF THE STATE.

The surface of North Carolina is naturally divisible into three great sections,
or provinces, each with a peculiar character of waters and more or less sharply
defined fish fauna. These sections are the coastal plain, the Piedmont plateau,
and the Appalachian mountain regions.

The coastal plain region begins at the seashore and extends inland for 120
to 160 miles, embracing an area of about 25,000 square miles. A large part of the
eastern portion of this region is very low, poorly drained, and hence covered with
extensive swamps, the streams being sluggish and discolored by vegetable matter;
the western part is more elevated, with a more irregular surface, is better drained,
and the streams are more rapid. More than three-fifths of the region is wooded,
the trees of the uplands being chiefly pines and those of the swamps deciduous.

4 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

The inner margin of the coastal plain region is determined by the so-called “‘fall-
line”, characterized by the occurrence of falls or rapids inthe streams. The
rivers are more or less tortuous and their banks are mostly sandy, clayey, or
loamy, the unstable character of the banks resulting in undermining, washiag
away of trees, and the frequent formation of new channels.

The Piedmont plateau region extends from the “‘fall-line”’ to the moun-
tains,and has an average width of 125 miles and an area of 20,000 square miles.
The average elevation above the sea is 900 feet, the eastern half averaging about
750 feet and the western half 1,200 feet. Forests, consisting of deciduous trees
interspersed with the short-leaved pine, cover upwards of fifty per cent of the
region. The geological formations, consisting of upturned belts of slates, granites,
eneisses, etc., running parallel with the mountains, have resulted in the develop-
ment of cascades, rapids, and shoals, owing to the unequal erosion of the rocks
of varying hardness.

The Appalachian mountain region, which reaches from New York to Ala-
bama, attains its greatest height in North Carolina. Here the mountainous area
is an exceedingly rugged and irregular timbered tableland of some 6,000 square
miles, which lies between the Blue Ridge Mountains on the southeast and the
Great Smoky Mountains on the northwest, the tableland being crossed by numer-
ous ridges which are separated by narrow valleys and deep-worn gorges. The
average elevation is about 2,700 feet above the sea; there are many peaks over
5,000 feet high and a number over 6,000 feet, the highest being Mount Mitchell.
The Blue Ridge chain constitutes the divide between the waters of the Atlantic
slope and those of the Mississippi basin. The mountain streams are cold, clear,
and swift, and possess a rare beauty.

THE COASTAL REGION.

The peculiar, not to say remarkable, character of the coastal section of
North Carolina has much influence on the variety and abundance of the fish life
and has favored the development of most extensive fisheries. Nearly the entire
coast of the state is skirted by low, narrow, sandy islands and peninsulas, locally
known as “banks”, between. which and the mainland there are numerous
sounds, some of large size. The sounds communicate with the ocean either
directly through narrow inlets or through other sounds; and many receive the
drainage of important streams. The sounds in geographic order are Currituck,
Albemarle, Roanoke, Croatan, Pamlico, Core, Bogue, Stump, Topsail, Middle,
Masonboro, and Myrtle, and they constitute a series such as exists in no other
state.

Currituck Sound is the most northern. It is parallel with the coast, and
extends from Virginia to the eastern end of Albemarle Sound, into which it
discharges. Its length is 40 miles and its width 8 to 4 miles. The water is
quite shallow, nowhere exceeding 9 or 10 feet, and is fresh except during periods
of little rainfall. Up to 1800 it communicated with the ocean by means of Caffey

THE WATERS OF NORTH CAROLINA. 5

Inlet and contained marine fishes, but since that time it has had no direct con-
nections with the sea and is now inhabited by anadromous and fresh-water
species. Black bass and white perch are very abundant, and striped bass and
alewives enter it in large numbers. The region is visited by enormous flocks of
water fowl, and is one of the most noted hunting resorts on the Atlantic coast.

- Albemarle Sound is said to be the.largest coastal body of fresh water in the
world. Its extreme length from east to west is 60 miles and its maximum breadth
is 15 miles, the average being 6 to 8 miles; its area is about 450 square miles. The
water is normally quite fresh, but in dry weather it may become brackish or salt,
especially at its easternend. Formerly there was direct communication with the
sea. The bottom is level, the depth is quite uniform, and strong tides or currents
do not exist. Eight rivers enter the sound, 4 on the north, 2 on the west, and 2
on the south. The Roanoke and Chowan, which flow into the extreme western
end, are among the largest in the state; the others—the North, Pasquotank,
Little, and Perquimans on the north, and the Scuppernong and Alligator on the
south—are short, wide streams draining extensive low or swampy districts, the
most important of these the celebrated Dismal Swamp, which lies partly in North
Carolina and partly in Virginia. The sound, with its tributaries, is an exceed-
ingly important spawning ground for shad, alewives, striped bass, and cther
migratory fishes, and also contains many other valuable species. Its fishery
resources exceed those of any of the other sounds, and this fact, together with the
facility with which all kinds of nets may be set and operated, makes its fisheries
of great importance.

Roanoke and Croatan sounds extend from the southern part of the eastern
end of Albemarle Sound to Pamlico Sound, are parallel with the coast, and are
separated by Roanoke Island. Roanoke Sound lies next to the ocean, is 8 miles
long and 1.5 to 2 miles wide, and is quite shallow except in a narrow channel
skirting the island. Croatan Sound has the same length as Roanoke Sound, but
is 2 to 4 miles wide and much deeper; most of the drainage from Albemarle
Sound passes through it. The combined area of these two sounds is about 75
miles. These waters abound with anadromous and salt-water fishes, and sup-
port valuable fisheries; and they are of special interest because they are the
routes by which all fish bound into and out of Albemarle Sound must pass.

Pamlico Sound is an imposing body of water, and, next to Long Island, is
the largest sound on the Atlantic coast of the United States. Its length is 75
miles and its width from 10 to 30 miles, the area being about 1,860 square miles.
The general depth is 15 to 20 feet. The waters of Currituck, Albemarle, Croatan,
and Roanoke sounds discharge into it, and on the south Core Sound commu-
nicates with it. The long narrow strip of desolate sand with sparse vegetation
which separates the sound from the sea is broken by Oregon, New, Loggerhead,
Hatteras, and Ocracoke inlets. Two important rivers, the Pamlico and the
Neuse, flow into the sound from the west, their mouths being broad estuaries;
‘while several short, wide streams—the Pungo and Bay rivers—also enter the
western part of the sound.

6 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Pamlico Sound is bountifully provided with fishes and other water products,
and supports very valuable fisheries, participated in by a large proportion of the
male population. Besides being traversed by immense bodies of shad, alewives,
striped bass, and other migratory fishes on their way to and from the fresh
waters, Pamlico Sound is the resort of many important salt-water species, among
which are the mullets, squeteagues, spot, croaker, drums, blue-fish, menhaden,
sheepshead, and hog-fish. The anadromous fishes on their way to Albemarle
Sound for the most part pass through New Inlet and to a less extent through
Oregon and Hatteras inlets; while most of the fishes bound for the Neuse and
Pamlico come from the ocean through Ocracoke and Hatteras inlets.

Core Sound begins at the extreme southern part of Pamlico Sound and
extends southwesterly to the vicinity of Beaufort, while Bogue Sound begins at
the latter place and stretches westerly These two bodies of water are upwards
of 60 miles long and 1 to 6 miles wide, and, with their tributaries, have an area of
about 200 square miles. The water is quite shoal, rarely exceeding 10 feet and
averaging only 4 to 5. Two broad expansions, with numerous arms, known as
North and Newport rivers, occur at the intersection of the two sounds, and dis-
charge through Beaufort Inlet; while White Oak River enters the extreme west-
ern end of Bogue Sound and discharges through Bogue Inlet. The “banks”
separating these sounds from the sea are very narrow and in places quite elevated,
owing to the drifting of the sand. About midway a long narrow tongue projects
southward, forming Cape Lookout, the “bight” of which, on its western side,
affords a fine harbor for small craft and constitutes a great natural fish trap.
The waters of this section abound with the characteristic salt-water fishes of the
state, and are particularly noted for the immense quantities of mullet, squeteague,
spot, croaker, whiting, drum, blue-fish, Spanish mackerel, menhaden, etc., which
visit them; several of these species are here taken in greater numbers than any-
where else.

To the southward of Bogue Inlet, the coast is fringed with numerous small,
shallow sounds into or through some of which streams of considerable volume
discharge; the chief of these are Stump Sound, entered by New River and com-
municating with the ocean through New River Inlet; Topsail, Middle, Masonboro,
and Myrtle sounds, all to northward of the Cape Fear River.

North Carolina is singularly deficient in lakes, and all those whose size
entitles them to mention in this connection are in the coastal plain region and for
the most part lie in groups. The most noteworthy group is in the broad penin-
sula lying between Albemarle Sound and Pa‘nlico Sound and River, and includes
Mattamuskeet, Phelps or Scuppernong, Alligator, and Pungo lakes.

Mattamuskeet, the largest North Carolina lake, occupies a considerable part
of Hyde county; its length is 14 miles and its greatest width 7 miles. The water
is very shallow, being only 25 feet deep over a large part and having a maximum
depth of 7 feet in the middle of the western end. In winter and early spring the

lake is muddy and roily, owing to strong winds stirring the bottom and to the .

suspension of light soil and vegetable matter brought from the swamps and farm

as

THE WATERS OF NORTH CAROLINA. ff

lands; but in summer the water is generally clear, with a brownish color, and is
what is known as “‘juniper water”. The bottom is mostly of fine sand mixed
with mud, and is fairly hard. This section was at one time inhabited by a tribe
of Indians, and the lake has received the tribal name of Mattamuskeet. The
Indian tradition as to the origin of the lake—which is the popular one to-day—is
that it was due to a fire which burned many months, affecting a far larger area
than is now covered by the lake. In support of this theory the people point out
blackened and water-worn cypress stumps everywhere abundant near the shores
and argue that the surrounding territory, being swampy and peaty and covered
with cypress trees, is even now liable to have just such another fire. Prof.
Holmes, however, states that this tradition is untenable and that Mattamuskeet,
like others with the same story of origin—Lake Drummond, inthe Dismal Swamp,
for instance—is a natural lake. The northern and western shores are swampy
and marshy, while on the south and east there are extensive farms, generally dry
and very fertile. Cypress and willow trees form an almost continuous border
around the lake and grow out intoit. The lake is fed by drainage from swamps
and farms, and discharges into Alligator River and Yeosocking Bay through
canals.

The lake supports but little sport fishing and no market fishing, although
considerable quantities of fish are taken for local consumption with rod and line
and gill net. While the variety of food-fishes found in the lake is rather small,
it embraces a number of first-class species. The most highly prized and the
most important from a local standpoint is the white perch, which is exceedingly
abundant, reaches a large size, and occurs everywhere in the lake and drainage
ditches. The yellow perch, locally called “‘redfin”’, is also abundant, but less so
than formerly. The blue bream is very common and ranks next to the white
perch in popular estimation. The large-mouth black bass, having the local names
of “chub” and “welshman”, is present in considerable numbers. The pike
(Esox reticulatus) attains a large size and is numerous, and the pickerel (Hsox
americanus), called “jack’’, also occurs. Cat-fishes and eels are abundant. The
latter are not much used, although at one time a religious sect called “The
Sanctified”’ made a business of catching eels in the lake and shipping them north.
Other fishes inhabiting this interesting lake are the pumpkin-seed and several
other sun-fishes, the roach or dace, the carp, the dog-fish or grindle, the hog-
choker, and various minnows.

The remaining lakes of this group have a combined area less than half of
that of Lake Mattamuskeet. They are similar to the latter in their physical
characters and, so far as known, in their fish life. Phelps, the largest, is the
source of Scuppernong River.

On the peninsula south of Neuse River, in Craven and Jones counties, there
is a compact group of 5 lakes known as Great, Long, Ellis, Catfish, and Little
lakes. The first is largest, being 5 miles long and 3 miles wide, with a maximum
depth of 10 to 12 feet. Ellis Lake is nearly 2 miles in diameter, but averages
less than 2 feet in depth. These waters, which are connected with the Neuse

8 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

and White Oak rivers, contain cat-fishes, minnows, pikes, perches, sun-fishes,
and basses. The large-mouth black bass abounds, and reaches a weight of 7 to 8
pounds.

The only other lakes worthy of mention are Black and Bartrams, lying
between South and Cape Fear rivers, in Bladen county; and Waccamaw, on one
of the branches of Waccamaw River in Columbia County.

In addition to the admirable facilities for fishing afforded by the smooth,
sandy outer beaches, there are important offshore fishing grounds along the
entire coast of North Carolina. Among the species thus taken are blue-fish,
especially north of Cape Hatteras in winter; menhaden, of which immense bodies
occur and are sought by steam and sail vessels, some belonging in the state and
some coming from points far to the north; and various bottom fishes, inhabiting
the submerged banks and caught chiefly with lines, among which are cod, sea
bass, grunts, and pig-fish. The most celebrated and most exploited of the off-
shore grounds are the “ black-fish”’ banks lying off the Cape Fear River.

THE RIVERS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST.*

The rivers of North Carolina which drain into the Atlantic include some of
the finest streams on the eastern seaboard of the United States. The principal
ones rise on the slopes of the Blue Ridge, flow across the Piedmont plateau region
and then traverse the wide coastal plain region, where they discharge, mostly
through wide estuaries, after pursuing a generally southeasterly course. The
rivers that merit separate mention are the Chowan, the Roanoke, the Tar, the
Neuse, the Cape Fear, the Yadkin, and the Catawba.

The Chowan River rises in southeastern Virginia, flows through a wooded
swampy region, and enters the western end of Albemarle Sound. The chief
tributary is the Blackwater, in Virginia. That part of the Chowan which is in
North Carolina in about 50 miles long, and in the lower 20 miles of its course
is very broad and shallow. The Chowan is one of the most important streams in
the state for shad, alewives, and other migratory fishes, while black bass, crappy,
sun-fishes, yellow perch, pike, suckers, and cat-fish are among the permanent
inhabitants. The discoloration of the water by the decomposition of vegetable
matter in the cypress swamps is quite marked and is generally regarded as
affecting the run of shad and alewives, which are attracted thereby.

The Roanoke River is one ef the longest streams of North Carolina. Its
headwaters flow from the slopes of the Alleghany Mountains in southeastern
Virginia, and it is formed by the union of the Dan and Staunton rivers in Mecklen-
burg County, Virginia. The Dan rises in Virginia near Buffalo Knob in Patrick
County, enters North Carolina, reenters Virginia, returns to North Carolina, and
then enters Virginia again and joins the Staunton. After pursuing a very tortu-
ous course in a southeasterly direction, the Roanoke debouches into the extreme

*For a very full account of the water courses of North Carolina, reference is made to Bulletin No. 8 of the

North Carolina Geological Survey, comprising ‘‘Papers on the Water Power of North Carolina,” by George F.
Swain, J. A. Holmes and E. W. Myers. Raleigh, 1899.

(SNHONAHYAXO YSASNAdIOV) NOSDYNLS

OS 8NSOH'Y

PLATE 2

N. C. GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY

THE WATERS OF NORTH CAROLINA. 9

western end of Albemarle Sound by several narrow mouths adjacent to the
mouth of the Chowan. The Dan is upwards of 400 miles long, and the area
drained by the two streams is about 5,600 square miles. The “‘fall-line’’ occurs
between Weldon and Gaston, the falls extending for about ten miles with a
descent of 84 feet. Above Weldon, which is about 130 miles above the mouth,
the bed of the river is usually composed of solid rock, but sometimes of gravel
and sand, and sometimes of clay, with banks of variable height and structure;
the width of the stream is considerable, and islands and exposed rocks are numer-
ous. Below Weldon the river’s bed is generally sandy, with a few ledges, and
is comparatively narrow. The stream is subject to violent freshets, and has
risen as much as 50 feet at Weldon. For about half the distance from Weldon to
the mouth the ordinary rise is 10 to 30 feet, gradually diminishing toward the
mouth, where it is only about 2 or 38 feet.

The Roanoke carries out into the southern half of Albemarle Sound an
immense volume of muddy water of a yellowish color, which is often seen 40
miles from its mouth, contrasting very strongly with the clear dark water brought
down by the Chowan. It appears that striped bass, white perch, and sturgeon
prefer this kind of water and can always be taken there in greater numbers than
on the northern side of the sound, where shad and alewives always occur more
abundantly. The fishermen have learned by experience that the larger run of
striped bass is in the Roanoke and the larger run of shad isin the Chowan. The
river is, in fact, one of the chief resorts of the striped bass and contains perhaps
the most important spawning grounds for the species. Other species of which
there is a numerous run in the lower Roanoke besides sturgeon, white perch,
shad, and alewives, are suckers, hickory shad, and gizzard shad. The non-
migratory species of greatest importance are cat-fishes, pikes, black bass, crappy
and various other sun-fishes, yellow perch, and wall-eyed pike. The common
flounder (Paralichthys) often ascends the river for several miles. The principal
fishes of the upper waters are suckers, minnows, sun-fishes, and darters.

The Tar River rises in Granville and Person counties, North Carolina, near
the Virginia line, and, flowing in a generally southeasterly direction, terminates
in a long arm of Pamlico Sound known as Pamlico River. The largest tribu-
taries are Fishing Creek and Swift Creek. The river has an approximate length
of 175 miles, and drains an area of nearly 3,000 square miles. The fall-line
occurs at Rocky Mount, about 73 miles above the mouth. The stream is quite
similar to the Roanoke; the bed is composed of sand, gravel, clay, mud, or rock,
and the banks in the upper part of its course are comparatively high. At Rocky
Mount a dam extends across the river from bank to bank, and constitutes a
barrier impassable to fish. The Pamlico River, which is about 37 miles long, is
entered by the common migratory fishes of the state, and supports important net
fishing; the same fishes continue up the Tar River until stopped by the dam
mentioned. The resident fishes of the Tar River are similar to those of the
Roanoke on one side and the Neuse on the other, and comprise an abundance of
cat-fishes, suckers, minnows, pike, sun-fishes, and darters, although the number
of species is rather small.

10 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

The Neuse, River begins in Wake County, North Carolina, and is formed by
the junction of the Flat, Eno, and Little rivers, which rise in Orange and Person
counties. After pursuing a winding but generally southeasterly course of more
than 300 miles, it enters the extreme southwestern end of Pamlico Sound, the
lower forty miles being a very broad and fine estuary. The important tribu-
taries of the Neuse are Trent River, joining the main stream at New Bern and
being altogether the largest branch; Contentnea Creek, which joins the river 30
miles above Trent and is about 140 miles long; and Little River, which is about
100 miles long and enters the Neuse from the north near Goldsboro. The drain-
age area of the Neuse and its tributaries is 5,300 square miles, and the stream, its
bed, and its banks, resemble the Roanoke. The fall-line crosses the river near
Smithfield, 190 miles above its mouth, but the first considerable falls met with in
ascending the stream is at Millburnie, or Neuse Mills, 25 miles above Smithfield,
where the descent is about 12 feet; the Falls of the Neuse, having a descent of
18 feet, occur 13 miles north of Raleigh.

The run of shad in the Neuse is larger than in any other North Carolina
stream, and the fisheries are correspondingly important. The resident fishes are
also numerous as to both species and individuals. The basin of the Neuse has
been more systematically explored by ichthyologists and more kinds of fishes are
recorded from it than any other river in the state. Among those who have col-
lected and written on the fishes of the Neuse are Professors Cope, Jordan, Ever-
mann, Meek, and Jenkins. About 60 species of permanent residents have been
listed, and half a dozen species now regarded as valid were based on examples
from this river; of the latter several have not as yet been met with elsewhere.

The Cape Fear River is one of the longest of the streams wholly within the
limits cf the state. It rises in the uplands to the northward of Greensboro only a
short distance from the headwaters of the Roanoke, and enters the ocean at the
cape which has the same name, after a course of over 200 miles. Its principal
components are the Deep and the Haw rivers; near Wilmington it is joined by the
North East Cape Fear and the South rivers. The upper waters of the Cape
Fear for the most part flow through a soil of red clay, and are during most of the
year discolored by a clayey sediment. The fall-line crosses the river about 27
miles above Fayetteville, and Smileys Falls is the result. From Wilmington to
the sea, a distance of 30 miles, this stream is quite wide, in places over a mile;
and at its mouth it is 8 miles across.

The area drained by the Cape Fear comprises upwards of 8,000 square
miles. The annual rainfall in the basin, amounting to about 50 inches, is nearly
equally divided between the four seasons, but notwithstanding this the flow is
quite variable owing to peculiar conditions of the soil. Violent freshets some-
times occur, and in the vicinity of Fayetteville the rise has amounted to 58
feet.

The lower Cape Fear basin is annually visited by the common migratory
fishes of the region, but the run of shad, alewives, and striped bass is smaller than
in some of the other streams of the state. The resident fishes are more closely

THE WATERS OF NORTH CAROLINA. a

related to those of the adjacent South Carolina rivers than to those of the
Neuse, and include a number not known from more eastern waters of the state.
Among these are the flat-headed cat-fish, Ameiurus platycephalus, which is very
abundant, and several minnows. The smaller tributaries of the lower course of
the Cape Fear and extensive swampy tracts adjacent thereto now constitute
the most promising field for the collector and will doubtless be found to contain
a considerable number of species which there reach their northermost limit.
Quite recently this region has yielded half a dozen species not before known
from the state, including Elassoma, Copelandellus, Heterandria, Chologaster, and
Dormitator.

The Yadkin, or Great Pedee, is a very large and important stream whose
upper waters are in North Carolina and whose lower course is in South Carolina,
Winyah Bay being its place of discharge. Its entire length is more than 400
miles, and the area which it drains is about 17,000 square miles, of which more
than half isin North Carolina. The headwaters come from the slopes of the Blue
Ridge in Wilkes, Caldwell, and Watauga counties. After flowing nearly due
east and receiving as tributaries from the north numerous rapid mountain
streams, among which are Reddies, Fishers, Ararat, Roaring, and Mulberry
rivers, Rock and Elk creeks, and Lewis and Stony forks, the Yadkin bends
abruptly and pursues a generally southward course. The principal North Caro-
lina tributaries below the bend are the South Yadkin, Uharie, Rocky, and
Little rivers, and the Little Pedee, Lumber, and Waccamaw rivers, which rise in
North Carolina but join the main stream in South Carolina. The Great Pedee
crosses the fall-line near Cheraw, South Carolina. The upper waters resemble
the Roanoke and Cape Fear; the slopes are steep, but the presence of heavy tim-
ber makes the flow quite regular and reduces the violence of freshets. The river
and its tributaries are for the most part discolored almost all the time by the red
elays of the Piedmont region; and fish life is not abundant in that part of the
stream within the state of North Carolina. While additional collecting will
doubtless increase the number of species known from the Yadkin, at this time only
about a score of fishes have been recorded, by Professor Cope in 1870 and by
Professor Jordan in 1889. Perhaps the most characteristic feasure of the fish
fauna is the occurrence of a number of species of coarse-scaled suckers (Moz-
ostoma), which are of large size and exist in considerable abundance, running in
spring from the main rivers into the tributaries to spawn.

The Catawba and Broad rivers are the North Carolina tributaries of the
Santee. The Catawba, known in South Carolina as the Wateree, rises in Mc-
Dowell County, on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge near Swannanoa Gap, and
first flows eastward and then southward into South Carolina, where it unites with
the Congaree to form the Santee. The Broad rises near the headwaters of the
Catawba, and flows southeasterly into South Carolina, there joining the Saluda
to form the Congaree. The Catawba is the largest and clearest of the branches
of the Santee. Its course in North Carolina is 180 miles long; the headwaters are
nearly 2,700 feet above the tide, and the descent within the state is about 2,150

12 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

feet, or an average of 12 feet per mile. The upper part of the river is enclosed
between parallel mountain ranges which are heavily timbered; the lower part is
in a fertile and populous valley 15 to 20 miles wide. The only tributary of
importance is South Fork, which flows from the northwest and enters the river
near the state line. The drainage basin of the Catawba in North Carolina is
upward of 3,000 square miles.

The Broad River lies entirely above the fall-line, and is quite similar to the
upper Catawba, but with less descent. Its important tributaries in North Caro
lina are the Green, First Broad, and Second Broad rivers, which, with the main
stream, have a drainage of 1,400 square miles in the state.

The various branches of the Santee have essentially the same fish life. The
number of species known from the Catawbais relatively large, the principal groups
being the suckers, minnows, and darters, all of which are abundant. Brook
trout abound in the headwaters.

THE RIVERS OF THE MISSISSIPPI DRAINAGE BASIN.

The streams on the western slope of the Blue Ridge in North Carolina
belong to two systems—the Kanawha and the Tennessee—which are respectively
tributary to the Ohio and the Mississippi. While representing a comparatively
small part of the fresh waters of North Carolina, these streams, have special inter-
est because of their beauty, the picturesque mountain regions through which
they flow, and the nature of their fish life.

That part of the Kanawha River within the state of North Carolina is the
headwaters, under the name of New River, which rises in Watauga, Ashe, and
Alleghany counties, and soon passes out of the state into Grayson County, Vir-
ginia. The principal branches are North and South forks and Little River,
whose drainage area is between 700 and 800 square miles. The tributaries of the
New River within North Carolina are rapid mountain streams running mostly
through deep rocky gorges.

The upper waters of the Tennessee River within the borders of North Carolina
are the tributaries of the Holston River, the Hiawassee River, and the head-
waters of the Tennessee proper.

The branches of the Ho'ston River are the Watauga, the Toe or Doe, and the
French Broad, the last sometimes considered an independent tributary of the
Tennessee. The Watauga River takes its rise on the northern side of Grand-
father Mountain and has a course of 30 miles within the state, cutting through a
deep mountain gorge at the Tennessee state line; it drains about 160 square
miles of mountain and cultivated lands in North Carolina, and is throughout a
swift stream. The Toe River is formed by several branches arising in Mitchell
and Yancey counties; the length of the main stream, until it breaks through the
mountains and enters Tennessee, is about 75 miles, and it drains 640 square
miles, mostly virgin forest. In Tennessee and also in the adjoining part of North
Carolina, this stream is called the Nolechucky. The French Broad River

aX

THE WATERS OF NORTH CAROLINA. . 13

rises in numerous mountain springs in Transylvania, Henderson, Buncombe, and
Madison counties, and has a length of 70 miles and a drainage area of 4,745
square miles before it enters Tennessee. Its principal tributaries are Laurel, Ivy,
Swannanoa, and Pigeon rivers, the last the most important; these and various
creeks are nearly always cold and clear, and are among the most beautiful
streams in North Carolina. The Pigeon River drains practically the whole of
Haywood County, having a length of 60 miles and a drainage basin of 570 square
miles. In the last 40 miles of its course in North Carolina it has a fall of 1,300
feet; it breaks through the Great Smoky Mountains in a deep, wild, rocky gorge,
and 25 miles further on joins the French Broad.

The most extensive of the-river basins west of the mountains in North
Carolina is that of the Little Tennessee, which embraces all of the counties of
Macon, Jackson, Graham, and Swain, an area of more than 1,800 square miles,
of which nearly nine-tenths is forest-clad. The length of the main stream within
the state is about 80 miles. The principal tributaries are the Cheowah, Tucka-
seegee, and Nantahala rivers, all mountain streams with rapids and falls, some of
the latter being high and beautiful. The Little Tennessee enters the main river.

Flowing through Clay and Cherokee counties toward the northwest is the
Hiawassee River, the most western of the important streams of North Carolina.
This river, whose two most important tributaries are the Nottely and Valley
rivers, has a drainage basin of more than 1,000 square miles before it leaves the
state to join the main Tennessee River in Tennessee. This is a rapid mountain
stream, at least 60 miles of which are within the limits of North Carolina; in
places the river is 300 feet wide, but for the most part it is narrowly confined
within steep, rocky banks.

The fishes of these waters belong to a very different fauna from those inhab-
iting the streams which drain into the Atlantic, and infact are very dissimilar as
to species. The anadromous fishes, which constitute the most characteristic
feature of thestreams east of the mountains, are entirely absent from these waters,
while minnows and darters attain a great development. Of the fishes of the
upper waters of New River nothing definite is known, as no collections have
been made in that part of the basin within the state. The headwaters of the
Watauga abound in trout and darters. The upper tributaries of the French
Broad are among the finest and most beautiful trout streams in the entire Alle-
ghany region, and are also well supplied with other food and game fishes, includ-
ing pike, pike perch, rock bass, small-mouth black bass, spotted cat-fish, green
cat-fish, and suckers, together with a host of minnows and darters. The streams
west of the French Broad have been only very superficially examined with refer-
ence to their fish life; while the fishes are doubtless quite similar to those of other
tributaries of the Tennessee, it is quite possible that some undescribed species
remain to be discovered and it is certain that a number of minor species will
eventually be added to the state’s fauna from those waters.

14 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA,

THE FISH FAUNA OF NORTH CAROLINA.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION.

The information regarding the fish life of North Carolina in the form of
printed reports, manuscripts, and collections which has been available to the
author has been entirely adequate for the preparation of a complete annotated
catalogue of the fishes of all parts of the state; and it may safely be assumed that
but few species regularly inhabiting the state are unknown. North Carolina
has received an exceptional amount of attention from ichthyologists, and both
its fresh and its salt waters have been quite thoroughly examined with reference
to their fish life. There remain only a few waters where further collecting would
be likely to yield interesting results, and perhaps add to the number of species
known from the state; these are the Hiawassee, Little Tennessee, Pigeon, New, and
Dan rivers; the coastal region adjacent to the mouth of the Cape Fear; and the
extensive lowlands stretching from the Cape Fear to the South Carolina border.

Some of the best-known American zoclogists and ichthyologists have studied
the fishes of the state in the field, and have made reports based on their collec-
tions and observations. Associated with our knowledge of the fish life of the
state are the names of such prominent biologists as Spencer F. Baird, Edward D.
Cope, Elliott Coues, G. Brown Goode, William Stimpson, Theodore Gil], David
S. Jordan, Charles H. Gilbert, Tarleton H. Bean, Barton-W. Evermann, W. K.
Brooks, Henry V. Wilson, Oliver P. Jenkins; and Seth E. Meek. Many other
persons well-known in fish culture, or in scientific or economic work connected
with the fisheries, have also made North Carolina the scene of their operations or
North Carolina fishes and fisheries the objects of their attention; among such
have been Charles Hallock, Henry C. Yarrow, Marshall McDonald, R. Edward
Earll, James W. Milner, Pierre L. Jouy, W. deC. Ravenel, Stephen G. Worth,
Caswell Grave, Barton A. Bean, William C. Kendall, and Charles H. Bollman.

The fresh-water fishes of North Carolina have been the subject of many
investigations and reports, the most important of which are here mentioned.
Various other reports which were of minor scope or in which North Carolina
fishes are considered only incidentally are noted in the bibliography (page 419).

During the fall of 1869, Professor Cope visited the basins of the Tennessee,
Catawba, Yadkin, and Neuse, and in 1870 published a report, based on his obser-
vations and collections, entitled ‘‘ A partial list of the fishes of the fresh waters of
North Carolina”’, which appeared in the Proceedings of the American Philo-
sophical Society, 1870.

The streams of the Alleghany region of North Carolina were investigated in
the summer of 1888 by Dr. Jordan, assisted by Professors Jenkins, Evermann,
Meek, and Mr. Bollman, under the auspices of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, and
extensive collections, comprising many new species, were made. ‘The results of
this work were embodied in a “‘ Report of explorations made during 1888 in the
Alleghany region of Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, and in Western
Indiana, with an account of the fishes found in each of the river basins of those

THE FISH FAUNA OF NORTH CAROLINA. 15

regions”’ appearing in the Bulletin of the U. 8. Fish Commission for 1888, the
new forms having previously been described in the Proceedings of the U. S.
National Museum for the same year. The North Carolina streams visited in the
course of these explorations were the headwaters of the Pamtico, Neuse, Cape
Fear, Great Pedee, Santee, and French Broad rivers.

The fishes of the Albemarle Sound section were considered in a paper by the
present writer, ‘Notes on a collection of fishes from the Albemarle region of
North Carolina”’, in the Bulletin of the U. S. Fish Commission for 1891.

A paper dealing with ‘“‘The fishes of the Neuse River basin”’, by Evermann
and Cox, was published in the Bulletin of the U. 8. Fish Commission for 1895;
this paper, while based on a small collection made by the Messrs. Brimley near
Raleigh, gives a complete list of the fishes recorded from the Neuse and cites
all the published references to the fishes of that stream.

The fishes of Lake Mattamuskeet were collected for the U. S. Bureau of
Fisheries by Dr. John D. Milligan, of the steamer Fish-Hawk, in the winter of
1899-1900, and a brief account thereof was published by the author in the
Report of the U.S. Fish Commissioner for 1900.

In 1903 Mr. Barton A. Bean published a ‘‘Notice of a collection of fishes
made by H. H. Brimley in Cane River and Bollings Creek, North Carolina,
with a description of a new species of Notropis (N. brimleyz)”’, this section being
one whose fishes were but little known.

Various collections from the fresh waters of North Carolina have from time
to time reached the U.S. National Museum and the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, and
have been duly considered in the present connection. Collections of the National
Museum on which no special reports have been published were made by J. W.
Milner on Albemarle Sound, Neuse and Tar rivers in 1878; Spencer F. Baird at
Wilmington in 1877; W. R. Capehart on Albemarle Sound in 1877 to 1881;
Marshall McDonald on the Neuse and Cape Fear rivers in 1880; 8. G. Worth on

‘the Swannanoa River in 1880; P. L. Jouy on Richland Creek, tributary of the
Big Pigeon River, in 1890; and W. P. Seal at Wilmington in 1899. Fresh-water
fishes received by the Bureau of Fisheries have included small collections by
W. C. Kendall in Albemarle Sound in 1897; by W. P. Seal in the vicinity of
Wilmington in 1906; and by D. P. Cabe from Middle Creek, tributary of the
Little Tennessee River in Macon County, in 1904, these being the only avaliable
specimens from that part of the state. Still further information concerning the
fresh-water fishes has been obtairied from detailed manuscript notes of Dr.
W. C. Kendall on the Albemarle region in April and May, 1897, and from
numerous visits of the writer to various parts of the state, including the Dismal
Swamp, Albemarle Sound, and Pasquotank, Chowan, Roanoke, Tar, and Neuse
rivers.

A good idea of the fish life of Lake Ellis and the adjacent lakes in Craven and
Jones counties has been communicated by Mr. C. 8. Brimley, who made obser-
vations and collections in 1905 and 1906, the specimens being deposited in the
State Museum. :

=

16 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

The salt-water fishes of North Carolina are well known, chiefly as a result
of observations and collections made at and in the vicinity of Beaufort. Beau-
fort has long been a favorite place of resort for persons interested in ichthyology
and other branches of zodlogy. Here, in the spring of 1860, Dr. Theodore Gill,
in company with Dr. Wm. Stimpson, spent several weeks making collections of
fishes and other marine animals; among the fishes then obtained were a labroid
described as new, under the name Halicheres grandisquamis but now regarded
as identical with Halicheres bivittatus, and Branchiostoma, not previously
known from the United States coast. Here, in 1871-2, while stationed at Fort
Macon, at the entrance to Beaufort Harbor, Drs. Coues and Yarrow gave atten-
tion to the fish life, their observations being recorded by Yarrow in a paper,

9

‘Notes on the natural history of Fort Macon, N.C. and vicinity—No. 38, Fishes’”’,

published in the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia .

for 1877. Here, in 1878, came Drs. Jordan and Gilbert, with assistants, to make
collections of fishes, which were described in ‘‘ Notes on the fishes of Beaufort
Harbor”’, in the Proceedings of the U. 8. National Museum for 1878, in which
paper are included also the species listed by Yarrow. Here again, in the sum-
mer of 1885, Dr. Jenkins collected fishes of which a partial list was published in
Johns Hopkins University Circular for October, 1885, and a full account, under
the title “A list of the fishes of Beaufort harbor, N. C.”’, in Studies from the Bio-
logical Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, vol. iv, 1887. Jenkins’ collec-
tion was made the basis of a short paper by Dr. Jordan, ‘‘ Notes on fishes col-
lected at Beaufort, N. C., with a revised list of the species known from that
locality’”’, in the Proceedings of the U. 8. National Museum for 1886.

By far the most complete collections and observations on the fishes of the
Beaufort region have been made by assistants of the U. 8. Bureau of Fisheries
since the establishment at Beaufort of the government biological laboratory in
1899. The collections and records of the laboratory have been freely drawn on

for information regarding numerous species, and the data furnished by Prof. H. °
V. Wilson, Dr. Caswell Grave, Dr. R. E. Coker, and Mr. H. D. Aller while con-.

nected with the laboratory have been especially valuable. Prof. Wilson, in his
paper on “ Marine biology at Beaufort,’’ published in The American Naturalist
in 1900, gave arunning list of the commoner fishes and made the following general
statement in regard to the fish life of this section:

The variety of fishes that may be taken in a short time in Beaufort harbor and the
adjoining waters is so great as to make it evident that the number recorded for the region will
be greatly increased when systematic collecting has been carried on for a few years. Some nine
miles from Beaufort inlet the coast line makes a sharp, right-angled bend, with Cape Lookout
at the angle. From the end of the cape a narrow line of shoals extends much farther out. The
cape and its submerged continuation form a wall, as it were, reaching seaward for fifteen
miles. Cape Lookout itself is so shaped as to embrace a bay, a quiet and beautiful sheet of
water, Lookout Bight. The coast configuration thus forms a remarkable natural trap into
which fish, migrating northwards, fall. It is doubtful whether a better place can be found any-
where on our coast for the carrying out of observations on oceanic species and on bay and river
species during the oceanic period of their life. The seining that has been carried on at Cape
Lookout has been extremely interesting and successful, both as regards the variety of forms and
the number of individuals taken.

Ct i ee eet eel ee ee

THE FISH FAUNA OF NORTH CAROLINA. 17

The steamer Fish-Hawk, while attached to the Beaufort laboratory in 1902,
made collections on some of the off-shore grounds and surveyed an important
outlying fishing bank. A number of fishes not previously recorded from North
Carolina were found during this vessel’s operations.

The fishermen and fish dealers of Beaufort and Morehead have supplied
interesting specimens and useful information which have contributed to the com-
pleteness of our knowledge of the salt-water fishes of the state.

In 1904, Mr. Barton A. Bean, of the department of fishes of the U.S. National
Museum, made an extensive collection of fishes at Beaufort. This collection,
together with numerous specimens of North Carolina fishes which have been
accumulating in the museum for many years, has been taken into consideration.

A fish collection of special interest is that in the State Museum at Raleigh.
The specimens have been drawn chiefly from the Beaufort and Cape Fear sections,
and have been brought together by Mr. H. H. Brimley, to whom the writer is
under obligations for information in regard to this collection.

Other salt-water collections and observations of importance were made by
the late R. Edward Earll in the Wilmington region in 1880; and by Dr. W. C.
Kendall, while attached to the steamer Fish-Hawk in the winter and spring of
1890-91, who has furnished the writer with interesting notes on the fishes of the
Cape Fear, Beaufort, Cape Lookout, and Hatteras sections. In 1905, Mr. W. H.
Yopp, of Wilmington, supplied interesting data concerning the salt-water fishes
of the Wilmington market.

Reference should be made to the studies of the parasites and food of the
fishes of the Beaufort region by Prof. Edwin Linton in 1901 and 1902. His
report, ‘‘ Parasites of fishes of Beaufort, North Carolina” (1905), contains much
information not obtainable elsewhere regarding the food of the numerous fishes
taken at that locality in summer.

A number of papers dealing with individual species of fishes studied or
collected in the state have been published from time to time, and will be found
in the list of literature cited. Among these may be mentioned three papers by
E. W. Gudger which appeared in 1905, namely, “The breeding habits and the
segmentation of the egg of the pipe-fish, Siphostoma floridw”’, ““A note on the
habits of Rissola marginata’”’, and “A note on the egg and egg-laying of Ptero-
phyrne histrio, the gulfweed-fish”’; ‘The devil-fish and some other fishesin North
Carolina’, by Theodore Gill (1903) and ‘Notes on the habits of an opidiid
(cusk eel)’, by the same writer (1905); and “‘ Notes on a rare flying-fish (Cypsel-
urus lutkeni)”, by Hugh M. Smith (1905).

One of the most voluminous writers on the fishes of the state is Mr. Stephen
G. Worth, former superintendent of fish and fisheries of North Carolina and for
many years superintendent of the Edenton station and various local substations
of the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. Mr. Worth’s papers, which pertain more partic-
ularly to the artificial propagation of fishes, appear in the state agricultural
reports and the Bulletins of the U. 8. Fish Commission, and constitute an inval-
uable record.

18 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Among the sources of information should be mentioned a number of early
general works on North Carolina in which the fishes receive more or less attention;
these works are chiefly valuable for the historical insight they afford as to the
knowledge of the fish fauna in the latter part of the seventeenth century and the
first half of the eighteenth century. ‘‘Carolina; or a description of the present
state of that country”, by Thomas Ash, published in London in 1682, makes
brief mention of the fishes (including salmon, trouts, and bass). The best of
the early works was that of John Lawson, surveyor-general of North Carolina,
entitled ““A new voyage to Carolina; containing the exact description and
natural history of that country’’, etce., published in London in 1709. It con-
tains many quaint and interesting notes, and has been hereinafter quoted in the
accounts of a number of species. This was followed by ‘‘The natural history of
North Carolina” of John Brickell, M. D., printed in Dublin in 1737, which is
chiefly remarkable for its free plagiarism of Lawson’s work. John Edward
Holbrook’s excellent “Ichthyology of South Carolina” contains a number of
references to North Carolina.

Among the general works on American fishes and fisheries in which North
Carolina receives due consideration are ‘‘The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of
the United States”, by George Brown Goode and associates, 7 volumes (1884—
1887); ‘‘ American Game Fishes’, by Goode (1887), with revised edition edited
by Dr. Theodore Gill (1903); ‘Statistics of the Fisheries of the South Atlantic
States”, by Hugh M. Smith (1893), with illustrations and local names of all the
important food fishes of the region; various other statistical papers published by
the U. 8. Bureau of Fisheries; “The Fishes and Fish-like Vertebrates of North
and Middle America”, by Jordan and Evermann, 4 volumes (1896-1900); and
“American Food and Game Fishes”, by Jordan and Evermann (1902).

GENERAL CHARACTER OF THE FAUNA.

While the fish life of North Carolina is not of a peculiar or distinctive type,
and bears a close resemblance to that of the adjoining states, it nevertheless has
some features of exceptional interest.

The great variety in the topography of the state; the number, length, and
volume of the streams; the remarkable coast-wise fringe of large, shallow sounds;
and the long coast-line, have contributed to the development of a fish fauna rich
in both species and individuals. Many species of fishes were first made known
from North Carolina waters, and a considerable number of these have not been
found elsewhere and will probably prove to be peculiar to this state. Other
species here exist in greater abundance than in other states. Among the promi-
nent features of the fish fauna are:

(a) The abundance of certain anadromous fishes, whose numbers are
scarcely surpassed in any other waters, the chief of these being the shad, the
alewives, and the striped bass.

(b) The variety and abundance of suckers, minnows, and sun-fishes in the
fresh waters generally and of darters in the headwaters of the streams on both
sides of the Alleghanies.

a ee

THE FISH FAUNA OF NORTH CAROLINA. 19

(c) The occurrence in the sounds and along the outer shores of immense
schools of mullet, syueteague, menhaden, blue-fish, croaker, spot, pig-fish, pin-
fish, and other food fishes.

(d) The extension to the North Carolina coast of many species which are
characteristic of the West Indies or Florida.

(e) A few species of the Atlantic coast reach their southern limit in North
Carolina (such as the cod and tautog) or do not occur in noteworthy numbers
further south (such as the white perch and striped bass).

The number of species of fishes known from North Carolina waters and
herein described is 345, excluding several introduced species which have become
more or less established. The native fishes belong in 99 families and 215 gen-
era, giving an average of 3.5 species per family and 1.6 species per genus. The
twelve largest families, which contain 184 species and 89 genera, are as follows:

SRISTTSLASEIS OS 0 a RRNA na eae 12 species in 4 genera.
SUC KCIS Petar Tere bois ee Se eicic huaie cameo aa eiacieg’s Sierras Om te
IMESTTTAOWUSIR Rae eae cae east in uni Cte hecateitor os cueee wreitsmer ster S60) 4% As AO 1 pS
IRGIRHSCSMER AD Ce er pton eee ee ter eral ahah Sora S rei cks Onc eeu eh
IEG ICELOLS Urey Hr mess as Mee cnet and cae titel ea lige eBook ooo Secs cae] 0) eae
SPROUL S era) Caicske tan, toca ly sw As Gee dys Suleok wp aete oe ai hie ns aS eat: wi

SV UITae hiS ln Os MeN cheer MON Ar ic iannel te Se muave steps onsranaiel Lagi oe GG eil@) ee
ERC ICS RM ce oe eos: ere ol SIL EL cake Mewense ale 2A ae hea (peat
SEAM OASSCS IMM Een ty thane, sym ties, wishin Mice Pebavecaneee alaaie nage ere! yeaa am a
STOUDINIEISY a wfpvers Ws ms Bek OU Recency ae eg aoa come Se

ID SAUTE S GES Slane oe En CE eae ree ere eee Aras oe Beals tL. ()\ 5 tare
Ua CTS eM es eons ease ce oy ailece ohaerenchaye enscmaiees tidier” 36 SP (eee

Among the genera containing a noteworthy number of species are Mozos-
toma (suckers) with 13 species, Notropis (minnows) with 22 species, Hybopsis
(minnows) with 6 species, and Etheostoma (darters) with 7 species.

‘Classifying the fishes of the state according to whether they are (1) marine
or brackish water species, (2) fresh-water species, or (3) anadromous or cata-
dromous species, it appears that 209 belong in the first class, 125 in the second,
and 11 in the third.

Of the fresh-water ‘fishes, the largest number inhabit the waters of the
Atlantic slope; a comparatively small percentage are confined to the western
slope of the Alleghanies; while a few inhabit both regions. The distribution of
the fresh-water fishes (including the migratory ones) may be thus summarized:

Species peculiar to waters of Atlanticslope ...........-.+. 2. sss eee eee eee 85
Species peculiar to waters of Mississippi basin ..........--+ 200052. eee. 02+. 36
Specciesiound imboth regions. 5. 0... 5... 6. be sete lee es ree eee ese cena csees 15

FISHES FIRST DESCRIBED FROM NORTH CAROLINA WATERS.

Twenty-nine species of fishes have been based on specimens collected in
North Carolina, in addition to a large number described by Linnzus and other
early ichthyologists from ‘‘Carolina”’, which in most cases, however, meant
South Carolina. On the following page are given the species first described from
the state and now recognized as valid.

20

FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Fisues First DescripEpD FROM NortTH CAROLINA WATERS.

\Schilbeodes. furiosus

| CATOSTOMID2E:
Moxostoma papillosum

Moxostoma collapsum

Moxostoma
Moxostoma

pidiense
coregonus

album
thalassinum
robustum
crassilabre
conus
rupiscartes

Moxostoma
Moxostoma
Moxostoma
Moxostoma
Moxostoma
Moxostoma

CyYPRINIDE:
Notropis pyrrhomelas
Notropis niveus
Notropis chlorocephalus
Notropis_ brimleyi
Notropis chiliticus
Notropis altipinnis
\Notropis umbratilis

matutinus
Hybopsis labrosus
Hybopsis hysinotus

Pa@ciLiipz:
Fundulus rathbuni

Exoc@mtTip#:
Cypselurus lutkeni

PERCID®:
Boleosoma maculaticeps
'Etheostoma rufilineatum

Etheostoma swannanoa
‘Etheostoma vulneratum

Ioa vitrea

TRIGLIDA:
Prionotus scitulus

GoBIID!:
Microgobius holmesi

Noturus furiosus

'Ptychostomus papillosus
Ptychostomus collapsus

'Ptychostomus pidiensis

‘Ptychostomus coregonus
|

‘Ptychostomus albus

'Ptychostomus thalassinus

'Ptychostomus robustus

‘Ptychostomus crassilabris

Ptychostomus conus
|
Moxostoma rupiseartes

Photogenis pyrrhomelas
Hybopsis niveus

|Hybopsis chlorocephalus

Notropis brimleyi
Hybopsis chiliticus
Alburnellus altipinnis

Alburnellus matutinus
Ceratichthys labrosus
Ceratichthys hysinotus

‘Fundulus rathbuni
Exoccetus lutkeni

Boleosoma maculaticeps
Peecilichthys rufilineat-
um

‘Etheostoma swannanoa

‘Peelichthys vulneratus

Peecilichthys vitreus

Prionotus scitulus

Microgobius holmesi

| Yadkin River

PRESENT DESCRIBER AND
ORIGINAL NAME. TYPE LOCALITY.
IDENTIFICATION. : YEAR.
SILURID:

| Jordan & Meek,
1889

‘Neuse River

‘Catawba and Yad-
| kin rivers |Cope, 1870
Neuse, Yadkin and
Catawba rivers | Cope, 1870
Cope, 1870
Catawba and Yad-
| kin rivers
‘Catawba River
Yadkin River

| Yadkin River
Yadkin River Cope, 1870
“Yadkin River Cope, 1870
Catawba River | Jordan & Jenkins,
| 1889

‘Cope, 1870
Cope, 1870
Cope, 1870
Cope, 1870

‘Cope, 1870
Cope, 1870
Cope, 1870
| Bean, 1903
'Cope, 1870
Cope, 1870

‘Catawba River
Catawba River
‘Catawba River
‘Cane River
‘Yadkin River

/Yadkin River

Cope, 1870
Cope, 1870
Cope, 1870

Neuse River

(Catawba River

‘Catawba River
~~. |

‘Cape Fear River | Jordan & Meek,

| 1889
Beaufort Jordan & Ever-
| mann, 1896
‘Catawba River Cope, 1870

French Broad |
| River Cope, 1870
‘Swannanoa River Jordan & Ever-
| / mann, 1889
French Broad |

| River
‘Neuse River

Cope, 1870
Cope, 1870

Beaufort Jordan & Gilbert,
| 1882
Beaufort Smith, 1907

THE FISH FAUNA OF NORTH CAROLINA. alt

In the foregoing table the species are arranged systematically under the
names herein used; there are also shown the name under which each species wa
first described, the type locality, the person by whom named, and the date
when the species was established.

Of the species here listed, 21 were described by Professor Cope, the pioneer
ichthyologist of North Carolina andthe most voluminous writer on North Caro-
lina fishes; many of Cope’s species have not been met with by other collectors
and are therefore known only from Cope’s descriptions and types.

FISHES FOUND ONLY IN NORTH CAROLINA.

Of the fishes originally described from North Carolina, the following 18
have as yet been found in no other state, although it is likely that in time some
of both the fresh-water and salt-water species will be noted in other states.

Schilbeodes furiosus (Jordan & Meek). Notropis brimleyi Bean.

Moxostoma collapsum (Cope). Notropis chiliticus (Cope).

Moxostoma pidiense (Cope). Notropis altipinnis (Cope).

Moxostoma coregonus (Cope). Notropis umbratilis matutinus (Cope).
Moxostoma album (Cope). Fundulus rathbuni Jordan & Meek.
Moxostoma thalassinum (Cope) . Cypselurus lutkeni (Jordan & Evermann).
Moxostoma robustum (Cope). Boleosoma maculaticeps Cope.

Moxostoma crassilabre (Cope). Etheostoma swannanoa Jordan & Evermann.
Moxostoma conus (Cope). Microgobius holmesi Smith.

FISHES NOT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED FROM NORTH CAROLINA WATERS.

In the inquiries and investigations on which the present work is based,
there have been obtained records of numerous species of fishes which have not
hitherto been noted as occurring in North Carolina in the very considerable
ichthyologic literature of the state. Most of these species are marine, and most
of them have been added to the local fauna as a result of the collections at Beau-
fort by the United States Bureau of Fisheries. The list, which includes 59 salt-
water species and 10 fresh-water and anadromous species, is as follows:

Salt-waier Fishes:

Hexanchus griseus Scomberomorus cavalla
Catulus uter Istiophorus nigricans
Squatina squatina Tetrapturus albidus
Rhinobatus lentiginosus Oligoplites saurus
Raia eglanteria Caranx ruber
Bascanichthys scuticaris Trachinotus glaucus
Lycodontis ocellatus : Trachinotus goodei
Anchovia mitchilli Psenes maculatus
Chlorophthalmus chalybeius Epinephelus striatus
Hemirhamphus brasiliensis Mycteroperea venenosa
Auxis thazard Mycteroperca bonaci
Gymnosarda alleterata Diplectrum formosum
Sarda sarda Lobotes surinamensis

22

FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Salt-water Fishes—Continued:

Pseudopriacanthus altus
Lutianus blackfordi
Lutianus griseus
Lutianus apodes
Lutianus analis
Otrynter caprinus
Calamus leucosteus
Eucinostomus pseudogula
Cynoscion nothus
Larimus fasciatus
Stellifer lanceolatus
Eques acuminatus
Lachnolaimus maximus
Doratonotus megalepis
Xyrichthys psittacus
Sparisoma niphobles
Cheetodon ocellatus

Hepatus hepatus
Hepatus bahianus
Balistes carolinensis
Ceratacanthus punctatus
Lactophrys triqueter
Spheroides spengleri
Diodon hystrix
Chilomycterus antillarum
Mola mola

Scorpzena plumieri
Scorpzena brasiliensis
Microgobius holmesi
Microgobius eulepis
Gobiesox virgatulus
Syacium papillosum
Citharichthys spilopterus
Ogeocephalus vespertilio

Fresh-water and Anadromous Fishes:

Copelandellus quiescens
Elassoma evergladei
Elassoma zonatum
Mesogonistius cheetodon
Dormitator maculatus

Petromyzon marinus
Hiodon selenops
Fundulus nottii
Heterandria formosa
Chologaster cornutus

THE LOCAL NAMES OF THE FISHES.

In the following systematic list, every name known to be applied by North
Carolinians to the fishes of the state is given, along with other common names
which the fishes bear in other parts of the country, the local names being distin-
guished by quotation marks. From the index of common names (page 425) it
will be possible to find the detailed account of any species.

A knowledge of the local names of the fishes of the state is not without
value, and it is a matter of some historical as well as ichthyological interest to
record the early names applied to the various species and to compare them with
the present designations. With the advent of fishermen from other states and
with the extension of knowledge of the fishes the original local names will in
time be supplemented or supplanted.

One of the most entertaining lists of the vernacular names of North Carolina
fishes is that embodied in Lawson’s “A new voyage to Carolina’’. It is inter-
esting to note that nearly all of the fishes named are easily recognizable, that
most of them still bear the same names, and that certain names now in use are
perhaps there recorded for the first time. Among the salt-water fishes of the
state he mentions ‘‘thrashers’’ (thrasher sharks) , two sorts of sharks, “ paracooda-
noses” and ‘‘shovel-noses’’, ‘‘dog-fish”’ (the small shark so called), “divel-fish”’
(the giant ray), “scate or stingray”, “sword-fish” (saw-fish), ““Spanish mack-

ee

THE FISH FAUNA OF NORTH CAROLINA. 23

erel’’, “‘cavallies”’, “‘boneto’s”, “‘blue-fish’’, ‘“‘red drum”, “black drum-fish’’,
‘Cangel-fish”” (spade-fish), ‘‘bass, or rock-fish”’, “‘sheeps-heads’’, ‘plaice’,
“flounders’’, “‘soles’”’, “‘mullets”, “shad’’, ‘“fat-backs”? (menhaden), ‘‘ white
guard”’ (fresh-water gar), ‘green guard” (marine gar), “congar eels”, “lam-
prey-eels”, ‘‘eels’”’, “‘sun-fish’”’ (perhaps the common pompano, by which
name the fish is still known at Beaufort), “toad-fish’’, “‘sea-tench’’ (identified
by Dr. Theodore Gill as the tautog*), “trouts of the salt-water” (squeteagues),
“crocus”, ‘‘smelts”’ (silversides?), ‘‘bream’’, and ‘‘taylors” (young blue-fish).
The fresh-water species enumerated are “sturgeon”, “jack, pike or pick-
erel’”’, “‘trouts” (brook trout), ‘gudgeon”’, ‘English pearch” (yellow perch,
now called “‘Englishman’’), “brown pearch, or Welchmen”’ (black bass, still
so called), ‘‘flat, mottled pearch, or Irishman” (crappy), “round-robins”’
(sun-fish), “‘carp’’, “‘roach’’, “‘dace’’, “loaches”’ (killi-fishes?), ‘‘sucking-fish”’
(a name still used in the Albemarle section for suckers), “‘cat-fish”’, ‘‘ grindals”’
“old-wives”’ (alewives), ‘‘fountain-fish”’, and ‘‘ white-fish”’.

The author has published (1893) a table of common names applied to certain
fishes of the Albemarle region, where some very inappropriate and singular
names are in use, including some mentioned by Lawson. ‘The wall-eyed pike
or pike perch (Stizostedion vitrewm) is sometimes called “salmon” or “California
salmon”’; the yellow perch is known as ‘“‘red-fin”’, “raccoon perch’’, and “ Eng-
lishman’’; the large-mouth black bass is called “chub” and “‘ Welshman’’; the
strawberry bass is the ‘speckled perch”’ on all parts of the sound; the gizzard
shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) is generally known as “nanny shad”’, which desig-
nation, togther with ‘“‘nancy shad’’, is also employed in other sections of the
state; and various small minnows (Notropis, Hybognathus) are generally known
as “‘chobies”’ (doubtless a corruption of anchovies).

Among the vernacular fish names which appear to be restricted to North
Carolina may be mentioned “black-fish”’ (grindle), “‘shad’”’ (menhaden), “nanny
shad” or “nancy shad” (mud shad), “gourd-fish” (butter-fish), ‘‘oyster-fish”’
(tautog), ‘‘cabio” (crab-eater; called ‘“cabby-yew” in Bermuda; the name
eobia usually given this fish is not known to American fishermen, and may have
originally been a misprint for cabio), “jimmy” (spot), “sea-mink”’ (king-fish),
“Fnglishman”’ (yellow perch), ‘ Welshman”’ (black bass), “robin” and “robin
perch” (sun-fishes), and ‘‘steamboat”’ (triple-tail).

)

*Forest and Stream, May 30, 1903.

FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Cur oF YELLOW PercH SHowina Parts UsuALLY REFERRED TO IN DESCRIPTIONS.

Higvei:

q
(Jen}
3g
is
et
oe
I
28
= ~
B.as
o a6
FH DDN
ID ON
Se eB
34
o
o
ss
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so
q
8
Lo
Oe
oo &
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a i)
o 2
2 Sen
OW Ay
BAS
ret
oo Pp
Ata
eT ar)

4. Snout.

18. Anal fin.

11. Branchiostegals.
12. Lateral line.

19. Caudal fin.

5. Premaxillary.
6. Maxillary.

20. Pectoral fin.
21. Ventral fin.

13. Length of caudal peduncle.
14. Depth of caudal peduncle.

7. Lower jaw.

et

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF NORTH
CAROLINA FISHES.

EXPLANATORY NOTES.

A full list of all species of fishes known to inhabit the fresh or salt waters of
North Carolina is here presented. The plan which has been followed is to give
for each species its technical name and original describer, and its popular names;
a brief synonymy; a diagnostic description; and then a general account of the
distribution, abundance, size, habits, food value, economic importance, etc.,
having special reference to North Carolina.

The synonymy includes a reference to the original description of the species,
all important papers in which the occurrence of the species in North Carolina is
mentioned, and an authority for the terminology which has been adopted herein,
this last usually being Jordanand Evermann’s “The fishes of North and Middle
America’’, 4 vols., 1896-1900, published as Bulletin 47 of the United States
National Museum. Citations of works pertaining wholly or partly to North Caro-
lina are condensed and are intended to be taken in conjunction with the index of
North Carolina fish literature which appears on page 419; thus, ‘“‘ Ptychostomus
robustus Cope, 1870, 473’, means that the species so called by Cope will be found
described on page 473 of the work published by him in 1870. Other works, not
given in the bibliography, are referred to with greater fullness in the synonymy.

In order to render the catalogue useful in the identification of North Caro-
lina fishes, there are introduced artificial keys* to the families, genera, and species;
and there are also given, as a matter of general information, brief accounts of the
families and genera. The keys have in most cases been adapted from, and the
diagnoses also are largely based on, Jordan and Evermann’s invaluable work,
which has been followed in the arrangement of the families. Numerous original
diagnoses based on North Carolina specimens have, however, been introduced.
Technical terms used in descriptions are explained in the glossary on page 403.

The common names applied to fishes by the people of North Carolina are
given in quotation marks; and other vernacular names in more or less general use
are also shown.

A special object in view has been to clothe the technical descriptions in
simple language, so that fishermen and the general public may be able to make

*In using the keys for the identification of specimens of North Carolina fishes, first determine which of
the major groups the species is in and then take up in regular order the letters under each group; if the char-
acters of the specimens do not agree with those given for the single letters, then look under the same double
letters, ignoring all intervening matter.

26 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

use of the work in identifying the species; the diagnoses have likewise been made
as brief as is consistent with this purpose and have been based almost exclusively
on external characters. A free translation of the meaning of all the generic and
specific names has been given.*

THE CLASSES OF FISHES AND FISH-LIKE ANIMALS.

The creatures popularly called fishes belong in three great classes, which
may be distinguished by the following characters. The first two classes are
quite unimportant in the present connection, each having only a single representa-
tive in the state; and only the last class contains the fishes properly speaking.

Key to the classes of fishes.and fish-like animals.

i. Animals with cartilaginous skeleton and without brain or skull; fins rudimentary and only on
median line of body; mouth a slit surrounded by bristles; heart a tubular vessel without
separate chambers; blood colorless; gill-slits numerous, the respiratory cavity opening
into the abdomen; inspired water discharged through a special abdominal pore.

Leprocarptr! (lancelets).

ii. Animals with cartilaginous or bony skeleton; skull and brain present; heart developed as a
cavity with at least two chambers; blood red.

a. Eel-shaped; skeleton cartilaginous; skull imperfect; mouth circular, suctorial; no jaws
or paired fins; a single median nostril; gills pouch-shaped and numerous; skin naked;
alimentary canal straight, without cceca; pancreas and spleen absent.

MARSIPOBRANCHII (lampreys, etc.).

aa. Skull well-developed; jaws distinct; fins usually highly-developed, some of them paired;
skin usually scaly; nostrils at least two, not median; gill-openings a single slit on each

side in most fishes (numerous in a few families); alimentary canal more or less con-
voluted: pancreas and ‘spleen present". cam... se etter eine Pisces (fishes).

* Following is an explanation of some of the arbitrary features adopted in describing the species:

In the statement of the general shape of a species the relation of the depthand the length of head to the
length is given. By depth is understood the greatest vertical diameter of the body, while length or total length
means the distance in a straight line from the end of snout to end of the backbone, or, what usually amounts
to practically the same thing, to the base of the caudal fin; the length of head is the distance in a straight line
from the end of snout to the most posterior part of the gill-cover. The relative size of parts may vary with
the size, age, sex, and spawning condition of the individual; and the figures given in the diagnoses must be
regarded as simply averages for adult fishes. In the young, the head and eye are usually larger, the depth less
and the mouth smaller than in mature examples.

In noting the fin formule, spinous rays are always recorded with Roman numerals and soft rays with
Arabic figures. Thus, ‘‘dorsal rays 10” means that a fish has a single dorsal fin with 10 soft rays; “‘dorsal rays
1v,10”’ means that a fish has a continuous dorsal fin composed of 4 spines aad 10 soft rays; ‘‘dorsal rays tv +
10” means that a fish has two separate dorsal fins, the anterior with 4 spines and the posterior with 10 soft rays;
and ‘ dorsal rays 11+1, 10” means that a fish has two separate dorsal fins, the anterior with 3 spines and the
posterior with 10 rays preceded by a single spine.

The number of scales in lateral series is usually computed along the lateral line, and often corresponds
with the number of pores or tubes in the lateral line; when the lateral line is absent or incomplete, the count is
made from the gill-opening to the base of the caudal fin. The number of scales in crosswise series is determined
by counting an oblique row from the base of dorsal fin to the lateral line and from the lateral line to the base
of anal fin or to the vent

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. Dl

Class LEPTOCARDII. The Leptocardians.
Order AMPHIOXI. The Cirristomes.

Family BRANCHIOSTOMID. The Lancelets.

Very small, elongated, compressed, translucent marine creatures, having no
scales, rudimentary fins and eyes, the mouth a longitudinal slit surrounded by a
fringe of cirri, and various other characters shown in the foregoing key. There
are two or three genera and about eight species, distinguishable chiefly by the
number of muscular bands with which the body is marked; only one genus is
represented in United States waters.

Genus BRANCHIOSTOMA Costa. Lancelets.

Small, lance-shaped animals living buried in sand in comparatively shallow
water, with gonads on both sides of the median line, an anal fin containing traces
of rays, and no caudal fin. Represented on the United States coasts by two or
three species, of which one is found in North Carolina. (Branchiostoma, gill-
like mouth, the cirri having been mistaken for gills.)

1. BRANCHIOSTOMA CARIBAUM Sundevall.
Lancelet; Amphioxus.

Branchiostoma caribeum Sundevall, Kongliga Vetenskaps-Foérhandlingar, 12, 1853; St. Thomasand Rio Janeiro.
Yarrow, 1877, 218; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 3, pl.i, fig.1; Beaufort, N.C., to South America.

Amphiorus, Baird, Smithsonian Report, 1860, 71; Beaufort. Wilson, 1900, 354; Beaufort.

Amphioxus caribeus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 388; Beaufort.

Branchiostoma lanceolatum, Jordan, 1886, 26; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 83; Beaufort.

Draenosis.—Depth about .11 total length; number of muscular bands (myocommata)
about 58, of which 7 to 10 are posterior to vent; gonads on each side 22 to 26; length under 2
inches. (Named from the Caribbean Sea.)

Fig. 2. LancreLer. Branchiostoma caribeum.

“=

This curious and interesting species, which is probably only a variety of
Branchiostoma lanceolatum of Europe and Chesapeake Bay, is found coastwise
from North Carolina to Argentina. The presence of the amphioxus in United
States waters was first determined by Dr. Theodore Gill, from specimens collected
at Beaufort in 1860. Yarrow found a number of specimens on Bird Shoal, and
others have obtained the species there. Wilson states that it is not common at
Beaufort and that the pelagic larve are taken there in the tow in July. In 1902
the Fish-Hawk dredged many specimens at various points off Cape Lookout
(stations 7312, 7320, 7338,7341) in depths of 8, 10, 13.5 and 29 fathoms.

J

28 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Class MARSIPOBRANCHII. The Pouch-gilled Animals.
Order HYPEROARTII. The Hyperoartians.
Family PETROMYZONTID ®. The Lampreys.

Oviparous, eel-like vertebrates, with circular, toothed mouth adapted for
sucking, nostril on top of head in front of eyes, 7 gill-openings on each side of
the body anteriorly, no scales, dorsal fin notched or divided and continuous with
anal fin around the tail. The young differ considerably from the adults, having
rudimentary eyes, and being usually toothless; they were for a long time regarded
as belonging to different genera. Some of the American species are marine,
some are strictly fresh-water, and some are anadromous. They attach them-
selves to fishes, make ulcers or holes in their sides, and suck their blood. One
species is found in North Carolina.

Genus PETROMYZON Linnzus. Sea Lampreys.

Large anadromous lampreys, distinguished by tooth-like processes on what
corresponds to the upper and lower jaws of fishes, the superior teeth 2 or 3 in
number, pointed, and close together; the large sucking disk with numerous
teeth in concentric lines; parts of dorsal fin separated. (Petromyzon, stone-sucker.)

2. PETROMYZON MARINUS Linneus.
‘“‘Lamprus Eel’’; ‘‘Lamprey Eel’’; ‘‘Lamprey’’; Sea Lamprey.

Petromyzon marinus Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 230, 1758; European seas. Jordan & Evermann,
1896, 10, pl. i, fig. 3
DraGcnosis.—Head long, its length greater than distance between first and last gill-
openings; eye nearer to first gill-opening than to anterior end of head; mouth large, with
numerous conical teeth in oblique rows; lips fringed; dorsal fins low and well separated.
Color: back and sides slaty brown, sharply mottled with black; below white or pale yellow.
(marinus, marine.)

Fig. 3. Sea Lamprey. Petromyzon marinus.

Inhabits the coasts of the North Atlantic Ocean, ranging as far south as
North Carolina, going from the sea to the rivers to spawn. ‘The species ascends
some of the North Carolina streams in spring along with shad and alewives, but
is less abundant than in more northern waters. It has been observed by the
writer in Albemarle Sound at Avoca, where larval lampreys (Ammocetes) 6 or 8
inches long and adults 2 to 3 feet long are caught in shad seines. It is also
known from the Neuse at Kinston, and at Raleigh, where Mr. C. S. Brimley
reports it as rare, the adults being observed in April and the young in June. The

Oe

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 29

species is thus referred to by Lawson in ‘‘A New Voyage to Carolina’’, pub-
lished in 1709:

Lampreys are not common; I never saw but one, which was large, and caught by the
Indians in a ware. They would not eat him, but gave him to me.

Lampreys attach themselves to shad, cat-fish, sturgeon, and various
other fishes, making ulcerous sores and sometimes producing death by perfor-
ating the abdominal walls. The rapidity of their respiratory movements is quite
remarkable; in a healthy 2-foot specimen observed by the writer the respirations
averaged 124 per minute.

Outside of a few localities in New England, the lamprey has no recognized
food value in the United States, although in Europe it has been more or less
celebrated from early times.

Class PISCES. The Fishes,

The North Carolina representatives of this class fall into 2 easily recognized
groups or sub-classes, (1) the sharks, skates, andrays, and (2) the true fishes,
which are distinguished anatomically as follows:

t. Skeleton cartilaginous; skull without sutures and without membranous bones; gill-openings
numerous (5 to 7) and slit like, the gills attached tothe skin; tail heterocerecal; skin tough,
naked or covered with small rough scales, spines, or tubercles; air-bladder absent; jaws
separable from skull; species viviparous or ovoviviparous, the eggs large and few in number;
embryo with deciduous external gills.

: SELACHIT or ELASMOBRANCHI!I (sharks, skates, rays, etc.).

it. Skeleton bony in all but a few families; skull with sutures and membranous bones (oper-
cula, etc.); gill-openings a single slit on each side, the gills attached to bony arches; tail
heterocercal or homocercal; body usually covered with numerous flat scales; air-bladder
present or absent; jaws not distinct from the skull; species oviparous (exceptionally vivi-
MALoUS) the Ova small’and nmumMerous..-.5......0.-..0+--02- TELEOSTOMI (true fishes).

ae@incs SELACHIL The Sharks, Skates, and Rays.

Key to the orders of selachians represented in North Carolina waters.

i. Form typically fish-like; one or two well-developed dorsal fins; anal fin present; caudal fin
large; pectoral fins distinct; gill-openings lateral.

a. Gill-openings 6 or 7 in number; dorsal fin single... DrpLosponpyL1 (notidanoid sharks).

aa. Gill-openings 5 in number; two dorsal fins........... ASTEROSPONDYLI (typical sharks).

wi. Form not fish-like, much depresssed and expanded laterally; dorsal fins wanting, or
small and inserted on tail; anal fin absent; caudal fin small or wanting.

b. Pectoral fins expanded laterally, but not confluent with body, separatedfrom neck by

a deep notch in which are the gill-openings; gill-openings lateral, partly inferior;

ventral fins large...... CycLOosponpyLI (suborder TEcTOSPONDYLT, the angel-fishes).
._ bb. Pectoral fins expanded laterally and confluent with body; gill-openings ventral; ven-
ETM SES TNA eo oar oc srsicledeies) «1m ayele een one Sane BaTorpkA (the skates and rays).

Order DIPLOSPONDYLI. The Notidanoid Sharks.

These sharks are distinguished by having 6 or 7 gill-openings on each side,
a single dorsal fin, and 2 vertebre and 2 neural arches arising from each segment
of the backbone, together with other skeletal characters. Numerous species of
fossil sharks are allied to the few living members of the order. One American
family.

30 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Family HEXANCHID. The Cow Sharks.

A small family of viviparous sharks, some of them of large size, character-
ized by 6 or 7 wide gill-slits and a single dorsal fin, together with a more or less
elongate body, depressed head, large and subinferior mouth without labial fold,
and teeth in upper jaw unlike those in lower. Two American genera, with 6 and 7
gill-openings respectively.

enus HEXANCHUS Rafinesque. Cow Sharks.

,

In having 6 gill-openings, this genus differs from all other known sharks
with the exception of a deep-water form (Chlamydoselachus) from Japan and
Madeira. The teeth in the upper jaw consist of about 4 pointed ones in front,
3 on each side of these with 1 or many cusps, and lateral ones with numerous
cusps; the teeth in the lower jaw are a small median one with or without cusp
and lateral serrated ones with numerous cusps. Two species, one in the Atlantic,
the other in the Pacific. (Hexanchus, six-slitted.)

3. HEXANCHUS GRISEUS (Gmelin).
Cow Shark.

Squalus griseus Gmelin, Systema Nature, 1495, 1788; Mediterranean.
Hexanchus griseus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 19, pl. il, fig. 8.

Diaanosis.—Body deepest over pectorals, tapering gradually to base of caudal, greatest
depth less than length of head and about .16 total length to tip of caudal; head large, blunt;
mouth large, posterior angle extending nearly to first gill-opening; 2 teeth on each side of upper
jaw in front and curved outward, other teeth with 6 or more cusps; lateral teeth in lower jaw
with 7 to 9 cusps; eye small, placed far forward; snout short, nostrils near its tip; gill-slits
rather wide, anterior widest, others progressively reduced; dorsal placed far backward, its
origin opposite posterior end of base of ventrals; anal similar to dorsal but more posterior;
caudal stout, its length 1.5 times head; length of pectorals about equal to head to anterior gill-
slit. Color: dark gray. (griseus, gray.)

Fig. 4. Cow SHark. Hexanchus griseus.

The cow shark frequents the Mediterranean Sea and the west coast of
Europe, and is reported by Poey to be often taken about Cuba. There appears
to be only a single record of its occurrence on the coast of the United States. In
March, 1886, a specimen 10 feet 2 inches long was secured at the Currituck Inlet
life-saving station, North Carolina, and forwarded to the U.S. National Museum
by D. M. Etheridge; a plaster cast of the fish is now on exhibition. This shark
attains a length of 26 feet, and may always be readily distinguished from all
other species inhabiting our coast by the single dorsal fin and the 6 gill-openings.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 31

Order ASTEROSPONDYLI. The Typical Sharks.

All but one of the sharks as yet known from the state are placed in this order,
characterized by five gill-openings, two dorsal fins without spines, an anal fin,
and internal calcareous layers of each vertebra radiating from the central ring.
Besides the families given in the following key, there are others which will doubt-
less in time be represented in the local fauna by species* of wide distribution.

Key to the families and genera of North Carolina typical sharks.
i. First dorsal fin over or behind the ventrals; no membrance for closing the eye.

ScYLLIORHINID® (genus CATULUS).
ti. First dorsal fin more or less in advance of the ventrals.
a. Last gill aperture above base of pectoral fin; membrane for closing eye present.

b. Head typically shark-like.
GALEID® (genera MusTe.us, Scotiopon, and CARCHARHINUS).
bb. Head atypical, being greatly prolonged laterally. ... SpHyRNip# (genus SPHYRNA).

aa. Last gill slit in front of pectoral fin; no membrane for closing eye.

CARCHARIIDA (genus CARCHARIAS).

Family SCYLLIORHINID®. The Cat Sharks.

Ovoviviparous sharks with large quadrate egg-cases, the four corners pro-
duced into long tubes for attaching the cases to submerged objects; gill-openings
small, the most posterior one above base of pectorals; mouth broad, with small
teeth in several rows, each tooth with a median cusp and 1 or more cusps on each
side; nostrils near to or confluent with mouth; dorsal fins small; anal fin usually
anterior to second dorsal; caudal rather long, without median keel. Two Amer-
ican genera.

Genus CATULUS A. Smith. Cat Sharks.

Very small sharks with nostrils widely separated and near the wide mouth,
inhabiting rather deep water in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Of the five
North American species, only one is found on the Atlantic coast. (Catulus,
little cat.)

4, CATULUS RETIFER (Garman).
Cat Shark.
Scyllium retiferum Garman, Bulletin Museum Comparative Zodlogy, viii, 233, 1881; 80 miles east of Virginia
coast in 89 fathoms.
Catulus retifer, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 25.

Dracnosis.—Body moderately elongate, head much depressed, mouth broad; teeth
small, each with a central cusp and 2 small cusps on each side; first dorsal fin near middle of
body; pectorals short and broad; vent anterior to middle of body. Color: light brown, with
groups of black lines making an irregular meshwork; yellow beneath. (retifer, net-bearing, in
allusion to the markings.)

Several specimens of this rare shark have been obtained off the South Atlan-
tie States and in the West Indies. In August, 1902, the Fish-Hawk collected 10
specimens 6 inches long with a 7-foot beam trawl 37 to 40 miles southeast of
Cape Lookout in 141 and 172 fathoms of water. Maximum length about 1 foot.

* Among these are (1) the mackerel shark (Isurus dekayz), ranging from the West Indies to Cape Cod; (2)

the porbeagle, or mackerel shark (Lamna cornubica), a very large pelagic form occasionally taken on the Atlan-

tic coast; (3) the man-eater shark or great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), which is found in all temper-
ate and tropical seas and reaches a length of 30 feet.

o2 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Family GALEIDA. The Requiem Sharks.

Ovoviviparous sharks, with the first dorsal fin short and high, entirely in
advance of ventrals; the second dorsal small and opposite anal; gill-openings of
moderate size; the last slit above base of pectorals; spiracles small or obsolete; no
keel on side of caudal peduncle; nictitating membrane present; no dorsal spines.
A very large family, found in all seas, with numerous genera, of which the follow-
ing are represented in South Atlantic fauna and several others may be looked
for*:

1. Teeth blunt, flat, paved, without cusps or ridges; spiracles present; embryos not attached

by ‘a placenta. 50. hes Sec oe ho ne Soe reo ne ela tehiacane te eon a ee ayen eter Nn Pee MusTELUS.

wi. Teeth compressed, with entire or serrate edges; spiracles obsolete; embryos attached by a
placenta.

a. Angle of mouth without a groove which extends along either Jaw; all teeth more or less

serrate; first dorsal nearer to pectorals than to ventrals....... CARCHARHINUS.

aa. Angle of mouth with a groove which extends along either jaw; teeth entire; first dorsal

midway between pectorals and ventrals.. 00.2.2... 8. .-22.5- 0 oon ee ScoLiopon.

Genus MUSTELUS Cuvier. Dog-fishes.

Small sharks, usually swimming in droves; body elongate, slender; mouth
small, crescent-shaped, with conspicuous labial folds; snout long and flat; teeth
small, many-rowed, pavement-like, those in two jaws similar; eye large, oval;
spiracles small; pectorals large; caudal nearly straight, the basal lobe very small.
Two American species, one on Pacific coast of Mexico, and one on Alantic coasts
of America and Europe. (J/ustelus, weasel or marten.)

5. MUSTELUS CANIS (Mitchill).
‘“‘Dog-fish’’; Smooth Dog-fish.

Squalus canis Mitchill, Transactions of Literary and Philosophical Society of New York, i, 486, 1815; New
York.

Mustelus levis, Goode, History of the American Menhaden, 41, 1879; Cape Hatteras.

Mustelus canis, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 29.

DiaGnosis.—Body cylindrical, slender, peduncle long; head .25 total length without
caudal, twice greatest depth of body; snout .33 length of head; eye .4 length of snout; teeth in
about 10 rows in each jaw; caudal fin as long as head, its lower lobe .33 length of upper. Color:
uniform ashy gray, sometimes with pale spots; beneath white. (canis, dog.)

The dog-fish is one of the most abundant of the sharks on the Atlantic coast
of the United States. Its maximum length is 5 feet and the average 2.5 to 3 feet.
It feeds largely on crabs, lobsters, and other bottom invertebrates. The flesh is
very palatable, and in Bermuda is highly esteemed, but in the United States the
fish has no econemic value at present, but, on the contrary, is very destructive
in the New England fisheries, chiefly because it eats the food fish that have been
caught with lines and gill nets.

The dog-fish is abundant at times off the North Carolina coast, and is often
caught in the beach seines in winter, although it usually keeps offshore. It is

* Other sharks of this family that may eventually be recorded from North Carolina are: (1) The leopard,
tiger or spotted shark (Galeocerdo tigrinus), not uncommon on the east coast as far north as Massachusetts; a
large species, attaining a length of 30 feet. (2) The great blue shark (Prionace glauca), rare on the Atlantic
Soa eee Massachusetts records). (3) The tiburon (Aprionodon isodon), known from New York, Virginia
and Cuba.

0

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 33

very common at Cape Lookout from fall to April or May, when it departs, going
north as the fishermen believe. Many are caught there in the sink nets; and
they are often quite annoying and destructive, eating the fish in the nets and
chewing the twine. Commander Robert Platt, U.S. N., states that the fish is at
times abundant off Cape Fear. Lawson’s account of the fishes of North Caro-
lina contains this reference:

The dog-fish are a small sort of the shark kind; and are caught with hook and line, fishing
for drums. They say, they are good meat;.but we have so many other sorts of delicate fish,
that I shall hardly ever make tryal what they are.

The eggs of the dog-fish are fertilized internally, and the young are about 1
foot long when born. From 4 to 12 fish are produced at one time.

The abundance of this species, the facility with which it may be caught, and
the quality of its flesh warrant the belief that before long it will become the
object of a special fishery in North Carolina as in other states. Its non-utilization
in America up to this time depends on ignorance of its value and prejudice be-
cause of its name and relationship.

Genus CARCHARHINUS Blainville. Flat-headed Sharks.

This genus includes numerous species of medium and large sized sharks, of
voracious habits, found in all oceans. First dorsal fin placed anteriorly, nearer
to pectorals than to ventrals; no spiracles; all teeth in adults with serrate edges;
no groove from angles of mouth along jaws. ‘Two species are known from North
Carolina, but several others undoubtedly occur, judging from their general range
and from incomplete descriptions of examples caught by anglers at Beaufort;
the recorded species (with others that may be looked for) are thus distinguished:
t. Teeth in upper jaw broad, in lower jaw narrower.

a. Pectoral fins very long and falcate, reaching beyond base of first dorsal; snout obtuse.
obscurus.

aa. Pectoral fins shorter, not reaching to base of first dorsal.
b. Length of snout anterior to mouth equal to width of mouth; fins not dark-tipped.
milbertt.
bb. Length of snout anterior to mouth equal .66 width of mouth; fins dark-tipped.
platyodon.
wi. Teeth in both jaws narrow and constricted at base; length of snout equal to width of mouth;

pectoral fins faleate, extending beyond base of first dorsal; all fins black-tipped.
limbatus.

(Carcharhinus, jagged shark.)

6. CARCHARHINUS OBSCURUS (LeSueur).
Dusky Shark.

Squalus obscurus LeSueur, Journal Academy Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 1818, 223; New York.
Carcharhinus obscurus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 35. Linton, 1905, 339; Beaufort.

Draenosis.—Head broad, flat; snout broad and rounded; teeth in upper jaw with a deep
notch on outer edge; second dorsal fin smaller than anal and considerably produced posteriorly;
pectorals long and falcate, their length 3 times breadth. Color: dusky blue above, white
below. (obscurus, dusky.)

Along the east coast of the United States this shark is common and well

known. It reaches a length of 14 feet. Prof. Edwin Linton examined a number
taken at Beaufort, North Carolina, in July and August 1901 and 1902; the

34 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

largest specimen was 7.5 feet long and weighed 203 pounds. These are the only
records for the state, but the species is probably a regular member of the local

fauna.
7. CARCHARHINUS MILBERTI (Miller & Henle).

Blue Shark.

Carcharias milberti Miller & Henle, Plagiostomen, 38, 1838; New York.
Carcharhinus milberti, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 37. Linton, 1905, 341; Beaufort.

D1aGnosis.—Body stout; head broad, depressed; mouth very broad, its width equal to
length of snout; upper teeth broad, triangular, coarsely serrate, lower teeth narrower, finely
serrate; pectoral fins small, not falcate, their length contained 6.5 times in total body length.
Color: intense blue above, white below. (Named in honor of a French naturalist, M. Milbert.)

Inhabits the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts southward, and is not rare.
Specimens have recently been brought to the Beaufort laboratory from the
harbor and adjacent waters. The largest example was caught with rod-and-line
by Mr. Russell J. Coles in Newport Channel near the Morehead railroad pier
July 25, 1902; it was 9 feet 2 inches long and 5 feet 2 inches in circumference at
thickest part of body; the head was 3 feet 11 inches in circumference at gape;
the mouth was 15.5 inches wide; the largest teeth were 0.9 inch along the cutting
surface and nearly as wide as base; the specimen contained 4 small embryos.

Genus SCOLIODON Miiller & Henle. Oblique-toothed Sharks.

Small sharks, with obsolete spiracles, a groove extending from angles of
mouth along both jaws, and teeth flat, pointing toward sides of mouth, each
tooth with a deép notch on outer margin near the sharp point. Two North
American species, one on each coast. (Scoliodon,.oblique-toothed.)

8. SCOLIODON TERRAZ-NOV4& (Richardson).
‘‘Sharp-nosed Shark’’.

Squalus terre-nove Richardson, Fauna Boreali-Americana, iii, 289, 1836; Newfoundland? (probably Carolina).

Scoliodon terre-nove, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 388; Beaufort harbor. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 43.

Carcharhinus terre-nove, Jordan, 1886, 26; Beaufort Jenkins, 1887, 84; Beaufort. Wilson, 1900, 355; Beau-
fort. Linton, 1905, 342; Beaufort.

Dracnosis.—Body slender; snout flattened; mouth U-shaped; first dorsal fin midway
between pectorals and ventrals; second dorsal very small, smaller than anal; pectorals large,
extending to middle of first dorsal. Color: gray; caudal fin margined with black. (terre-
nove, Newfoundland.)

Ranges from Massachusetts to Brazil, and is numerous on the South Atlantic
coast. It is one of the commonest sharks at Beaufort, and is frequently caught
from the wharf of the government laboratory. In the winter of 1891 Dr. Ken-
dall saw many taken in the beach seines at Cape Lookout. The usual length is
about 3 feet, but Jenkins records the capture of a 7-foot specimen at Beaufort.

The food is quite varied; while fish probably constitute the principal food
at Beaufort, blue crabs, hermit crabs, fiddler crabs, shrimp, annelids, sea lettuce,
and mud have there been found in their stomachs. The young are born in
summer.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 35

Family SPHYRNIDAS. The Hammer-headed Sharks.

This family resembles the Galeide, but has the head peculiarly modified
into a hammer-shaped organ,with the eyes widely separated; teeth small, oblique,
similar in the two jaws; spiracles absent; caudal with a notch toward its top and
with a well developed lower lobe. One genus, represented in warm seas in most
parts of the world. The young numerous and born alive.

Genus SPHYRNA Rafinesque. Hammer-headed Sharks.

These sharks are readily distinguishable by their peculiarly shaped heads,
which by lateral extension have become hammer-shaped or kidney-shaped, the
eyes being at the ends of the lateral processes. Teeth small, notched on outer
edge, obliquely set in jaws; first dorsal and pectoral fins large, second dorsal and
anal fins small. The two species which are found on the Atlantic coast and are
taken in North Carolina waters may be distinguished as follows:

i. Head kidney-shaped, the anterior and lateral margins confluent; groove from nostril to

SAARC GL OO SOICLR Ss arc. ciation -aicre is or ta, ct~/9) oes Kia © s; see ata Wray overn sie’ os wiecsinievere os tiburo.
it. Head hammer-shaped, the anterior and posterior margins nearly parallel; nasal groove
FMAM eyes es satel ata css ors) sum wreie elb resin Ci Cia taieia se acted ooo Stel 5/0 zygena.

(Sphyrna, hammer.)

9. SPHYRNA TIBURO (Linneus).
‘‘Bonnet-nosed Shark’’; ‘‘Shovel-headed Shark’’; Bonnet-headed Shark.

Squalus tiburo Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 234, 1758; America

Reniceps tiburo, Yarrow, 1877, 217; Beaufort.

Sphyrna tiburo, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 387; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 26; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 84; Beau-
fort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 44, pl. v, fig. 19. Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort. Linton, 1905, 344;
Beaufort.

DraGnosis.—Body slender, slightly compressed; head flattened, .16 total length to end
of tail, semi-circular in front, its width slightly less than length; mouth small, crescentic; first
dorsal very high, second dorsal smaller, produced behind; anal larger than second dorsal; pec-
torals large; ventrals moderate; upper caudal lobe long. Color: light gray above, whitish
beneath. (tiburo, a Spanish name for shark.)

Fig. 5. BONNET-HEADED SHARK. Sphyrna tiburo.

The bonnet-headed shark is abundant on the Atlantic coast of the United
States, and is common in the Beaufort region. It is much smaller than the
hammer-headed shark, rarely exceeding 5 feet. Specimens examined at Beau-
fort in summer had been feeding on crabs, shrimp, and other crustaceans. One
brought to the laboratory July 25, 1902, contained 8 young.

36 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

10. SPHYRNA ZYGAINA (Linneus).
‘“‘Hammer-head’’; ‘‘Hammer-headed Shark’’.
Squalus zygena Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 234, 1758; Europe, America.

Sphyrna zygena, Yarrow, 1877, 217; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 387; Beaufort. Jordan, 1887, 26;
Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 45. Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort.

Diaenosis.—Body slender, head about twice as wide as long; nostril near eye, prolonged
into a groove; first dorsal large, second dorsal small, anal small but larger than second dorsal;
pectorals large. Color: gray above, white beneath. (zygawna, an ancient Greek name for this
fish.)

Fig. 6 (a and b). HAMMER-HEADED SHARK. Sphyrna zygena. Dorsal and
dorso-lateral views.

This singular species, at home in the warm seas, occurs as a straggler on our
Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Dr. Yarrow records a single specimen from Beau-
fort. Another was taken near Morehead in 1902. Professor Wilson states that
some years the young are very abundant at Beaufort in early summer. ‘This is
a voracious species, attaining a length of over 15 feet; it often swims with its
dorsal and caudal fins exposed.

Family CARCHARIIDA. The Sand Sharks.

Voracious, moderate-sized sharks, belonging to a single genus. Body
elongate; snout sharp; mouth crescentic; teeth long, narrow and sharp, mostly
with 1 or 2 cusps at base; gill-slits large, all anterior to pectorals; both dorsal fins
and anal fin of similar size, first dorsal posterior to pectorals; pectorals short; no
keel on peduncle; upper caudal lobe about twice length of lower, with a well-
marked notch below; nictitating membrane absent; spiracles reduced to mere
pores, a

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 37

Genus CARCHARIAS Rafinesque. Sand Sharks.

This genus, whose characters are given above, contains several species of
which only one is American. (Carcharias, old name for the cub shark, or
requiem, of Europe and tropical America.)

11. CARCHARIAS LITTORALIS (Mitchill).
‘‘Sand-bar Shark’’; ‘‘Sand Shark’’; Shovel-nose.

Squalus littoralis Mitchill, American Monthly Magazine, ii, 328, 1818; New York.

Eugomphodus littoralis, Yarrow, 1877, 217; Beaufort.

Carcharias americanus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 387; Beaufort.

Carcharias littoralis, Jordan, 1886, 26; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 46; 1898, 2748; (Beaufort).

D1aenosis.—Body elongate, its depth .16 its length; head small, pointed, its length about
.14 total length; all fins small, first dorsal about same size as second and anal. Color: dark gray
above, white below: (littoralis, pertaining to the shore.)

This is a well known shark of the Atlantic coast, inhabiting sandy shores and
feeding chiefly on fishes. It is one of the most vicious of sharks, and is able to
inflict serious injury to the careless fisherman. The usual length is under 5 feet,
but a length of 10 or 12 feet is sometimes reached. Two specimens 9 feet long
were obtained at Beaufort by Mr. H. H. Brimley in 1900; one of these, a female,
skinned and mounted, is now in the State Museum at Raleigh.

This appears to be the species known at Cape Lookout as the ‘‘sand-bar
shark’; a specimen caught there April 21, 1904, was between 8 and 10 feet long
and was said by the fishermen to contain a ‘“‘ bushel of eggs”’.

Order CYCLOSPONDYLI. The Cyclospondylous Sharks.

This order is thus far represented in North Carolina by a single species*,
which is intermediate between the sharks and the rays. The anal fin is absent,
the dorsal fins are small, and the internal calcareous layers of each vertebra are
arranged concentrically about the central ring.

Family SQUATINIDA. The Angel Sharks.

Ray-like sharks, with broad, flattened body; obtuse snout; terminal mouth;
large, expanded pectoral fins, separated from neck by a deep notch; large ven-
tral fins; two small dorsal fins on the tail, behind the ventrals; no anal fin; wide
lateral gill-slits, partly inferior; wide, crescentic spiracles; nostrils on anterior
margin of snout. One genus.

Genus SQUATINA Duméril. Angel-fishes.

This genus, which is sufficiently characterized above, includes a single widely
distributed species. (Squatina, the ancient Latin name for this fish.)

*The spiny dog-fish (Squalus acanthias), which rangesalong our east coast from Cuba northward and is
common in Maine and Massachusetts, belongs in this order.

38 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

12. SQUATINA SQUATINA (Linnezus).
‘‘Nurse-fish”; ‘‘Jakie’’; Angel-fish; Monk-fish.

Squalus squatina Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 233, 1758; Europe.
Squatina squatina, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 58.

DriaGNnosis.—Body broad, flat, the length about 2.5 times width; snout small, sharp,
separated; eyes small; skin with small prickles, most evident on middle line of back; caudal
fin triangular; dorsal fins short and high. Color: above ashy gray, with brownish blotches;
beneath white.

This ray-like shark is found in all warm seas. On our east coast it ranges
from Florida to Cape Cod, but is not common. It has not heretofore been
recorded from- North Carolina, although apparently to be met with regularly.
On April 22, 1904, the writer observed an example 2.5 feet long at Cape Lookout,
where it had been caught in a deep-water gill net the day before; the local fisher-
men, who call the fish ‘‘nurse-fish” and ‘‘jakie”’, state that they catch a number
every season, some of them 4 to 5 feet long. The species is often troublesome,
getting snarled in the nets or eating other fish caught therein; it also bites the
fishermen if they are not wary. The example seen by the writer contained frag-
ments of fish and bivalve shells.

Order BATOIDEA. The Skates and Rays.

These fishes inhabit salt water, and are of moderate or large size. They are
chiefly bottom-loving, and some are found at considerable depths. Reproduc-
tion is by means of large, encapsuled eggs, few in number, which are fertilized
internally and may undergo considerable development before being laid.
These fishes are of little direct economic value, being rarely eaten or otherwise
utilized in America, although of some importance in Europe and Asia. All of the
7 families found in North America are represented in the state; they fall into 2
divisions, based on the character of the tail.

Key to the families of skates and rays found in North Carolina waters.

i. Tail comparatively thick, without a serrated erectile spine; 2 dorsal fins and usually a caudal

fin.
a. Snout flat, produced, with a series of long teeth on each side....PRIsTIDm (saw-fishes).
aa. Snout not saw-like.
b. Electric organs present; skin smooth............... NARCOBATID# (electric rays).

bb. Electric organs absent; skin not smooth.
c. Disc-like pectoral fins extending to snout, abruptly contracted behind; tail dis-

EUUCE Jos foveusirons.grev'es oreo sees eh SUS arate lle ote ie uc tatone Sm ere Meee Reale Rete te RET Rasp (skates).
cc. Disc-like pectoral fins not extending as far as snout, not abruptly contracted.
behind but passing gradually into the tail ...... RHINOBATID# (guitar-fishes)

ii. Tail comparatively slender, usually with a serrated spine on its upper surface; dorsal fin
single or absent. '
d. Pectoral fins united around theisnoutiy. = 1. 4-1-1) terei erie DasyYATID& (sting rays).
dd. Pectoral fins forming detached horn-like processes (“cephalic fins”) anteriorly.

é. Teeth few amdlarce: 7 voices ets cx eccrine austen toners MYLIOBATID# (eagle rays). ~

ee. Teeth numerous, very small, wanting in upper jaw....... MaANntTIp2 (devil-fishes).

Family PRISTIDA. The Saw-fishes.

Huge, powerful, shark-like rays characterized by a long, broad, depressed

a

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 39

body; a snout consisting of along, hard, thin process, beset with numerous strong
teeth along each lateral edge; minute jaw teeth; inferior gill-slits and nostrils;
wide spiracles, situated behind eyes; large dorsal fins, pectoral fins with front
margin free and not extending to head; and well developed caudal. One genus,
viviparous.

Genus PRISTIS Latham. Saw-fishes.

This genus, the characters of which are indicated above, contains two Amer-
ican species, one of which occurs on our South Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Species
usually marine, but sometimes entering fresh water; found chiefly in shallow
sounds and rivers with sandy bottom. (Pristis, one who saws.)

13. PRISTIS PECTINATUS Latham.
“‘Saw-fish’’

Pristis pectinatus Latham, Transactions Linnean Society, li, 278, 1794; ocean. Jenkins, 1885, 11; Beaufort.
Jordan, 1886, 26; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 84; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 60, pl. viii, fig. 27;
1898, 2749 (Beaufort). Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort.
Pristis antiquorum, Yarrow, 1877, 217; Bogue Sound, Core Sound, and New River.
Diacnosis.—‘‘Saw” with 24 to 32 teeth on each side; first dorsal fin opposite ventrals;
second dorsal about as large as first; caudal fin without lower lobe. Color: dark brown above,
pale yellow below. (pectinatus, comb-toothed.)

<S=

Fig. 7. Saw-FisH. Pristis pectinatus.

This curious fish inhabits the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and east coast
of the United States as far north as Chesapeake Bay. Its maximum length is
about 20 feet, the saw representing rather less than .33 the total length. The
flesh is coarse and rarely eaten; the skin may be made into a kind of leather. The
species is very destructive to fishermen’s nets. The young are born in summer,
and number at least 20; they are able to swim at birth, although the saw and
teeth are at first soft like leather.

This fish is not rare in the sounds and brackish rivers of North Carolina, and
large specimens (16 or more feet long) have been taken there. In the Beaufort
region and at Cape Lookout the species is observed almost every year, and some
seasons iscommon. The fishermen avoid it and endeavor to keep it out of their
nets. <A ‘‘saw”’ in the Beaufort laboratory bears 28 pairs of teeth and is 3 feet
1 inch long from tip to the posterior pair of teeth.

Lawson (1709), when he mentioned the “‘sword-fish”’ among the fishes of
North Carolina, probably had the saw-fish in mind. Brickell (1737), who usually
copied from Lawson without credit or discrimination, listed the ‘‘sword-fish or
saw-fish’’, gave a figure of the sword-fish (Xiphias), and noted that the fish
attacked whales, a habit ascribed to the sword-fish but a hardly conceivable one
of the saw-fish. Yarrow (1877) reported the saw-fish as hostile to porpoises in
North Carolina, an observation which needs verification.

40 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Family RHINOBATIDA. The Shark-like Rays.

Rays resembling sharks, with body long, flat, moderately broad, and grad-
ually merging into the long tail; skin nearly smooth, with no conspicuous
spines; 2 well developed dorsal fins without spine; rayed part of pectoral fins not
connected with snout; caudal fin with a prominent fold of skin on each side.
Viviparous fishes of the warm seas, about 5 genera represented on the Atlantic
coast.

Genus RHINOBATUS Bloch & Schneider. Guitar-fishes.

Body depressed, broad anteriorly, tapering posteriorly into tail; snout long,
formed by an extension of cartilage, space between snout and pectoral fins
covered with membrane; 2 dorsal fins, both posterior to ventral fins; caudal fin
with no lower lobe; spiracles wide; nostrils wide, oblique; skin covered with
rough scales, with a few spines on various parts of upper surface. Seven or
eight American species, one occurring on South Atlantic coast. (Rhinobatus,
shark-skate. )

14. RHINOBATUS LENTIGINOSUS Garman.
‘“Ray’’; ‘‘Clear-nose’’; Guitar-fish.

Rhinobatus lentiginosus Garman, Bulletin Museum Comparative Zodlogy, vi, 168, 1880; Florida. Jordan &
Evermann, 1896, 62, pl. viii, fig. 28; pl. ix, figs. 28a and 28b.

Draqnosis.—Disk sub-triangular, its width .33 total length; tail .5 length; snout slender;
pointed; mouth straight, its width somewhat less than interorbital space; teeth small, obtuse;
eyes twice as large as spiracles; spines on back and anterior to eyes small; spines on shoulders
and between eyes obsolete; 5 larger spines on tip of snout. Color: above brown, with
numerous small, round, light spots; below pale. (lentiginosus, freckled.)

Fig. 8 (a and b). Gur1rar-FisH. Rhinobatus lentiginosus. Lateral and dorsal views.

This species, heretofore known only from Charleston southward, occurs on
the North Carolina coast at Beaufort and doubtless elsewhere. A 2-foot speci-
men was taken in a drag-net near Middle Marsh, in Beaufort harbor, July 6, 1899;
this is the only example recorded at the laboratory, but it appears from informa-

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 41

ation furnished by the local fishermen that it is not rare in that region. Dr.
Coker states that the name “ray” as used by the Beaufort fishermen is restricted
to this species, which is also known as “‘clear-nose”’. The usual length is 2 feet.

Family RAJIDA. The Skates.

A numerous family of typical rays, having a broad, rhomboidal body; stout
tail distinct from the trunk; 2 dorsal fins on tail; pectoral fins extending to but
not around snout; no spine on tail; teeth small and paved. One American genus.

Genus RAJA Linnezus. Skates.

In this genus the caudal fin is absent or very small, the ventrals are deeply
divided, the teeth are in numerous series in each Jaw and differ somewhat in the
two sexes, and the male usually has a special patch of spines on each pectoral
flap.

Most of the skates inhabit shoal water, living on the bottom and feeding on
bottom animals (fish, crabs, mollusks, ete.). All the species are oviparous, the
eggs being in large oblong leathery cases which are attached to stones or marine
plants by a long horn at each of the four corners; the dried egg-cases are often
found washed up on the seashores. Valuable for food, and caught incidentally
in large numbers in seines and traps, and also taken with lines, but only sparingly
consumed in the United States; the large fleshy pectoral fins are the parts which
are eaten. Most common northward, only sparingly represented on the South
Atlantic coast. Only one species has heretofore been recorded from North
Carolina, but the brier ray (Raja eglanteria) has recently been collected by the
writer at Cape Lookout. These two species may be distinguished as follows:

a. Teeth in 30 rows; spines few and small, mostly on snout, on anterior border of pectoral
fins, about eyes, and on median line of back and tail; color, brown with pale spots.

levis.
aa. Teeth in 50 rows; spines numerous, small, and sharp, on all parts of upper surface;
CHonvioh, brown, withidark: markings <2. .266..55..-60csececsceccsese eglanteria.

(Raja, ray or skate.)
15. RAJA LAEVIS Mitchill.
Barndoor Skate; Winter Skate; Smooth Skate.
Raja levis Mitchill, American Monthly Magazine, ii, 327, 1817; New York. Yarrow, 1877, 217; Beaufort. Jor-
dan & Evermann, 1896, 71. Linton, 1905, 346; Beaufort.

DraGnosis.—Dise very wide, 1.5 times length of body to base of tail; tail less than
width of disc, 1.15 times length of body; snout long, sharp, its sides concave, its tip rough;
lateral angles of disc acute; spines comparatively few and small, a median row on tail and
back, a patch on each wing, another about eye and spiracle, and a zone on anterior border
of pectorals; teeth in about 30 rows. Color: brownish, with pale spots; white below. (levis,
smooth.)

This, the largest of the Atlantic skates, is found from Maine to Florida, and
is not uncommon in North Carolina. It reaches a length of 4 feet. Small speci-
mens were collected by the steamer Fish-Hawk off Cape Lookout on August 14,
1902, at station 7310, in 18 fathoms; they had shrimp and bivalve mollusks in
their stomachs.

42 ' FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

16. RAJA EGLANTERIA Bosc.
“‘Clear-nose’’; Brier Ray.

Raja eglanteria Bosc, in Lacépéde, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, ii, 103, 1800; Charleston, 8S. C.
Raja eglanteria, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 71.

DrAGNosis.—Snout long, acute, translucent; lateral angles of disc acute; body covered
with sharp prickles, with larger spines about eyes, on snout, and on back and tail; teeth in 50
rows. Color: light brown, with numerous dark brown elongated spots. (eglanteria, from
eglantere, the brier rose.)

Fig.9. Brizr Ray. Raja eglanteria. Male.

This skate, which reaches a length of about 2 feet, ranges along the Atlantic
coast between Massachusetts and Florida. It has not previously been recorded
from North Carolina, although it doubtless occurs along the entire coast of that
state. At Cape Lookout, on April 22, 1904, the author observed numerous
specimens on the beach, and was informed that many are caught in the deep-
water gill nets set in that region. In allusion to their pointed, translucent snout,
they are called “‘clear-noses”’ by the local fishermen. No use is made of them.

Family NARCOBATID. The Electric Rays.

Moderate or large-sized rays, inhabiting chiefly warm waters, having a
peculiar electric organ capable of giving a powerful shock to man or other animals.
Body broad and thick, skin smooth, tail short and thick with a fold on each side,
caudal fin with rays, 2-rayed dorsal fins, nasal valves confluent into a quadran-
gular lobe. Of the 7 genera, 2 are represented on the Atlantic coast of the
United States, only one, however, north of Florida.

=

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 43

Genus TETRONARCE Gill. Torpedoes.

Large fishes with pectoral fins rounded, so that outline anterior to ventrals
is almost circular; tail thick, abruptly tapering from pectorals to caudal; spir-
acles large, immediately behind eyes, their edges entire; mouth small, teeth
pointed; caudal fin large; ventrals large, separated from pectorals by a deep
notch. Two American species, one Californian and the following. (Tetronarce,
four-cornered torpedo).

17. TETRONARCE OCCIDENTALIS (Storer.)
‘‘Shock-fish’’; Torpedo; Cramp-fish; Electric Ray.

Torpedo occidentalis Storer, American Journal of Science and Arts, 1843, 165; Massachusetts, Yarrow,1877
_ 216; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 84; Beaufort.
Tetronarce occidentalis, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 77, pl. xi, fig. 33.

Dracnosis.—PBreadth of disk .75 length of body and equal to distance from front of disk
to origin of first dorsal fin; space between eyes and anterior margin of disk about 3 times dia-
meter of eye; first dorsal about twice size of second, its origin a little in advance of posterior
edge of ventrals; caudal fin triangular, slightly emarginate posteriorly. Color: dark purplish
brown above, with darker spots; white below. (occidentalis, western.)

cs
meen ty
SS

Fig. 10. Torprpo. Tetronarce occidentalis.

The torpedo inhabits coastal waters from Cuba northward, and is common
in some localities, such as southern Massachusetts. It attains a weight of 100
pounds, but specimens weighing more than 75 pounds are rare, and the average
is probably under 30 pounds. The fish is able to emit a very strong electric
discharge, from a large organ situated on either side just back of the head; the
shock from a large fish can knock a man down.

No collector seems to have actually observed this species in North Carolina
waters. Yarrow (1877) reported it at Beaufort, where ‘‘the fishermen state
they are rarely seen.” Jenkins (1887) says: ‘‘A fisherman described to me
the catching and experimenting with a torpedo”. ‘The inquiries of Dr. Coker
failed to elicit any positive information as to the occurrence of this fish at Beau-

44 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

fort in recent years. At Cape Lookout, however, where this species is known as
‘“‘shock-fish’’, it is at times not uncommon and has often been taken in nets.

Family DASYATID. The Sting-rays.

Rays, usually of large size, characterized by the union of pectoral fins around
the snout; body very depressed, skull flat (not elevated as in Myliobatidae, etc.);
tail either very long and slender or short and stout, with or without a barbed
spine; spiracles large, near eyes. Viviparous or ovoviviparous. Numerous
genera and species; the two following genera represented on Atlantic coast.

t. Tail long and slender; caudal spine strong; body roundish.................-. DASYATIS.
wi. Tail short; caudal spine weak or absent; body much broader than long ... PrEROPLATEA,

Genus DASYATIS Rafinesque. Sting-rays.

Body rounded, very flat; snout more or less prominent; whip-like tail with a
strong, barbed spine near its base, without fins but with one or two vertical folds;
skin usually spiny; teeth small, paved. Species of large size, and said to be
ovoviviparous. Used for food in Gulf States. Four or five species on Atlantic
coast; 2 are known to occur in North Carolina, and another (Dasyatis hastata)
may be looked for.
<. Tail witha small keel only on under side; back and tail with stout spines in adult. .centrura.

ai. Tail with a keel on both upper and under surface; skin nearly smooth, medium line of
back-wath*only tapine!.eu-eeissae tees Ho ee eee era ‘hale o 2E dale die Siteaecse a say.

(Dasyatis, rough skate.)

19. DASYATIS CENTRURA (Mitchill).
Sting-ray; Stingaree; Clam-cracker.
Raja centrura Mitchill, Transactions Literary Society of New York, i, 479, 1815; New York.
Dasyatis centrura, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 83.

DracNnosis.—Body quadrangular, .25 wider than long; snout slightly projecting; tail
more than twice the length of body, spiny, a keel below, one or more barbed spines near base;
skin smooth in young, tuberculate on head, back and tail in adults; teeth blunt, smooth, in
groups of 5. Color: dark brown above, white below. (centrura, spine-tailed.) :

A large northern species, ranging southward to Cape Hatteras. Maximum,
length, including tail, 12 feet. Feeds exclusively on invertebrates (crabs, clams,
squids, etc). The species called Trygon centrura by Yarrow in his Beaufort list
is doubtless Dasyatis say.

18. DASYATIS SAY (LeSueur).

“Sting-ray’’; ‘‘Stingaree’’; Whip-ray.
Raja say LeSueur, Journal Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, i, 421, 1817; New Jersey.
Trygon centrura, Yarrow, 1877,216; Beaufort.
Dasybatis centrurus, Jordan and Gilbert, 1879, 386; Beaufort.
Trygon sayi, Jenkins, 1887,84; Beaufort. Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort.
Dasybatis sayi, Jordan, 1886, 26; Beaufort
Dasyatis say, Jordan & Evermann, 1896,86. Linton, 1905, 346; Beaufort.

Dracnosis.—Body quadrangular, .16 wider than long, outer and posterior angles rounded;
snout not prominent; ventrals rounded; tail .5 longer than body, with a keel above and below,
and a barbed spine in front of upper keel; teeth smooth in young and in female, sharp in male:
3 papille at bottom of mouth and 1 on either side; skin on body and tail smooth. Color;

dark brown above, white below. (Named after Thomas Say.)

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 45

This species is common from North Carolina southward, occasionally stray -
ing to New York. It feeds largely on shellfish. The tail is used as a whip, and
the barbed spine is sometimes driven into the hands or feet of fishermen, inflict-
ing a very painful and troublesome wound, from septic infection. <A leather
shoe or rubber boot is readily pierced by the spine. At Beaufort this ray is
abundant in summer. Dr. Yarrow noted there a southward migration in the
latter part of October. Dr. Kendall observed many caught in beach seines at
Cape Lookout in 1891.

Genus PTEROPLATEA Miiller & Henle. Butterfly Rays.

Body wider than long, flat, the anterior angle obtuse, the lateral angles acute;
tail slender, shorter than body, with or without a small barbed spine and without
any fin. Fish of rather large size, viviparous. One species on the Atlantic
coast, two on the Pacific. (Pteroplatea, broad-finned.)

20. PTEROPLATEA MACLURA (LeSueur).
“Skate’’; Butterfly Ray; Sand Skate.

Raja maclura LeSueur, Journal Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, i, 14, 1817; Rhode Island.

Pteroplatea maclura, Yarrow, 1877, 216; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 386; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 26;
Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 84; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 86. Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort.
Linton, 1905, 348; Beaufort.

Diacnosis.—Body about twice as wide as long; anterior edge of pectorals slightly con-
cave; snout slightly projecting; tail only .33 length of body, spine usualy (always?) lacking;
skin smooth. Color: above olive brown, marbled and speckled, a row of light spots on front
of body, tail with 4 dark blotches. (Named after William Maclure, founder of the Philadel-
phia Academy of Sciences.)

This common fish of the North Carolina coast ranges from New York to
South America. It is numerous at Beaufort. The great width of its wing-like
pectoral fins has given it the name “‘butterfly ray”. The body reaches a length
of 4 feet.

The species is viviparous, and the normal number of young produced
appears to betwo. On July 29, 1902, a specimen 14.5 inches long and 26.5 inches
wide was delivered of two young at the Beaufort laboratory, and on August 11,
1903, another specimen gave birth to two young; the young in both cases were 6
inches wide.

Numerous specimens examined at Beaufort by Professor Linton in July and
August contained fish, shrimp, or razor clams.

Family MYLIOBATIDA. The Eagle Rays.

Large, viviparous sting-rays easily recognizable by the very broad body,
long, whip-like tail, and pectoral fins which extend forward only to sides of head
and reappear in a greatly modified form on the snout. The ventral fins are
short and rounded. The teeth are large, paired, and adapted for crushing. The
tail bears a single dorsal fin at its base and a large serrated spine capable of

46 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

inflicting a serious wound. The skin is smooth. Three American genera, all
represented on the North Carolina coast.

Key to genera of eagle rays.

e
i. Snout produced, rounded; teeth broad, in single series..................... AETOBATUS. —
ii. Snout short; teeth in several series.
Gs SMOULTEMTIE x, arse (oF cueay as ee: os t0lbi a tag soa beaver ol oPore Tevet oP Oe Neen eS Rene ener MYLIOBATIS.

Genus AETOBATUS Blainville. Eagle Rays.

Body very wide, the wings pointed; cephalic fin forming a rounded projection
onthe snout; teeth plate-like, in asingle row; eyeson sideof head. One Atlantic
coast species. (Aétobatus, eagle ray.)

21. AETOBATUS NARINARI (Euphrasen).
“‘Devil-fish’’; ‘‘Sting-ray’’; ‘‘Lady-ray’’; Spotted Sting-ray.
Raia narinari Euphrasen, Svenska Vetenskaps Akademien, nya handlingar, xi, 217, 1790; Brazil.
Aéetobatus narinari, Yarrow, 1877. 216; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 386; Beaufort. Jordan & Ever-

mann, 1896, 88, pls. xv, xvi, figs. 37, 37a.
Stoasodon narinari, Jordan, 1886, 26; Beaufort.

Draanosis.——Disk twice as-wide as long; outer angle of wings acute; posterior angle
rounded; cephalic fin .33 broader than long; ventrals rounded; tail 2.5 to 4 times as long as
body, with a large barbed spine at its base. Color: above brown, with numerous small,
round, pale spots and transverse parallel dark lines; below white. (narinari, a Brazilian
name.)

The range of this tropical species extends northward on the Atlantic coast
to Virginia. Under the names “‘sting-ray”’ and “‘lady-ray”’ it is recorded by Dr.
Yarrow from Beaufort as very common and reaching a large size. A specimen
caught by fishermen in a seine on Shark Shoal, Beaufort harbor, in September,
1901, was 4 feet wide and 2 feet 2 inches long, the length of the tail being 4 feet
8 inches.

Genus MYLIOBATIS Duméril. Eagle Rays.

Body as in Aétobatus; cephalic fin a convex fleshy appendage in front of
snout; a median row of very broad teeth, flanked by several rows of smaller,
narrow teeth; dorsal fin small; one or two serrated caudal spines. One species on
Atlantic coast. (Myliobatis, grinder ray.)

22. MYLIOBATIS FREMINVILLEI LeSueur.
Eagle Ray,

Myliobatis freminvillei LeSueur, Journal Academy Natural Sciences Philadelphia, iv, 111, 1824; Rhode Island.
Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 386; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 26; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 89.

DraGNosis.—Body much broader than long, its width equal to tail; central row of teeth
4 to 6 times broader than long; 3 rows of teeth on each side of main row; a whitish swelling
over each eye; skin smooth. Color: above reddish brown; tail black‘! below white. (Named
for the French naturalist, Fréminville.)

The range of this species is from Massachusetts to Brazil. It is recorded
from Beaufort, but is apparently not common in North Carolina. It does not
attain a very large size.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 47

Genus RHINOPTERA Kuhl. Cow-nosed Rays.

Body broader than long, but not so broad as in other genera; cephalic fin
emarginate and below level of pectorals, the snout thus appearing four-lobed;
teeth in 5 to 20 rows; dorsal fin small, immediately in front of a long serrated
spine. Viviparous. One species on Atlantic coast. (Rhinoptera,snout-finned. )

23. RHINOPTERA BONASUS (Mitchill).
“‘Devil-fish’’; Cow-nosed Ray; Corn-cracker; Whip-ray; Whipparee.

Raja bonasus Mitchill, Transactions Literary and Philosophical Society of New York, 1815, 479: New York.
Rhinoptera bonasus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 90.
Rhinoptera quadriloba, Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort.

Diacnosis.—Body about .33 broader than long; anterior border of pectorals straight, the
outer angles acute; tail very slender, rather longer than body; teeth in 7 rows in each jaw, the
median teeth very broad; skin smooth. Color: brown above, pale below. (bonasus, buffalo.)

This is a common species from Massachusetts to Florida. In North Caro-
lina it is found at all times of the year, but is usually most abundant in spring; in
September, 1903, however, it was very numerous in Beaufort Harbor. The
species reaches a large size, some examples observed in Florida being 7 feet wide.
It feeds largely on mollusks, which it crushes with its powerful paired jaws; the
razor-clam and the oyster are favorite foods. The young, numbering two or
three, are born in spring or summer, and are very active from birth. The stout
barbed spine is usually covered with mucous, and the wounds which it inflicts
are painful and often dangerous.

Family MANTID. The Sea-devils.

Immense ovoviviparous rays of the tropical seas, with broad body; lateral
eyes; wide mouth, numerous teeth; widely separated nostrils whose valves form
a wide flap; pectoral fins developed anteriorly as horn-like appendages; long,
whip-like tail, with a dorsal fin at base and with or without a spine; skin rough.
Two genera, of which the following is represented on the United States coast.

Genus MANTA Bancroft. Sea-devils.

Body broader than long; anterior margin of pectorals convex, posterior con-
cave, the outer angles sharp; cephalic fins long, curved inward; mouth terminal,
teeth very small and numerous, in lower jaw only; skin rough, having small
tubercles. Two species, one American. (Manta, blanket.)

24. MANTA BIROSTRIS (Walbaum.)
‘“‘Devil-fish’’; Sea-devil.

Raia birostris Walbaum, Genera Piscium, 535, 1792.

Ceratoptera vampirus, Yarrow, 1877, 216; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 386; Beaufort.

Manta birostris, Jordan, 1886, 26; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 85; Cape Lookout. Jordan & Evermann, 1896,
92, pl. xviii, fig. 39. Wilson, 1900, 355; Cape Lookout. Gill, 1903; North Carolina.
DraGNosis.—Body twice as broad as long; head square in front; teeth in about 100 series;

tail very slender, about length of body, a barbed spine near its base; body and tail covered

with small tubercles; the horn-line processes capable of being folded across mouth. Color:
dark brown above, white below. (birostris, two-beaked.)

48 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

This huge ray, which inhabits the tropical waters of America, strays north-
ward to New Jersey and has been observed a number of times on the North
Carolina coast. It is the largest of the rays, and one of the largest of water
animals, reported to attain a width of more than 25 feet and a weight of over
10,000 pounds. It is said to feed on shellfish, and in the Gulf of Mexico is reputed
to do considerable damage to oyster beds, but the character of its teeth would
seem to preclude any such feeding habits, and the fish has undoubtedly been
confounded with other large rays.

Fig. 11. Sea-pevit. Manta birostris.

This fish is reported by the fishermen of Cape Lookout as occasionally seen
and is called by them the “ devil-fish”’, a name which in North Carolina is shared
by most of the large rays. Judging, however, from the size of some of the exam-
ples observed, there can be no doubt that the Manta sometimes occurs. Lawson
(1709) has this to say of the giant ray in North Carolina:

The divel-fish lies at some of our inlets, and, as near as I can describe him, is shaped like a
scate, or stingray; only he has on his head a pair of very thick strong horns; and is of a monstrous
size; for this fish has been known to weigh a sloop’s anchor, and run with the vessel a league
or two, and bring her back, against tide, to almost the same place.

The horn-like appendages which give this creature its name of sea-devil
or devil-fish are freely movable and serve the purpose of carrying food to the
mouth. Mr. Hector von Bayer, of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, who has
observed the animal in the Gulf of California, states that each of these append-
ages may be curved on itself like an elephant’s trunk, and can firmly grasp
objects within reach.

—_ “ahve! «a

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 49

Sub-class TELEOSTOMI. The True Fishes.

The true fishes herein considered fall into 2 groups or series, the ganoids
(p. 54) and the bony fishes, or teleosts (p. 61), the leading features of which are
noted under the respective captions. The numerous families represented in the
local fauna and differentiated in the following key may be divided into 4 groups
based on the character of the ventral and dorsal fins, as follows: I. Ventral
fins attached to abdomen, 1 dorsal fin; II. Ventral fins attached to abdo-
men far posterior to pectoral fins, 2 dorsal fins, the anterior composed of
spiny rays; III. Ventral fins attached to thorax or throat, under, anterior to,
or slightly behind pectorals; IV. Ventral fins absent.

I. Ventral fins attached to abdomen; 1 dorsal fin.
a. An adipose fin behind the dorsal fin.
b. Barbels (4 to 8 in number) on upper and lower jaws; a stout spine in dorsal and pectoral
fis DOM YANO LESCAICG c ciatc: si slct<iscetS ec wise sie vista din vee be ore e's SrLuRiIpz (cat-fishes).
bb. Barbels wanting; no spine in dorsal or pectoral fins; body scaled.
c. Margin of upper jaw formed by maxillary bone, which has asupplemental bone; air-
bladder large; pyloric coeca numerous; species chiefly fresh water.
SALMONID# (trouts and salmons).
cc. Margin of upper jaw formed by a long and slender premaxillary; air-bladder small
or absent; pyloric coeca few; species marine...... SyNoDONTID# (lizard-fishes).
aa. No adipose fin behind the dorsal fin.
d. Tail heterocercal. (Ganoid fishes.)
e. Body without true scales; mouth inferior.
7. Skin naked; barbels absent; snout paddle-shaped.
PoLyopontTip# (paddle-fishes).
jf. Skin with 5 rows of bony shields; 4 barbels present; snout elongate.
ACIPENSERID (sturgeons).
ee. Body scaled; mouth terminal.
g. Seales cycloid; snout short; dorsal fin very long.
Amiatip& (fresh-water dog-fishes).
gg. Scales ganoid; snout greatly elongated; dorsal fin very short.
LEPISOSTEID@ (fresh-water gars)

dd. Tail homocereal. (Non-ganoid fishes.)
h. Pectoral fins inserted relatively high on sides, on or near the axis of body; lateral
line low, on side of belly; lower pharyngeal bones united; form very elongate.
i. One or both jaws produced into a long slender beak; pectoral fins small.
j. Both jaws greatly produced; jaw teeth both long and short.
TYLOSURID# (marine gars).
jj. Only lower jaw greatly produced; jaw teeth small.
HEMIRHAMPHID# (half-beaks).
ii. Neither jaw produced into a long, slender beak; pectoral fins very large, used as
OE PUA PO MMOGs, cai. 0-5 aici c oe bls.ela seve oi ss aislars, bus d see sree Exoce@tip# (flying-fishes).
hh. Pectoral fins inserted relatively low on sides, below axis of body; lower pharyngeal
bones separate.
k. Gill-membranes united to isthmus; head scaleless; jaws without teeth; dorsal fin
inserted near middle of back.

1. Gill-membranes more or less completely united to isthmus; vent close behind
gill-openings; small fishes, mostly without external eyes (the local representa-
tive of family with small eyes and no ventral fins).

AMBLYOPSID& (blind- or cave-fishes).

ll. Gill-membranes broadly united to isthmus; vent posterior; eyes normal.

m. Margin of upper jaw formed by premaxillary in middle and maxillary on
side; pharyngeal teeth numerous and in a single row.
CATOsTOMIDa (suckers).
mm. Margin of upper jaw formed exclusively by premaxillaries; pharyngeal
teeth few (less than 8) andin 1 to3 rows............+.- CYPRINID& (minnows).
kk. Gill-membranes not united to isthmus. :
n. Head scaly; jaws with teeth; upper jaw protractile or not; color not silvery.

50 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

o. Upper jaw not protractile, its margin formed by maxillary; dorsal fin always
inserted near caudal.
p. Jaws prolonged and depressed; teeth cardiform; lateral line present; size

TARO cide Sooce a geib1 state cl Apote Sane SEER aes saree anges ae eee me Esocipas (pikes).
pp. Jaws not prolonged nor depressed; teeth villiform; lateral line absent;
size: very smallen-7 ci 6b.G asta cs oce cis jane barat Umprip# (mud-fishes).

oo. Upper jaw protractile, its margin formed by premaxillary; lateral line
absent; dorsal fin inserted at or near middle of back; size. small.
Pacip# (killi-fishes).
nn. Head naked; jaws with or without teeth; upper jaw not protractile; color
bright silvery.
g. An external bony plate between branches of lower jaw; mouth large, with
bands of small teeth on jaw, vomer, palatines, and tongue; lateral line present.
ELopip® (big-eyed herrings).
qq No external bony plate on lower jaw; mouth large or small, with teeth
present or absent; lateral line present or absent.
r. Lateral line and teeth present.

s. Mouth small, inferior; bands of villiform teeth on jaws, vomer, and
palatines, and patches of paved teeth on back of tongue and roof of
mouth; snouG very Longe. a ace one ee ALBULID® (lady-fishes).

ss. Mouth moderate, terminal; pointed teeth on jaws, vomer, palatines,
tongue, and roof of mouth, no paved teeth; snout very short.

HiIopONTID# (moon-eyes)
rr. Lateral line and teeth absent.
t. Mouth small, inferior; snout short, blunt; stomach gizzard-like.
Dorosomip# (mud-shads).

it. Mouth small, terminal, snout pointed; stomach not gizzard-like.
CLuPEID# (shads and herrings).
ttt. Mouth very large, inferior; maxillary very long; snout overhanging,

picalikes. 3 25 ers Se eee ceey eee eer meee is ENGRAULID (anchovies).
aaa. Dorsal fin followed by a series of detached finlets; anal similar; jaws elongated to
forma sslender, beaks la%..-.scweecry omer ccie: < cient ScOMBRESOCID® (sauries).

II. Ventral fins attached to abdomen, far posterior to pectoral fins; 2 dorsal fins, the anterior
composed only of spiny rays.
a. Head long, mouth large, teeth strong and of unequal length; body elongate; lateral lines

OROSSING tts Kosten Gls cate age (ohh olisl Sea, 10s teeter cee o¥) oristrae ge Rahs SPHYR#NID# (barracudas).
aa. Head short, mouth small, teeth weak or absent, lateral line absent or rudimentary.

6. Anal'spines’3> body stout;isizelarce). 2.9. 5a. fue. es See ee he Muatuip& (mullets).

bb. Anal spine single; body slender; size small................ ATHERINID& (silversides).

III. Ventral fins attached at thorax or throat, under, anterior to, orslightly behind pectorals.
a. Ventral rays always 1,5.
b. Gill-openings anterior to pectoral fins.
c. Body scaly or with bony plates.
d. Ventral fins united; gill-membranes joined to isthmus; lateral line absent.
GoBrip#, in part (gobies).
dd. Ventral fins separate.
e. A bony stay extending from below eye across cheek toward preopercle.
?. Body scaly; head with rough, spinous bones externally; 3 lower pectoral
rays separated from remainder of fin and having form of slenderfingers.
TRiIGLID# (sea-robins).
ff. Body scaly; head without rough spinous bones externally; pectoral fins
without lower rays separated.
g- Dorsal spines 4; eyes small, directed upward. URANoscopip# (star-gazers).
gg. Dorsal spines 8 to 17; eyes large or moderate, directed laterally.
ScorPNID# (scorpion-fishes).
ee. No bony stay extending from below eye across cheek toward preopercle.
h. Anterior dorsal fin represented by a large sucking disk extending on top of
|i: eee Scene ti aU NGS Celera Ay. EcHENEIDID™ (remoras).
hh. Anterior dorsal fin normal (not converted into a sucking apparatus).
i. Dorsal and anal fins followed by detached finlets. ...ScomBripz (mackerels).
ii. Dorsal and anal fins not followed by detached finlets.
j. Form elongate, spindle shaped; dorsal spines not connected by mem-
PAM CMY. 34 css Miva tng ete Oe ene RACHYCENTRID (cabios).
jj. Form not elongate and spindle-shaped.

' SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 51

k. Esophagus with dilated sacs containing hooked teeth; dorsal fins
divided, the spines 7 to 11..... STROMATEID, in part (butter-fishes).

kk. Esophagus without dilated sacs containing hooked teeth.

1. Form oblong or ovate, compressed; caudal peduncle very slender;
anal fin preceded by 2 free spines; posterior part of lateral line
with or without a series of keeled plates; gill-membranes free from
isthmus; preopercle not serrate.

CARANGID (crevalles, pompanoes, etc.).

il. Form compressed, anal fin preceded by 2 obsolete spines; lateral
line without keeled plates; gill-membranes not attached to isthmus;
preaperclewsernate . i). Leena kk: oe Pomatomip« (blue-fishes).

lll. Form very deep and compressed; caudal peduncle wide: anal spines
connected with remainder of fin; no series of keeled plates on lateral
line; gill-membranes broadly joined to isthmus; preopercle not serrate.

EpPHIppip® (spade-fishes).

lll. Form compressed, shape various; no free anal spines; no series
of keeled plates on lateral line.

m. A concealed, erectile, lancet-like spine on each of caudal peduncle;
gill-membranes united to isthmus; preopercle not serrate; body
OVALE eal Sortie cacisusre oivts ern ee ek HeEpatip# (surgeon-fishes).

mm. No spine on side of caudal peduncle.

n. Chin with 2 long barbels; 2 dorsal fins well separated.
MULLID& (goat-fishes).

nn. Chin without barbels.
o. Lateral line extending to posterior margin of caudal fin.
p. Anal spines 3; dorsal fins continuous.
H#MULID& (grunts).
pp. Anal spines 1 or 2; dorsal fins distinct.
ScLenip (drums).
oo. Lateral line extending only to base of caudal fin.
gq. Gill-arches 3.5, a small cleft or no cleft behind last
r. Teeth on each side. of each jaw united, forming a kind
Oi beak in. ce att te eal nin Scar (parrot-fishes).
rr. Teeth more or less distinct and separated.
LABRID (lipped-fishes).
qq. Gill-arches 4, a long cleft behind last.

s. Teeth setiform: body very deep, nearly as deep as long;
soft fins scaly; lateral line present; gill-membranes united
toisthmus; dorsal fins continuous.

CH&TODONTID (butterfly-fishes).
_ ss. Teeth not setiform; body much longer than deep; dorsal
fins either continuous or separate.
t. Gill-membranes broadly united to isthmus; lateral line
BDSeIIEN 4. dees eae Oe GoBD», in part (gobies).
it. Gill-membranes free from isthmus; lateral line present.
u. Premaxillaries excessively protractile, with long
basal processes............. GERRID# (moharras).
uu. Premaxillary not protractile or only moderately so.
v. Pseudobranchize absent or undeveloped :

w. Dorsal fin composed of soft rays only, beginning
on head; caudal fin very deeply forked; large
pelagic fishes........CoRYPH#NID® (dolphins).

ww. Dorsal fin with strong spinous rays anteriorly,
not beginning on head; caudal fin not very
deeply if at all forked; fresh-water fishes.

x. Anal spines 3 to 10; dorsal spines 4 to 13.
CENTRARCHID®!. (fresh-water basses).
zx. Anal spines 1 or 2; dorsal spines 6 to 15.
PERcID# (perches).

vv. Pseudobranchie developed.

y. Maxillary not sheathed by the preorb tal, or
only partly covered by the latter; no accessory
scale in axil of pectoral; accessory ventral scale
small or wanting; a spine on posterior margin of _
opercle.

52 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

z. Anal spines 2; dorsal fins separated, vomer
toothed. .CHEILODIPTERID# (cardinal-fishes).
zz. Anal spines 3; dorsal fins continuous or
divided.
a’. Vomer toothed.

b’. Body and head much compressed, and
covered with small, very rough scales;
eye very large. PRIACANTHID (big-eyes).

bb’. Body and head not greatly compressed,
and not covered with rough scales; eye
moderate...... SERRANID# (sea basses).

aa’. Vomer toothless; dorsal fins continuous;
body compressed, back elevated.
Loxsotip# (thrashers).
yy. Maxillary sheathed by the preorbital and
slipping under it for most of its length; an
accessory scale in axil of ventral; no spine
on posterior margin of opercle.
c’. Vomer and palatines toothed; preopercle
finely or obsoletely serrate.
d’. Jaw teeth never incisors or molars, all acute.
LUTIANID® (snappers).
dd’. Jaw teeth mostly incisors, no molars or
canines... ......KyPpHosIp# (rudder-fishes).
cc’. Vomer and palatines toothless; preopercle
entire; jaw teeth incisors or conical in front,
molars on sides.
SPARID# (scup, breams, etc.).
cc. Body scaleless, the skin smooth, prickly, tuberculate, or with scattered bony plates.
e’. A sucking-disk on breast.
j/’. Sucking-disk between ventral fins; no spinous dorsal fin; gill-membranes not

UNI tea ToristhmUsm craton ct eteerer ae ieee eee oleic GOBIESOCID® (cling-fishes).
jj’. Sucking-disk formed from ventral fins; dorsal spines present; gill-membranes
MINTS Get OnSt hms) tren tr et oeee ts cree eetarersneteee retorts LIPARIDID# (sea-snails).

ee’. No sucking-disk on breast.
g’. Gill-membranes broadly united to isthmus; ventral fins united.
GoBIID#, in part (gobies).
gg’. Gill-membranes nearly or entirely separate from isthmus; ventral fins not
AGO is Sardis ck oalere hoe ae a ehae O ee Oe Ce ee eee CortTip (sculpins).

hh’. Mouth moderate or large; gill-openings in or behind lower axil of pectorals.
i’. Mouth moderate, oblique or nearly vertical; pseudobranchiz absent; body some-

what compressed; size small...................... ANTENNARID® (frog-fishes).
it’. Mouth exceedingly large, horizontal; pseudobranchie present; body greatly
depressed; ‘size: large vate nce a veh eiew! tenons ek ear Lopuiip® (goose-fishes).

aa. Ventral rays not always 1,5.
7’. Form unsymmetrical, the eyes and color being on one side, leaving other side blind
and colorless. ;
k’. Eyes large, usually well separated; mouth moderate or large; teeth well developed;
margin of preopercle not concealed by skin and scales.
PLEURONECTID® (flounders).
kk’. Eyes small, close together; mouth very small, more or less twisted; teeth rudimen-
tary or absent; margin of preopercle concealed by skin and scales.
SoLEIp® (soles).
jj’. Form symmetrical, the eyes and color not confined to one side.
l’. All fins without spinous rays; a barbel on chin; ventral rays 2 to 7. GApID& (cods).
l’. Some fins with spinous rays.
m’. Ventral opening far forward (under head in adult); ventral rays 7; dorsal fin single,
with 3 or 4 anterior rays spinous; size small; fresh-water species.
APHREDODERID (pirate perches).
mm’. Ventral opening in normal position; ventral soft rays fewer than 5.
n’. Dorsal fins with some spines.
o’. Upper jaw not produced in the form of a sword; fishes of moderate or small
size.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 53

p’. Dorsal fin with soft rays anteriorly and spines posteriorly; ventral fins very
small; gill-membranes broadly joined to isthmus; form elongate.
ZOARCID« (eel-pouts).
pp’. Dorsal fin with spines anteriorly and soft rays posteriorly.
q. Cheeks covered with bony armor; pectoral fins divided, the lower part
very large like the “wing” of a flying-fish.
CEPHALACANTHID& (flying-gurnards).
qq’. Cheeks not covered with bony armor; pectoral fins not divided.
r’. Dorsal fins 2, the spines 3; gills 3; mouth very large and fringed; size
MTA OED ILEE sees ne eianatevsicval nic does at ares Sho ks BATRACHOIDID (toad-fishes).
rr’. Dorsal fin single, the spines numerous (at least 11); gills 4; mouth
small not fringed: size small...3....5..0ce0s6 BLENNUD# (blennies).
oo’. Upper jaw produced in the form of a powerful sword; fishes of very large
UZ OMecsnarcretacsns egstotet cya sus' dene: at stele suaimts alas! sl eelesel tise. IsTIOPHORID (sail-fishes).
nn’. Dorsal fins without spines; a large sucking-disk between ventral fins.
GOBIESOCID, in part (cling-fishes).
IV. Ventral fins absent.
a. Body eel-shaped; maxillary and premaxillary bones absent or fused with palatines.
b. Gill-openings vertical, usually well developed; skin with or without scales; a tongue
present; pectoral fins present or absent.
c. Skin covered by rudimentary linear scales; pectoral fins well developed.
ANGUILLID& (common eels).
cc. Skin scaleless.
d. Tip of tail with a distinct fin, confluent with the dorsal and anal; pectoral fins well
developed; dorsal fin beginning posterior to gill-openings; mouth large.
LEPTOCEPHALID# (conger eels).
dd. Tip of tail without a fin and projecting beyond dorsal and anal fins; pectoral fins
rudimentary (in local representative); dorsal fin beginning on head; mouth small.
OPHICHTHYID& (snake eels).
bb. Gill-openings small, roundish; skin scaleless; tongue absent; pectoral fins absent.
MuR2&NID& (morays).
aa. Body not eel-shaped; maxillary and premaxillary bones present.
e. Gill-membranes broadly joined to isthmus.
fj. Snout tubular, with a small, toothless mouth at end; body more or less encased in
DONWalln gs eee chsh So cece: SYNGNATHID# (pipe-fishes and sea-horses).
/f. Snout not tubular; body not encased in bony rings.
g. Two dorsal fins, anterior with spinous rays, posterior with soft rays; body deep and
greatly compressed.
h. Dorsal spines 2 or 3 in number; skin covered with small, rough scales.
BAuLIstTIp& (trigger-fishes).
hh. Dorsal spine single; skin covered with minute, rough scales,
MoNACANTHID/ (file-fishes).
gg. One dorsal fin, composed of soft rays only.
i. Teeth in each jaw fused into 1.
7. Body compressed; dorsal and anal fins very high and pointed; skin with-

Ouipmines AIZe Very large! ssc /6 ss edb opie nche ce oe Mourp (head-fishes).
jj. Body not compressed; dorsal and anal fins small; skin thickly covered with
long spines; size moderate... .2....065%00+ DiopoNnTID& (porcupine-fishes).

wz. Teeth in each jaw fused into 2; skin more or less prickly.
TETRAODONTID® (puffers).
wi. Teeth in each jaw not fused; body encased in a bony armor.
OstTRActID»# (trunk-fishes).
ee. Gill-membranes not joined to isthmus.
k. Ventral opening at throat; body elongate; dorsal fin single, short, of soft rays only;
BUTE NOLV ASTRAL 2c cia/o\'a ove's Sse wiea> sio%e sieie« AMBLYOPSID4 (swamp and cave fishes).
kk. Ventral opening situated posteriorly.
l. Mouth large; body elongate, without scales; size large.
m. Jaws nearly equal, and armed with large teeth; body very long, compressed;
dorsal fin low and extending entire length of body; caudal fin absent.
TRICHIURID (cutlass-fishes).
mm. Upper jaw produced to form a long, powerful sword; mouth toothless; body
moderately elongate, not compressed; caudal fin large and forked. ;
Sosa (sword-fishes).
ll. Mouth small; body compressed and deep, and covered with small scales; dorsal
and anal fins elongate, with interior rays produced; caudal deeply forked; size
GTA oneén 6 WOOCRO TEC ODOC Ter re seer STROMATEID (butter-fishes).

7

54 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Series GANOIDEA. The Ganoid Fishes.

The ganoids are primitive fishes, mostly fossils, with only a few living
representatives. The group is not sharply defined, but is chiefly characterized
by a more or less complete armor covering the body, by numerous valves in the
arterial bulb which forms a part of the heart, and by a spiral valve in the lower
part of the intestine. The American species are few in number, and fall into
four families which are easily distinguished. The salient characters of each are
given in the following key in greater detail than in the preceding general key to
the true fishes:

Key to the families of ganoid fishes.

i. Skeleton chiefly cartilaginous; skin either armed with bony plates or naked; branchiostogals
single or absent; spiracles present.

a. Snout prolonged into a long, paddle-shaped blade; no barbels; sides of tail with small bony

plates; mouth broad, terminal; air-bladder cellular................ POLYODONTID.

aa. Snout prolonged, but not flat and paddle-like; barbels present on under side of snout;

: body imperfectly covered with large bony plates; mouth circular, inferior; air-bladder

Ay BUMS BAC 35k Se sss Guanes S chate Rie tere, nace ie sams Gitar. Meera ge amet ACIPENSERID#.

ii. Skeleton bony; body completely covered with small bony scales; branchiostegals few or
numerous; spiracles absent; air-bladder cellular.

b. Both jaws more or less prolonged, toothed, the upper jaw projecting; nostrils near end
of upper jaw; no barbels; dorsal fin short, high, placed posteriorly, opposite anal;
branchiostegals 35. oii. 2% 526s se a5 seoaen Seeger sy Neselotet neue eee LEPISOSTEID.

bb. Jaws not produced; nostrils widely separated; a barbel at anterior nostril; dorsal
fin very long, low, beginning nearly opposite pectorals; branchiostegals 10 to 12.
AMIATIDA.

Order SELACHOSTOMI. The Shark-mouthed Ganoids.
Family POLYODONTIDA. The Paddle-fishes.

Body elongate, slightly compressed; snout a greatly prolonged flattened blade,
widest toward the rounded tip; skin nearly smooth, with rhombic bony plates on
side of tail; mouth wide, tongue absent, teeth in Jaws and on palatines numerous,
small, and disappearing with age; operculum rudimentary, pseudobranchize
absent; asingle branchiostegal; lateral line present, continuous; spiracles present;
nostrils double, located at base of blade; air-bladder cellular; intestine with a
spiral valve; dorsal and anal fins soft-rayed, placed far backward; pectorals
thoracic, ventrals abdominal. Only two genera known, one Chinese, the other
American.

Genus POLYODON Lacépéde. Paddle-fishes.

This genus, which includes a single species, has numerous very long, slender
gill-rakers, in a double series on each gill-arch; and caudal fin forked, its bent
portion with 12 to 20 fuleral plates, in addition to the foregoing family characters.
(Polyodon, many-toothed.)

25. POLYODON SPATHULA (Walbaum).
Paddle-fish; Spoon-billed Cat-fish.

Squalus spathula Walbaum, Artedi Genera Piscium, 522, 1792.
Polyodon folium, Cope, 18706, 492; French Broad River near Asheville.
Polyodon spathula, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 101, pl. 20, figs. 43, 43a.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 55

DriaGenosis.—Head, with snout, more than .5 total length of body; snout or spatula
reticulated, .25 to .4 total length, longest in young; opercular flap very long, extending nearly
to ventrals; prexamillary bone reaching behind the eye; eye very small, above tip of lower
jaw; a minute barbel on spiracle; skin scaleless, and smooth except on side of tail; dorsal fin
behind ventrals, the rays 50 to 60; anal arising under middle of dorsal, the rays 50 to 65;
caudal large, forked, asymmetrical. Color: pale green above, white below. (spathula, spatula.)

The claim of this species to a place in the North Carolina fauna rests on
Professor Cope’s statement that it ascends the French Broad River to near Ashe-
ville. It inhabits the Mississippi and tributaries. The length reaches 6 feet, of
which the paddle is about one-third. It was formerly supposed that the paddle
was used to stir up the mud, which was eaten for the minute animals it contained,
the interlacing gill-rakers serving as a strainer to intercept the food articles,
while the silt passed through; but recent investigation has shown that the
species feeds near the surface. Nothing is known of its spawning habits.
Within a comparatively few years the fish, formerly regarded as of little value,
has come into use on account of its eggs, which are made into caviar, and also on
account of its flesh, which is now highly regarded and brings a good price.

‘Order CHONDROSTEI. The Cartilaginous Ganoids.
Family ACIPENSERIDA. The Sturgeons.

Large fishes of elongate, cylindrical form; cartilaginous skeleton; body imper-
fectly covered with 5 longitudinal rows of Jarge bony plates or shields, between
which are small irregular plates; head covered with similar large plates; snout
produced, with 4 flexible barbels hanging from its lower surface; mouth on under
side of head, small, without teeth, capable of being protracted for feeding; eyes
small; tail heterocercal; air-bladder large, simple, connected with the esophagus
by aduct. The largest fishes found in fresh waters of northern parts of America,
Europe and Asia; some migratory, some found only in fresh water; very valua-
ble as food. Three genera, including seven American species.

Genus ACIPENSER Linnzus. Sturgeons.

Bony plates not confluent; one series on back and a lateral and abdominal
series on each side, ventral plates often deciduous; snout more or less conical,
depressed; spiracle over eye; gill-rakers small, pointed. Two Atlantic coast
species, both found in North Carolina, differing greatly in length of snout and in
other respects. (Acipenser, sturgeon.)

26. ACIPENSER OXYRHYNCHUS Mitchill.

““Sturgeon’’; Sharp-nosed Sturgeon.

Acvpenser oryrhynchus Mitchill, Transactions Literary and Philosophical Society of New York, i, 462, 1814
New York. Yarrow, 1877, 216; North, New, and Neuse rivers.

Acipenser sturio oxyrhynchus, Smith, 1893a, 190, 193, 198; Pasquotank River, Edenton Bay, Roanoke River
Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 105, pl. xx, fig. 45.

56 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

DraGNnosis.—Body elongate, its greatest depth about .16 total length; head long, about
.33 total length of body; snout long and sharp, its length about equal to remaining part of head,
becoming shorter with age; the smaller bony plates between the dorsal and lateral series are
stellate, rather large, and in 5 to 10 series; dorsal plates 10 to 14, lateral 27 to 29, ventral 8 to 11;
dorsal rays 38 to 40, anal rays 23 to 27. Color: gray or brown above, creamy, whitish, or ligat
gray below. (oxyrhynchus, sharp-snouted.)

This, the common sturgeon of northwestern Europe and the Atlantic coast
of the United States as far southward as South Carolina, is found in the eastern
rivers of North Carolina, which it ascends in spring to spawn. It attains a large
size, examples having been taken that were 12 feet long and weighed over 500
pounds; the average length, however, does not exceed 5 feet. Two fish caught
at Hatteras in the spring of 1906 were 9 and 11 feet long, according to Dr. E. W.
Gudger, who examined their skins.

In the Roanoke River near Plymouth, young sturgeon, about a foot in
length, begin to run as early as February and are caught in seines hauled for
striped bass, but the adult fish do not appear until the latter part of April, after
the main run of shad isover. Young sturgeon are also taken at sea; on April 22,
1904, the author observed 3 examples 15 inches long caught in a gill net at Cape
Lookout.

Fig. 12. Srur@ron. Acipenser oxyrhynchus.

The sturgeon is a bottom feeder, and subsists on a great variety of animal
and vegetable food which it takes up with its protractile, sucker-like mouth.

The mature ovaries of this species may constitute 25 per cent of the total
weight of the fish, and may yield from 1,000,000 to 2,500,000 eggs. The eggs are
about .11 inch in diameter, and when deposited become agglutinated and
attached to brush, weeds, stones, etc. ‘The young come from the eggs in about
1 week in water having a temperature of 64° F.

Writing of the North Carolina sturgeon in 1709, John Lawson said:

Of the sturgeon we have plenty, all the fresh parts of our rivers being well stored therewith.
The Indians upon and towards the heads and falls of our rivers, strike a great many of these, and
eat them; yet the Indians near the salt-waters will not eat them. I have seen an Indian strike
one of these fish, seven foot long, and leave him on the sands to be eaten by the gulls. In May,
they run up towards the heads of the rivers, where you see several hundreds of them in one day.
The Indians have another way to take them, which is by nets at the end of a pole. The bones
of these fish make good nutmeg-graters.

The available statistics of the sturgeon fishery of North Carolina show a
very irregular production, owing to changing conditions, such as non-appre-
ciation, over-fishing and increasing demand. The catch in 1880 was 436,900

are

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 57

pounds, worth $18,094. In 1889 the total yield was 227,797 pounds, valued at
$5,754. The next year the catch fell to 175,210 pounds, worth $4,467. Seven
years later it rose to 371,625 pounds, for which the fishermen received $13,525.
In 1902, although the catch was only 134,125 pounds, the value of the fish was
$15,347, including caviar. Dare County now produces the great bulk of the
sturgeon placed on the market, the fish being caught in gill nets.

This species is now much less abundant than formerly,and in North Caro-
lina has undergone the same diminution seen in other states. Whereas it was
formerly regarded as a nuisance, and ruthlessly destroyed and thrown away
whenever caught, it is now one of the most valuable of the east coast fishes; the
principal fishery is in Delaware Bay and River. It is caught in gill nets, pound
nets, seines, and other appliances, and may also be taken on set lines baited with
fish. Besides its flesh, which is marketable in a fresh or smoked condition, its
eggs are very valuable for use in making caviar, its swim-bladder is convertible
into a high-grade isinglass, and its skin is also utilized.

In some of the large shad seines in Albemarle Sound it has sometimes hap-
pened during the past 7 or 8 years that not a single adult sturgeon has been
caught during an entire season, whereas, 20 years ago sturgeon were abundant
here and each season the shores were covered with dead fish for which there was
no sale. When the fishermen finally realized the value of the fish, they pursued
the fishery so actively that the species was almost wiped out in a short time and
has never been able to reéstablish itself. According to Mr. Frank Wood, of
Edenton, in one season $50,000 worth of sturgeon caviar was prepared in the
Albemarle region.

The sturgeon is by far the most valuable fish, individually considered, inhab-
iting the waters of North Carolina or,in fact, the Atlantic coast of the United
States. A full-sized female with roe will now often bring the fisherman $80; and
it is a matter of record that in 1906 a North Carolina fisherman who caught 47
large sturgeon in salt water received for them over $2,500 after deducting all
expenses of shipment.

It is incumbent on the state to take prompt and radical measures to prevent
the further diminution in the supply of this excellent fish, and to restore it to
something like its original abundance, if this is now possible. Besides prohib-
iting absolutely the killing of any examples under 8 feet long, it will probably be
desirable to stop the destruction of large fish for a term of years. Supplemen-
tary to these restrictive aids, the state or the general government should under-
take the artificial propagation of the sturgeon on several of the rivers where the
fish is still found.

27. ACIPENSER BREVIROSTRUM LeSueur.

‘“‘Sturgeon’’; Short-nosed Sturgeon.

Acipenser brevirostrum LeSueur, Transactions American Philosophical Society, i, 130, 1818. Yarrow, 1877
216; North, New and Neuse Rivers. Jordan, 1887, 26; Beaufort region. Jordan & Evermann, 1896,
106, pl. xxi, fig. 46.

58 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Diacnosis.—Head short, about .25 total body length; snout short and blunt, only .25 to
.33 length of head; dorsal plates 8 to 11, lateral plates 22 to 33, ventral plates 6 to 9; dorsal
rays 33, anal rays 19 to 22. Color: brown above, white below; peritoneum dark, viscera
black. (brevirostrum, short-beaked.)

Fig. 13. SHoRT-NOSED STURGEON. Acipenser brevirostrum,

This is a comparatively rare species, not usually recognized by fishermen,
ranging from Massachusetts to Florida. Its maximum length is under 3 feet,
and it is mature when under 2 feet. Its habits are similar to those of the long-
nosed sturgeon. While it doubtless ascends all suitable streams in North Caro-
lina, actual records of its occurrence are rare.

Order RHOMBOGANOIDEA. The Rhomboid Ganoids.
Family LEPISOSTEID. The Gar Pikes.

Large fresh-water fishes, of little economic value, with very elongate, more
or less cylindrical body, covered with small, hard plates in regular rows; elongate
jaws, both armed with sharp teeth; external skull bones rough and hard; small
eyes; an accessory gill on the under side of opercle; short gill rakers; and other
features shown in the key. Very destructive to other fishes and comparatively
free from enemies owing to their strong armor. One genus and five American
species, one of which, the alligator gar of the South Central States, attains a
length of 10 feet. ;

Genus LEPISOSTEUS Lacépéde. Gar Pikes.

Characters of the genus are shown above. One species inhabits North
Carolina waters. (Lepisosteus, bony-scaled.)

28. LEPISOSTEUS OSSEUS (Linnezus).
“‘Gar Pike’’; Long-nosed Gar; Bill-fish.

Esox osseus Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 313, 1758; Virginia.

Lepidosteus osseus, Cope, 1870b, 492; Yadkin and other rivers of eastern North Carolina. Jordan, 1886, 26;
Beaufort. Earll, 1887, 484, 485; Neuse River. Jenkins, 1887, 85; Beaufort.

Lepidosteus huronensis, Cope, 1870b, 492, 495; French Broad River.

Lepisosteus osseus, Jordan, 1889b, 125; Pamlico River. Evermann & Cox, 1896, 304; Neuse River (Raleigh),
Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 109.

Dracnosts.—Body elongate, cylindrical, depth .08 of total length; head .33 total length;
snout very long, .66 total length of head and 15 to 20 times as long as wide; upper jaw the
longer, with a single row of large teeth on each side; lower jaw with several series of teeth;
dorsal rays 7 or 8; anal rays 9; scales in lateral line, 62 to 65. Color: green above, silvery on
sides, white beneath; body and fins with numerous round black spots. (osseus, bony.)

The long-nosed gar inhabits the Great Lakes, the Mississippi Valley, and the
seaboard states from New Hampshire to Texas. It attains a length of 5 or 6

at ie

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES, 59

feet, and is a very hardy, destructive species, preying on almost every other
kind of fish. Itspawns in spring, in shallow water.

In North Carolina it is found in the lowland streams and sluggish coastal
waters generally, sometimes entering salt water. In Albemarle Sound the
species is not rare, and is taken in shad seines and other apparatus. At the
Avoca shad fishery in April, 1899, the author saw two 4-foot gars skinned, boiled,
and eaten with gusto by negro fishermen. Dr. Capehart states that before the
days of steel plows his grandfather used to cover his plow-shares with the skin of
the gar pike.

Mr. Earll, in 1880, noted a fishery for gars in Neuse River near New Bern,
and said of the fish trade of that city:

The coarsest species are not only seen in the markets, but they make up the bulk of
the sales. The gar (L. ossews), not seen by us in any other market in the country, is one of
the principal food-fishes here, where it is highly prized by negroes.

At the present time the gar can not be said to be one of the principal food
fishes of the New Bern market; but the fish is still regularly sold there, and one
of the common sights on the water front is a negro skinning a gar.

The expression “common as gar broth” is proverbial. The meat of thisfish,
however, is well-flavored and wholesome, and its consumption should become
more general. There is a limited demand for the skin, which may be used in
covering boxes, sword hilts, ete.

It is now nearly 200 years since Lawson wrote the following account of the
“white guard-fish”’, in contradistinction to the “green guard-fish”’ (T'ylosurus):

The white guard-fish is shaped almost like a pike, but slenderer; his mouth has a long
small bill set with teeth, in which he catches small fish; his scales are knit together like armour.
When they dress him, they strip him, taking off scales and skin together. His meat is very
white, and rather looks like flesh than fish. The English account them no good fish; but the
Indians do. The gall of this fish is green, and a violent cathartick, if taken inwardly.

Order CYCLOGANOIDEA. The Cylindrical Ganoids.
Family AMIATIDA. The Bow-fins.

This family includes only one living species, widely distributed in the
United States. Features by which the family may be distinguished are given
in the foregoing key. . Body long and stout; head blunt; jaws toothed, the lower
jaw with a bony plate between the rami; teeth also on vomer, palatal, and ptery-
goid bones; tongue thick; nostrils well separated; cheeks and top of head with
bony plates; a broad flat skin on the edge of the opercle; no pseudobranchiz;
gill-rakers short and stout; scales hard, cycloid, with a soft border; lateral line
present; tail heterocercal; air-bladder bifid anteriorly, serving as a lung.

Genus AMIATUS Rafinesque. Bow-fins.

Characters of the genus are sufficiently indicated in the family diagnosis.
The generic name Amia, which has heretofore been used in this connection,

-

60 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

appears to be no longer applicable, as it was originally given by Gronow to a
genus of cardinal-fishes until recently called Apogon. (Amiatus, from amia, an
ancient Greek fish name.) -

29. AMIATUS CALVA (Linn eus).
‘‘Black-fish’’; ‘‘Grindle’’; ‘‘Brindle-fish’’; Dog-fish; Mud-fish; Bow-fin.

Amia calva Linneus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 500, 1766; Charleston, South Carolina. Cope, 1870b, 492; Neuse
River. Jordan, 1889b, 127; Neuse River. Smith, 1893a, 190,193, 198; Pasquotank River, Edenton
Bay, Roanoke River. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 113, pl. 22, figs. 51, 51a. Smith, 1900, 134; Lake
Mattamuskeet.

DriaGcnosis.—Body long but robust, the depth about .2 total length; head conical, its
length about .25 total length of body; mouth large, jaws nearly equal, upper jaw extending
beyond eye; jaws with strong conical teeth, with a band of finer teeth in lower jaw; a small
barbel near anterior nostril; scales hard, cycloid, 62 to 70 in lateral series and 18 to 20 in
transverse series; dorsal rays 42 to 53; anal rays 10 to 12. Color: dark olive above, greenish
reticulations on sides, whitish below; round dark spots on lower jaw; dorsal and caudal fins
mottled; in male a round black spot with orange border at base of tail, this spot very faint in
female. (calva, bald.)

Fig. 14. Mup-risn; Bow-Fin. Amaiatus calva.

The bow-fin is one of the most interesting of American fishes, being the
only living representative of an order and family of which various fossil mem-
bers have been found. It ranges from the Great Lakes to Virginia, Florida, and
Texas, and is abundant throughout most of its habitat. Sluggish waters are its
favorite haunts.

It occurs along the entire length of the coastal plain region of North Caro-
lina, and is well known to fishermen and others under the local name of “ black-
fish”’, ‘‘grindle” or ‘‘grindal”’, and “ brindle-fish”’.

As early as 1709 we find the name “grindle” given to this species by
Lawson, who wrote: .

Grindals are a long scaled fish with small eyes; and frequent ponds, lakes, and slow-
flowing creeks and swamps. They are a soft sorry fish, and good for nothing; though some eat
them for good fish.

The female attains a length of 2 to 3 feet, while the male is considerably
smaller. The largest recorded specimen weighed 12 pounds. The species is
noted for its voracity, all kinds of fishes falling an easy prey. This habit,
together with its hardiness and its comparative immunity from attack by other

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 61

fishes, makes it a very undesirable inhabitant of our waters. It is able to live
out of water for many hours, even when exposed to direct sun rays; and the
young will exist for months in small aquaria without change of water.

Spawning occurs in spring, the eggs being deposited in sluggish or stagnant
waters. The eggs and young are guarded by the parent fish, after the manner
of the sun-fishes.

The bow-fin is particularly common in Albemarle Sound, and it also ascends
all the rivers tributary to the sound but is less common therein. It is often
caught in nets employed for shad and alewives, but it has no commercial value,
although sometimes eaten by negroes; the flesh is described as “‘cottony.”

Series TELEOSTEI. The Bony Fishes.

The teleosts constitute the most numerous group of fishes, and are distin-
guished by a perfectly ossified skeleton and the absence of the characters found
in the ganoids; that is, the body is not covered with ganoid scales or bony plates,
the arterial bulb of the heart is thin-walled and has a pair of opposite valves,
there is no spiral valve in the intestine, and the optic nerves do not form a solid
chiasm. There are numerous orders, which, in most cases, are not here referred
to at length, as they contain but a single family whose description will suffice
for an understanding of the ordinal characters; but other orders, with many
local species representing two or more families, have been considered in some
detail.

Order NEMATOGNATHI. The Whiskered Fishes.

Family SILURIDA. The Cat-fishes.

The cat-fishes are readily distinguished by smooth scaleless bodies, adipose
dorsal fin, stout spines in dorsal and pectoral fins, and barbels or whiskers on
upper and lower jaws (whence the name cat-fishes). They inhabit both fresh
and salt waters, and are very hardy. Some attain a large size, and are impor-
tant food fishes. Many of them guard their eggs and young like the basses; some
of the species are ovoviviparous. The North Carolina cat-fishes represent 12
‘species, and fall in the following genera:

Key to the North Carolina genera of cat-fishes.

i. Anterior and posterior nostrils close together, neither with a barbel; barbels 4 or 6; marine

species.
a. Lower jaw with 2 barbels, dorsal and pectoral spines ending in a long filament.
FELICHTHYS.

aa. Lower jaw with 4 barbels, dorsal and pectoral spines without filaments.
GALEICTHYS.
zi. Anterior and posterior nostrils well separated, the posterior nostril with a barbel; barbels 8 ;
fresh-water species.
b. Adipose fin with its posterior margin free.
c. Band of teeth in upper jaw terminating abruptly behind, not extending backward at
outer angles.
d. A continuous bony ridge (under skin) from snout to dorsal fin, the supraoccipital

bone being extended backward to dorsal spine; caudal fin always forked.
IcTALURUS

62 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

dd. No continuous bony ridge from snout to dorsal fin; caudal typically short and
SQUBEOS 27 ap shene sum rasayana ich gk ety coke tes eens aati) RA OR RRR en OR RIN I ee AMEIURUS.

cc. Band of teeth in upper jaw extending backward at its outer posterior angles.
LrEprops.
bb. Adipose fin ridge-like, its posterior edge attached to back or continuous with caudal; a
poison gland at base ot-pectoral fines... om yee cr cee eae ScHILBEODuS.
While not the objects of special fisheries, the cat-fishes are caught in large
quantities in various parts of the state, and are of increasing economic import-
ance. From 55,220 pounds, worth $1,248, in 1889, the catch rose to 404,600
pounds, worth $11,971, in 1902. The counties which lead in ecat-fish production
are Currituck, Pasquotank, Chowan, Dare, Beaufort, and New Hanover, more
than 25 per cent of the output in the last named year being from Dare. The
flesh of the cat-fishes is fine, white, and well-flavored; and the demand for them
both locally and for shipment outside the state seems to be growing, especially

as regards the fresh-water species.
Genus FELICHTHYS Swainson. Sea Cat-fishes.

This genus, represented by a number of salt-water species on both coasts of
tropical America, has one member inhabiting the Atlantic coast of the United
States. The mouth is large; the lower jaw projects; the teeth on vomer and
palatines form a crescent-shaped band; the nape has a granulated bony buckler;
the caudal is deeply forked. (Felichthys, cat-fish.)

Fig. 15. Sea Cat-risu. Felichthys felis.

30. FELICHTHYS FELIS (Linnezus).

‘*Silver Cat-fish’’; ‘‘Sea Cat-fish’’; Gaff-topsail Cat (Ga.);
Large-mouthed Cat (S. C.).

Silurus felis Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 503, 1766; Charleston, 8S. C.

4ilurichthys marinus, Yarrow, 1877, 216; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 385; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886,
26; Beaufort. Smith, 1893a, 188, 194; Edenton Bay. Smith, 18936, pl. xliv.

Felichthys marinus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 118, pl. xxxiii, fig. 52.

Alurichthys felis, Giinther, Proceedings Linnean Society of London, 1899, 30.

Felichthys felis, Jordan & Evermann, 1900, 3196.

Draenosis.—Body elongate, depth more than .2 total length; head short, broad, rather
less than .25 total length, maxillary barbels very long, extending beyond base of dorsal fin;

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. ; 63

eye placed low on side of head; dorsal rays 1,7, situated far forward, the spine terminating ina
long filament; pectoral spine ending similarly; anal rays 23. Color: dusky above, silvery
below. (felis, cat.)

This sea cat-fish ranges from Massachusetts to Texas, being common in the
South Atlantic and Gulf States in salt and brackish water; it also enters fresh
water, such as the western end of Albemarle Sound, where it is recognized by the
fishermen as a straggler from salt water and called ‘‘silver cat-fish”. It is prob-
ably ovoviviparous. The food value of the species is slight.

Genus GALEICHTHYS Cuvier & Valenciennes. Sea Cat-fishes.

A numerious genus of marine cat-fishes, only one species inhabiting United
States waters. Mouth comparatively small, the lower jaw shorter; teeth in
patches on vomer and palatines; dorsal fin short and high; anal fin short; caudal
deeply forked. (Galeichthys, weasel-fish.)

31. GALEICHTHYS MILBERTI (Cuvier & Valenciennes).
“‘Cat-fish’’; ‘‘Sea Cat-fish’’; Small-mouthed Cat (S. C.).

Arius milberti Cuvier & Valenciennes, xv, 74, 1840; New York; Charleston.

Ariopsis milberti, Yarrow, 1877, 216; Beaufort.

Ariopsis felis, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 385; Beaufort.

Galeichthys felis, Jordan, 1886, 26; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 85; Beaufort.
Hexanematichthys felts, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 128, pl. xxiii, fig. 53.

Galeichthys milberti, Jordan & Evermann, 1900, 3196. Linton, 1905, 349; Beaufort.

Dracnosis.—Body elongate, depth .2 total length; head small, depressed, rather more
than .25 total length; mouth small, maxillary barbel nearly as long as head; dorsal rays 1,7;
anal rays 16; caudal deeply forked. Color: steel blue above, silvery sides and belly. (Named
after the French naturalist, Milbert.)

Fig. 16. Sea Cat—risH. Galeichthys milberti.

This species is found along the entire coast of the United States south of
Cape Cod, but is not common northward. It frequents the North Carolina
beaches, sounds and bays, and is the most abundant of the salt-water cat-fishes.
It attains a length of 2 feet and a weight of 12 pounds, but averages much smaller.

It is a bottom-loving fish, feeding chiefly on worms and small crustaceans
but readily eating fish, flesh, or fowl, dead or alive. At Beaufort, its food com-
prises fish, crustaceans, and mollusks, as well as sea-cucumbers, worms, and algze.

64 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Spawning occurs in summer, the large eggs being first deposited in a sandy
depression and subsequently taken into the mouth of one of the parents (male?)
where they remain until hatching ensues; the young are retained in the parent’s
mouth for some time after hatching. From the mouth of a fish 10 inches long,
11 young 1-inch long have been taken; and in another of the same size 8 or 9 eggs
as large as marbles were found.

The sea cat-fish is often caught with a hook, but it is not an important com-
mercial species, although the flesh is quite palatable.

Genus ICTALURUS Rafinesque. Channel Cat-fishes; Fork-tailed Cat-fishes.

Large North American cat-fishes, with widely-forked tails, preferring
channels of larger streams. Form more graceful than that of other cat-fishes;
head slender, conical, mouth small, upper jaw longer; dorsal fin short and high;
anal fin long. (/ctalurus, cat-fish.)

32. ICTALURUS PUNCTATUS (Rafinesque).

“Blue Cat-fish’’; Spotted Cat-fish; Channel Cat-fish (S. C., Fla.);
Eel Cat-fish; Mississippi Cat-fish.
Silurus punctatus Rafinesque, American Monthly Magazine, 359, 1818; Ohio River.
Ictalurus cerulescens Cope, 1870b, 489; French Broad and other North Carolina tributaries of Tennessee.
Ictalurus punctatus, Jordan, 1889b, 151; French Broad River. Smith, 18930, pl. xliv. Jordan & Evermann,
1896, 134, pl. xxv, fig. 58.

DriaGgnosis.—Body long and slender, depth .2 total length; head small, comparatively
narrow, -25 total length; mouth small, maxillary barbels reaching beyond gill-opening; dorsal
rays 1,6; anal large, with 25 to 30 rays. Color: above light grayish-green; below silvery; back
and sides with small, round, irregularly placed dark spots; the body color sometimes a very
dark velvety green, obscuring the spots. (punctatus, spotted.)

Fig. 17. Sporrep Cat-risn. Ictalwrus punctatus.

The spotted cat-fish inhabits the Mississippi basin, streams of the Great
Lakes region, and streams tributary to the Gulf of Mexico; and has been very
successfully introduced into the Potomac. The only records of the occurrence of
this species in North Carolina waters are those of Cope and Jordan before cited.
Cope stated that the species abounded in the French Broad, and was much used
as food. Jordan reported the young as abundant in channels of the French

Pa

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 65

Broad near Hot Springs, the species being recognized as a food fish and known
s “blue -cat’’. :
The species attains a weight of 25 pounds, and is regarded as probably the
best of the cat-fishes in food value and gaminess. It takes the hook readily, and
affords fine sport.

Genus AMEIURUS Rafinesque. Horned Pouts; Bullheads; Mud Cat-fishes, etc.

Well known and abundant fishes, found in almost every pond and stream.
Some species have forked or lunate tails and are very similar to Ictalurus; the
typical species with square tails. The 5 species recorded from North Carolina
may be distinguished as follows:

J. CET PAL Baestmqoy ital bic) diss ee a a a catus.
tt. Caudal fin square or slightly emarginate.

a. Anal fin long, 22-27 rays, its base more than .25 total length.
aa. Anal fin shorter, 15-22 rays, its base less than .25 total length.

b. Form elongate, back elevated, pectoral and dorsal spines very long... ..erebennus.

bb. Form robust, back low, pectoral and dorsal spines moderate.............. natalis.
c. Body stout, rather short or moderately elongate, depth contained 3.5 to 4.5 times

Mmiienal length, head not markedly flat 2... ....2.0..5..06sees0-80- nebulosus.

ce. Ey very long and slender, depth .12 to .20 total length, head broad and very
5:29 BLS NENG GIRO RI EPORIO HOSED oe I RO CO cm nck a a platycephalus

(Ameiurus, not curtailed, in allusion to unnotched caudal fin.)

33. AMETURUS CATUS (Linnezus).

““White Cat-fish’’; ‘‘Black Cat-fish’’; ‘‘Bullhead’’; ‘‘Creek Cat-fish’’;
‘“‘River Catfish’’; ‘‘Forktailed Cat-fish’’; Channel Cat-fish.

Silurus catus Linnezus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 305, 1758; northern part of America.

Ameuurus niveiventris Cope, 1870b, 488; Neuse River. Jordan, 18896, 128: Neuse River.

Ameiurus albidus, Jordan, 1889b, 134; Yadkin River. Smith, 1893a, 190, 193, 198; Albemarle Sound and trib-
utaries.

Ameiurus catus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 138. Evermann & Cox, 1896, 304; Neuse River.

Diagnosis.—Form robust, the depth contained 3.5 to 3.75 times in total length; head
rather greater than depth, in adults the head larger and wider and the mouth wider than in
any other species; maxillary and mandibular barbels long; humeral process very rough; dorsal
rays 1,6; anal rays 19 to 22; caudal forked, upper lobe longer. Color: variable; back whitish,
gray, bluish, or black; below white or silvery. (catus, cat.)

This species, whose form and color vary with age and environment, inhabits
coastwise fresh waters from New Jersey to Texas. In North Carolina it is
recorded from Albemarle Sound and tributaries, the Neuse, and the Yadkin,
being especially abundant in the first-named region. The maximum length is 2
feet.

In Pasquotank River, under the name of “‘ white cat”’, the fishermen recog-
nize fish having a milky or dusky color, dull red fins with dark edges, and white
iris, which are most common in the lower part of the river, where they seem par-
tial to the sandy shoals, whence, probably, their bleached appearance. Between
these light-colored fish and the very dark ones of the upper river called “black
cats’’, there is a complete gradation. The main run of alewives in this river is
always followed by a noticeable increase in the abundance of this cat-fish, and

66 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

the fishermen have a saying that when the cat-fish come the herring season is
over. -An instance of this was observed by the writer in April, 1892, when, dur-
ing a period of four days a seine caught 118,000 herring, while on the fifth day no
herring were taken but an enormous haul of cat-fish was made.

In Roanoke River, cat-fish 5 to 6 inches long are exceedingly abundant in
spring, and are caught in seines and weirs. The fishermen call the large pale
examples of the lower river ‘“‘sound cats” and “‘bullheads”’, and call the small
dark ones “‘river cats” and ‘‘creek cats”.

During the spring fishing season, many are caught in seines hauled for shad
and alewives, especially in the night hauls on the flats. The species resorts to
the shad spawning-grounds to feed on the eggs, and must be enormously destruct-
ive in this way. On April 24, 1899, at Capehart’s shad fishery at Avoca, not less
than 5,000 white cat-fish, from 6 to 24 inches long, were caught at one evening
haul, and these were without exception absolutely gorged with shad spawn, so
that their white bellies were distended like balloons. Schools of alewives are
followed to their spawning-grounds by droves of cat-fish, which feed on the eggs.
The spawn of white perch, yellow perch, and other species is also entensively
consumed by this cat-fish.

Spawning occurs in summer, and the spawning habits appear to be quite
similar to those of the bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) of which an account is
herein given.

As food, this is one of the best of the cat-fishes, although its commercial
importance in North Carolina is comparatively slight, owing in part to the abun-_
dance of other desirable fishes and in part to the fact that most of the cat-fish are
caught when shad, alewives, and striped bass are receiving special attention.

34. AMEIURUS EREBENNUS Jordan.
Goode’s Cat-fish; Black Cat-fish.

Ameiurus erebennus Jordan, Bulletin U. S. National Museum, x, 85, 1877; St. Johns River, Fla. Jordan, 1889b,
125, 127; Tar and Neuse rivers. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 139.

Dracnosis.—Body long, compressed, its depth somewhat less than .25 total length; head
large, .25 length of body, greatest width less than its length; Jaws about equal; pectoral spine .5
length of head; anal fin deep, .3 total length, 22 to 24 rays; adipose fin large; caudal short,
posterior margin straight. Color: black above, pale below, fins and barbels black. (erebennus,
very black.)

Inhabits coastwise waters from New Jersey to Florida. Length 1 foot.
Apparently rare in North Carolina, and as yet known only from Tar River near
Rocky Mount and Moccasin Swamp of the Neuse River near Goldsboro.

35. AMEIURUS NATALIS (LeSueur).
Yellow Oat-fish.

Pimelodus natalis LeSueur, Memoirs du Musée d’Histoire Naturelle, v, 154, 1819; North America.
Ameiurus natalis, Jordan, 1889b, 127; tributaries of Neuse River near Goldsboro. Evermann & Cox, 1896;
Neuse River near Raleigh. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 139.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 67

Dracnosis.—A variable species; body usually short and stout, sometimes very obese;
head short and broad; dorsal and pectoral spines comparatively short; anal rays 24 to 27;
adipose fin long. Color: yellow, yellow-brown, green, or black, pale below. (natalis, having
large buttock.)

This species ranges from the Great Lakes region to Virginia and Texas, and
is abundant in many places, but in North Carolina was until recently known
only from the upper waters of the Neuse. In June, 1905, and May, 1906, it was
found to be common by Mr. C. 8. Brimley in a canal connected with Lake Ellis
in Craven county; and it doubtless occurs in various other localities in the state.

36. AMETURUS NEBULOSUS (LeSueur).
“Yellow Cat-fish’’; Bullhead; Horned Pout.

Pimelodus nebulosus LeSueur, Memoirs du Musée d’Historie Naturelle, v, 149, 1819; Lake Ontario.
Ameiurus nebulosus. Jordan, 1889b, 125; Tar River near Rocky Mount. Smith, 1893a, 190, 194, 198; tribu-
taries of Albemarle Sound. Jordan & Evermann. 1896, 140.

Draenosis.—Form variable, color ranging from yellowish to black. Example 12.5
inches long from Pasquotank River: Head .28 total length; depth .25 total length; anal base
.25 total length, anal rays 22; pectoral spine .4 length of head; above dark green, sides golden
yellow, obscurely mottled with green, beneath pale yellow or white. (nebulosus, clouded.)

The common bullhead is widely distributed and is one of the most abundant
and best known of the cat-fishes. From Maine and the Great Lakes it ranges to
Florida and Texas, inhabiting streams, ponds, and lakes. It is doubtless more
common in North Carolina than the published records of its capture would indi-
cate, for besides the Albemarle region, it is reported only from Tar River. In
the western end of Albemarle Sound and in Pasquotank and Roanoke rivers,
it is common, but much less numerous than Amezurus catus. It attains a length
of 18 inches, but averages much less.

The species is omnivorous, although probably preferring fish food. It is
fond of the eggs and young of various fishes, and is generally regarded as very
destructive in this respect. It often frequents the vicinity of wharves and
drains, and feeds on refuse. :

The breeding habits of the bullhead are probably better known than those
of any other cat-fish herein listed. The writer published the following brief
account in Science (February 13, 1903), a more detailed description appearing
later :*

_ A pair of fish from the Potomac River in the Fish Commission aquarium at Washington
made a nest on July 3, 1902, by removing in their mouths upwards of a gallon of gravel from
one end of the tank, leaving the slate bottom bare. On July 5 about 2,000 eggs, in four separ-
ate agglutinated clusters, were deposited between 10 and 11 a. m. on the scrupulously clean
bottom. Ninety-nine per cent hatched in five days in a mean water temperature of 77° F.
The young remained on the bottom in dense masses until 6 days old, when they began to swim,
at first rising vertically a few inches and immediately falling back. By the end of the seventh
day they were swimming actively, and most of them collected in a school just beneath the sur-
face, where they remained for two days, afterwards scattering. They first ate finely ground

*Breeding habits of the yellow cat-fish. By Hugh M.Smithand L.G. Harron Bulletin U.S. Fish Com-
mission 1902, p. 151-154.

68 ' FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

liver on the sixth, and fed ravenously after the eighth day. The fish were 4mm. long when
hatched, and grew rapidly, some being 18mm. long on the eleventh day, and at the end of two
months their average length was 50mm. Both parents were very zealous in caring for the eggs,
keeping them agitated constantly by a gentle fanning motion of the lower fins. The most
striking act in the care of the eggs was the sucking of the egg masses into the mouth and the
blowing of them out with some force. The fanning and mouthing operations were continued
with the fry until they swam freely, when the care of the young may be said to have ceased.
During the first few days after hatching, the fry, banked in the corners of the tank, were at
irregular intervals actively stirred by the barbels of the parents, usually the male. The pre-
daceous feeding habits of the old fish gradually overcame the parental instinct; the tendency to
suck the fry into their mouths continued, and the inclination to spit the mout diminished, so
that the numbers of young dwindled daily, and the 500 that had been left with their parents had
completely disappeared in six weeks, although other food was liberally supplied.

The yellow cat-fish is frequently eaten, but its food value is decidedly
inferior; and in North Carolina it is not regarded with favor and has little com-
mercial importance.

37. AMEIURUS PLATYCEPHALUS (Girard).
Mud Cat-fish; Brown Cat-fish.

Pimelodus platycephalus Girard, Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1859, 161; Ander-
son, 5S. C.

Ameiurus platycephalus, Cope, 1870b, 486; Catawba and Yadkin rivers. Jordan, 1889b, 131, 134, 136; Cape
Fear (Haw), Yadkin, and Catawbarivers. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 142, pl. xxvii, fig. 61.

Dracnosis.—Form very elongate, the depth .12 to .20 total length; head low, flat, broad,
.28 total length; upper jaw longer; dorsal fin high, .66 length of head, rays 1,6; anal base .16
total length, rays 16 to 20; caudal fin emarginate. Color: olive brown, yellowish or greenish
above; a dark horizontal bar or shade at dorsal base; pale below. (platycephalus, broad-headed. )

Fig. 18. Brown Car-risH. Ametiurus platycephalus.

The range of this species is restricted, embracing only the streams from the
Cape Fear to the Chattahoochee. In the streams of the western part of North
Carolina, the species is well represented. Dr. Jordan found it excessively abun-
dant in branches of Haw River, a tributary of Cape Fear River, in Guilford
County; also in Little Yadkin River near Salisbury, in Catawba River near
Marion, and in St. Johns River near Morgantown. The maximum length is
somewhat over a foot.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 69

An interesting and peculiar fact about this fish is that it is largely, if not
almost exclusively, a vegetable feeder, its intestine being long and usually filled
with remains of water plants. Both Cope and Jordan note that it is largely used
for food. .

Genus LEPTOPS Rafinesque. Mud Cat-fishes.

This genus contains a single large species, and, in addition to the features
given in the key, is characterized by a slender body much depressed anteriorly,
very thick skin, long adipose fin, short anal fin, and broad pectoral spine serrated
on both edges. (Leptops, slender-faced.)

38. LEPTOPS OLIVARIS (Rafinesque).
“*Yellow Cat-fish’’; Mud Cat-fish; Bashaw; Goujon.

Silurus olivaris Rafinesque, American Monthly Magazine, 1818, 355; Ohio River.
Leptops olivaris, Jordan, 1889b, 151; French Broad and Swannanoa rivers. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 143,
pl. xxvii, fig. 62.

Dragnosis.—Depth .16 total length; head very flat, .28 total length; lower jaw projecting;
eye very small; dorsal spine weak, short, more or less covered by skin; dorsal rays 1,6; anal
short, .16 total body length, rays 12 to 15; adipose fin nearly as long and half as high as anal;
caudal nearly straight behind. Color: yellow above with green or brown markings, white
below. (olivaris, olive-colored.)

Fig. 19. YeLiow Cat-Fisu. Leptops olivaris.

While this is an abundant species in parts of the Mississippi basin and in the
Gulf States, its range barely extends into North Carolina, in the headwaters of
the Tennessee. Dr. Jordan found the young not uncommon in channels of
French Broad River at Hot Springs and South Fork of Swannanoa River near
Black Mountain. The fish is there called “‘ yellow cat’’, and is a food fish of some
importance. The species attains a weight of 100 pounds and a length of 5 feet,
and has an ugly, coarse appearance. Its flesh, however, is fine and well-flavored,
and in Louisiana and other southern states the fish is of considerable economic
importance.

Genus SCHILBEODES Bleeker. Mad-toms.

Small cat-fishes inhabiting creeks and brooks of the eastern states. The
pectoral spine, which is often serrated, can inflict a very painful wound; and in
the axil of the fin a poison gland discharges through a small orifice. The fish

70 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

are of no economic value. The characters of the genus have been indicated in
the foregoing key. The three species known from North Carolina may be dis-
tinguished as follows:

t. Pectoral spines about half length of head, with posterior serre short, their length not .5

width of spines; vertical fins with broad black edges.................... insignis.

ii. Pectoral spines more than .5 length of head, with recurved posterior serre nearly as long
as spines are wide.

a. Color nearly plain brownish, with faint blotches; dorsal black at tip; maxillary barbels

not:.reaching -gillPopeniny wy. Frey J< laos ve ee sicietes cals ane era eleutherus.
aa. Color light brown, with distinct black saddle-like blotches; fins mottled with black; maxil-
lany: ibanbels! reachin ostoycll=-opemin ome trae eieeiien el ieee creer furiosus.

(Schilbeodes, like Schilbe, a genus of African cat-fishes.)

39. SCHILBEODES INSIGNIS (Richardson).
Mad-tom.
Pimelodus insigne Richardson, Fauna Boreali-Americana, ili, 32, 1836; (type locality not known).
Noturus marginatus, Cope, 1870b, 484; Catawba and Yadkin rivers.
Noturus insignis, Jordan, 1889b, 125, 127, 131, 134, 136; Tar, Neuse, Cape Fear, Yadkin, Catawba rivers. Ever-

mann & Cox, 1896, 304; Neuse River.
Schilbeodes insignis, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 147, pl. xxviii, fig. 66.

DiaGcnosis.—Form elongate, depth .16 total length; head broad, flat, contained 4.25 times
in length; upper jaw projecting; humeral process sharp; dorsal fin .25 higher than long, nearer
anal than snout; anal rays 14 to 16; pectoral spine .5 length of head, with retrorse teeth
on external surface and simple, weak teeth on internal surface. Color: dark mottled brown,
fins with broad dark margins. (insignis, distinguished.)

This species inhabits streams on the eastern slope of the Alleghany moun-
tains from Pennsylvania to South Carolina, and is abundant and widely distrib-
uted in North Carolina, having been recorded from the Tar, Neuse, Yadkin,
Catawba, and Cape Fear rivers. It is the largest mad-tom, reaching a length of
1 foot.

40. SOHILBEODES ELEUTHERUS (Jordan.)
Mad-tom.

Noturus eleutherus Jordan, Annals New York Lyceum Natural History 1877, 371; Big Pigeon River , Tennessee,
tributary of French Broad River. Jordan, 1889b, 151; French Broad River at Hot Springs, N. C.
Schilbeodes eleuthervs, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 148; French Broad River.

Dr1aGnosis.—Head broad, depressed, a little more than .25 total length; lower jaw in-
cluded; eye contained 5.5 times in length of head; anal rays 13; pectoral spine stout, .5 length
of head or longer, the outer margin with retrorse teeth, the inner edge with 6 to 8 curved hooks
Color: brown, with fine dark dots and black blotches on back; dorsal fin black at tip. (eleu-

therus, free.)

Peculiar to the Mississippi basin, and recorded from North Carolina only in
the French Broad River at Hot Springs, where Dr. Jordan obtained one young
specimen in 1888. Length, 4 inches.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 71

41. SCHILBEODES FURIOSUS (Jordan & Meek).
“‘Mad-tom’’; ‘“‘Tabby-cat’’.

Noturus furiosus Jordan & Meek, in Jordan, 1889a, 351, pl. xliii; Neuse River near Raleigh. Jordan, 1889b, 125,
127; Tar and Neuse rivers.

Noturus eleutherus, Jordan & Brayton, 1878; Tar River (not N. eleutherus of Jordan). Jordan & Gilbert, 1879,
368; Neuse River at Goldsboro.

Schilbeodes furiosus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 149, pl. xxix, figs. 69, 69a, 69b; eastern North Carolina.

DraGcnosis.—Depth contained 5.5 times in total length; head contained 3.75 times in
length; lower jaw included; dorsal spine less than .5 length of head; pectoral spine very broad
and long, contained 1.25 times in length of head, anterior (outer) margin finely serrate, poster-
ior margin with 6 to 8 strong recurved hooks; adipose fin large; anal rays 14: caudal fin long
and rounded. Color: light brown, with black saddle-like blotches on back and head, and black
bars or streaks on dorsal, adipose, caudal, anal, and ventral fins. (fuwriosus, furious. )

Fig. 20. Map—rom. Schilbeodes furiosus.

Found only in Tar, Neuse, and Little rivers. Length 4 inches. The pec-
toral spines are more strongly developed than in any other species of American
cat-fish, and the secretion of the axillary gland is said to be more poisonous than
in any other mad-tom.

Order PLECTOSPONDYLI. The Carp-like Fishes.

This order includes a majority of the fresh-water fishes of the world, and is
numerously represented in the local fauna. The 4 anterior vertebre are united
and peculiarly modified, giving rise to a series of small bones (Webberian ossi-
cles) which connect the air-bladder with the ear; the opercular bones are well
developed; the branchiostegals are few in number; the body is scaled; the dorsal
fin is single, and it and the other fins are without true spines. Most of the Ameri-
can species belong in a suborder (Eventognathi) in which the jaws are toothless,
the inferior pharyngeal bones are falicform, and the upper pharyngeals are 2 in
number; the gill-slits are restricted; and the gill-membranes are joined to the
isthmus. The 2 families having species in North Carolina are typified by the
suckers and minnows, and may be thus distinguished:

i. Maxillaries forming part of the margin of the jaw; pharyngeal teeth numerous and comb-

Renee eee ne ea yy idee eco sua nt SS oo, nS ios oc ogh ra Shalans ore an irs, aoe $e CATOSTOMID.
wz. Premaxillaries alone forming margin of upper jaw; pharyngeal teeth few... .CyPRINIDZ&.

Family CATOSTOMIDA. The Suckers.

Suckers are well represented in North Carolina streams, and are among the
best known and most easily recognized of the fresh-water fishes. The body is

ca FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

elongate, sometimes much compressed, sometimes nearly cylindrical. The head
is usually conical, with mouth inferior, protractile, fleshy-lipped, and without
teeth in the jaws. The margin of the upper jaw is formed in part by the maxil-
lary bones and in part by the premaxillaries. There are 4 gill-arches; the gill-
membranes are joined to the isthmus; the branchiostegals number 3; and pseudo-
branchie are present. The lower pharyngeal bones are sickle-shaped and sur-
mounted by a single row of coarse teeth. The cycloid scales are either large or
small; no scales appear on the head. All the fins are well developed; the dorsal
is comparatively long, the anal short, the caudal large and usually forked. The
large air-bladder is divided by transverse constrictions. The suckers are medium-
sized fishes, normally found only in fresh water, ascending streams and brooks in
spring to spawn. ‘Their feeding habits are determined by their peculiar mouth,
the pharyngeal teeth acting as grinders. Their food consists of animals (insects
and other small aquatic forms) and also mud, which is doubtless ingested for the
animal matter it contains; food articles are taken into the mouth by suction.
In some species the males in spring acquire red or black pigment on body or fins,
and develop tubercles on head, body, and fins.

North Carolina has more species of suckers than any other state, and more
species described from and peculiar to it than any other state. Most of the
suckers peculiar to the state were described by Professor Cope in 1870 from the
Allegheny region, and some of them have not been met with since that time.
While some of those now recognized as valid will doubtless be excluded* when
further information regarding them is obtained, in the present state of our
knowledge they must be retained as distinct species.

While abundant and caught in large numbers in North Carolina, the suckers
are of less value commercially than they are for home consumption, especially in
the upper courses of the streams, where they furnish a notinsignificant part of the
food of the people at times, being the principal food fishes of the upland streams.
The quantity of suckers marketed and the price received therefor by the fisher-
men are here given for three years: 1890—60,550 pounds, $1,779; 1897—
135,230 pounds, $3,037; 1902—169,350 pounds, $7,874.

Key to the North Carolina genera of suckers.
i. Air-bladder constricted into 2 parts.

a. Lateral line complete and continuous; scales small.................... CATOSTOMUS.
aa. Lateral line interrupted or wanting; scales large.
b. Lateral line entirely wanting; fish smalli7 9. s sesc.e we. ee eee ERIMYZON.
bb. Lateral line more or less developed; fish larger.......2.<2.2/.-%.-- MINYTREMA.

wi. Air-bladder constricted into 3 parts.
c. Pharyngeal teeth flattened; mouth moderate or small; lips usually folded... Moxosroma.
ec. Pharyngeal teeth enlarged, cylindrical; mouth large; lips thick ...... PLACOPHARYNX.

Genus CATOSTOMUS LeSueur. Fine-scaled Suckers.

Common fishes peculiar to the United States, with the exception of one
species found in Siberia. The mouth, on the under side of head, has a thick
upper lip covered with papille, and a very large lower lip with a broad
margin; the small eye is placed rather high on the side of the head; the dorsal

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 73

fin begins in the center of the body, the ventrals are under the dorsal, the anal is
short and deep, and the caudal is evenly forked; lateral line distinct, more or less
straight. The two species inhabiting North Carolina may be readily distin-
euished by the number of scales. (Catostomus, inferior-mouthed.)

42. CATOSTOMUS COMMERSONII (Lacépede).

‘““Sand Sucker’’; Common Sucker;-White Sucker.

Cyprinus commersonii Lacépéde, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, v, 502, 1803; locality not known.

Catostomus teres, Cope, 1870b, 468, 495; “‘in all the rivers of the state and on both sides of the Allegheny water-
shed’, Jordan, 1889b, 136, 151; Catawba and French Broad rivers.

Catostomus commersonii, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 178, pl. xxxiv, fig. 83. Bean, 1903, 914; Cane River, tribu-
tary of French Broad.

Dragnosis.—Form rather stout, but little compressed, depth .22 to .25 of total length;
head large, conical, about .25 total length in adults; snout projecting but little beyond mouth;
mouth large, lips papillose, the papillee of upper lip in 2 or 3 rows; scales 64 to 70 in lateral
series, 10 above lateral line and 9 below, crowded anteriorly, larger on side than below; dorsal
rays 12, second and third rays longest; anal rays 7, third and fourth rays longest. Color:
olivaceous above, whitish below; males in spring have a rosy band or stripe along sides;
young brownish, mottled, with dark lateral band or blotches. (Named after M. Commerson,
an early French traveler.)

Fi

g. 21. Wire Sucker. Catostomus commersonii.

This very abundant and well known sucker occurs from New England
throughout the Great Lakes to Montana and thence southward to Georgia and
Kansas. Dr. Jordan found it common in Catawba River near Marion, and in
French Broad and Swannanoa rivers near Asheville. In the French Broad it
is known as ‘‘sand sucker” and is a food fish of some importance. Cope lists
the species from French Broad, Catawba, Yadkin, and Neuse rivers. Its maxi-
mum length is 2 feet and its maximum weight 5 pounds. Insects, small
mollusks, worms, and other animals are eaten. Spawning occurs in spring in
the headwaters of small streams. It is not infrequently caught on the hook
baited with angleworm.

74 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

43. CATOSTOMUS NIGRICANS LeSueur.
‘““Hog Sucker’’; Black Sucker; Stone-roller.

Catostomus nigricans LeSueur, Journal Academy Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1817, 102; Lake Erie. Cope,
18706, 468; French Broad River. Jordan, 1889b, 125, 128, 151; Pamlico, Neuse, and tributaries of
French Broad River. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 181. Bean, 1903, 914; Cane River, tribute ry
of French Broad.

Draenosis.—Form elongate, not compressed, the depth contained 4.5 to 5 times in total
length; head about equal to depth of body, flattened above, concave between eyes; eye small,
about .33 length of snout and .2 length of head; mouth large, lips well developed and covered
with numerous small papille; fins large; dorsal base .66 length of head, its rays 10 or 11; anal
rays 7; pectoral longer than dorsal; caudal moderately forked; scales 48 to 55 in lateral series,
12 to 15 in transverse series. Color: brownish above, with blackish blotches (becoming obso-
lete with age), sides golden or brassy, below white; lower fins dull red; young irregularly
blotched. (nigricans, blackish.)

The black sucker has a range almost as wide as the white sucker; it extends
from New York to Minnesota, and thence to South Carolina, Arkansas, and
Kansas. In North Carolina it is common on both sides of the Alleghanies.
In size and habits it resembles the white sucker, although it is more partial to
clear, cold water. Its food value is slight.

Genus ERIMYZON Jordan. Chub Suckers.

Small fish of streams and lakes with a wide distribution east of Rocky
Mountains. Body rather short, compressed; lower lip large, v-shaped, with
many folds; gill-rakers long; pharyngeal teeth small, slender, compressed; scales
rather large, crowded anteriorly; dorsal and anal fins short and high, caudal
slightly forked or merely concave. One species, variable. (Hrimyzon, sucker.)

44, ERIMYZON SUCETTA (Lacépéde).
““Mullet’’; Chub Sucker.

Cyprinus sucetta Lacépéde, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, v, 606, 1803; South Carolina.

Moxostoma oblongum, Cope, 1870b, 468; Neuse River.

Erimyzon sucetta, Jordan, 1889b, 128, 132; Neuse and Cape Fear rivers. Smith, 1893a, 194; Edenton Bay.
Evermann & Cox, 1896, 304; Neuse River. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 185, pl. xxxvi, fig. 89.

DiaGNnosis.—Body oblong, compressed, back elevated, depth .33 total length; head
rather short, its length .25 total body length; space between eyes broad; mouth small, pro-
tractile; eye .20 to .25 length of head; dorsal fin short, high, the rays 12 to 15 in number; anal
rays 7; caudal slightly forked; scales closely overlapping, rather large, 35 to 40 in lateral
series, 13 to 15 in transverse series. Color: variable with age and environment; adults light
brown above, pale below, usually with pale longitudinal streaks along scales, a bronze or
coppery sheen over all; young with black lateral band, becoming broken into blotches and
forming transverse bands, these disappearing with age; males in spring with several large tuber-
cles on each side of snout. (sucetta, from the French sucet, sucker.)

This handsome and well marked species is abundant in the Great Lakes,
the Mississippi Valley, and seaboard streams from Virginia to Texas; a northern
variety (oblongus) ranges from Virginia to Maine. The species probably inhabits
all the North Carolina streams flowing into the Atlantic, and is known from
Albemarle Sound, the Neuse River, and Cape Fear River. It is common in the

°

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. ris)

Neuse from Goldsboro upward, and has also been found in the lower Neuse at
Kinston, where in 1875 and 1883 J. W. Milner collected specimens now in the
National Museum. In June, 1905, Mr. C. S. Brimley obtained several specimens
in Lake Ellis, Craven County; these are now in the State Museum at Raleigh.
It has no distinctive name in North Carolina, and is called simply “‘mullet”’.
The maximum length is about 10 inches.

Fig. 22. CxHus Sucker. Erimyzon sucetta.

Genus MINYTREMA Jordan. Spotted Suckers,

Intermediate between Hrimyzon and Moxostoma; form elongate; mouth
inferior, horizontal, upper lip large, lower lip small, v- shaped, with folds; gill-
rakers long; scales large; lateral line absent in young, interrupted in adult; dorsal
and anal fins short and high, caudal slightly forked. One species, of moderate
size. (Minytrema, reduced aperture, in allusion to imperfect lateral line.)

45. MINYTREMA MELANOPS (Rafinesque).
‘‘Black Winter Sucker’; Spotted Sucker; Winter Sucker.

Catostomus melanops Rafinesque, Ichthyologia Ohiensis, 57 , 1820; Ohio River.
Minytremamelanops, Jordan, 1889b, 132; Haw River, tributary of Cape Fear River. Jordan & Evermann,
1896, 187, pl. xxxvi, fig 90.

DraGNnosis.—Depth about .25 length, greater in adults than in young; head rather less
than .33 total length; eye small, .16 to .20 length of head; dorsal rays 12, anal rays 7; scales
large, 44 to 48 in lengthwise series, 12 to 14 in crosswise series. Color: dusky above, pale
below with brassy luster; a black spot at base of each scale along sides of body forming dis-
tinct lines; a black spot on back behind dorsal fin; old males in spring with tubercles on head.
(melanops, having a black appearance. )

While this sucker has a wide range, extending from the Great Lakes to
Texas, it is a rare species in North Carolina. It is known from Reedy Fork of
Haw River, a tributary of Cape Fear River, at a point 11 miles northeast of
Greensboro, where two specimens were obtained by Dr. Jordan in 1888 and

76 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

where the fish is called “‘ black winter sucker”. The U.S. National Museum has
four specimens from Neuse River at Kinston, collected by J. W. Milner in 1875,
and another from Cape Fear River collected by Marshall McDonald in 1880.
The fish reaches a length of 18 inches.

Fig. 23. Seorrep Sucker. Minytrema melanops.

Genus MOXOSTOMA Rafinesque. Red-horses.

A numerous genus of large-sized suckers found all over the United States
east of Rocky Mountains. The elongate body is more or less compressed and the
back elevated; size of head, mouth, and eye variable; lips well developed, with
transverse folds; gill-rakers long and weak; scales large; dorsal fin rather long
and high, in about middle of body; anal fin short and high; caudal large and
well forked. The genus is more numerously represented in North Carolina than
in any other state, and some of the nominal species are difficult to distinguish
and are perhaps not distinct. Following are some of the characters by which
the species may be separated, according to Cope and Jordan & Evermann: —

Key to the North Carolina species of red-horses.

t. Labial folds broken up into conspicuous papillae; mouth very small; snout projecting; dorsal
PAYS) U2 tO Da eis ey cc artben sree tones cue arate ncn eicote tetas apeiea Gente cu menace ence ci meee papillosum.
wz. Labial folds not broken up into distinct papille.
a. Dorsal fin long, with 15 to 18 rays; lower lip v-shaped; mouth quite small. . .collapsum.
aa. Dorsal fin shorter, with 10 to 14 or 15 rays.
b. Lower lip narrow, infolded, v-shaped, with distinct median crease in which the halves
meet at an acute angle.
c. Body elongate, subcylindrical, little compressed; snout truncate ...... pidiense.
cc. Body compressed, back elevated, muzzle projecting beyond very small mouth.
coreaonus.
bb. Lower lip thin, forming a narrow, crescent-shaped border around mandible.
d. Head small, .20 total length; snout prominent; dorsal rays 12 to 14....album.
dd. Head larger, .25 total length; snout not projecting; dorsal rays 14 or 15.
thalassinum.
bbb. Lower lip full, truneate behind, not distinctly v-shaped or u-shaped.
e. Dorsal fin moderate, rays usually 13 (12 to 14); body more or less compressed.
/. Lobes of caudal fin approximately the same length.
g. Dorsal fin with free margin nearly straight; lower fins always red in life.
h:- Body ‘elongate, ‘back ‘little’ clewated) © o2- s:.4 ran eee ce oe Oe aureolum.
hh. Body ‘stout,. dback: nruch elevated on. 72525) ae es oe rr ee robustum,
gg. Dorsal fin with free margin concave; lower fins pale.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 77

_eeeadiumocderate: back notelevated .. cic...’ odlecis st eaens macrolepidotum.
ai. Head very short and blunt; back elevated .................... crassilabre.
fj. Upper lobe of caudal fin more or less produced and faleate; head short; snout much
projecting; mouth small; first dorsal rays produced .... conus.

ee. Dorsal fin short, rays 10 to 12; body elongate, subcylindrical or r slightly compressed.
7. Seales 50 in lateral series, 18 before dorsal fin; color plain brownish, tips of dorsal

see ALICE RIL CUISEC Ve Se nienais 2S cls 8 ore win gp aye vase S/F pide se ees rupiscartes.
7j- Scales 43 in lateral series, 15 before dorsal fin; series of streaks along sides, tips of
Gorsaliandscaucdalifing Diack sacs chee Sag ¢ Seis pen ene eve tees bee cervinum.

(M oxostoma, sucking-mouth.)

46. MOXOSTOMA PAPILLOSUM (Cope).
‘“‘Red-horse’’; ‘‘Shiner’’; White Mullet.
Ptychostomus papillosus Cope, 1870b, 470; Catawba and Yadkin rivers. Jordan, 1878, 134; North Carolina.

Moxostoma papillosum, Jordan, 1889b, 125, 128, 131, 136; Tar, Neuse, Cape Fear, and Catawba rivers. Ever-
mann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River near Raleigh. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 189.

Diacenosis.—Body deeper than thick, dorsal outline not elevated, depth contained 4 to
4.5 times in total length; head elongate, not more than .25 total length; muzzle truncate in
profile, the upper lip hanging free, the lower deeply incised behind so as to be v-shaped; both
lips finely granular, not plicate; top of head flat; scales large, 42 in lengthwise series, 6+ 5 in
crosswise series; dorsal rays 12. Color: silvery white, except some blackish shades at the
bases of the scales of the dorsal region; fins in life pure white. (papillosum, full of papille.)

This sucker, which is one of the commonest species found in North Carolina,
ranges from the Dismal Swamp to Cape Fear River, and thence to Georgia. Dr.
Jordan reported it ascommon in Tar Rivernear Rocky Mount; in Neuse River near
Raleigh; in Little River near Goldsboro; in Haw River near Greensboro; and in
Catawba River at Morgantown. Specimens from Neuse River at Kinston,
collected by J. W. Milner, are in the U. 8S. National Museum.

According to Cope, in 1869 this species was quite abundant in the Catawba
and Yadkin rivers, and was highly valued bythe inhabitants as anarticle of food,
being regarded as the best of the suckers. It was less frequently caught on a
hook than some other species, but in autumn it ran into the weirs in considerable
numbers. The fishermen of that section called it ‘‘shiner”’. The largest speci-

“mens Cope found were only 1 foot long and weighed a pound; Jordan, however,

collected examples 18 inches long and weighing upwards of 3 pounds.

47. MOXOSTOMA COLLAPSUM (Cope).
‘Sucking Mullet’’; Small-mouthed Red-horse.

Ptychostomus collapsus Cope, 18706, 471; Neuse, Yadkin and Catawba rivers.
?Catostomus anisurus Rafinesque, Ichthyologia Ohiensis, 54, 1820; Ohio River.
Myzxostoma velatum, Jordan, 1878, 132; Neuse, Yadkin, and Catawba rivers (after Cope).
Moxostoma anisurum, Smith, 1893a, 198; Roanoke River.

Moxostoma collapsum, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 190.

D1aGnosis.—Body rather stout, compressed, back elevated, the depth contained 3.33
times in total length; head short, small, conic, broad and flat above, its length .25 of total
length; mouth small, lips plicate, muzzle truncate and overhanging the mouth; eye in middle
of side of head, .25 length of head, twice length of snout, and .66 width of interorbital space;
dorsal fin long, free edge straight, its base .83 length of head, rays 15: caudal lobes subequal;

78 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

scales 42 in longitudinal series, 11 in transverse series. Color: silvery, dusky above, whitish
below; dorsal and caudal membranes blackish, other fins pale; ‘‘inferior fins all orange” (Cope).
(collapsum, flattened sidewise. )

This species is found only in the lowland streams in North Carolina. Cope’s
type specimens were only a foot long, but he saw specimens from Catawba
River of 3 and 4 pounds weight. He reported it as immensely numerous, and as
caught in weir traps in spring and autumn; as a food fish it is inferior to Moz-
ostoma papillosum, “but it is not at all to be rejected”’.

This appears to be the species of which numerous specimens were observed
by the writer at the seining beaches in Roanoke River near Plymouth in April,
1892. The largest examples seen were 10 inches long. From Mozxostoma
crassilabre, which was abundant at the same time and place, it was easily
distinguishable by the absence of dark spots at the bases of scales, by the
straight margin of the dorsal fin, etc. This fish is possibly identical with
Moxostoma anisurum (Rafinesque) from the Ohio valley and Great Lakes.

48. MOXOSTOMA PIDIENSE (Cope).
Sucker.

Ptychostomus pidiensis Cope, 1870b, 471; Yadkin River.
Mozxostoma pidiense, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 191.

DriaGcnosis.—Form cylindric, little compressed; head long, contained 4.5 times in total
length; muzzle truncate; eye small; dorsal rays 12. Color: light brownish yellow, fins light
red. (pidiense, inhabiting the Pedee.)

This species is named after the Pedee River, of which the Yadkin is a tribu- °
tary, and is known only from that stream. It is a small, rare species (10 inches
long), and is known only from Cope’s description of a few specimens he
obtained from traps.

49. MOXOSTOMA COREGONUS (Cope).
“Blue Mullet’’.

Ptychostomus coregonus Cope, 1870b, 472; Catawba and Yadkin rivers.
Mozxostoma coregonus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 191.

Dracnosis.—Body fusiform, back arched; head very small, .20 total length; muzzle
regularly conic, projecting far beyond mouth; mouth very small, but little protractile; eye
large, .25 to .33 length of head; dorsal rays 14. Color: silvery, scales shaded with leaden
above and with black pigment at their bases, giving a dusky hue to whole; belly and inferior
fins pure white. (coregonus, the white-fish, in allusion to the shape.)

Cope found this fish very abundant in Catawba and Yadkin rivers, never
exceeding a foot in length; it was caught with Moxostoma collapsum and pidiense
and used for food, but it was the least valued of all the species. At Morganton
it was known as the “‘blue mullet”. The species does not appear to have been
recorded since Cope’s time, although it is a strongly marked fish, ‘easily distin-
guishable by its very small head, with conic muzzle, elevated arched back, minute
inferior mouth, combined with small size”’.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 79

50. MOXOSTOMA ALBUM (Cope).
‘““White Mullet’’.

Ptychostomus albus Cope, 1870b, 472; Catawba River.
Myzxostoma album, Jordan, 1878, 130; Kinston (Neuse River).
Moxostoma album, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 191.

Diacnosis.—Form elliptical, somewhat compressed, back slightly elevated, depth con-
tained about 3.3 times in total length; head small, short, broad, .20 length; muzzle prominent
but less so than in M. collapsum; mouth moderate, lower lip a narrow crescent following the
edge of the mandible, not folding in median line; dorsal fin high, rays 12 to 14; caudal deeply
forked. Color: very pale, lower fins white. (album, white.)

Cope’s note regarding this fish is: “In size this species is one of the largest,
reaching 4 pounds and over. It is much valued by the people living in the
neighborhood of the Catawba River, North Carolina, as an article of food. They
eall it the ‘white mullet’. I have not seen it in the Yadkin or any other river’’.
The U.S. National Museum has specimens from the Neuse River at Kinston col-
lected by J. W. Milner and from unknown localities in North Carolina obtained
by Dr. G. B. Goode in the Washington (D. C.) market. This may be the species
ealled ‘‘white-fish”’ by Lawson (1709) and thus referred to by him:

The white-fish are very large; some being two foot anda half long and more. They
are found a great way up in the freshes of the rivers; and are firm meat, and an extra-
ordinary well-relish’d fish.

51. MOXOSTOMA THALASSINUM (Cope).
Sucker.

Ptychostomus thalassinus Cope, 1870b, 472; Yadkin River.
Moxostoma thalassinum, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 191.

DraGnosis.—Similar to Mozxostoma collapsum, but differing in shape of lower lip, which is
narrowly crescentric; fusiform, back elevated; head elongate, flat above, .25 total length;
muzzle not very prominent, mouth small; dorsal rays 14 or 15. Color: sea green above, white
below: fins white. (thalassinum, sea green.)

This is one of the largest suckers, exceeding 5 pounds in weight, according to
Cope. It was reported to be abundant in the Yadkin and used for food, but
nothing further is known about it.

52. MOXOSTOMA AUREOLUM (LeSueur).
‘“Red-horse”’; ‘‘White Sucker’’.

Catostomus aureolus LeSueur, Journal Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, i, 95, 1817; Lake Erie.
Ptychostomus erythurus, Cope, 1870b, 474; French Broad River (Tennessee).
Moxostoma duquesner, Jordan, 1889b, 150, 151; French Broad River.
Moxostoma aureolum, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 192.

DrAGnosis.—Form stout or moderately elongate; head long, blunt, broad and flat above,
.20 to .25 total length; mouth large, lips full; snout blunt, projecting; eye large; dorsal rays 12
to 14, free edge nearly straight, longest ray shorter than head; scales large, 45 in lateral series.
Color: gray, greenish or rosy above, sides silvery, fins orange in adults. (awreolum, golden.)

An abundant species, ranging from Lake Ontario and Lake Michigan south
to Arkansas, Georgia, and NorthCarolina. In North Carolina this sucker occurs

SO FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

only in those streams tributary to the Ohio. Jordan found the young not rare in
French Broad River and Spring Creek at Hot Springs. It is a food fish of that
section, under the name of “white sucker”. Cope noticed it in French Broad
River in Tennessee, where examples weighing 12 pounds were reported.

538. MOXOSTOMA ROBUSTUM (Cope).
““Red-horse”’.
Ptychostomus robustus Cope, 1870b, 473; Yadkin River.
Moxostoma robustum, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 193.

DiAGnosis.—Form very short and stout, compressed, the back elevated; head short, deep,
contained 4 or 4.5 times in total length; muzzle not prominent, truncate; lower lip very large
and full, entirely covering space between rami of jaw; eye .20 to .25 length of head; dorsal fin
short, free margin straight, rays 12. Color: smoky or clouded above, mingled with golden
reflections, sides similar; yellowish below; dorsal, caudal and anal fins dark crimson. (robus-
tum, robust.)

No one seems to have recorded the capture of this species except Cope.
He found it only in the Yadkin, and reported it to be highly valued for the table
by people living along the river. It was taken in spring-nets and weirs. The
weight attained is 6 pounds or more. This species is perhaps identical with
Moxostoma aureolum.

54. MOXOSTOMA MACROLEPIDOTUM (LeSueur).
Red-horse.

Catostomus macrolepidotus LeSueur, Journal Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, i, 94, 1817; Delaware
River.

Ptychostomus lachrymalis, Cope, 1870b, 474; Neuse River at New Bern.

Moxostoma macrolepidotum, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 193.

DiaGNosis.—Body compressed, back gently arched, the depth more than .25 length;
head stout, of moderate length; mouth large, lips large and thick, inferior lip with concave
posterior margin; eye about .5 width of interorbital space and .6 length of snout; dorsal margin
slightly concave, the rays 12 or 13; 44 to 46 scales in lateral series. Color: dull reddish-brown,
scales dusky at base, fins pale. (macrolepidotum, large-scaled.)

Inhabits lowland streams from New Jersey to North Carolina. Jordan &
Evermann regard Cope’s Ptychostomus lachrymalis from the Neuse at New Bern
as being the same as this species. It grows to a length of 18 inches.

55. MOXOSTOMA CRASSILABRE (Cope).

‘“Red-horse’’; ‘‘Red-horse Mullet’’; ‘““Sucker Mullet’’; ‘‘Trout Sucker’’;
“Golden Mullet’’; ‘‘Golden-finned Mullet’’; ‘‘Horse-fish’’; ‘‘Redfin’’; ‘‘Mullet’’.
Ptychostomus crassilabris Cope, 1870b, 477; Neuse River near Raleigh.

Mozxostoma crassilabre, Jordan, 1889b, 128; Little River at Goldsboro. Smith, 1893a, 194, 198; Edenton Bay
and Roanoke River at Plymouth and Weldon. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 194.

DraGnosis.—Body compressed, back elevated, depth contained 3.5 times in length;
head very small, broad above, .20 total length; snout blunt, overhanging the mouth; mouth
of moderate size, the lower lip truncate behind and finely papillose; eye contained 4.5 times in
length of head, 2.33 times in interorbital space and 1.5 times in snout; dorsal fin with free

er

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. SI

border deeply incised, rays 12 or 13, longest ray longer than head and base of fin; caudal lobes
equal; scales 45 in lateral series, 10 or 11 in transverse series. Color: generally pale yellowish-
red, dusky above, lighter beneath, with silvery reflections; each scale above the lateral line
with a black spot at base of exposed part; lower fins pale orange or red, dorsal membrane
black. (Description of 15-inch specimen from Edenton Bay, April, 1902.) (crassilabre,
thick-lipped. )

Since Cope described this species from Neuse River near Raleigh, it had not
been met with until 1888, when Jordan found one specimen in Little River, a
tributary of the Neuse, at Goldsboro. In 1892 the writer observed it in Edenton
Bay and Roanoke River. It is abundant in the Albemarle region, and the larger
fish have considerable market value. It is caught in spring, in seines and pound
nets, with shad and alewives, and appears to be ascending the rivers with those
species. Fish from 8 to 20 inches long were observed.

All of the common names before given were heard by the writer. ‘‘Golden
mullet” and “golden-finned mullet” are trade names in use at Edenton, Eliza-
beth City, and other places on the sound. The smaller fish, with plain colors,
are called “sucking mullet”’ and “trout sucker’. At Plymouth the name ‘‘red-
horse” is applied to the largest fish. The names “mullet”, “redfin”, and
““horse-fish”, heard at Weldon, are doubtless given also to other suckers.

56. MOXOSTOMA CONUS (Cope).
Sucker.

Ptychostomus conus Cope, 1870b, 478; Yadkin River.
Moxostoma conus, Jordan, 18896, 128; Little River at Goldsboro. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 196.

DraGNnosis.—Body much compressed, the back elevated; head small, conic; eye large;
mouth exceedingly small, lower lip truncate behind; snout conic, much produced; dorsal rays
14. Color: smoky above, the scales with black bases; below white; dorsal fin dusky, inferior fins
white. (conus, cone, in allusion to shape of snout.)

Cope found this species numerous in Yadkin River, where it was taken in
large numbers with other suckers. Jordan took a single young specimen in
Little River.

57. MOXOSTOMA RUPISCARTES Jordan & Jenkins.
“Jumping Mullet’; Jump-rocks.

Ptychostomus cervinus Cope, 18706, 478 (in part); Catawba River.

Moxostoma rupiscartes Jordan & Jenkins. in Jordan, 1889a, 353; Catawba River and Bucks Creek, North Car-
olina; also various rivers in South Carolina and Georgia. Jordan, 1889b, 137; Catawba River near Marion,
Johns River near Morgantown, and Bucks Creek at Pleasant Garden. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 196,
pl. xxxvii, fig. 93.

Diaenosis.—Body long and low, depth contained 5.5 to 6 times in length; head very
short, broad, flat above, a little more than .2 length; snout blunt, projecting beyond mouth;
lips full, the folds somewhat broken into papille; scales rather small, 50 in lateral series; dorsal
fin low and small, free margin concave, rays 11, first ray .66 length of head; caudal short,
lunate, lobes blunt; pectorals long; anal rays 8. Color: dark olive brown, becoming paler
below; young with pale lateral streaks; a faint dark spot above pectoral; tips of dorsal and
caudal dusky. (rupiscartes, rock-jumper.)

82 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

This species is abundant in the large tributaries of the Santee and extends
its range as far as the Chattahoochee. It attains a large size, and is most com-
mon about rocks and in rapids. It appears to have been confounded with
Moxostoma cervinum. Under the latter name Cope refers to this fish in the
Catawba, stating that it does not exceed a foot in length, is but little valued
as food, and is called by the fisherman “jumping mullet” because of its peculiar
habit of leaping from the water. Jordan heard the name “jump-rocks” in
Georgia.

Fig. 24. Sucker; Jump-rocks. Moxostoma rupiscartes.

58. MOXOSTOMA CERVINUM (Cope).
Red-horse.

Teretulus cervinus Cope, Journal Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1868, 236, pl. 24, fig. 3; Roanoke
and James rivers, Virginia.

Ptychostomus cervinus, Cope, 1870b, 478; Roanoke River, North Carolina and Virginia.

Moxostoma cervinum, Jordan, 1889b, 125, 129; Tar and Neuse rivers. Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse
River. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 197.

Draqnosis.—Eorm elongate, cylindrical; head very short, .2 total length; mouth large,
lips thick, strongly plicate; eye small; fins very small, dorsal rays 10 to 12, free margin straight,
longest ray less than head; scales, 43 in lengthwise series, 11 in crosswise series. Color:
yellowish brown or greenish brown above (‘‘emerald green after death”, Cope), a pale blotch
on each scale forming lengthwise streaks; back often marked by dark transverse shades or
blotches; fins brownish or slightly reddish, dorsal and caudal with inky black tips. (cervinum,
fawn-colored.)

This species is known only from Roanoke, Tar, and Neuse rivers. Cope
attributed the species to Catawba River, but according to Jordan the Catawba
fish is Moxostoma rupiscartes. The species is reported as common in Tar and
Neuse rivers. Its size is small, probably never more than a foot in length and
often not exceeding 4 to 6 inches.

Genus PLACOPHARYNX Cope. Big-jawed Suckers.

Similar to Moxostoma but with the pharyngeal bones much larger and
stouter and with teeth less numerous and larger, those on lower part of bones
from 6 to 10 in number, cylindrical, and with a broad grinding surface. Mouth
large, oblique; lips thick. One species, of large size. (Placopharynx, broad-
throated.)

CO
OO

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES.

59. PLACOPHARYNX DUQUESNII (LeSueur).
“‘Red-horse’’.

Catostomus duquesnii LeSueur, Journal Academy Natural Sciences Philadelphia, i, 105, 1817; Ohio River.
Placopharynz carinatus, Jordan, 1878, 108; French Broad River. Jordan, 18896, 151; French Broad River.
Placopharynx duquesnii, Jordan & Everman, 1896, 198, pl. xxxiii, fig. 82.

Diaqgnosis.—Form rather short, somewhat compressed, the depth of body more than .25
total length; head large, broad, flat, .25 total length; eye small, posterior to middle of side of
head; mouth large, upper jaw oblique, the plicated lips protractile forward and downward;
dorsal rays 12 or 13, the free edge concave; upper caudal lobe longer and narrower than lower;
scales 45 in lengthwise series, 12 in crosswise series. Color: dark green above, sides brassy;
lower fins and caudal orange red. (Named after Ft. Duquesne, now Pittsburg.)

This sucker ranges from the Great Lakes region to Arkansas and North
Carolina. In the latter state it inhabits only the French Broad and tributaries.
Jordan (1878) states that he collected numerous large specimens in the French
Broad River, at Wolf Creek and other localities in North Carolina, where it is the
most abundant member of the family, known to all fishermen as the “red-
horse”. He also records (1889b) that “large numbers run in the French Broad
in June”. The fish reaches a length of 2.5 feet.

Family CYPRINIDA. The Minnows and Carps.

This very numerous and important family contains many well known fresh-
water fishes, although only a few are of sufficient size to make them of economic
value. In North Carolina, as in most other parts of the country, these fishes are
almost invariably represented in the catch of youthful anglers. They are for the
most part defenceless, harmless species, and their principal value is as food for
other fishes. Following are the leading anatomical characters of the family as
represented in North America: Body more or less elongate, compressed or
rounded; margin of the upper jaw formed only by the premaxillary bones; lower
pharyngeal bones supporting 1 to 3 series of teeth, which are few in number and
may differ in number on the two sides; body scaly, head naked; barbels usually
absent, but if present small and 2 or 4in number; gills 4 in number, gill-membranes
joined to the isthmus; pseudobranchie present; branchiostegals 3 in number;
dorsal fin short; ventral fins abdominal; air-bladder comparatively large;
stomach a simple dilatation of intestine, without appendages; coloration mostly
plain. In breeding season the males of some species develop peculiarities, such
as tubercles on head and body and pigmentation of fins and body, the pigment
usually red but sometimes glistening white, yellow, or black. All of our species
are oviparous. Some forms subsist on vegetable matter, some on animal
matter, and a few are predaceous.

This family includes a number of foreign fishes (the carp, the gold-fish, the
tench, and the golden ide or orf) which have been introduced into American
waters; some have become wild, while others are as yet found chiefly in aquaria,
fountains, and private ponds.

Many of the genera and species of minnows are very similar, so that their
identification is frequently difficult; this is especially the case with the small forms

84 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. >

belonging in the genus Notropis. The number of scales and the number and
arrangement of the pharyngeal teeth are important diagnostic characters.

The pharyngeal bones in the smaller speciés can be removed by inserting a pin (or, better,
a small hook) though the gill opening under the shoulder girdle. The teeth should be care-
fully cleaned with a tooth-brush, or, better, a jet of water, and when dry may be examined by
any small lens. In most cases a principal row of 4 or 5 larger teeth will be found, in front of
which is a set of 1 or 2 smaller ones. The two sides are usually, but not always, symmetri-
cal. Thus, “teeth 2,4—5,1” indicates two rows of teeth on each side, on the one side 4 in the
principal row and 2 in the lesser; on the other side 5 in the main row and 1 in the other. ‘Teeth
4—4”’ indicates a single row of 4 on each pharynegeal bone, and soon. (Jordan & Evermann.)

This family is represented in North Carolina by 9 genera and 36 species,
having more members in this state than any other family. The following key
to the genera must be used in conjunction with the full generic descriptions,
which come in their proper order.

Key to the North Carolina genera of minnows and carps.*

i. Intestine very long, convoluted, and surrounding the air-bladder; peritoneum black; teeth
ae ARO) Gl Leora ON Je ae ara SOA eee cre Soa erin Pao ath, a intnnSo bio CAMPOSTOMA.

ii. Air-bladder not wrapped in folds of intestine.
a. Alimentary canal long, 3 to 10 times length of body; peritoneum black; teeth 4—4 with
well-developed jerindine suriace. (.. cca saris le oe cian tte HYBOGNATHUS.
aa. Alimentary canal short, less than twice length of body; peritoneum pale; teeth in 1 or 2

rows, slender, hooked.

b. Teeth in main row 5—5 or 4—5. :
c. Median line of abdomen behind ventral fins rounded, scales passing over it; anal
base short. °
d.-A: small (barbel on ‘maxillary 522/202. 6 «ts see weet oe ae SEMOTILUS.
dd..No' barbel on maxillary (cet. sa ieerscste eee eadek en ee Lruciscus.

cc. Median line of abdomen behind ventral fins compressed to a sharp edge over
which scales do not extend; anal base elongate.
bb. ‘Teeth in main row 4—4, lesser row often lacking.
~ e. Maxillary without barbels.
/. Teeth 4—4, 1,4—4,1, 1,44,0, or 2,4—4,2; lower jaw with lip thin.
Norroris.
if. Teeth 4—4, lower jaw with lip developed as a fleshy lobe on each side.
PHENACOBIUS.
ee. Maxillary with 1 or 2 small barbels near extremity.
g- Premaxillary bones not protractile, joined to forehead by a broad frenum;
teeth 2,4—4,2; scales small; dorsal fin posterior.

RHINICHTHYS.
gg- Premaxillaries protractile; teeth 4—4, or 1,4—4,1, or 1,4—4,0; scales large;
dorsal: fin “medium. :. si se ..o 2b as rte bk ieee ee HYBOPsIs.

Genus CAMPOSTOMA Agassiz. Stone-rollers.

Small American fishes, vegetable feeders, unique in having the very long
intestine coiled many times around the suspended air-bladder. Teeth 4—4 or
1,4—4,0, with a grinding surface, 1 or 2 teeth having a slight hook; fins small,
dorsal inserted over ventrals, anal short. The common name is in allusion to the
habit of turning and rolling small stones, probably to feed on the attached alge.
Several species, of which one is common over a large part of eastern and central
sections. (Campostoma, curve-mouthed.)

* The introduced carp had become so generally distributed and firmly established that it may properly
be listed among fishes of the state, and it will be considered on page 105, after the native species of this family.

The genus (Cyprinus) is characterized by a long dorsal fin, a strong serrated spine at the beginning of the
dorsal and anal fins, 4 long barbels, and molar pharyngeal teeth of the formula 1, 1, 3 on each side.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 85

60. CAMPOSTOMA ANOMALUM (Rafinesque).
Stone-roller, Stone-lugger.
Rutilus anomalus Rafinesque, Ichthyologia Ohiensis, 52, 1820; Licking River, Kentucky.
Campostoma anomalum, Cope, 1870b, 466; French Broad and Catawba rivers. Jordan, 1889b, 137, 152;

Catawba River and tributaries, and French Broad River and tributaries. Bean, 1903, 914; Cane
River, tributary of French Broad River. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 205, pl. xxxix, fig. 95.

DraGnosts.—Body rather stout, somewhat compressed, the greatest depth contained 4 to
4.5 times in total length; length of head rather less than .25 total length; snout obtuse, twice
length of eye; maxilla does not extend as far as eye; dorsal rays 8; anal rays 7 or 8; scales 49 to
55 in lateral series, 15 or 16 in transverse series; teeth 4—4 or 1,4—4,0. Color: brown above
with brassy luster, pale below, scales mottled with black; a dark vertical bar behind opercle;
a dusky median crossbar on dorsal and anal fins, these fins olivaceous in female; the male in
spring develops large rounded tubercles on ‘head and sometimes over whole body, and the
dorsal and anal take on a fiery red color. (anomalum, extraordinary. )

This interesting species ranges from New York to Wyoming and Texas,
and in North Carolina oceurs on both sides of the Alleghenies, in French Broad
and Santee valleys. It has been found to be common in Catawba River near
Marion, in Bucks Creek at Pleasant Garden, and in Johns River near Morgan-
town. In the basin of French Broad River, it has been reported as common in
Spring Creek at Hot Springs, in Swannanoa River near Asheville, and in south
fork of Swannanoa at Black Mountain station.

The stone-roller does not exceed 8 inches in length, and has no value as food .
forman. It feeds on plants, chiefly alge, for which its extremely long intestine
is adapted.

Genus HYBOGNATHUS Agassiz. .Shiners; Gudgeons.

Small herbivorous fishes of silvery color, abundant in fresh water in eastern
and central states and Mexico; species numerous. Form elongate, compressed;
‘mouth nearly horizontal; teeth 4—4, with oblique grinding surface; intestine
long, 3 to 10 times length of body; scales large, deciduous; lateral line complete;
fins small. One species found in North Carolina. (Hybognathus, swell-jawed.)

61. HYBOGNATHUS NUCHALIS Agassiz.
‘“‘Choby’’; ‘‘Shiner’’; ‘‘Gudgeon’’; ‘‘Roach’’; Silvery Minnow; Smelt.

Hybognathus nuchalis Agassiz, American Journal of Sciences and Arts, 1855, 224; Quincy, Illinois. Jordan &
Gilbert, 1879, 368; Neuse River at Goldsboro. Jordan, 1889b, 125, 127, 132, 134, 137; Tar, Neuse,
Cape Fear, Yadkin, and Catawba rivers. Smith, 1893a, 190, 194, 199; Albemarle Sound and tributaries.
Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River at Raleigh. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 213,

? Hybognathus argyritis, Cope, 1870b, 466; Catawba River.

DraGcnosis.—Form rather slender, compressed, width only half depth, depth contained 4
to 4.3 times in total length; head rather short, tapering, its length rather less than .25 total
length; upper jaw heavy, lower jaw thin and shorter than upper, mouth small, angles not
extending as far back as eyes; eye rather longer than snout; lateral line anteriorly decurved;
scales large, 37 to 45 in lateral series, 9 in transverse series, 13 to 15 before dorsal fin; teeth
4—4, comparatively long, scarcely hooked; dorsal fin over ventrals, rays 7 or 8 (+ 2 rudiments);
anal fin with 7 or 8 rays (+ 2 rudiments); caudal deeply forked; intestine 7 to 10 times length of
body. Color: olivaceous, translucent, sides silvery, fins plain. (nuchalis, relating to nape.)

86 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

This minnow inhabits clear streams from New Jersey to Missouri and Texas,
and is abundant in most localities. In Pasquotank River in April, 1902, the
present writer found this species numerous, probably surpassing in abundance
any other fish of the family; it was also common in Albemarle Sound near Eden-
ton and in Roanoke River near Plymouth. The maximum length is 6 to 7 inches,

but the average is only 4 inches. The fish feeds largely on minute water plants »

and the intestine is often enormously distended with vegetable matter. It freely
takes the hook baited with angle-worm and is often caught for food. It is
important as food for other fishes, and is a desirable bait for black bass and
perch.

Genus SEMOTILUS Rafinesque. Horned Dace; Fall-fishes.

Large minnows with rather robust form, large head, wide terminal mouth,
protractile upper jaw, a small barbel at posterior extremity of each maxillary,
short alimentary canal, complete lateral line, teeth 2,4—5,2, without grinding
surface. Two species, one of which inhabits North Carolina waters. (Semo-
tilus, spotted banner or fin.)

62. SEMOTILUS ATROMACULATUS (Mitchill).
Horned Dace; Dace; Chub.

Cyprinus atromaculatus Mitchill, American Monthly Magazine, ii, 1818, 324; Wallkill River.

Semotilus corporalis, Cope, 1870b, 457; French Broad, Catawba, Yadkin. Deep, and Neuse rivers.

Semotilus atromaculatus, Jordan 1889b, 125, 131; Tar and Cape Fear rivers. Smith, 1893a, 199; Roanoke
River at Weldon. Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River near Raleigh. Jordan & Evermann, 1896,
222, pl. xl, fig. 100.

Fig. 25. Hornep Dacre. Semotilus atromaculatus.

DiaGnosis.—Body rather elongate, back slightly elevated, the highest point being in
front of dorsal fin; depth .25 length; head very large, broad, more than .25 length; snout broad,
mouth wide, oblique, maxillary extending to pupil; barbel small, hardly visible in young fish;
teeth 2,5—4,2; eye small, .2 length of head; scales 48 to 55 in lengthwise series, about 15 in
crosswise series; lateral line abruptly decurved over pectorals, thence straight to tail; dorsal
rays 7, anal rays 8. Color: dull bluish above, white or creamy on sides and belly; a black or
dusky lateral band, most distinct in young and disappearing in large fish; a black spot always
at anterior lower angle of dorsal fin, this spot edged with red in males; fins plain, the anal,
ventral, and pectoral bases sometimes pinkish, and caudal yellowish; males in spring with rosy
sides and coarse tubercles on snout (whence the common name of horned dace.) (atromac-
ulatus, black-spotted.)

a

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 87

The typical form of this species isfound from Maine to Wyoming and from
Canada to Missouri. Some North Carolina specimens are referable to the variety
thoreauianus of Jordan, which ranges from North Carolina to Alabama and is
distinguished by a rather stouter body, larger scales, less distinct spot on dor-
sal fin, etc.; other examples are intermediate. The fish is widely distributed
in the state, being known from the Roanoke to the Cape Fear, chiefly in brooks.
It is the largest of the native cyprinoids in the state, and is often the largest
fish in a creek or brook; the usual length is under a foot, but it attains a con-
siderably larger size, and specimens have been taken weighing 4 pounds. It is
a fair food fish, although very bony, and is often caught with hook and line.
It feeds on worms, mollusks, small fish, and other animal food.

Genus LEUCISCUS Cuvier. Dace.

An old-world genus with numerous American representatives, small fresh-
water species found in all parts of the country. Form oblong, compressed or
rounded; mouth large, terminal; teeth 2,5—4,2, 1,5—4,2, or 1,4—4,1, hooked,
with or without a narrow grinding surface; lateral line decurved, more or less
complete; scales of small or medium size; dorsal fin placed posteriorly; anal
short or long; intestinal canal short; color varying, males often brilliant. One
species found in North Carolina. (Leuciscus, ancient name for the European
dace, from leucus, white.)

63. LEUCISCUS VANDOISULUS Cuvier & Valenciennes.
Dace.

Leuciscus vandoisulus Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, xvii, 317, 1844; South Carolina.
Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 239.

Clinostomus carolinus Girard, Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1856, 212; Yadkin
River, Salem, N. C. :

Clinosiomus affinis, Cope, 1870b, 494; Catawba and Yadkin rivers.

Squalius vandoisulus, Jordan, 1889b, 138; Bucks Creek, tributary of Catawba River.

Diaenosis.—Body elongate, deep, compressed, depth contained 4.33 times in length;
head large, more than .25 total length; mouth large, oblique, lower jaw projecting, maxillary
extending as far back as pupil; eye contained 3.5 times in length of head; teeth 2,5—5,2 or
2,5—4,2; lateral line complete; scales 48 to 55 in lateral series; dorsal rays 9, anal rays 8.
Color: bluish green above, some scales darker; a dark lateral band, above which is a pale
streak; males in spring with body bright rose-red. Length, 5 inches. (vandoisulus, from
vandoise, French name for a dace.)

Ranges from Maryland to Georgia in clear brooks on both sides of the Alle-
ghany Mountains. It is abundant in the Catawba (Bucks Creek at Pleasant
Garden), and is accredited by Cope to the Yadkin as well as the Catawba.
Recently (1904) the species has been recorded from Middle Creek, a tribu-
tary of the Little Tennessee River in Macon County, North Carolina, examples
having been forwarded therefrom to the Bureau of Fisheries by Mr. D. P. Cabe,
of Otto.

SS FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Genus NOTEMIGONUS Rafinesque. Roaches.

A strongly marked genus, with body greatly compressed and very deep,
the dorsal and ventral outlines being much curved; mouth small; teeth 5—5,
hooked, having grinding surface with a fluted edge; scales large; lateral line very
markedly curved; dorsal fin small, placed behind ventrals; anal base long,
its rays rather numerous; intestine short. One species, with several varieties.
(Notemigonus, sharp-backed.)

64. NOTEMIGONUS CRYSOLEUCAS (Mitchill).

‘“‘Roach’’; “Shiner’’; ‘‘Shiner Sun-fish’’; ‘‘Shad Roach’’;
Golden Shiner; Bream; Dace; Chub.

Cyprinus crysoleucas Mitchill, Report Fishes New York, 23, 1814; New York.

Stilbe americana, Cope, 1870b, 465; Catawba, Yadkin, and Neuse basins.

Notemigonus chrysoleucus, Jordan, 1889b, 126, 129, and 133; Tar, Neuse, and Cape Fear rivers. Smith, 1893a,
191, 195, 199; Pasquotank River, Edenton Bay, Roanoke River at Plymouth and Weldon.

Notemigonus crysoleucas, Fvermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River near Raleigh.

Abramis chrysoleucas, Smith, 1901, 134; Lake Mattamuskeet.

Abramis crysoleucas, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 250, pl. xlv, fig. 111

DraGnosis.—Body somewhat elongate, depth equal to .33 length; head small, compressed,
vonic, rather less than .25 length; eye .25 length of head; mouth oblique, small, upper jaw not
extending to front of eye; dorsal fin short, high, rays 7 or 8; anal rays 13 to 16in North Carolina
specimens; scales 45 to 50 in lateral series, 10 above and 3 below lateral line. Color: pale
green, with uniform golden luster; fins yellowish, lower fins red or orange in breeding males
(and sometimes in females). (crysoleucas, golden-white.)

Fig. 26. Roacu. Notemigonus crysoleucas.

This minnow is abundant in all parts of North Carolina east of the moun-
tains. It is one of the best known of the family, and may be readily distin-
guished by the greatly decurved lateral line and the golden or brassy color.
Cope reports it as common in still and sluggish waters in the basins of the
Catawba, Yadkin, and Neuse; Jordan lists it from the Tar, Neuse, and Cape

is +e CR Ty

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 89

Fear; Evermann & Cox report it as excessively abundant in the vicinity of
Raleigh, especially in meadow ditches and isolated ponds and pools. It is
everywhere abundant in the Albemarle region, being caught in large numbers
in pound nets and seines during the shad season. Jordan’s specimens are referred
to the southern variety bosci, characterized by larger scales and more numer-
ous anal rays, but some of the Albemarle Sound fish represent the typical form.
The largest example obtained by the writer in Pasquotank River in April, 1902,
was 7.75 inches long in spawning condition, with ventral fins crimson in color,
anal dull orange at base with a black margin; in other specimens the lower fins
were yellow; dorsal rays 7 or 8, anal rays 14 or 15, scales 45 to 50 in lateral
line, 13 in crosswise series. Fish from Roanoke River had 13 or 14 anal rays
and 50 scales in lateral series.

The roach has a number of common names in North Carolina; all of those
shown above are in use in the Albemarle region except ‘‘shad roach’’, which
is employed at Raleigh. The fish reaches a fair size for a minnow, the maxi-
mum length being 1 foot; it is often caught by anglers, and is used for home con-
sumption, but has no commercial importance.

Genus NOTROPIS Rafinesque. Minnows and Shiners.

A very numerous genus or group of small fishes, abundant in fresh waters
all over the eastern and central sections of the United States, some species
found also in Canada and Mexico. The species are very similar, variable, and
difficult to distinguish. For identification, reliance must be placed chiefly on
the teeth and scales, but even these are variable parts. Body elongate, sub-
cylindrical or compressed, abdomen always rounded; mouth usually terminal,
sometimes slightly inferior; scales comparatively large; lateral line present,
usually continuous; fins short, dorsal located over or posterior to ventrals;
pharyngeal teeth in 1 or 2 rows, the larger row always containing four teeth
on each side, hooked and with a narrow surface for grinding or with sharp cut-
ting edge; colors usually plain, males in spring becoming gaily pigmented in
some species.

These fish are usually regarded as the young of other fishes, and are so
small and inconspicuous that they have rarely received any distinctive com-
mon names, all being known as minnows or shiners. They have no value as
human food, but are enormously important as food for game fishes.

Represented in North Carolina by 22 known species, 3 of which are pecu-
liar to the state; the key applies to typical specimens and must be used with
caution and discrimination.

Key to the North Carolina species of Notropis.

i. Teeth 4—4, 1,4—4,0, or 1,4—4,1 (rarely 2 teeth in minor rows).
a. Scales not closely overlapped and not especially deeper than long; dorsal fin over ventrals;
anal rays 7 to 9; no black spot on dorsal fin; scales large, less than 40 in lateral series;
12 to 15 before dorsal; depth not more than .25 length.
b. Teeth 4—4, well hooked; species very small.
c. Base of caudal without black spot (except in very young)............ procne.
Robaseror caudal with a distinet. black spot... .......2...0+<8+% . spectrunculus.

90 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

bb. Teeth two-rowed, with grinding surface; a distinct black spot at base of caudal fin;
BP6cies Nar ge ashi ss kos Mei Sion sp eles, Sere eee hie re Mere ey Cee ene hudsonius.
aa. Seales deeper than long, closely overlapped on sides of body; teeth 1,4—4,1; dorsal fin
with large black blotch posteriorly; no conspicuous black spot at base of caudal.
d. Anal rays 7 to 9; fins of breeding males with white pigment.
e. Body fusiform, depth 5.5; dorsal outline more curved than ventral; a distinet

bluish) band) om caudal peduncle; sizetsmalll ee ---reeee niveus.

ee. Body compressed, depth 3.5; dorsal and ventral outlines similar; edges of teeth
Seria te? SIZOMeECUINI Se s..t el Ges Oe ee eA oe eee analostanus.

eee. Body fusiform, depth 4.33; edges of teeth entire; caudal base creamy yellow; size
TArOs. <coperarcjetote Mie sun syle bibte Yee Nec Paae ee NC ORE VN CEM TELOMERE cee re galacturus.

dd. Anal rays 10 or 11; breeding males with much red pigment on fins and body.
pyrrhomelas.

ii. Teeth 2,4—4,2.
j. Anal fin short, rays 7 to 9.
g- Teeth with grinding surface.
h. Lower jaw included; scales on sides very closely overlapped, so that exposed part
is narrow; dorsal fin over ventrals; no dorsal or caudal spot; size large, coloration
PII 3 2 sco Sis e ale me eneer ere oh ae he ein Ot PS Pace vel te eee albeolus.
hh. Dorsal fin inserted more or less posterior to ventrals; no black spot at base of dorsal
fin; coloration generally brilliant in spring males.

7< Lower jaw, projecting; depth-4.5 1... .. 2.6.6 pie en eis ie eee coccogenis.

wi. Jaws about equal.

j. Base of caudal without distinct black spot.

k. All fins more or less red in male; seales before dorsal fin 19; depth 4.5

rubricroceus.
kk. Dorsal and caudal red at base in male; scales before dorsal fin 16; depth
Dts gh aysben Mahe Stee Se GAL eb ety ich ec mee ek aeaRe fe au ete ete chlorocephalus.
kkk. Dorsal and caudal plain anteriorly, black posteriorly; scales before dorsal
fin 18s depth cOb1 55. crnors ait cid erctetaveserchaiethetote ors aya wees clearer brimleyt.

jj. Base of caudal with a dark spot.
l. Body elongate, depth’ 5.5; dorsal finismall... 232... =... <2.c- chiliticus.
ll. Body rather short, depth 3.5: dorsal fin very high.......... altipinnis.
lil. Body moderately elongate, depth 5; dorsal fin high ...... chalybeus.

gg- Teeth without grinding surface; scales not closely overlapped; no black spot at
anterior base of dorsal fin, but a jet black spot at base of caudal; dorsal fin placed
behind ver trals;...52s ..-facrsaigss ckoetare Seeeithe.s Bhatia shee @ Ce eeeee oie Rear eee leuciodus.
jf. Anal fin long, rays 11 or 12.
m. Seales not crowded on sides, those above lateral line large and few (in 5 to 7 series);
eye longer than snout; no black spot at base of dorsal.
n. Seales before dorsal fin large, 13 to 15; eye large.
o. Lateral line straight or nearly so.
p. Body elongate, little compressed, depth 4.75 to 5.5 times in length.
telescopus.
pp. Body very elongate, depth 6 times in length: 35... 52.80% 20... beeen arge.
oo. Lateral line decurved.
q. Body short, compressed, back elevated, depth 4.5 times in length. . scepticus.
qy. Body long and slender, compressed, back not elevated, depth 5.5 times in
lengths 23, BS sata iiecks Sensis ace Se eat A ee atherinoides.
nn. Scales before dorsal fin small, 22 to 25; eye smaller.....:...4......2". amenus.
mm. Scales very closely imbricated on sides, those above lateral line in 7 to 10 series; eye
scarcely longer than snout; a dark spot at base of dorsal fin anteriorly and a similar
spot.at: base ot caudal .4...% actsctswee cic ates « ieereenie ne ee lita eee eran umbratilis.

(Notropis, keel-backed, a name of no significance for these fishes, being based
on a mutilated specimen.)

65. NOTROPIS PROCNE (Cope).
‘““Choby’’; Shiner.

Hybognathus procne Cope, Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1864,279; Delaware River
and other streams in Pennsylvania,

Notropis procne, Jordan, 1889b, 125, 129, 132, 137; Tar, Neuse, Cape Fear, and Catawba rivers. Jordan &
Evermann, 1896, 264.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 91

Diaqgnosis.—Body short, slender, compressed, the depth contained 5.25 times in total
length; caudal peduncle long and slender; head small, contained 4.75 times in total length;
snout obtuse, mouth small, jaws equal; eye large, .4 length of head; 32 to 34 scales in lateral
series, 8 in transverse series, 13 before dorsal fin; dorsal fin high, its first ray as long as head,
rays 8; anal rays 7, the longest .8 length of head; caudal long andforked. Color: olivaceous
above, white or silvery below; a narrow black lateral band extending to nose, this overlaid by a
plumbeous shade; a dark stripe along middle of back; fins slightly yellowish. Length, 2.5
inches. (procne, a swallow.)

Inhabits coastwise streams from New York to South Carolina. In North
Carolina it has been found to be common in Tar River near Rocky Mount, in
Neuse River at Milburnie, in Little River at Goldsboro, in tributaries of Haw
River (tributary of Cape Fear) in Guilford County, and in Catawba River near
Marion. Numerous specimens have been collected in Pembroke Creek, near the
Edenton hatchery, by Mr. 8. G. Worth, who states that the local name for this
fish (and doubtless other similar species) is “‘chovy”’ or ‘choby’’—obviously a
corruption of anchovy.

66. NOTROPIS SPECTRUNCULUS (Cope).
Shiner.

Hybopsis spectrunculus Cope, Journal Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1868, 231; Holston River
(Virginia?). Cope, 1870b, 460; tributaries of French Broad River,

Notropis spectrunculus, Jordan, 1889b, 152; north and south forks of Swannanoa River, and Spring Creek, tribu-
taries of French Broad River. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 265.

Draenosis.—Body long, depth less than .2 total length; head large, broad, flat, .25 total
length; eye large, .33 length of head; mouth somewhat oblique, the upper jaw extending as far
as eye; scales in lateral series 37, scales before dorsal 15; dorsal rays 8, anal rays 9. Color:
pale green above, white below, a dull bluish band or stripe along sides; a distinct black spot at
base of caudal fin; scales of back edged with black; dorsal and anal fins black at base; all fins
tinged with orange orredinmale. Length, 3inches. (spectrunculus, diminutive of spectrum.)

This minnow is restricted to the headwaters of the Tennessee basin, and is
common in mountain streams and springs. It is exceedingly abundant in the
upper waters of the Swannanoa, but is scarce in other tributaries of the French
Broad.

67. NOTROPIS HUDSONIUS (Clinton), var. SALUDANUS Jordan & Brayton.
Spawn-eater; Shiner; Silver-fin.

Alburnops saludanus Jordan & Brayton, 1878, 16; Saluda River, South Carolina.

Notropis saludanus, Jordan, 1889b, 132, 134, 137; Cape Fear, Yadkin, and Catawba rivers.

Notropis hudsonius, Jordan, 1889b, 129; Neuse River. Smith, 1893a, 190, 194; Pasquotank River and Albe-
marle Sound.

Notropis hudsonius saludanus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 270, pl. xlviii, fig. 120.

DiaGqnosis (based on specimens from Albemarle region, 2.5 inches long).—Body elongate,
somewhat compressed, depth contained 4.5 to 5 times in total length; head large, its length
contained 4 to 4.5 timesin length; mouth on level with lower edge of orbit, small, somewhat
oblique, maxillary not reaching half way to eye from end of snout; snout round, rugose;
eye large, longer than snout, contained about 2.75 times in length of head; teeth slightly hooked,
some with a grinding surface, number variable, either 2,4—4,2 or 0,4—4,0; scales 36 in lateral
series, 8 or 9 in transverse series; lateral line complete, nearly straight except at origin;

92 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

dorsal fin rather nearer snout than base of caudal, over ventrals, rays 8; anal rays 8; caudal
deeply forked. Color: pale green above, the scales with dark edges; a silvery lateral band,
with black punctulations ending in a distinct roundish black spot at base of caudal. (hud-
sonius, pertaining to Hudson River; saludanus, pertaining to Saluda River.)

Fig. 27. SpAwN-EATER; SHINER. Notropis hudsonius saludanus.

Notropis hudsonius is a widely distributed and highly variable minnow. It
ranges from New York through the Great Lakes, to the Dakotas, and thence to
Georgia and the Carolinas. The southern form, variety saludanus, embraces
most of the North Carolina specimens. The fish has been found in Cape Fear,
Yadkin, Catawba, Neuse, and Pasquotank rivers, but is not common in any of
them; specimens have recently been examined from a tributary of Little Tenn-
essee River in Macon County which were forwarded for identification by Mr. D.
P. Cabe, of Otto. The variety attains a length of 4 inches.

68. NOTROPIS NIVEUS (Cope).
“Shiner’’; Snowy Minnow.

Hybopsis niveus Cope, 1870b, 460; upper Catawba River, North Carolina.
Notropis niveus, Jordan, 1889b, 125, 129, 132, 134, 138; Tar, Neuse, Cape Fear, Yadkin, and Catawba rivers.

Smith, 1893a, 194; Albemarle Sound. Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River near Raleigh. Jordan

& Evermann, 1896, 277.

DriaGgnosis.—Body regularly fusiform, dorsal region more arched than ventral, depth .2
total length without caudal; head conic, its length contained 4.5 times in total body length;
muzzle obtuse, mouth nearly terminal, slightly oblique, lower jaw included, maxilla extending
to opposite anterior rim of orbit; eye equal to snout, contained 3 to 3.5 times in length of head;
scales, 35 to 40 in lengthwise series, 9 in crosswise series, 15 or 16 before dorsal fin; lateral line
decurved; dorsal rays 8, anal rays 8 or 9; teeth 1,4—4,1 (or 1,4—4,0), slightly hooked, with
grinding surface. Color: pale, a narrow bluish lateral band ending in a faint spot on caudal
base; a large dark spot on upper posterior part of dorsal fin; dorsal and caudal yellow or
creamy; tips of caudal and dorsal fins and whole of anal fin charged with milky white pigment.
Length, 2.5 inches. (niveus, snowy.)

This very small minnow, which is found from Virginia to South Carolina
east of the mountains. inhabits most of the streams of North Carolina and is
reported as abundant in the Tar, Neuse, and Catawba, and common in the Cape
Fear and Yadkin. It is also very abundant in the western end of Albemarle
Sound. )

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 95

69. NOTROPIS ANALOSTANUS (Girard).
Silver-fin; Satin-fin; Lace-fin.

Cyprinella analostana Girard, Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1859, 59; Potomac
River at Washington, D. C.

Hypsilepis analostanus, Cope, 1870b, 459; Catawba and Neuse rivers.

Notropis analostanus, Evermann & Cox, 1896, 309; Neuse River (after Cope). Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 279.

D1aGNosis.—Body somewhat compressed, the depth contained 3.5 times in total length;
head rather short and deep; mouth small, oblique, lower jaw included within the upper when
mouth is closed; seales in lateral series 34 or 35; edges of teeth serrate; dorsal rays 8, anal rays 8.
Color: silvery blue on back, scales with dusky edges; a large black spot on upper posterior part
of dorsal fin; in breeding males all fins more or less filled with satiny white pigment. Length,
4inches. (analostanus, pertaining to Analostan Island.)

Cope states that this species is abundant in Catawba River and is also found
in Neuse River; no one else, however, has reported it from North Carolina. The
species is common in the Chesapeake and Delaware basins.

70. NOTROPIS GALACTURUS (Cope).
Milky-tailed Minnow.

Hypsilepis galacturus Cope, Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1867, 160; Holston River,
Virginia. Cope, 1870b, 459; French Broad River. :

Notropis galacturus, Jordan, 1889b, 152; Swannanoa River and Spring Creek at Hot Springs, N.C. Jordan &
Evermann, 1896, 279, pl. xlviii, fig. 122.

EA
BOOED : a
CADRE DAY Meee
DEORE SOON
ee f Wy ea
SX \
\

Fig. 28. Mitky-TaiLep Minnow. WNotropis galacturus.

DraGnosis.—Body elongate, fusiform, slightly compressed, the depth a little less than .25
total length; length of head equal to depth of body; mouth large, horizontal, lower jaw included
within the upper; eye small; lateral line somewhat decurved; scales in lateral series 41, in cross
series 9; dorsal rays 8, anal rays 8. Color: males steel blue (females olivaceous) above, silvery
below; a black blotch on posterior dorsal rays; caudal fin creamy yellow at base, dusky
distally; males in spring with abdomen, paired fins, and tips of dorsal, anal, and caudal fins
charged with milk-white pigment, anal and caudal fins sometimes reddish. Length, 6 inches.
(galacturus, milky-tailed.)

This minnow inhabits mountain streams from Missouri to Virginia, west of
the Allegheny mountains. In North Carolina, it is common in the upper tribu-
taries of the French Broad River (Swannanoa, south fork of Swannanoa, and

Spring Creek).

94 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

71. NOTROPIS PYRRHOMELAS (Cope).
Fiery-black Minnow.

Photogenis pyrrhomelas Cope, 1870b, 363; Catawba River.
Notropis pyrrhomelas, Jordan, 1889b, 134, 138; Yadkin and Catawba rivers. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 280.

Driacnosis.—Body rather deep, compressed, the depth contained 3.75 to 4 times in total
length; head short, blunt, .25 total length of body; mouth oblique, jaws equal, maxillary
extending as far as anterior margin of orbit; eye large, its length contained 3 to 3.6 times in
length of head and 1.25 times in interorbital space; teeth sharp, hooked, without grinding
surface; scales 34 to 36 in lengthwise series, 9 in crosswise series; dorsal fin high, its height in
males equal to head, rays 8; anal fin large, rays 10 or 11; pectoral fins reaching about to ven-
trals and the latter to anal; caudal fin broad and long, the peduncle stout and compressed.
Color: males steel blue above, the scales darker edged, belly abruptly milky white; head pale
reddish, muzzle, upper lip and iris vermillion; dorsal fin vermillion anteriorly, a black spot
posteriorly, with a milk-white tip; caudal with a broad black posterior margin, next to which is a
wide vermillion crescent, base of tail pale; anal and ventral fins with white pigment; females
duller. Length, 3.5 inches. (pyrrhomelas, fiery-black.)

This minnow, described by Cope from tributaries of the upper Catawba, is
known only from the Catawba and Yadkin basins. In 1869 Cope found it to be
the most abundant fish in the upper Catawba region; and in 1888 the same state-
ment applied to it. In the Yadkin, in the vicinity of Salisbury, it is common.
It is probably the most beautiful of the minnows, the brilliant red, black, and
white making a sharp contrast. The males retain their colors until autumn and
possibly throughout the year.

72. NOTROPIS ALBEOLUS Jordan & Meek.
‘<Shiner’’.

Notropis megalops albeolus Jordan & Meek, in Jordan, 1889b, 123, 125, 129; Roanoke River, Va., Tar and Neuse
rivers.

Hypsilepis cornutus, var. cornutus, Cope, 1870b, 459; Neuse River.

Notropis megalops, Evermann & Cox, 1896, 309; Neuse River (= H. cornutus cornutus, Cope, supra).

Notropis albeolus, Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River near Raleigh. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 283.

DiaGnosis.—A large species, with depth equal to .25 total length; head heavy, com-
pressed, about .25 total length; mouth of moderate size, horizontal, lower jaw somewhat
shorter than upper; eye rather large, contained 3.5 times in length of head; about 38 scales in
lateral line, 14 scales between dorsal fin and nape; lateral line decurved; dorsal fin high, the
free margin concave, rays 8; anal high, concave, rays 9; caudal fin and peduncle long. Color:
olive green above, silvery white on sides; fins white; snout pink in males. (albeolws, whitish.)

Inhabits the channels and lower courses of Tar and Neuse rivers, and appears
to be rather uncommon. It is one of the largest of the genus, attaining a length
of 7 inches.

73. NOTROPIS COCCOGENIS (Cope).
Red-cheeked Minnow. %

Hypsilepis coccogenis Cope, Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1867, 160, pl. 27, fig,
5; Holston River, Va. Cope, 1870b, 459; French Broad River.

Notropis coccogenis, Jordan, 1889b, 152; French Broad, Swannanoa and tributaries. Jordan & Evermann,
1896, 284, pl. xlix, fig. 124.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 95

D1aanosis.—Body long, compressed, the depth a little less than .25 total length; head
pointed, .25 total length; mouth large, oblique, lower jaw projecting, end of upper jaw extend-
ing beyond anterior margin of orbit; eye large, contained 3.5 times in length of head; 42 rows
of scales between head and tail, 10 rows between dorsal fin and medium line of abdomen, 20
scales between dorsal fin and head; dorsal rays 7; anal rays 8. Color: light green on back, the
scales with dark edges, a faint lateral stripe and dusky band on shoulders; a scarlet vertical bar
between eye and gill opening; upper lip and muzzle red; sides and belly rosy in spring males,
otherwise silvery; a red spot on body near base of pectoral; dorsal fin with lower half yellow
and outer half black; lower fins white; females silvery, with only traces of red. Length, 5
inches. (coccogenis, red-cheeked. )

This beautiful minnow is very abundant in the mountain streams forming
the headwaters of Tennessee River in North Carolina; in addition to the streams
noted in thesynonymy, it is known from Middle Creek, a tributary of the Little
Tennessee River in Macon County. It inhabits also the basins of the Cumber-
land and Savannah rivers.

74. NOTROPIS RUBRICROCEUS (Cope).
Saffron-colored Minnow.

Hybopsis rubricroceus Cope, Journal Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1868, 231, pl. 38, fig. 4;
Holston River, Va.

Notropis rubricroceus, Jordan, 18896, 152; north and south forks of Swannanoa River. Jordan & Evermann,
1896, 286.

DiaGnosis.—Form elongated, compressed, the depth contained 4.5 times in total length
of body; head long and pointed, .25 total length; mouth large, oblique, posterior angle of upper
jaw extending beyond anterior margin of orbit; eye contained 3.3 times in length of head, equal
to length of snout; teeth with grinding surface, the edges sometimes fluted; 38 scales in length-
wise series, 10 in crosswise series, 19 in front of dorsal fin; lateral line decurved; dorsal rays 8;
anal rays 9. Color: males dark steel blue or green, with a black or blue lateral band and a
yellowish-green lateral streak, the black band often passing through eye and around snout;
silvery beneath; fins sometimes yellow but usually of various shades of red, from pink to
scarlet; head and lower jaw red; males in highest coloration with entire body red; females dark
green, tinged with red. Length, 4 inches. (rubricroceus, reddish-saffron.)

An exceedingly beautiful little fish, peculiar to the upper waters of the
Savannah and Tennessee rivers, abounding in mountain streams and frequently
found in pools below falls. In North Carolina it has been reported from both
forks of the Swannanoa, where it is exceedingly abundant.

75. NOTROPIS CHLOROCEPHALUS (Cope).
Green-headed Minnow.

Hybopsis chlorocephalus Cope, 1870b, 461; Catawba River.
Notropis chlorocephalus, Jordan 1889b, 137; Catawba River. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 286.

DiaGnosis.—Form rather stout, caudal peduncle deep, body depth .2 total length; head
broad, .25 total length; orbit large, more than .33 length of head; interorbital region wide,
exceeding length of snout; mouth oblique, end of maxilla extending beyond margin of orbit;
lateral line slightly decurved; scales in lateral series 39, in transverse series 8 or 9, before
dorsal fin 16; dorsal rays 8; anal rays 8. Color: green, everywhere dusted with black, except
on belly and below eyes, the spots gathered into a lateral band which terminates in a basal
caudal spot; fins unspotted; in life a metallic green line on back, and one from upper angle of

96 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

operculum to caudal; below the latter line, dark crimson; dorsal and caudal fins, operculum and
cheek, with end of nose, all crimson; part of operculum, preoperculum, postfrontal region, and
top of head metallic green (Cope). Length, 2. 5inches. (chlorocephalus, green-headed.)

Peculiar to the Santee basin. Cope, in his original description, said: ‘This
surpassingly beautiful fish is abundant in the clear waters which it inhabits—viz..,
the tributaries of the Catawba River”. Jordan found it abundant in the clear
swift waters of Bucks Creek, tributary of the Catawba, at Pleasant Garden.

76. NOTROPIS BRIMLEYI B.A. Bean.
Brimley’s Minnow.
Notropis brimleyi Bean, 1903, 913; Cane River, N. C.

DiaGnosis.—Body elongate, rounded, depth contained 5.3 times in total length; head .25
total length; mouth somewhat oblique, large, maxilla extending as far as pupil; eye contained
3.3 times in length of head, its diameter greater than length of snout, less than interorbital
space; 43 scales in lateral line, 8 in transverse line, 18 before dorsal; dorsal rays 9; anal rays 9.
Color: above light green, with dark punctulations, scales with dark edges; below s lvery white;
a dark stripe along middle of back from head to tail; a plumbeous band from upper angle of
gill cover to caudal, where it broadens and extends to top of caudal peduncle; a dark shoulder
band; posterior parts of dorsal and caudal black; fins otherwise pale. Length, 3.75 inches.
(Named for H. H. Brimley, of Raleigh.)

This recently described species is as yet known only from Cane River, a
tributary of the French Broad, in Yancey County.

77. NOTROPIS CHILITICUS (Cope).
Red-lipped Minnow.

Hybopsis chiliticus Cope, 1870b, 462; Yadkin River.
Notropis chiliticus, Jordan, 1889b, 134; Yadkin River. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 287; basin of Great Pedee
in N.C.

DriaGcnosis.—Body elongate, the depth contained 5.5 times in total length; head broad
behind, its length .25 total length; eye large, .33 length of head and longer than snout; maxil-
lary extending beyond anterior rim of orbit; lateral line strongly decurved; 34 to 37 scales in
lateral series; dorsal fin small, rays 8; anal rays 8. Color: light green above, the scales brown-
edged; a silvery lateral band; usually a black caudal spot; a vermillion band through anal fin,
another through dorsal fin; lips and snout vermillion; in breeding males, whole. body flushed
with red. - Length, 2 inches. (chiliticus, relating to lip.)

Peculiar to the Yadkin and tributaries. The types were from Roane County,
Cope remarking that the species is as beautiful as Notropis chlorocephalus, its
tints being much more transparent. The fish is not rare in the vicinity of Salis-

bury.
78. NOTROPIS ALTIPINNIS (Cope).

High-finned Minnow.

Alburnellus altipinnis Cope, 1870b, 464; Yadkin River.
Notropis altipinnis, Jordan, 1889b, 132; tributary of Cape Fear River. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 287.

Diacnosts.—Body rather short and deep, depth contained 3.5 times in total length; head
short, not wide, contained 4.3 times in total length; orbit very large, diameter exceeding length

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 97

of snout and entering head 2.75 times; scales, 36 in lateral series, 5 or 6 rows above and 2 rows
below lateral line, which is much decurved; dorsal unusually high, the longest ray equal to half
distance from fin to end of snout, rays 8; anal rays 8 or 9; ventrals extending to anal fin, beyond
dorsal. Color: pale green, a broad lateral silvery band with sharp black dots from snout to
base of caudal; dorsal, anal, and caudal fins faintly reddish; snout yellowish; lower jaw always
blackish; a black spot at base of caudal in young. Length, 2.25 inches. (altipinnis, high-
finned.)

Described from Yadkin River in Roane County. Common in clear tribu-
taries of Cape Fear River near Greensboro. Similar to Notropis chalybeus.

79. NOTROPIS CHALYBZUS (Cope).
Iron-colored Minnow.

Hybopsis chalybeus Cope, Cyprinide of Pennsylvania, 383, 1866; Schuylkill River, Pa.
Notropis chalybeus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 288 (coastwise streams, Delaware to Ogeechee).

DiaGnosis.—Body moderately elongate, back slightly elevated, depth .2 total length;
head flat above, its length contained 3.8 times in total length; muzzle rather pointed,
mouth very oblique, lower jaw somewhat longer; eye large, .33 length of head; caudal peduncle
slender; lateral line decurved; scales, 33 rows in lengthwise series, 6 rows above and 3 rows
below lateral line, 16 to 18 scales anterior to dorsal; dorsal and anal fins short and high, rays 8
ineach. Color: dark above, pale yellow below; a broad, lustrous black lateral band from snout
to caudal base; a light band above dark one on snout; fins plain; a dark streak along anal base;
abdomen bright orange in spring males. Length, 2 inches. (chalybeus, iron-colored.)

This species inhabits the lowland streams and swamps from Pennsylvania
to Georgia, and doubtless occurs in North Carolina, although not yet collected

there.
80. NOTROPIS LUCIODUS (Cope).

Minnow.

Photogenis luciodus Cope, Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1867, 165; Holston River,
Va. Cope, 1870b, 463; French Broad River.
Notropis luciodus, Jordan, 1889b, 152; French Broad and Swannanoa rivers. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 291

DraGnosis.—Body slender, depth .2 length; head contained 4.5 times in length; muzzle
rounded, mouth oblique, lower jaw not projecting; lateral line straight; 39 scales in lateral
series, 8 in crosswise series, 13 before dorsal fin; dorsal rays 8; anal fin short and high, rays 8.
Color: dark green above, scales with dark edges; sides silvery; a purple lateral band; a black
spot at base of caudal, always present; males with red snout and red dorsal base. Length,
3 inches. (luciodus, having a whitish appearance.)

Found only in the upper waters of the Tennessee basin. It is abundant in
the tributaries of the French Broad in North Carolina, but does not ascend
mountain streams.

81. NOTROPIS TELESCOPUS (Cope).
Minnow.

Photogenis telescopus Cope, Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1867, 165; Holston
River, Va. Cope, 1870b, 463; French Broad River.
Notropis telescopus, Jordan, 1889b, 152; French Broad River and tributaries. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 292,

pl. 1, fig. 126.
t

D1aGNosis.—Body long, not greatly compressed, depth contained 4.75 to 5.5 times in
total length; head rather less than .25 total length; mouth oblique, snout short and sharp,

98 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

lower jaw not projecting; eye very large, longer than snout and more than .33 length of head;
scales, 38 in lateral line, 8 in transverse series, 13 before dorsal; dorsal rays 8, anal rays 10.
Color: pale green above, the scales dark-edged. Length, 4 inches. (telescopus, far-sighted.)

LE
eee eee
ee

a

Fig. 29. Minnow. WNotropis telescopus.

Confined to the upper waters of the Tennessee; very abundant in tributaries
of the French Broad in North Carolina.

82. NOTROPIS ARGE (Cope).
Minnow.

Alburnellus arge Cope, Cyprinide of Pennsylvania, 388, 1866; Detroit (or St. Joseph) River, Michigan.
Notropis arge, Bean, 1903, 914; Cane River, tributary of French Broad.

DiaGNnosis.—Body very elongate, the depth .16 total length; head large, contained 4.25
times in length; mouth large, chin projecting; eye longer than snout, contained 2.75 to 3 times
in length of head; scales, 39 in lateral line, 8 in transverse line; dorsal rays 8, anal rays 11.
Color: pale green above, with a silvery band and a black line along sides; a dark streak on middle
of back. Length, 4 inches. (arge, lustrous white.)

Inhabits southern Michigan and Ohio valley; recently recorded from North
Carolina by Mr. B. A. Bean,who received 11 specimens, 2 to 4 inches long, from
Cane River, in Yancey County.

83. NOTROPIS SCEPTICUS (Jordan & Gilbert).
Minnow.

Minnilus scepticus Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis of the Fishes of North America, Bulletin No. 16 U. S. National
Museum, 1883, 200; Saluda River, S. C.

Photogenis leucops, Cope, 1870b, 463; Catawba and Neuse rivers (in part).

Notropis scepticus, Jordan, 1889b, 132, 138; Haw River (tributary of Cape Fear), Catawba River, and Johns
River (tributary of Catawba). Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 296. .

DraGnosis.—Body short, compressed and elevated, depth contained 4.5 times in length;
head large, deep, more than .25 total length; snout blunt, less than diameter of eye; mouth
terminal, oblique, lower jaw shorter, maxilla extending to front of orbit; eye large, .33 length
of head; lateral line much decurved; scales, 38 in lateral series, 9 in transverse series, 13 to 16
before dorsal; dorsal fin inserted well behind ventrals, rays 8; tips of ventrals extending to last
dorsal rays; anal rays 10. Color: pale green, scales with dark edges; a silvery lateral band;
a dark line at base of dorsal fin. Length, 3inches. (scepticus, observant.)

os ee ee

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 99

This species is known from the Cape Fear and Santee basins. It was found
by Jordan to be very rare in Haw River, tributary of the Cape Fear, but not
uncommon in Catawba River near Marion and in Johns River near Morgantown.
This appears to be the fish which Cope assigns to the headwaters of the Catawba
and to the Neuse near Raleigh under the name of Photogenis leucops.

84. NOTROPIS ATHERINOIDES Rafinesque.
Minnow.

Notropis atherinoides Rafinesque, American Monthly Magazine and Critical Review, 1818, 204; Lake Erie.
Jordan, 18896, 152; French Broad and Swannanoa rivers. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 293.

DraGNnosis.—Body long and slender, compressed, not elevated, the depth contained 5.5
to 6 times in length; head blunt, conic, relatively short, contained 4.66 times in length; mouth
of moderate size, oblique, maxillary reaching to margin of orbit; eye large, contained 3 to 3.25
times in length of head, longer than snout; lateral line decurved; scales, 38 in lateral series, 8 in
transverse series, 15 anterior to dorsal fin; fins low, the dorsal well behind ventrals, rays 8;
anal rays 11; ventrals reaching beyond middle of dorsal. Color: above translucent green, sides
bright silvery. Length, 6 inches. (atherinoides, resembling a silverside.)

Inhabits Ohio and Mississippi valleys and Great Lakes region, entering
North Carolina through Tennessee River, in the headwaters of which it is com-
mon (French Broad at Hot Springs, Swannanoa near Asheville). .

85. NOTROPIS AMCNUS (Abbott).
Minnow.

Alburnellus amenus Abbott, American Naturalist, 1874, 334; Raritan River, N. J.
Notropis amenus, Jordan, 1889b, 129; Neuse River. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 296.

D1aGnosts.—Body long, compressed, the depth contained 4.75 to 5.5 times in total length;
head .25 length; mouth large, oblique, jaws equal, maxillary extendiig to margin of orbit; eye
large, longer than snout, contained 3.33 times in length of head; lateral line decurved; scales, 39
in lateral series, 9 in crosswise series (6 above lateral line), 22 to 25 before dorsal; dorsal fin
high, rays 8; anal rays 10. Color: translucent green, sides silvery, a faint plumbeous lateral
band. Length, 4 inches. (amenus, comely.)

Found from the Raritan to the Neuse in clear streams on the eastern slope
of Alleghenies. It is common in the Neuse at Millburnie and in Little River at
Goldsboro.

86. NOTROPIS UMBRATILIS (Girard), var. MATUTINUS Cope.
Minnow.

Alburnellus matutinus Cope, 1870b, 465; Neuse River, Wake County, N. C.
Notropis matutinus, Jordan, 1889b, 125, 129; Tar and Neuse rivers.
Notropis umbratilis matutinus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 301.

Dracnosis.—A compact slender species, depth .16 total length; head contained 4.25
times in length; orbit large, contained 3.5 times in head and once in interorbital space; dorsal
rays 8, longest equal to .33 distance from fin to end of snout; anal rays 11; scales 44 in lateral .
line, 10 in transverse line, 20 to 25 before dorsal fin. Color: above olivaceous, scales edged
with brown; a plumbeous lateral band; sides and below silvery; a dark spot at caudal base;

100 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

snout, chin, and upper part of dorsal bright rufous; a small black spot at anterior base of
dorsal. Length, 2.5inches. (wmbratilis, shaded; matutinus, relating to the morning, i.e., rosy.)

This form is found in the Neuse and Pamlico basins, in which it prefers
sandy brooks. It is common in Tar River at Rocky Mount and rather scarce in
Neuse River near Raleigh.

Genus PHENACOBIUS Cope. Sucker-like Minnows.

Small minnows resembling suckers, inhabiting the region between Alleghany
and Rocky mountains. Body long, slightly compressed; mouth inferior, lower
lip enlarged into a fleshy lobe on each side; upper jaw protractile; teeth with no
erinding surface; lateral line continuous; scales small; dorsal fin inserted anterior
to ventrals; intestine short. One North Carolina species. (Phenacobius, decep-

tive-lived. )
87. PHENACOBIUS URANOPS Cope.

Minnow.
Phenacobius uranops Cope, Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1867, 96; Holston River,

Va. Jordan, 1889b, 152; Swannanoa River near Asheville and Spring Creek at Hot Springs. Jordan
& Evermann, 1896, 304, pl. li., fig. 130.

‘i

ais Boy
Oa

Fig. 30. Minnow. Phenacobius uranops.

D1AGnosis.—Body very slender, little compressed, back not elevated; depth .16 length;
head long, slender, flat above, snout broad, blunt, projecting, length of head contained 4.75
times in total length; mouth entirely inferior, lips conspicuous; eye large, high on side of
head, its diameter contained 3.5 times in length of head; lateral line straight; scales, 60 in
lateral series, 13 in transverse series, 24 before dorsal; breast and median line of belly without
seales; isthmus broad, half length of head; dorsal rays 8, anal rays 7; all fins small. Color:
olive green with black spot at caudal base. Length, 3.5 inches. (uranops, star-gazer.)

This minnow inhabits the upper part of the Tennessee basin, and is not rare
at the points indicated in the synonymy. It prefers the channels of the rivers,
and does not ascend brooks.

Genus RHINICHTHYS Agassiz. Black-nosed Dace.

Small fishes, living in clear cold streams. Body long; mouth small, inferior;
a small barbel at endof maxillary; teeth 2,4—4, 2 (or 1), hooked, with no grinding
surface; intestine short; scales small; lateral line complete; dorsal fin placed
behind ventrals; pectoral fins enlarged in males. Represented in North Carolina

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 101

by two species, found only in the Tennessee basin; these may be distinguished as
follows: F

i. Snout very long and prominent, twice length of eye, projecting much beyond mouth; no

clsyniney, lolknglke wenreraey li opel ea Bice oclomtarcaa tas oinad Ge OI Cn OOO Mela ommom Dine. cataracte.
ii. Snout shorter and less prominent, not twice length of eye, projecting but little beyond
HipMur er dishineh IAterall DANG. s:= ¢siacs sepsis We dass dace sac blee & sae elaie.s oon es atronasus.

(Rhinichthys, snout-fish.)

88. RHINICHTHYS CATARACTZ (Cuvier & Valenciennes).
Long-nosed Dace.

Gobio cataracte Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, xvi, 315, 1842; Niagara Falls, N. Y.
Rhinichthys cataracte, Bean, 1903, 914; Bollings Creek, tributary of French Broad River. Jordan & Evermann,
1896, 306.

D1aGnosis.—Body long, not elevated, rounded, depth .2 total length; head long, .25 total
length; snout flat, narrow, and prominent, mouth inferior; eye .2 length of head and .5
length of snout; scales 62 to 68 in lateral series, 22 in transverse series; dorsal rays 8, anal rays
7. Color: back olive or black, usually mottled, below pale; no sharply defined lateral band; a
black spot on opercle; spring males with lips, cheeks, and lower fins crimson. Length, 5 inches.
(cataracte, of the cataract, i.e., Niagara Falls.)

This species is found from New England to the basins of the Columbia and
the Rio Grande. Its existence in North Carolina waters has recently been
determined by the collection of specimens in Bollings Creek, a tributary of the
French Broad, by Mr. H. H. Brimley, and in Middle Creek, a tributary of the
Little Tennessee, by Mr. D. P. Cabe.

89. RHINICHTHYS ATRONASUS (Mitchill).
Black-nosed Dace.

Cyprinus atronasus Mitchill, Transactions Literary and Philosophical Society of New York, i, 1815, 460; Wal-

kill River, N. Y.

Argyreus lunatus, Cope, 1870b, 459; French Broad River.
Rhinichthys obtusus, Jordan, 1889b, 152; north and south forks of Swannanoa River.
Rhinichthys atronasus croceus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 308.

DraGnosis.—Body little compressed, depth contained 4.5 times in total length; head
broad, .25 total length; upper jaw projecting, mouth small; eye small, .2 length of head;
scales, 70 in lateral series; dorsal rays 7, anal rays 6. Color: back olive with dark mottlings,
under parts silvery; a black lateral band margined with creamy yellow; a dusky blotch on base
of dorsal fin; males with lateral band and lower fins red. Length, 3 inches. (atronasus, black-
nosed. )

The black-nosed dace inhabits clear cold streams and brooks, from New
England to Minnesota and thence to Alabama and Virginia. In North Carolina
it has a very limited distribution, being recorded from that state only in tribu-
taries of the French Broad. Cope reports it, under the name of Argyreus lunatus,
as common, and Jordan found it in the north and south forks of Swannanoa River
near Black Mountain. The form represented in the Tennessee basin is the
variety croceus of Storer.

102 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Genus HYBOPSIS Agassiz. Horny-heads.

A numerous group of small fishes of the fresh waters of the United States
and Mexico; related to Notropis, but distinguished by the presence of one or two
barbels on each side of the upper jaw. Shape of body various; mouth terminal
or inferior; upper Jaw protractile; teeth 4—4, 1,4—4,1 or 1,4—4,0, hooked, with
or without narrow grinding surface; lateral line continuous; dorsal fin inserted in
front of, over, or behind ventrals; head in breeding males covered wth tubercles.
Six species have been recorded from North Carolina waters and another (Hybop-
sis watauga) may be looked for, as it exists in the headwaters of Tennessee River
in Tennessee and Virginia. (Hybopsis, swell-faced.)

Key to the North Carolina species of Hybopsis.

1. Size small (4 inches or less); mouth inferior, horizontal; coloration silvery.
a. Teeth 1-rowed (4—4).

b. Teeth without grinding surface; eye moderate or small (contained 3.5 to 5.5 times in
head); no series of dark blotches on sides; a large black blotch on posterior part of
dorsal iniraydanksspoteataoase Ole CU Call atelier oie tae nian ieee rae monacus.

bb. Teeth with slight grinding surface; eye large (contained 2.75 times in head); series of
dark blotches on sides, these being expansions of a dark lateral band; no black spot
on : dorsal’.or .caudal*ding) seers. or new ae o Oea eeioe dissimilis.

aa. Teeth 2-rowed (1,4—4,1 or 1,4 4,0).

c. Barbel very long; eye contained 3.3 times in head; a large dark spot on upper pos-

terior part of dorsal fim 37 <ccvex «oe ane eee a eo a Oe eee ee eee labrosus.
cc. No spot on dorsal fin.
d. Kye moderate (3.25 to 3.5 times in head); a dark Jateral band ending in spot at
caudal: base;"depthy 25, total Jeneth: 32 22. ©. 08 ee es ee hypsinotus.
dd. Eye large (2.75 to 3 in head); no dark caudal spot; depth .2 total length. . .amblops.
tt. Size large (10 inches or less); mouth large, nearly terminal; coloration not silvery; teeth
1-rowed or 2-rowed (4—4 or 1,4—4,1); top of head swollen .............. kentuckiensis.

90. HYBOPSIS MONACUS (Cope).
Minnow.

Ceratichthys monacus Cope, Journal Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1867, 227; Holston River, Va.
Hybopsis monacus, Jordan, 1889b, 152; tributaries of the French Broad River, N. ©. Jordan & Evermann,
1896, 318.

Dracnosis.—Form slender, little compressed, depth contained 5.25 times in total length;
head long, slender, flat above, .25 total length; snout projecting, mouth small, inferior, horizon-
tal, maxillary not extending as far as orbit; eye small, less than .25 length of head; teeth 4—4;
scales, 56 in lateral line, 12 in transverse line, 24 before dorsal fin; dorsal rays 8; anal rays 8.
Color: light green above, silvery on sides and belly; black spot at caudal base; dorsal fin posteri-
orly black at base; a metallic band on middle of back. Length, 4inches. (monacus, solitary.)

An uncommon species, peculiar to the upper waters of the Tennessee basin
in North Carolina, known from Swannanoa River at Asheville and Spring Creek
at Hot Springs.

91. HYBOPSIS DISSIMILIS (Kirtland).
Spotted Shiner.

Luxilus dissimilis Kirtland, Boston Journal of Natural History, iii, 1840, 341, pl. iv, fig. 2; Mahoning River,
Ohio, and Lake Erie near Cleveland, Ohio.
Hybopsis dissimilis, Jordan, 1889), 152; Swannanoa River and Spring Creek. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 318.

Dracnosis.—Form long and slender, slightly compressed; depth .2 total length; head
long, flat above, contained 4.5 times in total length; snout slightly projecting beyond mouth,

a ie

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF, FISHES: 103

abruptly decurved; mouth small, horizontal, lower jaw included, upper jaw not extending to
orbit; barbel shorter than pupil; eye large, .33 length of head, placed high on side of head;
teeth, 4—4; lateral line straight; scales, 40 to 47 in lateral series, 11 in crosswise series, 16 to 18
before dorsal fin; dorsal large, 8 rays; anal small, 7 rays; caudal well forked. Color: back
mottled green, sides silvery with bluish lateral band widened into dusky spots; dusky band
through eyes and snout; fins unmarked. Length, 4 inches. (dissimilis, dissimilar.)

Ranges from Lake Krie to lowa and Arkansas, southward to the headwaters
of the Tennessee in North Carolina. Not rare in Swannanoa River at Asheville
and in Spring Creek at Hot Springs, where highly colored specimens, with very
distinct blue-black spots on back and sides, were collected by Jordan in 1888.

92. HYBOPSIS LABROSUS (Cope).
Thick-lipped Minnow.

Ceratichthys labrosus Cope, 1870b, 458; Catawba River, in Macdowell and Burke counties, N.C.
Hybopsis labrosus, Jordan, 1889b, 134, 138; Yadkin River and Pacollet River, 8S. C., tributary of Santee. Jor-
dan & Evermann, 1896, 319.

Draenosis.—Body slender, depth less than head and contained 5.5 times in total length;
head contained 4 to 4.5 times in total length, top gently decurved to snout; mouth horizontal,
slightly inferior, lips thick, maxillary extending as far as margin of orbit; eye contained 3.33 to
3.75 times in head and slightly less than interorbital space; teeth 1,4—4,1; barbels longer than
in any other species, more than half diameter of eye; scales closely imbricated, 34 to 40 in
lateral line, 8 to 10 in transverse line, 16 in front of dorsal; fins small; dorsal rays 8, length of
first ray equal to half distance from fin to anterior edge of pupil, dorsal inserted over ventrals;
anal rays 7 or 8; caudal deeply forked, peduncle long and slender. Color: males dark blue
above, with black markings on back; a dark lateral streak, and a small round black spot on
caudal base; in large examples, a dark patch on posterior rays of dorsal; females silvery, with
pale blue streak along sides of peduncle; males in spring with fins red and head and neck
covered with tubercles, Length, 3 inches. (labrosus, thick-lipped.)

Cope, in his original account of this species, said it was not uncommon on the
bottom in clear and rapid creeks which flow into the upper waters of Catawba
River, in the counties of Macdowell and Burke. Jordan found the species com-
mon in Yadkin River near Salisbury. The fish resembles Phenacobius in having
thick lips, and may be further recognized by the long barbels.

93. HYBOPSIS HYPSINOTUS (Cope).
High-backed Minnow.

Ceratichthys hypsinotus Cope, 18706, 458; Catawba and Yadkin rivers.
Hybopsis hypsinotus, Jordan, 1889b, 138; Pacollet River, 8. C., tributary of the Santee. Jordan & Evermann
1896, 320. :

Diacenosis.—Form stout, robust, compressed, depth contained 3.75 times in total length;
head short, broad, flat, its length equal to body depth; muzzle not prominent, mouth inferior,
horizontal; maxillary extending to margin of orbit; lips thin; barbels small; eye contained 3.5
times in length of head and once in interorbital space; line of back rises gradually to first dorsal
ray, then descends abruptly, so that base of fin is oblique, the fin margin vertical, the posterior
ray less than half length of anterior; dorsal fin placed in advance of ventrals, its rays 8; anal
rays 8; teeth 1,4—4,1; scales, 38 to 41 in lateral line, 4 or 5 above lateral line and 3 below.
Color: silvery, with a double series of black specks along lateral line and a blackish lateral band;
a dark line around snout between eyes; in breeding males, fins bright red, body with violet
luster. Length, 3 inches. (hypsinotus, high-backed.)

104 * FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Inhabits only the headwaters of the Santee and Great Pedee basins. ‘‘Com-
mon in creeks heading the Catawba River in Macdowell County, N. C., or tribu-
tary to the Yadkin River in Roane County” (Cope).

94. HYBOPSIS AMBLOPS (Rafinesque).
Silver Chub.

Rutilus amblops Rafinesque, Ichthyologia Ohiensis, 51, 1820; Ohio River.

Ceratichthys hyalinus Cope, Journal Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1868, 226; Holston River,
Va. Cope, 18706, 459; French Broad River, N. C.

Hybopsis amblops, Jordan, 1889b, 152; Swannanoa River and Spring Creek

DracNnosis.—Body rather slender, not greatly compressed, stout anteriorly, depth .2
total length; head large, flat, broad, .25 total length; eye .33 length of head, longer than snout
and longer than interorbital space; mouth small, somewhat inferior, horizontal, maxillary
not reaching anterior margin of orbit; snout blunt; teeth 1,4—4,1; scales, 38 in lateral series,
9 in transverse series, 16 in front of dorsal; lateral line decurved. Color: green above, scales
dark-edged; a silvery lateral band, this usually superimposed on a plumbeous or blackish
band; a dark stripe through eye to snout. Length, 3 inches. (amblops, blunt-faced.)

This species, which ranges from New York to Iowa and Alabama, is perhaps
most numerous in the Ohio and Tennessee valleys. It iscommoninSwannanoa
River near Asheville and in Spring Creek at Hot Springs.

95. HYBOPSIS KENTUCKIENSIS (Rafinesque).
“Knotty-head”’; ‘‘Horny-head’’; River Chub.

Luxilus kentuckiensis Rafinesque, Ichthyologia Ohiensis, 48, 1820; Ohio River.

Ceratichthys leptocephalus Girard, Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1856, 213; Yadkin
River, at Salem, N. C.

Ceratichthys biguttatus, Cope, 1870b, 459, 494; Neuse, Yadkin, Catawba, and French Broad rivers.

Hybopsis kentuckiensis, Jordan, 1889b, 126, 129, 134, 139, 152; Tar, Neuse, Yadkin, Catawba, and French Broad
rivers. Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River near Raleigh. Bean, 1903, 914; Cane River.
Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 322.

Diacnosis.—Body stout, slightly compressed, little elevated, depth contained 4.25 times
in length; head large, broad, .25 total length; snout conical, blunt; mouth large, nearly terminal,
lower jaw slightly shorter, upper jaw not extending to margin of orbit; barbel well developed;
eye placed rather high in the side of head; teeth variable, 4—4, 1,4—4,1, or 1,4 4,0; scales large,
40 in lateral series, 10 in transverse series, 18 before dorsal; lateral line decurved; dorsal fins
placed slightly posterior to ventrals, rays 8; anal rays 7. Color: bluish-green above, scales
dark-edged, coppery and green reflections on sides, white below; fins pale orange; spring males
with a red spot on each side of head and lower parts rosy; top of head in adults swollen into a
high crest, which is covered with tubercles; a dark caudal spot in young. (kentuckiensis,
inhabiting Kentucky.)

This is the commonest and most widely distributed of the species of Hybop-
sisin North Carolina. It exists in most of the rivers which flow into the Atlantic
and also in tributaries of the French Broad, preferring the larger streams and
seldom entering small brooks. In 1904 specimens from a tributary of the Little
Tennessee River in Macon County, North Carolina, were sent to the Bureau of
Fisheries by Mr. D. P. Cabe, who reported that the fish was known in that section
as “knotty-head” or “horny-head”’. It reaches a length of 9 or 10 inches and. is
sometimes eaten.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 105

Specimens of this fish appearing as no. 12 on the fish register of the U.S.
National Museum were collected at Salem, in Forsyth County, by J. T. Lineback,
in 1856, and were described by Dr. Girard as a new species under the name
Ceratichthys leptocephalus.

Genus CYPRINUS Linnzus. Carps.

Large fresh-water fishes of Asia, with rather stout compressed body; mod-
erate sized mouth, with thick, fleshy lips; broad molar pharyngeal teeth in several
series; 2 barbels on each side of the maxillary; large cycloid scales; complete
lateral line; large, thick-walled air-bladder; long dorsal fin, with a stout spinous
anterior ray; short anal fin, the first ray spinous; and large, bilobed caudal fin.
One species introduced into various parts of the world, and extensively cultivated.
(Cyprinus, ancient name for the carp.)

96. CYPRINUS CARPIO Linnezus.
“Carp”’; ‘‘German Carp’’; Asiatic Carp.

Cyprinus carpio Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 1758b, 320. Smith, 18938, pl. xlvii, 2 figs. Smith,1893a, 190,

199; Pasquotank and Roanoke rivers. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 201.

DraGnosis.—Depth contained about 3.5 times in length; head .25 length; snout blunt, .33
length of head; eye small, .15 length of head; mouth horizontal, the angle extending .5 distance
between end of snout and anterior margin of eye; a short barbel at corner of mouth and a
shorter one about middle of maxillary; lips full, sucker-like; teeth 1,1,3—3,1,1, with broad
grinding surface; scales in lengthwise series 35 to 40, in transverse series 10 to 12, the nearly
straight lateral line running about midway between dorsal and ventral profiles; alimentary
canal long, pyloric appendages absent; air-bladder large, thick, with transverse constriction;
dorsal fin beginning over ventrals, elevated anteriorly, the base .5 length of trunk, the rays 19
to 23 exclusive of rudiments, the first major ray being a stout spine with its posterior surface
serrated; anal rays 6 or 7 besidesrudiments, the anterior a serrated spine; caudal fin broad,
deeply notched. Color: variable but usually dull, dark green, darker above and lighter below;
under parts sometimes yellow, as are also cheeks, lips, lower side of head, and iris; fins in
general like adjacent parts of body. (carpio, carp.)

Although the introduction of the carp into the United States from Europe
was as recent as 1877, the species quickly became firmly established and is now
the most generally distributed fish in this country.* The imported specimens
whose progeny now exist in probably every state and territory (except Alaska)
were brought over by the United States Fish Commission from Germany, where,
as in other parts of Central Europe, the carp had been cultivated since the thir-
teenth century.

Long domestication and cultivation have resulted in the production of a
number of races or varieties differing more or less strikingly from the typical form.
Among those which are met with in the United States are (1) the scale carp,
which differs the least from the original Asiatic type and is characterized by being
uniformly covered with regularly arranged scales; (2) the mirror carp, with

*An admirable review of the carp and the various questions connected with its acclimatization appears

in the Report of the Bureau of Fisheries for 1904 under the title “‘The German Carp in the United States,” by
Leon J. Cole.

106 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

greatly enlarged scales of irregular shape and arrangement, a part of the body
being bare; and (3) the leather carp, so-called from its thick, smooth, velvety
skin, which is either entirely destitute of scales or has only a few along the back
or belly.

Be
AM
aceon
aon

Peles a

sss

Fig. 31. ScaLte Carp; Asratic Carp. Cyprinus carpio.

The carp attains a relatively large size—examples weighing upwards of 60
pounds being known in Europe and of fully 40 pounds in the United States,
although full sexual maturity is attained by the second or third year when the
fish weigh only 3 or 4 pounds.

Spawning occurs from April to June, according to latitude, the very small
eggs being adhesive and becoming attached to any submerged objects, such as
stones, sticks, and aquatic plants generally. Prior to and during the egg-laying
each female may be attended by from 2 to 6 males. The carp is extraordinarily
prolific, the number of eggs laid ranging from several hundred thousand in a fish

SASS
Fig. 32. LearHer Carp. Cyprinus carpio.

of 4 or 5 pounds to upwards of 2 million in one weighing 15 or 20 pounds. The
eggs hatch in 2 to 20 days, depending on the temperature of the water. By
winter the young may exceed 7 inches in length and probably average 4 or 5
inches if food is sufficiently abundant.

-

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 107

The introduction of the carp into North Carolina waters began in 1879 and
was very successful, the fish soon becoming widely distributed and abundant. It
is now well-known in all parts of the state, but is most plentiful in the warmer,
more sluggish lowland waters. It can not be said to have attained any great
value as a market fish, although it is an item in the commercial fisheries of a
dozen countries. In 1902, the quantity sold was 46,500 pounds, worth $2,100,
the largest catch being credited to Washington, Martin, and Currituck counties.
Here, as in many other states, the carp is of most importance for home consump-
tion and as a food for other fishes. It is preéminently adapted for small, warm
ponds, and it was brought to America primarily for stocking such waters, which
often can not support any other fish life. By comparison with numerous native
fishes, the carp is an inferior food; and in a state so well supplied with most desir-
able food fishes as North Carolina, there is no reason to believe the carp will ever
become popular.

. Order APODES. The Eels.

The eels, or apodal fishes, constitute a large and interesting order with repre-
sentatives in tropical and temperate waters of all parts of the world. Some of
the species are very small, others are so large as to deserve the popular name of
“sea-serpents”. The characters which distinguish them are, in addition to the
elongate body, atrophied or absent premaxillary bones; absence of spines in the
fins; isocercal tail; low and long dorsal and anal fins (if present); absence of ven-
tral fins; comparatively small gill-openings; scales lacking or rudimentary;
slightly developed scapular arch; increased number of vertebre; and various
other skeletal pecularities. Of the dozen American families, 4 have local rep-
resentatives and may be thus distinguished:

Key to the North Carolina families oj eels.

i. Tongue present; pectoral fins present; gill-openings comparatively large, slit-like.
a. Dorsal and anal fins confluent around the tail; pectoral fins well developed.
b. Seales present, but embedded, linear in shape, and arranged in groups; species enter-

PEP aE PINE DE Ser pie ese reP A <O- als ein oie a acini v itis) sven selec wks Se ays ANGUILLID.

bb. Scales entirely absent; species Marine... ... 6... 2c ee ce ee eee LEPTOCEPHALID.

aa. Dorsal and anal fins not confluent around the tail, the projecting tail without any rays;
ECLA MAMI LCi tess sl sa\ siecle ose sae 6 ta 6 eee acne tem ee eae OPHICHTHYID®.

ii. Tongue absent; pectoral fins absent; gill-openings small, rounded........ MURENIDAE.

Family ANGUILLIDA. The Common Eels.

The fishes of this family, which includes a single genus, pass much of their
lives in fresh water, going to the seato spawn. They are distinguished by having
a conical head, well-developed opercles and branchial apparatus, distinct tongue,
teeth in cardiform bands on jaws and vomer, gill-openings vertical, lateral line
present, rudimentary scales, dorsal and anal fins that are continuous around the
tail, and well developed pectorals. The young pass through a peculiar metamor-
phosis before attaining the adult form.

108 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Genus ANGUILLA Shaw. Common Eels.

Form elongate, rounded anteriorly, compressed posteriorly; head long,
conical; mouth large, lower Jaw projecting; teeth small, in bands in each jaw, and
a patch on vomer; branchial opening a small slit, about width of base of pector-
als; nostrils well separated, the anterior tubular; lateral line well marked; body
covered with minute embedded scales arranged mostly in small groups, some
of which are placed at right angles; dorsal and anal fins long, dorsal origin not
near the head. One American species probably a variety of the European
eel (Anguilla anguilla).

97. ANGUILLA CHRISYPA Rafinesque.
‘Kel’; Common Eel; Fresh-water Eel.

Anguilla chrisypa Rafinesque, American Monthly Magazine and Critical Review, 1817, 120; Lake George, Hud-
son River, and Lake Champlain. Linton, 1905, 351; Beaufort.

Anguilla sp. Cope, 1870b, 491; ‘‘all the Atlantic waters of North Carolina”.

Anguilla bostoniensis, Yarrow, 1877, 216; Beaufort.

Anguilla vulgaris, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 385; Beaufort Harbor.

Anguilla anguilla rostrata, Jenkins, 1887, 86; Beaufort. Jordan, 1889b, 129, 133, 139; Neuse, Cape Fear, and
Catawba rivers.

Anguilla chrysypa, Smith, 1893a, 191, 195, 199; Pasquotank and Roanoke rivers, and Edenton Bay. Ever-
mann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River. Smith, 1901, 134; Lake Mattamuskeet. Kendall & Smith, 1894,
21; Hatteras Inlet. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 348, pl. lv, fig. 143.

DraGnosis.—Depth of body about .8 total length; head .12 length; eye about .6 length of
snout; origin of dorsal fin behind branchial slit about twice length of head; anal origin about
length of head posterior to dorsal origin; fins low; length of pectorals about .33 length of head
Color: variable, usually greenish brown above, often brownish yellow, white below. (chrisypa,
gold-bellied.)

The common eel has a wide distribution in the eastern part of North Amer-
ica; it is found from Canada to the West Indies and as far westward as the Rocky
Mountains. It ascends all the coastwise streams, and is a permanent resident of
the Great Lakes and Mississippi Valley. It occurs as a migrant in all the streams
of North Carolina east of the Alleghenies and doubtless in the upper waters of the
French Broad.

The maximum length of the eel is about 5 feet, although the average is under
3 feet. Eels of all sizes are found in the rivers and coastal waters at all times,
but there are definite movements of adults from the fresh waters to the sea, and
of young from salt water to the rivers, The eel belongs to the class of catadro-
mous fishes—that is, those which go to the sea to spawn. There has been much
mystery surrounding the spawning and other habits of eels, and some curious
notions are entertained regarding the fish. Even at the present time much
remains to be learned about this species. but the following facts seem to be estab-
lished, based in part on the observations of the European eel, whose habits are
similar to those of our own species.

Eels produce eggs like most of our common fishes; the eggs are, however,
exceedingly small and numerous, and may easily be mistaken for the fatty tissue
of the ovary in which they are embedded. The eggs are only a little more than
.Q1 inch in diameter, and the number produced by a large fish has been estimated

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 109

at over 10 millions. The female eel is larger than the male, the latter probably
rarely exceeding 2 feet in length. The ovaries, two in number, are of a pale
yellow color and extend along the vertebral column the whole length of the
abdominal cavity; they are about half an inch wide and are thrown into numerous
transverse folds. The two male organs are similarly situated, but have a different
shape and appearance; each consists of about 50 lobules arranged in longitu-
dinal rows, with a glistening white appearance. The male eel when sexually
mature has very large eyes and a short, pointed snout, and its color is silvery

eray.

re

Fig. 33. Common Eeu. Anguilla chrisypa.

Spawning normally occurs in salt water, in fall and winter. There is some
evidence that eels may under exceptional circumstances spawn in fresh water,
but it is not conclusive. The migration of the adult eels is said to take place
mostly at night, and usually extends to mud banks off the mouths of rivers, the
eges being there laid and fertilized. The maturation of the reproductive organs
takes place only after the eels reach salt water, and proceeds rapidly. It is
thought by some authorities that all the individuals of both sexes die after once
spawning.

Fig. 34. LeprocePpHALUS OF THE CoMMON EEL.

The eggs float at the surface, and are wafted about by wind and wave. They
hatch into transparent, much-compressed, lanceolate creatures, with small head,
large eyes, and large mouth armed with a few long, sharp teeth; these larval eels
are called leptocephali, and are so different inform from the adults that the iden-
tification of this stage of the American eel has not been postively accomplished
although it is probable that several leptocephali collected by the fishery steamer
Albatross in fall about 100 miles off the New Jersey coast and studied by Prof.

110 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

C. H. Eigenmann* are referable to this species. They were a little under 2 inches
in length, and one of them is represented in the accompanying cut. The lepto-
cephalus gradually changes into the eel shape, undergoing a reduction in size,
so that when the young eel assumes the normal form it may be only half as long
as when it was a leptocephalus.

The young eels, 2 to 3 inches long, come inshore and ascend the streams in
spring; they are then frequently observed, as they have a dark color, swim at or
near the surface, and are often in incredible numbers, extending for miles in almost
unbroken lines along the edges of brooks and creeks. They remain in the fresh
waters until mature, and then descend to the sea.

Eels feed on all kinds of animal matter, whether living or dead, and are gener-
ally recognized as destructive to other fish. They are very injurious to the shad
fishery in North Carolina, as in other waters. When shad are caught in gill nets,
the eels often destroy their market value by biting a hole in their abdomens and
eating the eggs. They also consume large quantities of eggs of shad and other
fish after deposition.

While considerable quantities of eels are caught for market in North Caro-
lina, this species does not rank among the important commercial fishes of the
state. In the Beaufort region it is common, but apparently not in sufficient
abundance to support a special fishery. About 1897 a religious band, called the
‘“Arkites”’, went to Beaufort from Virginia in a houseboat or ark, taking with
them eel pots; they began to fish for eels, marketing their catch in Newbern, but
the business never met with much success. Eels are caught for market in New
River 50 miles from Beaufort, and at Newbern the eel fishery is growing; Oriental
is also an important shipping point. The fishermen use wire eel pots and also
pots made from kegs, which they say are more successful. The market is wholly
in the north, owing to the widespread and deep seated local prejudice against eels.
In Lake Mattamuskeet eels are abundant, but only sparingly utilized; at one time
a religious sect, known as the “‘Sanctified’’, made a business of catching eels in
the lake and shipping them north.

Kels have a very delicate, well-flavored flesh which is white when cooked,
and rank high as food fishes, although many people refuse to eat them on account
of their supposed snakish affinities.

In 1902 the North Carolina fishermen sold 507,111 pounds of eels, receiving
$19,962 therefor. The catch in recent years has been much larger than formerly;
thus, in 1897, it amounted to 96,700 pounds worth $4,051, and in 1890 to 55,250
pounds worth $3,476.

Family LEPTOCEPHALIDA. The Conger Eels.

Marine eels, characterized by scaleless, elongate body; extremity of tail.
surrounded by a fin as in the Anguillide; tongue anteriorly unattached; posterior

*The leptocephalus of the American eel and other American leptocephali. Bulletin U. 8. Fish Commis-
sion 1901, pp. 81-92, 15 plates. 7

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. lla

nostril near margin of eye; and well-developed pectoral fins. The best known
genus, and the only one represented on the United States coast, is the following.

Genus LEPTOCEPHALUS Scopoli. Conger Eels.

Sea eels, similar to Anguilla and not always separated from it by fishermen,
but attaining a much greater size and easily distinguished by the absence of
scales, etc. A character in which this genus differs from the other American
genera of this family (Congermurzna and Uroconger) is the origin of the dorsal
fin posterior to the pectorals. Vomerine teeth in a band, none of them canine,
and jaw teeth in several series, of which the outer are close together and form a
cutting edge; the tail (i. e., the post-ventral part of the body) about half longer
than the remainder of body; lateral line present; branchial openings large; eyes
large. (Leptocephalus, slender head.)

98. LEPTOCEPHALUS CONGER (Linnzus).
Conger Eel; Sea Eel; Ocean Eel.

Murena conger Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 245, 1758; Europe.
Conger conger, Jenkins, 1885, 11; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 26; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 86; Beaufort.
Leptocephalus conger, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 354, pl. lvii, fig. 148. Linton, 1905, 351; Beaufort.

Fig. 35. Conger Ex. Leptocephalus conger.

Driacnosis.—Body elongate, rounded, depth .4 length of head; head flattened, pointed,
somewhat more than .5 as long as trunk and .11 total length; mouth large, its angle under or be-
yond posterior margin of eye; lips thick, upper lip with prominent pores; eye .16 to .20 length
of head and .66 length of snout; lateral line with conspicuous pores; dorsal fin arising over
posterior extremity of pectorals; pectorals .3 length of head. Color: above black or dark
olive green, beneath white; vertical fins with a narrow black border. (conger, ancient Latin
name for this fish.)

A very widely distributed species, common in Europe, Asia, Africa, and on
the east coast of America from Massachussetts to Brazil. In North Carolina it
is not uncommon about Beaufort, in the harbor and in Newport and North
rivers, and in the salt-water sounds. It reaches a very large size, Kuropean
examples which weighed 90 to 100 pounds being recorded; 10 to 15-pound
specimens are not infrequently taken on our coast.

The eggs of the conger, which are laid at sea during summer, are about .01
inch in diameter and float at the surface. The number produced by a single eel

112 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

is enormous, exceeding 7 millions in certain large European specimens. A con-
ger in the Berlin aquarium, weighing 22.5 pounds, had ovaries weighing 8 pounds
which contained over 3 millions eggs (estimated). The young pass through a
metamorphosis similar to that of the common eel.*

The conger subsists chiefly on fish, but also takes other animal food. Speci-
mens examined at Beaufort in July and August contained fish, shrimp, and a
small gastropod. Although an excellent food fish, extensively sought and eaten
in Europe and Asia, the conger supports no fishery in the United States and is
very sparingly utilized.

Family OPHICHTHYIDA. The Snake Eels.

These are tropical eels whose appearance suggests the serpents, some of the
species being marked by bands or spots. The family contains about 100 species
and 12 American genera (one local), and may be most readily recognized by the
naked tail which projects beyond the dorsal and anal fins, if the latter are present
(asin most genera). Body scaleless; tongue more or less closely adherent to floor
of mouth; mouth small, moderate, or large; teeth various; anterior nostrils in
upper lip and opening downward; gill-openings not united; fins either altogether
absent or reduced in size and number.

Genus BASCANICHTHYS Jordan & Davis. Black-Snake Eels.

Small or moderate sized American eels, with cylindrical and very elongate
body; included lower jaw; long dorsal and anal fins, the former beginning on
head; rudimentary or minute pectorals; and small pointed tail destitute of
rays. Three species, 2 known from single specimens (Gulf of Mexico and Gulf of
California). (Bascanichthys, black-snake fish.)

99. BASCANICHTHYS SCUTICARIS (Goode & Bean).
Black-Snake Eel.

Sphagebranchus scuticaris Goode & Bean, Proceedings U.S. National Museum, 1879, 343; Cedar Key, Florida.
Bascanichthys scuticaris, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 378, pl. bxiii, fig. 165.

Draanosis.—Trunk somewhat longer than tail; head contained 22 times in total length,
12 times in section anterior to vent; snout contained 5.3 times in head; diameter of eye rather
less than .5 length of snout; tip of lower jaw under middle of snout; upper jaw .25 length of
head; teeth blunt, in 1 series in jaws, in 2 series on vomer; origin of dorsal fin midway from tip of
snout to gill-slit; pectoral fin .5 length of snout; lateral line arched over the opercle, with con-
spicuous pores. Color: above dark brown, below lighter, fins pale. (scuticaris, whip-like.)

The claims of this fish to a place in the North Carolina fauna depend on the
taking of one specimen at the Beaufort laboratory in 1906. The habitat of the
species has not heretofore been known to extend beyond the west coast of Florida,
where it is said to be not rare.

Nothing has been recorded regarding the habits of the fishes of this genus;
it is therefore interesting to note that the Beaufort specimen was dug out of the

*See ‘The egg and development of the conger eel,” by C. H. Eigenmann, Bulletin U. S. Fish Commission

1901, in which eggs of this species found at the surface off the coast of Massachusetts are described and
figured.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. tt3

sand in the harbor by Dr. H. E. Enders on July 31, and was kept in an aquarium
at the laboratory until August 18, when it died... While in captivity it remained
most of the time with its body completely buried in sand, its head projecting just
far enough to enable it to breathe. Small fishes and crab were supplied for food,
but none were eaten so far as observed. This fish was 89 centimeters (about 36
inches) long; its head was 4 cm. long, its tail 40 cm., and its pectoral fins .4 em.

Family MURASNIDA. The Morays.

A very numerous family of sea eels, representing the most degenerate of the
apodal fishes. They inhabit warmer waters, live largely in the crevices of coral
reefs or rocks, and are pugnacious, some of the larger ones being able to inflict
very painful and dangerous wounds. Distinguishing features of the family are
absence of pectoral fins; thick, leathery, scaleless skins; and small round bran-
chial openings. The posterior part of the head is elevated owing to the excessive
development of muscles that move the jaw, and razor-like or crushing teeth are
present in the narrow jaws. Of the dozen or more genera, only one is repre-
sented in North Carolina.

Genus LYCODONTIS McClelland. Morays.

Body compressed; dorsal fin beginning on the head, in front of branchial
openings; jaw teeth all sharp; vomerine teeth in one or two series; posterior nos-
trils without a tube, anterior with a long tube. A numerous genus, many of the
species beautifully marked, living among rocks in shoal water. One species
strays to the North Carolina coast. (Lycodontis, wolf tooth.)

100. LYCODONTIS OCELLATUS (Agassiz).
Spotted Moray.

Gymnothoraz ocellatus Agassiz, Pisces Brasilienses, 91, pl 506, 1828; Brazil.
Lycodontis ocellatus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 399.

Draenosis.—Head contained 5.66 times in total length; lower jaw .5 head; jaws closing
almost perfectly; teeth uniserial, large, weakly serrated on posterior edge; vomerine teeth small
or wanting; eye .6 snout, .12 head. Color: dark brown, with numerous round, pale yellow
spots, largest posteriorly; head lighter than body, reticulated, dark on occiput and between
eyes; lower jaw pale, with reticulations; dorsal spotted like body, margined with elongated
black blotches; anal pale, with a broad black edge. (ocellatus, covered with eye-like spots.)

The foregoing description is based on a specimen 18.5 inches long in the Beau-
fort laboratory, taken at this place in the summer of 1904. - Another specimen
12.5 inches long, obtained on Bird Shoal, Beaufort Harbor, August 20, 1903, is
also in the laboratory; the body is a rich brown, and some of the round yellow
spots on the posterior part of body are as large as eye; spots on upper part of
head smallest, those on cheeks elongate; head .14 total length; eye .7 snout, .12
head; lower jaw .4 head.

The species ranges from the coast of the Gulf States to Brazil, and has not
heretofore been recorded from any point on the Atlantic coast of the United
States. The large example represents about the maximum size attained by the
species.

114 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Order ISOSPONDYLI. The Clupeoid and Salmonoid Fishes.

This order, which comprises some of the commonest and most valuable of
our soft-rayed fishes, both marine and fresh-water, is divisible into two groups,
characterized by the absence or the presence of an adipose dorsal fin. The clupe-
oid, or herring-like, fishes do not possess this appendage, and constitute the fami-
lies Elopide, Albulidee, Hiodontidee, Dorosomide, Clupeide, and Engraulide;
the salmonoid, or trout-like, fishes have this fin, and include the family
Salmonidez. The families of herring-like fishes having representatives in North
Carolina may be distinguished as follows:

1. A bony plate between arms of the lower Jaw. «.5 20. ec2cer sews « cessation) s ayo svete sheet ELoPips.
ti. No bony plate between the branches of the lower jaw.

a. Lateral line present.
b. Mouth small; base of tongue and roof of mouth covered with paved teeth; salt-water

FESO: voici ass Ssorscs Sree Dh Mey ee ears alta elie 5 -utontoas ah ORGS clad eek ewe ALBULID.
bb. Mouth large; teeth pointed, none forming a pavement; fresh-water fishes.
HIODONTID&.
aa. Lateral line absent.

c. Mouth small, inferior, without teeth; stomach gizzard-like. ...... DoROSOMID&.

cc. Mouth of moderate size, terminal, teeth small; stomach not gizzard-like.
CLUPEID&.
ccc. Mouth very large, inferior, lower jaw very long and slender ...... ENGRAULIDE.

Family ELOPID. The Tarpons, Big-eyed Herrings, etc.

Large coastal fishes of southern waters, herring-like in appearance, with
elongate body covered with large or small silvery scales, large terminal mouth,
maxillary long and extending backward beyond orbit, abony plate between the
branches of the lower jaw, teeth in bands on jaws and also on tongue and roof of
mouth, eye provided with an adipose lid, branchial membranes not united and
free from the isthmus, gill-rakers long and slender, branchiostegals very numer-
ous, lateral line present, bases of dorsal and anal fins surrounded by scaly sheath,
a long accessory scale in axil of pectorals and ventrals, pyloric coeca numerous.
Two American genera, easily distinguished by the size of the scales and the length
of the last dorsal ray.

Genus TARPON Jordan & Evermann. Tarpons or Tarpums.

Very large fishes found along the Atlantic coast of America. The oblong
and compressed body is covered with huge scales; the lower jaw is strong and
projecting; the branchiostegals number 23; pseudobranchiz are absent; lateral
line present and straight; the dorsal finis inserted behind ventrals and its last ray
is produced as a long filament; anal fin long, its last ray elongate. One species.
(Tarpon, the local name for the fish in Florida, probably of Indian origin.)

101. TARPON ATLANTICUS (Cuvier & Valenciennes).
“Tarpon’’; ‘‘Silver-fish’’; ‘‘King-fish’’.

Megalops atlanticus Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, xix, 398, 1846; Guadeloupe, San
Domingo, Martinique, and Porto Rico.

Megalops thrissoides, Yarrow, 1877, 215; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 384; Beaufort.

Tarpon atlanticus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 409, pl. lxvii, fig. 177.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 1a bé55

DiaGgnosis.—Body elongate, compressed, dorsal outline but little elevated, the depth
rather more than .25 total length; head .25 total length; mouth large, oblique, the maxillary
extending far beyond eye; eye moderate, .16 length of head, .66 length of snout; bands of small
teeth on jaws, vomer, palatines, and tongue; scales very large, some nearly 3 inches in diameter,
covered with a silvery epidermis, about 45 in lateral series and 12 in transverse series; dorsal
rays 12, the last ray longer than head; anal rays 20 to 23; caual fin deeply forked. Color:
bright silvery, darker above. (atlanticus, pertaining to Atlantic Ocean.)

This, the largest of the clupeoid fishes, ranges from Massachusetts to Brazil,
and is most abundant in Florida and the West Indies. It reaches a length of 7
feet and a weight of over 200 pounds. It is a powerful and active fish, and has
the habit of leaping entirely out of the water. It feeds on small fish, and some-
times ascends fresh-water rivers, probably in pursuit of its prey. Its food value
is slight, as the flesh is very coarse, but the fish is much sought by anglers, being
caught with rod and line by trolling and affording most exciting sport. The
immense scales are objects of curiosity; they are sold as souvenirs in Florida and
also are used in ornamental work.

Vy

av

ME Ny
Nauasaoegge seed

Nay: VV

A Inf AN ee 419;

Fig. 36. Tarpon. Tarpon atlanticus.

The tarpon visits the North Carolina coast each season, and enters all the
sounds of the state as far north as Croatan Sound, in which stragglers are occa-
sionally observed. Yarrow reported it as very rare at Beaufort, and did not
observe it; in recent years a few specimens have been taken in that vicinity. At
Cape Lookout this species is not uncommon in May, and large schools are some-
times noticed there, but the fish is seldom caught, as it is too strong for the nets;
the Cape Lookout fishermen call it ‘‘kingfish”, “tarpon”, and ‘‘silver-fish”’.
In July, 1906, Dr. E. W. Gudger observed a 5-foot specimen at Hatteras. The
State Museum contains a specimen from Beaufort weighing 119 pounds and
another from Wilmington of 176 pounds.

Genus ELOPS Linneus. Big-eyed Herrings.

Large sea fishes, with body elongate and rounded; head conical, jaws long;
branchiostegals 30; pseudobranchie large; dorsal fin resting in a scaly sheath,
the last ray short; anal fin also in a sheath of scales; pectoral and ventral fins with
long scale in‘axil. One American species. (Elops, ancient Greek name for some
marine fish.)

116 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

102. ELOPS SAURUS Linneus.
“*Sea Pike’’; ‘‘Horse Mackerel’’; Big-eyed Herring; Ten-pounder.

Elops saurus Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 518, 1766;.Carolina. Yarrow, 1877, 215; Beaufort. Jordan &
Gilbert, 1879, 384; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 410, pl. lxvii, fig. 178. Linton, 1905, 352;
Beaufort.

DiaGanosis.—Form long, rather slender, cylindrical, the depth .16 to .20 total length;
head conical, flattened above, its length contained 4.16 to 4.20 times in total length; upper jaw
broad, maxillary extending far beyond eye; lower jaw included; eye .20 to .25 length of head;
seales small, 115 to 120 in lateral series, 36 in transverse series, lateral line straight; dorsal rays
20 or 21; anal rays 13. Color: bright silvery, greenish on back; bronze reflections on head;
dorsal and caudal light greenish brown, other fins tinged with pale yellow; all fins minutely ~
spotted with black. (saurus, lizard.)

Fig. 37. Bic-EyEp Herrine. Elops saurus.

The big-eyed herring is widely distributed in both Atlantic and Pacific
oceans, and is found along the Atlantic coast as far north as Massachusetts. It
occurs every year on the North Carolina coast, but is not common, at least at
Beaufort, where Yarrow recorded the fish, noting the local name of ‘‘sea pike”’,
and where Jordan and Gilbert reported it under the local name of “horse mack-
erel”. A length of 3 feet is attained, but the average is under 2 feet. The
young are long and transparent, and undergo a metamorphosis like the eel before
attaining the adult form. The species has no food value, the flesh being dry
and bony. A specimen examined at Beaufort in August, 1901, had in its stom-
ach 6 large shrimp (Peneus).

Family ALBULIDA. The Lady-fishes.

This family includes a single genus and species of rather large-sized marine
fishes, found in the warmer parts of all seas. The moderately long body is but
slightly compressed, the head is large, naked, and marked by prominent lines and
ridges; the snout overlaps the small mouth; the short maxillary has a supple-
mental bone which slips under the broad preorbital bone; the jaws and roof of
mouth have small teeth in bands; the large eye has a circular adipose lid; pseudo-
branchie are present; the gill-rakers are very short and rounded; the branchi-
ostegals are numerous; the gill-membranes are not connected and are free from
the isthmus; a lateral line is present; the pyloric cceca are numerous.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. LIP

Genus ALBULA Scopoli. Lady-fishes.

The generic characters are shown under the family. The young undergo a
peculiar metamorphosis; at first they are long, flat, ribbon-shaped, transparent,
small-headed creatures, with little resemblance to the adult form; they then
diminish in length, become stouter, and take on the shape of the adult. (Albula,
whiting.)

103. ALBULA VULPES (Linneus).
Lady-fish; Bone-fish; Wolf-fish.

Esox vulpes l.innzus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 313, 1758; Bahamas.

Albula conorhynchus, Yarrow, 1877, 215; Beaufort.

Albula vulpes, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 384; Beaufort (after Yarrow). Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 411, pl. Ixviii,
fig. 179,

Diaenosis.—Depth .20 to .25 total length; head contained 3.75 times in length; eye .20
length of head, almost covered with a circular adipose lid; mouth small, horizontal, overhung by
pig-like snout; branchiostegals about 14; preopercle with a broad membranous flap extending
backward over base of opercle; scales in lateral series 71, in transverse series 16 (9 above lateral
line), a band of long membranous scales on middle of back, a large scale in axil of ventrals;
dorsal fin in front of ventrals, of 15 scaly rays; anal fin small, with 8 rays; caudal fin deeply
forked, the upper lobe longer; pectorals and ventrals short. Color: brilliant silvery; greenish
on back; faint streaks along back and sides; fins plain. (vulpes, fox.)

This species is found on the United States coasts as far north as southern
California and Massachusetts. On the North Carolina coast it is only a straggler.
Yarrow reported it at Beaufort on the authority of fishermen, but recent writers
have not recorded it from the state. It attains a lengthof 3 feet, and has some

value as food.
Family HIODONTIDA. The Moon-eyes.

Handsome American fresh-water fishes, with oblong, compressed body cov-
ered with silvery cycloid scales; head short, scaleless; mouth moderate, terminal,
with small teeth on jaws, tongue, vomer, palatines, sphenoid, and pyterygoids;
maxillary small, slender, forming lateral margin of jaw; jaws equal, lower jaw
fitting within upper at sides; eye large, with adipose eyelid; nostrils large, 2
on each side separated by a flap; gill-membranes not united, and free from isth-
mus; branchiostegals 8 to 10; pseudobranchie rudimentary; gill-rakers few,
short; air-bladder large; one pyloric ccecum; lateral line straight; dorsal fin short,
posterior; anal long and low; caudal strongly forked. One genus.

Genus HIODON LeSueur. Moon-eyes, or Toothed Herrings.

There are 3 species of this genus, inhabiting the Great Lakes, Mississippi
basin, and Canada. They are dazzling silvery in color, and are excellent game
fishes, but are of little value as food, being dry and bony. Only one species is
found within the limits of the State. (Hzodon, toothed hyoid.)

118 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

104. HIODON SELENOPS Jordan & Bean.
Moon-eye.
Hiodon selenops Jordan & Bean, Bulletin U. 8S. National Museum, x, 67, 1877; Chattanooga, Tenn. Jordan
& Evermann, 1896, 414, pl. lxviii, fig. 181.

DiaGcnosis.—Body rather long, back slightly elevated, belly not keeled, depth .25 total
length; head a little shorter than depth; eye .4 length of head; scales in lateral series 50; dorsal
rays 12; anal rays 27; pectorals not extending as far as ventrals. Color: silvery. (selenops,
moon-eyed.)

y

Fig. 38. Moon-ryE. WHiodon selenops.

This species, which is known from Tennessee, Cumberland, and Alabama
rivers, was only recently detected in North Carolina, a specimen having been
forwarded to the National Museum in 1902 that had been taken at Bowman’s
Bluff, on the French Broad in Henderson County. Length 1 foot.

Family DOROSOMIDA. The Gizzard Shads.

This family is very closely related to the Clupeide. The most evident char-
acters are a strongly-compressed, short, deep body; small, short head, with
small inferior mouth; numerous slender gill-rakers; no lateral line; thin, decidu-
ous cycloid scales; very long, low anal fin; and a rounded, muscular stomach.
Fishes of coasts, rivers, and lakes, with little food value. Two American genera.

Genus DOROSOMA Rafinesque. Gizzard Shads; Mud Shads.

Medium-sized fishes, having in addition to the family characters noted
above a thread-like prolongation of the last ray of the dorsal fin. One United
States species. (Dorosoma, lance-bodied.)

105. DOROSOMA CEPEDIANUM (LeSueur).

“Gizzard Shad’’; ‘‘Mud Shad’’; ‘‘Nanny Shad’’; ‘‘Nancy Shad’’; ‘‘Shiner’’;
“Winter Shad’’; Hickory Shad.

Megalops cepediana LeSueur, Journal Academy Natural Sciences Philadelphia, i, 361, 1818; Delaware and
Chesapeake bays.

Dorosoma cepedianum, Smith, 1893a, 191, 195, 199; Pasquotank and Roanoke rivers, and Edenton Bay. Jor-
dan & Evermann, 1896, 416, pl. lxix, fig. 183.

Dracnosis.—Body rather short, deep, greatly compressed, the back elevated, the ventral
edge sharp, depth contained 2.5 times in total length; head rather less, than .25 total length;

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 119

eye. 25 length of head, longer than snout; lower jaw included; scales in longitudinal series 56 to
65, in transverse series about 20; dorsal rays 10 to 12, the last ray about as long as head; anal
rays 31; caudal forked, the lower lobe longer. Color: above bluish, sides silvery; North Carolina
specimens often have dorsal and caudal fins uniformly dusky, and pectoral, ventral, and anal
fins with dark edges; living fish are sometimes blackish-green all over. (Named after a cele-
brated French naturalist, Count Lacépéde, whose Natural History of Fishes contains descrip-
tions of many American species.)

This fish is found in brackish and fresh waters of the Atlantic coast from
Massachusetts to Mexico, and is also a permanent resident throughout the
Mississippi Valley and in several of the Great Lakes. While present in the
larger coastal waters of North Carolina throughout the year, there is a special
movement from salt water to the rivers in spring, and it is abundant in the
sounds and streams at the time of the shad run. The young, 3 to 6 inches long,
are also extremely numerous in spring; they are marked by a lustrous purple
shoulder spot.

The local names are “gizzard shad,” “mud shad”, “nanny shad”’, ‘nancy
shad”’, and “‘shiner’’, the one in most general use being “nanny shad”’.

Fig. 39. Gizzarp SHap; Mup Swap. Dorosoma cepedianum.

The average weight is 1.5 to 2 pounds. The spawning season is summer.
The stomach is a hard, rounded, muscular mass, like the gizzard of a chicken;
and the food is chiefly bottom mud.

The gizzard shad has very little food value, the flesh being of poor quality
and filled with numerous small bones. It is, however, sometimes consumed
locally and also shipped to market, especially in winter.

Family CLUPEIDA. The Herrings, Sardines, Shads, and Alewives.

This, the most important family of fishes, contains several hundred species,
found in all parts of the world, in both fresh and salt water; one species, the sea
herring (Clupea harengus), having a greater value than any other fish, the annual
product amounting to about $25,000,000. Most of the species occur in schools,

120 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

often of immense size. The clupeids are characterized by feeble jaws, inconspic-
uous or absent teeth, long, slender gill-rakers, no lateral line, forked tail, and
mostly silvery color. The North Carolina representatives of the family are 7*
in number and belong to 5 genera which may be distinguished as follows:

Key to the North Carolina genera of Clupeide.

i. Seales not closely imbricated, their posterior edge rounded; intestine of moderate length.
a. Last ray of dorsal fin short.
b. Seales (scutes) on medium line of abdomen weak; teeth on vomer........ CLUPEA.
bb. Scales on median line of abdomen strong; no teeth on vomer.
c. Tip of upper jaw not notched for tip of lower jaw; cheeks longer than deep.

POMOLOBUS.

ce. Tip of upper jaw notched to receive tip of lower jaw; cheeks deeper than long.
ALOSA.
aa. ‘Last ray of dorsal fin greatly elongated. 9.5.5. sc nen ee eee oa OPISTHONEMA.
ii. Seales closely imbricated, their posterior edge vertical or fluted; intestine long; head large,
back: broad and: rounded): «7 a522% (cc sans ee ree Ce BREVOORTIA.

Genus CLUPEA Linnzus. Herrings.

Body long, compressed, with median line of abdomen armed with hard
scales or scutes; supplementary bone on maxillary broad; a permanent patch
of teeth on vomer. ‘Two American marine species, one on the Pacific and one on
the Atlantic coast. (Clupea, herring.)

106. CLUPEA HARENGUS Linneus.
Sea Herring.

Clupea harengus, Linneus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 1758, 317; European seas. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 421,
pl. lxx. fig. 185; ‘‘chiefly north of Cape Hatteras’’.

Diaanosis.—Form elongate, compressed, the ventral edge sharp, depth contained 4.5
times in total length; length of head equals depth of body; eye .25 length of head, longer than
snout; maxilla extending to middle of orbit; lower jaw projecting; minute teeth on vomer and
tongue, and often on palatines and jaws; gill-rakers long, thin, about 40 on lower arm of first
gill-arch; scales in lateral series 55 to 60, in transverse series 14; scutes on median line of abdo-
men anterior and posterior to ventral fins; dorsal rays 18; anal rays 17. Color: back rich blue,
opercles yellow, sides silvery. (harengus, herring.)

This most abundant and most valuable of all fishes inhabits the North
Atlantic Ocean, on the shores of America and Europe. In America it is especi-
ally numerous from Cape Cod to Newfoundland. It extends its range to the
coast of Maryland and Virginia, where it is perhaps to be found every winter;
and it doubtless goes as far as Cape Hatteras, although definite North Carolina
records are lacking. The average size is that of an alewife, although a length of
16 or 18 inches is attained. It isa valuable food fish in fresh, salted, smoked, or
canned condition, and one of the best bait fishes for use in the line fisheries for
cod, haddock, etc. In Maine the young are canned under the name of sardines.

Genus POMOLOBUS Rafinesque. Alewives, or River Herrings.

Anadromous or fresh-water herrings, scarcely separable generically from
the sea herrings; body long and compressed, the ventral scutes strong and sharp,

*Several other species may be looked for on the North Carolina coast; among these are the round herring
(Etrumeus teres) and the Spanish sardine (Clupanodon pseudohispanica).

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 1A

gill-rakers long and numerous, teeth weak, cheeks longer than deep, an adipose
eyelid, dorsal fin short and placed midway between tail and snout, scales
cycloid, deciduous. Three of the four American species are found in North
Carolina and may be distinguished as follows:

i. Membrane lining abdominal cavity pale.

mplcadmonge (eo boLalleneth size MALOC! i. ets ve as wee ad das as oa ec ene cece mediocris.
aa. Head shorter (a little over .2 total length); size small ................ pseudoharengus.
ree Membrane. lining) abdominal cavity DIACKs..6.0 6. ee ee in ce tee lee ve tee estivalis.

(Pomolobus, lobed opercle.)

107. POMOLOBUS MEDIOORIS (Mitchill).

“Hickory Shad’; ‘‘Hick’’; ‘Jack’”’; ‘“‘Skip-jack’’; Tailor Herring; Tailor Shad;
Fall Herring; Mattowacca; Fall Shad; Fresh-water Tailor.

Clupea mediocris Mitchill, Transactions Literary and Philosophical Society New York, i, 1815, 450; New York-
Smith, 1893a, 195, 199; Roanoke River and Edenton Bay.

Pomolobus mediocris, Yarrow, 1877, 215; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 385; Beaufort (after Yarrow).
Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 425, pl. Ixxi, fig. 188.

Dracnosis.—Form elliptical, compressed, greatest depth contained 3.5 to 3.75 times in
total length; head long and sharp, .25 total length, its superior profile straight and little elevated;
lower jaw much longer than upper; eye somewhat less than .25 length of head and shorter than
snout; scales in lateral series 50; fins small; dorsal origin anterior to middle of body; dorsal
rays 15; anal rays 21. Color: back bluish silvery, sides with faint lengthwise lines; a longitudi-
nal line of 6 to 8 brown spots posterior to head. (mediocris, mediocre, in allusion to its food
value.)

SSS

Fig. 40. Hickory Ssap. Pomolobus mediocris.

The hickory shad ranges along the east coast from Massachusetts to Florida,
often occurring in abundance at the extremes of itsrange. The region of greatest
abundance is Chesapeake Bay. ‘The species is common in the coast waters and
rivers of North Carolina, coming in from the ocean in late winter or early spring,
and ascending streams to spawn, going to the headwaters in company with the
branch herring. It is usually present in large numbers in Pamlico and other
salt-water sounds in winter, and the nets then in operation take many thousands.

It is known among the fishermen as “hickory shad” (sometimes shortened
to “hick”), “jack”, and ‘“‘skip-jack”’.

22, FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

The maximum length attained is 2 feet, and the maximum weight 5 pounds;
but such large fish are now very rare, and the average weight is under 3 pounds.

The species is much inferior to the common shad, but nevertheless is often
marketed at a fair price, sometimes being sold to the unsophisticated as a genuine
shad. Dealers report that the larger ones are marketable in the north, where
they are quoted as “jacks” and bring 10 to 20 cents each, sometimes even 25 to
50 cents each. The fish are also much used in the state trade. In 1897 the
quantity marketed was 230,975 pounds, worth $7,583; but by 1902 the state
catch had increased to 684,896 pounds, valued at $33,552.

108. POMOLOBUS PSEUDOHARENGUS (Wilson).

‘‘Alewife’’; ‘‘Goggle-eye’’; ‘‘Big-eyed Herring”; ‘‘Wall-eyed Herring”’;
Branch Herring.
Clupea pseudoharengus Wilson, Rees’s Cyclopedia, ix, about 1811; probably Philadelphia. Smith, 1893a, 191,
195, 199; Albemarle Sound and tributaries.
Clupea vernalis Mitchill, Report Fishes of New York, 22, 1814; New York.

Pomolobus pseudoharengus, Yarrow, 1877, 215; Beaufort, Neuse River and sounds to northward. Jordan &
Evermann, 1896, 426, pl. lxxi, fig. 189.

D1aGnosis.—Body rather deep, the depth contained about 3 times in total length; head
short, about as deep as long, contained 4.66 to 5 times in total length; lower jaw slightly longer;
maxilla extending to pupil; tip of upper jaw with a slight concavity; eye large, longer than snout, ,
contained 3.5 times in length of head; gill-rakers long, 30 to 40 on lower limb of first arch;
scales 50 to 54 in lateral series; dorsal fin usually rather higher than long, its height about .5
depth of body; dorsal rays 16; analrays17to19. Color: bluish on back, silvery white on sides;
dusky longitudinal lines along center of scales; a small black spot behind head; fins plain;
peritoneum pale. (pseudoharengus, false herring.)

<>

)

Fig. 41. BrancH HERRING; GOGGLE-EYE. Pomolobus pseudoharengus.

The branch herring is found from North Carolina northward along the entire
coast; if it exists at all in the rivers of South Carolina and Georgia it is very rare,
and extensive collections of fishes in the St. Johns River, in Florida, have
failed to disclose its presence. It is extremely abundant in Albemarle Sound,
Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, New York Bay, and their tributaries, and in the
rivers, ponds, and bays of New England.

PLATE 3

N. C. GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY

|

SD 0 NSOH ¥

JIWW (SNONSYVHOGNASd SNEOIOWOd) 3AS-319D09 !ONINYSH HONVYS

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 23,

The annual migration of alewives from the sea to the rivers is for the purpose
of spawning. The time of their arrival in a given place is quite regular from
season to season. The branch alewife usually precedes the other species by
three or four weeks, and also arrives in numbers before the first run of shad. The
Albemarle Sound fishermen refer to the ‘“goggle-eye” as the forerunner of the
“herring’’.

This species ascends the small streams to spawn, often pushing its way far
to the headwaters of brooks and branches only a few feet wide and not more than
6 inches deep. After spawning very little is known of the fish; it is probable,
however, that they gradually drop back to the bays and to salt water, and on the
advent of cold weather withdraw from the shore waters and occupy an ocean
area off the fresh water in which they spawn, but nothing is definitely known of
the winter abode of the fish.

The alewives are very prolific. In Potomac River, 644 female branch her-
ring yielded 66,206 ,000 eggs, an average of 102,800 per fish; and probably 106,000
eggs may be taken as a fair average for the species. The eggs are .05 inch in
diameter, and are very glutinous when first laid, adhering to brush, ropes, stones,
piling, and other objects. The hatching period is 6 days, in a mean water tem-
perature of 60°F. The fryare very active, grow quickly, and by fall have reached
a length of 2 to 3 inches; they feed on the fry of shad and alewives, mosquito
larve, minute crustaceans, etc. As cold weather comes on they drop down
stream, and pass the winter in salt water. The species attains its full size in 3
or 4 years, and then returns to spawn. ‘The size of the mature alewives is quite
uniform, averaging .4 of a pound. Examples weighing over half a pound are
not common.

The alewives are the most abundant food fishes inhabiting the rivers of the
eastern coast of the United States, and, next to the shad, are commercially the
most valuable fish of those waters. Their abundance and cheapness make them
of almost incalculable importance in many sections, and the annual catch in 14
states is 150 million fish, sold for food and bait, besides considerable quantities
given away, used for home consumption, or put on the land as fertilizer.

North Carolina is the leading alewife state and for many years caught more
of these fish than any other two states. Of late, however, Maryland has had a
somewhat larger catch. Following are the statistics of the yield of both species
of alewives in North Carolina for a term of years:

| PouNDS , AVERAGE PRICE

aE (pResH AND SALTED). VALUE. PER POUND.
Mer rh Sateen ts Pen con yaee bes | 15,520,000 $142,784 $0.0092
“39 Gad UA Oe ee | 20,463,340 161,673 0079
ene: Or sierre hoe PsA Ne, Ae, 16,481,063 164,636 0099
SUED ee gee Ee eG ee | 14,355,920 115,945 0080
MVPs Wes Wig Od We Sud | 15,790,437 127,055 0080
LTS, ic Sa Deeg age a ge es | 11,172,975 116,212 0104

Per eae SE Ae) | 10,492,000 | 124,408 0118

124 ; FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

The leading fishing ground is Albemarle Sound and its tributaries, where
millions of alewives are caught annually in seines, pound nets, and gill nets.
More than half a million fish have here been taken at one haul of a seine, and
hauls of 100,000 to 250,000 are not rare. Other important waters for alewives
are Croatan and Pamlico sounds, and Neuse River. Many of the fish are sold
fresh, but the principal trade is in salted fish, which are put up in various ways
in barrels holding 200 pounds. There is little difference in the food value of the
two species, but the branch herring is reputed to be somewhat better.

109. POMOLOBUS ASTIVALIS (Mitchill).*
‘Herring’; ‘School Herring’’; ‘‘Blueback’’; ‘‘May Herring’’; ‘“‘Glut Herring’’.

Clupea estivalis Mitchill, Transactions Literary and Philosopical Society of New York, i, 1815, 456; New York.
Smith 1893a, 191, 195, 199; Albemarle Sound and tributaries.

Alosa cyanonoton Storer, Proceedings Boston Society of Natural History, ii, 242, 1848; Provincetown, Massa-~
chusetts.

Pomolobus estivalis, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 426 pl. lxxi, fig. 190.

Draqnosis.—Similar to P. pseudoharengus, but with longer body (the depth contained 3.5
times in total length), somewhat shorter head, smaller eye (.25 length of head), less elevated
dorsal fin, and black peritoneum. Color: back bluish, opercles and sides with coppery luster,
below silvery; about 5 narrow dark lengthwise streaks along the upper rows of scales. (esti-
valis, of the summer.)

Fig. 42. Guiur Herrine. Pomolobus estivalis.

The glut herring is found from St. Johns River, Florida, along the entire
coast of the United States and also in the British maritime provinces. The
great centers of abundance are Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound.

The habits, size, etc., of this species are similar to those of the branch her-
ring, and the remarks regarding the latter apply in general to this fish. The glut
herring, however, comes later than the branch herring, usually appearing sud-
denly, in enormous schools, about the middle of the shad season; and it does not
as a rule ascend the streams far above tide water. It spawns a shorter distance
from the sea than does the branch herring, the number of eggs, spawning habits,
movements and growth of young, etc., being the same in the two species.

*This fish has been called estivalis by recent authors, in the belief that Mitchill’s name applied to it.

It is probable, however, as Dr. T. H. Bean has shown (Catalogue of the Fishes of New York, 1903), that
the fish so designated by Mitchill was the hickory shad.

\. C. GEOLOGICAL AND

ECONOMIC SURVEY

PLATE 4

A.HOEN ACO

BLUE-BACK (POMOLOBUS AESTIVALIS)

; MAY HERRING;

GLUT HERRING

—

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 125

In April, 1892, numerous young glut herring, only 1.5 inches long, were
found in Pasquotank River; they were apparently 3 months old, and their pres-
ence at that season is somewhat difficult to account for. The adults had only
just begun to run, and no spawning fish had as yet been observed in the river.

In the Albemarle region this fish is always distinguished by the fishermen,
and is known under various names, such as “‘herring”’, ‘‘glut herring”’, ‘‘school
herring”’, ‘‘blueback”’, and ‘May herring’. Features by which the two species
of alewives may be readily separated are the color of the lining (peritoneum) of
the abdominal cavity (pale in branch herring, black in glut herring), size of eye
(larger in branch herring), and height of vertical fins (more elevated in branch
herring).

Genus ALOSA Cuvier. Shads.

Anadromous clupeids of comparatively large size; body deep and much
compressed; cheeks deeper than long, jaws toothless in adults, upper jaw
indented at tip to receive the tip of lower jaw. Three American species, two of
which inhabit rivers tributary to Gulf of Mexico and one the streams of the
Atlantic coast. (Alosa, from the Saxon allis, the European shad.)

110. ALOSA SAPIDISSIMA (Wilson).
“Shad”; ‘‘White Shad’”’.
Clupea sapidissima Wilson, Rees’ Cyclopedia, ix, about 1811; probably Philadelphia. Smith, 1893a, 191, 195
199; Albemarle Sound and tributaries.
Alosa prestabilis, Yarrow, 1874, 452; Beaufort Harbor.

Alosa sapidissima, Yarrow, 1877, 215; Beaufort Harbor and Neuse River. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 429,
pl. bxxii, fig 191.

Draenosis.—Depth of body about .33 total length, the female being deeper than the
male; head .23 to .29 total length; mouth large, jaws equal, teeth on jaws in young examples
and sometimes in those over a foot long; eye .20 to .25 length of head; gill-rakers long and
numerous, their number depending on size of fish, about 100 to 110 on the two arms of the first
arch in full-sized examples; scales deciduous, in lateral series 60 to 65, in transverse series 16;
fins small, vertical fins higher in male; dorsal rays 13 (+ 3 or 4 simple rays); anal rays 19 (+
several simple rays). Color: dark green on back, silvery on sides, white below; a dusky
blotch on side of body near head, and behind this several or numerous dark spots in one or
two rows, these spots most distinct when scales are removed; fins plain. (sapidissima, most
palatable.)

The range of the shad is from Florida to Gulf of St. Lawrence. Throughout
this long stretch of seaboard, it ascends all suitable streams. The species has
also been introduced on the Pacific coast, and is now distributed from California
to Alaska, being abundant in the San Francisco Bay region and Columbia River.
The shad is the most valuable of all the anadromous fishes of the Atlantic coast
and supports commercial fishing in every state, In North Carolina the shad is
numerous in nearly all the sounds and rivers, Pamlico and Albemarle sounds and
the rivers which discharge into them and the bodies of water connecting these
sounds having especially large runs.

The name “shad” is distinctive and is generally used in North Carolina as in
the country at large; but owing to the fact that in this state the menhaden is

126 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

ealled ‘‘shad”’ by some fishermen, the shad has in some localities acquired the
unneccessary name of ‘‘white shad’’. The wide difference in market value of
the sexes has resulted in their being kept as distinct in the fishing records as if
they were entirely different species; and the males are always called “bucks”
and the females ‘‘roes’’.. Under the name “‘ May shad”’ the fishermen of North
Carolina recognize a shad which comes after the regular run, mostly in May, and
is distinguished by its greater fatness, relatively deeper body, and thicker caudal
peduncle, as compared with the ordinary fish, and, in addition, by its rich golden
or brassy color. Dr. W. R. Capehart states that the names ‘‘short-tailed shad”
and ‘‘golden-backed shad” also are sometimes applied to this form.

The female shad is larger than the male, the average difference being upward
ofapound. The average weight of males is about 3 pounds and of females about
4.75 pounds. In the early years of the shad fishery, examples weighing 11, 12,
and even 14 pounds were reported; but of late shad weighing more than 9
13.5 pounds have been very rare. There are certain seasons, however, when large

SUCGACAASUNAN A
SO RIND
Le

) ST Rete: mee
PONT

AVP HRHNUCCECUUUURRE RACAL
ae NO

Fig. 483. SHap. Alosa sapidissima.

shad (7 to 9 pounds) are unusually numerous in some streams. One weighing
13.5 pounds was caught in a gill net in Roanoke Sound in 1899. On the Pacific
coast, the shad averages at least a pound heavier than on the Atlantic coast, and
occasionally attains a weight of 14 (perhaps more) pounds, while 9 to 12 pound
fish have not infrequently been reported.

The shad passes most of its life in the ocean, and practically nothing is
known of its habits before it enters bays and rivers in spring or after it has with
drawn therefrom in fall. The movement of the shad from the ocean to the
fresh waters is exclusively for reproduction purposes, and the time of the migra-
tion bears a close relation to the latitude, or, in other words, to the water tem-
perature. Thus, in St. John’s River, Florida, the southernmost shad stream,
shad appear early in November, while in Miramichi River, New Brunswick, the
run begins late in May, the intervening streams being entered in more or less
regular order. This difference in the time of arrival of the shad in different
sections does not imply that each year a great body of shad starts up the coast
from Florida and sends detachments into the various streams as the main body

N. C. GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY PEAT ES6

A HOEN &CO

SHAD (ALOSA SAPIDISSIMA)

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 27

continues its journey northward. This theory was at one time generally enter-
tained and is still cherished by some people, although there are no facts to sus-
tain it. Another theory which has had and still has many adherents is the so-
called “instinct of nativity”, by virtue of which an individual shad or other
migratory fish, when mature, makes its way back to the particular stream in
which it was hatched.

The facts seem to be that bodies of shad which are destined to enter a partic-
ular stream or hydrographic basin (such as Chesapeake Bay or the North Caro-
lina sounds) occupy sea areas off these waters, and that when the fish reach matur-
ity and are impelled by the spawning instinct to seek fresh water, they move
inshore and pass up to their spawning grounds when the temperature of the water
becomes favorable. In this way fish may and doubtless often do return to the
stream in which they were hatched, but they are just as likely to enter adjacent
streams. Thus, shad which were hatched in Roanoke River and went to sea
during their first year, when they return to North Carolina waters and pass into
Hatteras Inlet, might ascend Pamlico River, or, entering Albemarle Sound,
might go up the Pasquotank or the Chowan. To claim anything else for the
shad would be to ascribe to fish a higher order of intelligence than is possessed by
any other class of animals.

Successive schools of shad arrive in a given stream during a period of several
months, resulting in a rise and fall in the catch. The fish in the early runs
are largely males, 90 per cent of some schools consisting of males, while later in
the season males are often scarce. Shad may spawn anywhere in fresh water,
but they prefer areas in rivers off the mouths of creeks or in sounds off the
mouths of rivers, where the warmer water of the stream mingles with the cooler
water below. While the eggs may be cast at any hour of the day or night, the
largest percentage are deposited about the time the water on the spawning
grounds reaches its highest daily temperature. This occurs about sunset, and it
has been found that the bulk of the eggs are extruded between 5 and 10 p.m.
The eggs are shot loosely in the water and quickly fall to the bottom, many
escaping fertilization, many being killed by mud, and many being devoured by
eels and other fishes. The average number of eggs produced by the shad is
25,000 to 30,000, although over 100,000 eggs (in one case 156,000) have been
taken from large fish. The hatching period varies with the water temper-
ature, but ordinarily is 6 to 10 days; when the water is very warm, the eggs may
hatch in 3 days, but so short an incubatory period is likely to result in weak fry.

The newly-hatched shad are a little less than .4 inch long; they are very
active from the outset, and feed freely and grow rapidly, so that their size doubles
in 10 days, and by fall, when they leave the fresh waters, they are 3 to 7 inches
long. Under especially favorable conditions, they may attain a length of 9
inches in 7 months.

Some years there is a small run of shad in fall, which naturally excites consid-
erable interest. Thus in 1904 a full-grown shad was caught in North River,
October 31, and another in Neuse River on the same date (described as “a fine

128 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.
buck” in the New Bern Journal of November 2); a third was taken in Beaufort
Harbor November 2, and another, a female weighing 3.5 pounds, was seined on
Bird Shoal at Beaufort November 3. Many more were doubtless taken at that
time. Whether such fish have remained in the inshore water since spring or
whether they represent a fresh run from the ocean is not known.

The shad is the leading fish in North Carolina, its annual value being as much
as that of the two next important species combined. Extensive fishing is prose-
cuted in Cape Fear, Neuse, Pamlico, Roanoke, Chowan, Pasquotank, and Per-
quimans rivers, but the principal operations are in Pamlico and Albemarle
sounds and the waters connecting them. Dare County has by far the most
valuable fisheries, but in Tyrrell, Chowan, Washington, Bertie, and several other
counties the industry is also very important. The fluctuations in the shad yield
of the state for a series of years, beginning 1880, are here shown:

Quantity and value of the North Carolina shad catch between 1880 and 1904.

YEAR. Pounps. VALUE.
ESBO Ca deus SA ee eee eee 3,221,263 $329,569
TESST os 5 RCT a the ea 4,746,226 298,069
ji: San MP MEP Mae RAE Kc iia cree Mate 5,630,709 292,409
ESS O ps Bsicia cee bua dns bie Oz NORGE a ome ROSES Oe eee ene 5,356,386 280,198
[S901 Sc eae ae ee ee eel 5,768,413 306,015
i” aa, OE MN nS ee ieee eek hs 8,842,708 417,243
DSO Pee raped Mas aS ee ar hee a ONT NPR ny A etek a 8,963,488 362,811
i Dy UI Drei MRNE Se Cent oP bli YAN 6,566,724 384,808
110 0 Sear Aare Aida eae ROA EE ret Arete od a cs ng ah i Ge TD Ss, 3,229,759 312,950

The leading kinds of apparatus used in taking shad are seines, pound nets,
stake nets, and drift nets. The seines are especially important in Albemarle
Sound, Neuse, Roanoke and Chowan rivers; the pound nets in Albemarle Sound
and tributaries and about Roanoke Island; the stake nets in Pamlico and Albe-
marle sounds; the drifts nets in Cape Fear River. In most of the rivers a peculiar
form of dip net known as the bow net is used. In the interesting table here pre-
sented, the relative importance of the different kinds of apparatus in various
years is known. A suggestive feature of the table is the decline of the seine
and the increase of the pound net.

Shad catch of North Carolina, by apparatus, for a term of years.

1887. 1889. 1890.
APPARATUS.
PouNDs. VALUE. POUNDS. VALUE. POUNDS. VALUE.

Geinests 55 cise ee 1,677,112 | $100,921 | 1,618,798 $81,580 | 1,844,729 $98,457
Gillies ee ae 2,562,381 166,224 | 3,179,821 167,470 | 3,348,577 175,388
Pound nets-.’.. 2. =. 404,883 25,078 385,517 21,648 404,359 22,513
Other nets ......... 101,850 5,846 | 172,250 9,500 | 170,748 9,657

Hintaliers he ste o 4,746,226 | $298,069 | 5,356,386 | $280,198 | 5,768,413 | $306,015

N. C. GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY PLATE 6

LANDING A SHAD SEINE, ALBEMARLE SOUND.

-

fis t
,

SPLITTING AND SALTING HERRING AT A SEINE FISHERY ON ALBEMARLE SOUND.

s SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 129

Shad catch of North Carolina, by apparatus, for a term of years.—Continued.

1897. | 1902. 1904.
APPARATUS. MEAs sik aa ==
Pounps. | VaLuE. | Pounps. VaLuE. | Pounps. | VALUE.
SOIM ES karaeicecstenc in oe ae 1,507,242 $60,235 | 996,181 $59,605 345,046 $30,810
Gillnets:2 2%... 25. 4,916,952 | 205,079 | 3,660,410 218,860 | 1,147,268 104,010
iRoundnets: «2:5 - - =. - 2,328,585 | 88,293 | 1,701,609 | 93,185 | 1,647,897 168,449
Wthermetss-4.-.. . 210,709 | 9,204 | 208,524 13,158 89,548 9,681
AKG) iil he Soa eee ee 8,963,488 | $362,811 | 6,566,724 | $384,808 | 3,229,759 $312,950

The proportion of male and female shad varies considerably with the season;
some years the sexes are about equally divided, while in other years two thirds of
the catch may consist of one or the other. The following figures pertain to the
North Carolina shad fishery in 1896:

ITeMs. | Ror SHApD. Buck SHAD.

aREIUICT: O PINE CAME NG haere co ciiic. 24 se aid siete ate oe os 6 weve ee & 942,843 1,153,961
IRELCEMbAC eect ilar. ga teens ree Aeselsrs sti Sate te Sew S| 45 9)

UW SP TINE saolas Bren cg 1 eecn ee Se ORE ree eee ee Ibs. 4,804,508 4,038,200
TRSTRC AAV sia Acore Wo-Ciibic Ruticia Clie ETO iets COO OIee 54 46
“SORTS ole EUROS ni hbk a aa oe ae $246,676 $170,567
HZORCOMUAD Cates erent said astro racer a stvetelciat Sseauguel evs) spexefarat ris | 59 41
PER ACW OLE etre eae ictal ss talaisal Ni eici'gin P Stcrn ole eee oss Ibs. 5.09 3.49
Pera re Vales pEn Isl cy trA col tie snis asta ne a's Sew oiee e's ; $.261 $.147
PUPEATEIUALUE PEL POUNC fs ood a.c betes ees als ele wieie si eh ors $.051 $.042

The shad fishery of North Carolina steadily increased until a few years ago
and at one time exceeded that of any other state. The climax was reached in
1896 and 1897; other years of maximum production were 1900 to 1902. Owing,
however, to excessive fishing a decline has set in and the welfare of the fishery has
become seriously threatened. The principal cause of the decrease has been the
catching of disproportionately large quantities of fish in or near salt water, with a
resulting diminution in the supply of fish on the spawning grounds. This matter
received special attention at the hands of the legislature in 1904, and a law
designed to afford greater protection to the shad was enacted and became effec-
tive in 1905.

Genus OPISTHONEMA Gill. Thread Herrings.

Small sea clupeids, chiefly distinguished by the elongated posterior dorsal
ray; deep compressed body; long and numerous gill-rakers; no teeth in Jaws;
adherent scales; and strong scutes on median line of abdomen. (Opisthonema,

thread-back.)
111. OPISTHONEMA OGLINUM (LeSueur).

‘“‘Hairy-back’’; Thread Herring.

Megalops oglina LeSueur, Journal Academy Natural Sciences Philadelphia, i, 1817, 359; Newport, Rhode Island.
Opisthonema thrissa, Yarrow, 1877, 215; Beaufort Harbor. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 385; Beaufort Harbor.
Opisthonema oglinum, Jenkins, 1887, 85; Cape Lookout. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 432.

Dragnosts.—Form oblong, compressed, body depth .33 total length; head short, deep, its
length .25 total length; lower jaw slightly projecting, upper jaw extending as far as middle of

130 ‘FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

eye; jaws without teeth, small teeth on tongue; eye large, longer than snout, about .33 length of
head; gill-rakers long and slender; scales in lateral series 50, in transverse series 15, ventral
scutes strong; dorsal fin long, its origin in advance of ventrals and midway between snout and
anal fin, the rays 19, the last ray extending to base of caudal; anal rays 24; paired fins small.
Color: bluish above, silvery below; a dark spot at base of each scale on back, the spots formirg
longitudinal streaks; a bluish spot on shoulder; tip of anterior part of dorsal black in adult,
dark in young. (oglinwm, perhaps from ogle, in allusion to the prominent eyes.)

The thread herring is a regular visitant from the West Indies to the South
Atlantic coast, and occasionally goes as far north as Massachusetts. In the
Beaufort region it is usually not very abundant, but some seasons it occurs in
considerable numbers. In August and September the young, 3 to 4 inches long,
are sometimes very numerous in Beaufort Harbor; in 1902 many hundreds were
seined about Bird Shoal and Town Marsh, but in the following year only a few
were taken. In 1905, more than 75 were caught in the laboratory pound-net
between July 18 and August 28, some being found in the net at nearly every
haul. The fish reaches a length of a foot, and has little food value. It is caught
incidentally with menhaden about Beaufort and is utilized at the fertilizer
factories. The local name is “hairy-back”’.

Genus BREVOORTIA Gill. Menhadens.

Sea fishes of the western Atlantic, swimming in large schools. Head large,
body short, compressed, tapering from head to tail; mouth large, lower Jaw
included, teeth absent; gill-rakers long, thin, and numerous; scales closely over-
lapping, their posterior margin not convex; fins small; intestine long, the stom-
ach an olive-shaped gizzard-like organ. Several species and varieties, found
from Canada to Patagonia; the principal species abundant on Atlantic coast of
the United States. (Named for James C. Brevoort, an American ichthyologist.)

112. BREVOORTIA TYRANNUS (Latrobe).

“Menhaden”; ‘“‘Bug-fish’’; ‘‘Fat-back’’; ‘‘Shad’’; ‘‘Old-wife’’; ‘‘Alewife’’;
“Yellow-tail’’.

Clupea tyrannus Latrobe, Transactions American Philosophicai Society, v, 1802, 77, pl. i; Chesapeake Bay.

Brevoortia menhaden, Yarrow, 1877, 215; Beaufort.

Brevoortia tyrannus, Goode, History of the American Menhaden (in Report U. 8. Fish Commission 1877), 1879,
6. Jenkins, 1887, 86; Beaufort. Smith, 1893a, 191, 195; Pasquotank River and Edenton Bay. Jordan
& Evermann, 1896, 433, pl. lxxiii, fig. 195. Linton, 1905, 352; Beaufort.

DiaGNosis.—Body short, compressed especially below, back broad, depth .33 total
length; head large, deep, less than .33 length of body; mouth large, weak, maxillary reaching
beyond posterior border of eye; gill-rakers much longer than eye; scales irregularly arranged,
their posterior edge vertical and fluted, number in lateral series 60 to 80; ventral plates 20
before vent, 12 behind; fins low, height of dorsal less than length of maxillary, height of anal
less than half length of maxillary; dorsal rays 19; anal rays 20; caudal widely forked; ventrals
very short, with a large axillary scale. Color: back greenish or bluish, sides brassy; a round
black humeral spot, with a variable number of smaller black spots behind it; fins yellowish.
(tyrannus, tyrant or ruler.)

The menhaden is probably the most abundant economic fish inhabiting the
waters of the eastern coast of the United States, and is one of the most abundant

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. sy!

of all ocean fishes. Its range extends from Maine and Nova Scotia to Florida,
and thence through the West Indies to Brazil. The schools begin to arrive on
our coast from the sea in spring and continue to appear throughout the summer,
departing in fall, although in the extreme south there may be some fish present
throughout the year. On the North Carolina coast large or small schools may be
found from February to December, but the movements are irregular and not
understood by the fishermen.

The full-sized menhaden is 12 to 14 inches long; the largest fish recorded, 18
inches long, was taken at Woods Hole, Mass. Fish of all sizes are found along
the entire coast. The small fish, 1.5 to 5 inches long, are abundant through-
out the season in harbors, rivers, bays, sounds, etc., swimming in serpentine
schools and furnishing food for numerous other fishes.

In North Carolina, as in most other states, the menhaden is known by many
aliases, some of which are very inappropriate, as will be seen from the foregoing
list. To apply the name ‘‘shad”’ to this species, as is here done, is unfortunate,

Fig. 44. MennyapEen. Brevoortia tyrannus.

and has led to the calling of the shad by the name of ‘white shad”. It may
be noted, as a matter of historic interest, that Lawson (1709) refers to this fish
as “fat-back’’, a name still in general use in the state.

The menhaden feeds on minute floating plants and animals, which are
taken into the gaping mouth while the fish is actively swimming. The well
known whirling movements of the schools of both large and small fish are doubt-
less performed to facilitate feeding when the presence of an abundance of food
has been determined. The mouth, with its numerous highly specialized gill-
rakers, is admirably adapted for obtaining from the water the tiny organisms
which swarm in the bays, sounds, estuaries, and inlets.

As is usually the case with fishes whose coastwise range is extensive, the
spawning period of the menhaden is protracted. In New England spawning
takes place in late spring or early summer, while from Chesapeake Bay south-
ward the season is late fall or early winter. In the Beaufort region there is evi-
dence that the eggs are deposited in November both in the open ocean and in the
inside waters. Mr. 8. G. Worth has supplied the following notes on the spawn-
ing and young of the menhaden at Beaufort:

132 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Mr. Charles P. Dey, a Beaufort menhaden manufacturer of intelligence and large experience,
asserts positively that this species deposits its eggs in November in the ocean a few miles dis-
tant from the inlet. Mr. Bell, of Beaufort, also a fish-scrap manufacturer of intelligence and
wide experience, maintains that a portion of the spawning is done in Newport and other inside
rivers, as some of the large fish are annually taken in those waters in November and December.
On November 7, 1903, Mr. Worth secured a menhaden in full roe, and on November 18 he
found two males from which the milt was running freely. On December 2 schools of menhaden
from 1.5 inches long upward commenced running southward along the coast and were obsery-
able from Shackleford Bank; the run increased for 4 days and continued for a week, most of the
schools remaining outside but some entering the harbor. Mr. Joseph Lewis, proprietor of
the Mullet Pond fishery on Shackleford Bank, states that schools of young menhaden winter
in that vicinity, and that when the drum comes in February and March the menhaden are
present in great quantities and constitute the principal food of the drum.

There is found in the roof of the mouth of southern menhaden a large crus-
tacean parasite (Cymothoa pregustator), which clings tightly and considerably
diminishes the capacity of the mouth. One of the local vernacular names of the

Fig. 45. Gitt or MENHADEN.
A. First gill-arch, natural size. a. Gill-rakers. m. Branchiz, or gill proper. B. Six gill-
rakers, enlarged 50 times, showing projecting rows of hooks.

menhaden (“bug-fish”’) is given in allusion to this fact. In some schools practi-
cally every fish has a parasite in its mouth. Another conspicuous crustacean
parasite (Lerneonema radiata) is imbedded in the back muscles, the head parts
having the form of a grapple and the long egg-sacs projecting beyond the surface.

The menhaden is one of the most valuable of the North Carolina fishes.
Here as elsewhere it is caught chiefly for conversion into oil and guano, at facto-
ries located in the vicinity of Beaufort and Cape Fear. Fishing is done with
purse and haul seines in the ocean and sounds, and the industry gives employ-
ment to many people. In recent years there have been about 10 such establish-
ments, with upwards of 500 fishermen and shore hands connected therewith.
In 1902, the last year for which statistics are available, 18,862,000 pounds of
menhaden, worth $31,420, were taken by local fishermen, and about 30,000,000
pounds were caught by outside vessels to supply the factories in Brunswick
County.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. iS

The menhaden is not extensively eaten, as its extreme oiliness is an objection;
in fall, however, it is a very palatable fish when freshly caught and fried. Every
year many of the poorer people about Beaufort salt several barrels for winter
use. Recently the fish has begun to figure as a food fish in New England, and
has at times sold fresh in Boston at ten cents apiece. Nearly two centuries ago
Lawson said of this fish in North Carolina:

Fat-backs are a small fish, ike mullets, but the fattest ever known. They put nothing
into the pan, to fry these, They are excellent sweet food.

Family ENGRAULIDA. The Anchovies.

A numerous family of small sea fishes, closely related to the herrings (Clu-
peidze), usually found in schools on sandy shores, and preyed on by many fishes.
The species are for the most part too small to be economically important in the
United States, but are rather extensively utilized in the Old World. The ancho-
vies are readily recognized by their peculiar head. The mouth is very large, the
gape wide, the upper jaw long, pointed, and extending far backward, the lower
jaw weak, inconspicuous, and much shorter than the upper, and the eye large
and placed anteriorly. Other characters are the elongate compressed body,
belly rounded or weakly compressed; teeth small, in a single row in each jaw;
opercles thin, branchiostegals 7 to 14 in number, pseudobranchiz present, gill-
membranes free from isthmus, gill-rakers long and slender; scales thin, cycloid,
no lateral line; a single dorsal fin; caudal fin forked. Of the 6 American genera,
only one is represented on our Atlantic coast.

Genus ANCHOVIA Jordan & Evermann. Anchovies.

Anchovies of this genus are found in warmer waters in all parts of the world,
going in large schools. They have a silvery white color and usually a broad
lateral silvery band. The principal fatures of the genus are the oblong, com-
pressed body; very long maxillary extending far beyond the eye; conical, com-
pressed snout overhanging the oblique mouth; small teeth on jaws and roof of
mouth; branchial membranes nearly or quite separated; dorsal fin small, anterior
to anal; anal fin rather long (rays 12 to 40); and an axillary scale with each pec-
toral and ventral fin. The two species known from North Carolina may be thus
distinguished:

eee eS 20 Meno AeL0OdICMES « «ai. yar-/a, ceux o.c,c.etoree ore oles la iain Fisisel deeiais,olevd #) 0! ore brownti.
Peel Cavs 2 OmtO oO" MeN th 2.5 IMGMES : oy", eec es, sguesles Gales eros Bie ose 6 ace Sie s mitchilli.

113. ANCHOVIA BROWNII (Gmelin).
“Smelt’’; ‘‘Bait’’; Anchovy; Striped Anchovy

Atherina brownii Gmelin, Systema Nature, 1397, 1788; Jamaica

Engraulis brownii, Yarrow. 1877, 215; Beaufort.

Engraulis vittatus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 385; Beaufort.

Stolephorus brownii, Jordan, 1886, 26; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 86; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 443.
Linton, 1905, 353; Beaufort.

Diagnosis.—Body compressed, not elevated, depth contained 4.75 times in length; head
contained 3.75 times in length; snout .2 length of head; maxillary extending nearly to gill-open-

134 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

ing; eye contained 3.5 times in length of head; gill-rakers .66 length of eye; scales in lateral series
40; dorsal rays 15; anal rays 20. Color: back olivaceous, sides and belly silvery; a distinct
lateral silvery band about width of eye. (Named for Patrick Brown, who in 1756 published a
History of Jamaica.) j

This species of anchovy, which occurs in abundance from Massachusetts to
Brazil, is very common in the Beaufort region; it enters the harbor, where nu-
merous specimens have been seined in summer, but the largest schools remain out-
side. On April 23, 1904, the author seined several specimens at Fort Beach and
Bird Shoal. ‘The fish is too small to attract the special notice of the local fisher-
men, who know it only under the indefinite name of ‘“ bait”’; Dr. Yarrow, in his
Beaufort list, reported it as “smelt”. The appearance of schools of ‘‘bait”’ is
welcomed by the fishermen as heralding the approach of Spanish mackerel and
blue-fish, which feed on them extensively.

Anchovies are more important as food for other fishes than as food for man,
and are but little utilized on the Atlantic coast of the United States. In France,
Japan, and other countries, however, they are canned after the manner of sar-
dines and are preserved in various other ways. In North Carolina they exist in
sufficient abundance to support a canning industry, and ought to meet with a
good sale if carefully preserved in oil and put on the market as anchovies.

114. ANCHOVIA MITOHILLI (Cuvier & Valenciennes).
Anchovy.

Engraulis mitchilli Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, xxi, 50, 1848; New York; Carolina;
Lake Pontchartrain, La.
Stolephorus mitchilli, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 446.

DiaGnosis.—Body not very elongate, strongly compressed, depth .25 total length; head
short, blunt, its length contained 3.75 times in total length; snout very short, about equal to
pupil; maxillary extending nearly to gill-opening; eye very large, .33 length of head; scales
thin, deciduous, 37 in lateral series; dorsal rays 12 to 14; anal rays 25 to 28; pectorals reaching
ventrals. Color: silvery with dark dots; a narrow silvery lateral band; fins yellowish. (Named
after Dr. Samuel L. Mitchill, U. S. senator from New York and author of various papers on
American fishes.)

Ranges along the entire Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Texas, occur-
ring in schools on sandy shores and in the bays and sounds. There appears to be
no published North Carolina record of the species, but it is doubtless an abun-
dant form in that state as it is elsewhere throughout its range. A number of
specimens were collected at Morehead City on February 21, 1891, by Dr. W. C.
Kendall, of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries. It rarely exceeds 3 inches in length
and averages less.

Family SALMONIDAS. The Salmons, Trouts, and White-fishes.

A very numerous and important family of fresh-water and anadromous
fishes restricted to the more northern parts of the world. Although well repre-
sented in America, there is only a single native salmonid of North Carolina, the
celebrated brook trout; the rainbow trout, however, has become so successfully
established that it must now be considered among the fishes of the state.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 135

The salmonids are characterized by a more or less elongate body; a terminal
mouth, with the lateral margins of the upper jaw formed by the maxillary bone,
to which is attached a supplemental bone; branchial membranes not connected
and not attached to isthmus; gills 4 in number; gill-rakers of various form and
number; pseudobranchie present; branchiostegals numerous; a single dorsal fin
of soft rays placed near middle of body; behind this a small adipose fin; lateral
line present; scales usually small, cycloid, covering body but not head; air-
bladder large, pyloric coeca numerous; species Oviparous, with large eggs.

The genera to which the brook trout and the rainbow trout belong are thus
separated.

i. Body red-spotted; vomer boat-shaped, with a strongly depressed shaft containing no teeth.

P SALVELINUS.
ii. Body black-spotted; vomer flat, with its shaft not depressed and containing teeth in alter-
HUTS ROWS reper ere tet strane evote cus feu hareat elon oe ards) ates crates cicece vorehellaiis nail e sie susrelaue erat aes SALMO.

Genus SALVELINUS Richardson. Charrs, or Red-spotted Trouts.

A numerous genus of moderate sized trouts, distinguished by having a
rather large mouth; teeth on jaws, tongue, vomer, and palatines; a boat-shaped
vomer without a central elevation; small scales; and rich coloration, with
round red spots on body. Species inhabiting lakes and streams, sometimes
running to the sea. (Salvelinus, charr.)

115. SALVELINUS FONTINALIS (Mitchil]).
“Brook Trout”; ‘‘Speckled Trout’’; Mountain Trout.

Salmo fontinalis Mitchill, Transactions Literary and Philosophical Society of New York, i, 1815, 435; vicinity
of New York City. Cope, 1879b, 489; Catawba and French Broad rivers.

Salvelinus fontinalis, Jordan, 1889b, 139; Bucks Creek (tributary of Catawba) at Pleasant Garden and North
Fork of Swannanoa River near Mt. Mitchell. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 506, pl. lxxxii, fig. 218.

DraGnosis.—Body moderately long, somewhat compressed, back slightly elevated, depth
contained 4 to 4.5 times in total length; head large, broad between eyes, the length about equal
to body depth; mouth large, the maxillary often extending beyond eye; eye about .5 length of
snout and .16 length of head; scales very small, about 230 in lateral series; gill-rakers small,
17 on first arch; dorsal rays 10; anal rays 9. Color: variable, depending on local conditions;
back usually grayish, mottled with dark green or black; lower parts in males often bright red;
sides with numerous small vermilion spots on brownish background; dorsal and caudal fins
barred or mottled with black; lower fins plain dusky, edged anteriorly with a creamy or orange
stripe, Behind which is a black stripe. (fontinalis, of the springs.)

This beautiful and excellent species is native to northern North America
from Labrador to the Saskatchewan valley, throughout the Great Lakes region,
and the eastern slope of Alleghany Mountains as far south as the headwaters of
Chattahoochee River in Georgia. Its distribution has, however, been greatly
extended by man; and the fish may now be found in nearly every suitable stream
in the United States.

The natural distribution of the fish in North Carolina is the headwaters of the
Catawba and French Broad rivers, although it has been introduced into various
other waters, and is now quite generally found in the mountainous sections. It

136 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

is particularly abundant in the upper tributaries of the Catawba and in the
Swannanoa and other affuents of the French Broad.

The brook trout is emphatically a cold-water fish, thriving best in clear
mountain streams with a maximum temperature of 50° F., although in some
places it flourishes in short coastal rivers and runs to salt water in winter. Its
food consists largely of insects, worms, andcrustaceans. While the species reaches
a length of 18 to 24 inches, in North Carolina it is of comparatively small size.

The spawning time is in autumn, and the spawning beds are shallow places
near the banks of streams. The female makes a kind of nest in the gravel, and
guards the eggs during incubation. The eggs average about .15 inch in diameter,
and the number laid varies from a few hundred to several thousand, depending
on the size of the parent. The hatching period is about 50 days in water of 50
degrees temperature.

Fig. 46. Broox Trout. Salvelinus fontinalis.

This is a prime favorite with anglers in all parts of the country, and is one of
the choicest of food fishes. Excellent trout fishing is afforded in the western
part of North Carolina, and the number of fishermen coming from outside the
state is increasing yearly. ‘Trout streams are among the most valuable resources
of a region; and it behooves the state to encourage the influx of sportsmen and
tourists by keeping all suitable waters well stocked and protecting them in the
interest of anglers. Mention should be made of the trout waters in the ‘“Sap-
phire country’. The three artificial lakes—Toxaway, Sapphire, and Fairfield—
on the property of the Toxaway Company in Transylvania County have been
stocked with both brook trout and rainbow trout, and the streams entering those
lakes and in the vicinity also contain these fish.

Genus SALMO Linneus. Salmons and Trouts.

Most of the fresh-water and migratory trouts of the Old World and America,
together with the Atlantic salmon of Europe and America and the landlocked
salmon* of Maine and Canada, belong in this genus. The elongate, compressed

*The introduction of the landlocked or Sebago salmon into the mountainous waters Of the state is con-
templated.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. By)

body is covered with small scales; the mouth is large, and in the adult male the
jaws are more or less hooked; teeth grow on the Jaws, tongue, vomer, and pala-
tines; the vomer is flat; the fins are small, and the dorsal and anal contain only 10
to 12 rays. The general color is usually glistening silvery, and the markings are
black; the young (“‘parrs’’) are dark barred. (Salmo, salmon.)

116. SALMO IRIDEUS Gibbons.
Rainbow Trout; California Trout.

Salmo irideus Gibbons, Proceedings California Academy of Sciences, 1865, 36; Alameda county, California
Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 500, pl. Ixxxi, fig. 216.

D1aGnosis.—Body relatively short, the form more elongate in male, depth contained 3.5
to 3.75 in length; head short, about .25 length; snout rounded, .33 length of head; eye rather
large, .2 head; mouth comparatively small, the maxillary longer in male, in which it extends
beyond eye; vomerine teeth in 2 irregular series; scales in lengthwise series about 135, in cross-
wise series about 40; dorsal rays 10 to 12; anal rays 10 or 11; caudal fin concave or slightly
forked. Color: variable; sea-run fish brilliant silvery with few markings; adult fresh-water
examples dark bluish above, silvery on sides and below, a broad iridescent, red lateral band;
back, sides, and top of head, together with vertical fins, profusely marked with small, round
blackish spots. (irideus, like a rainbow.)

The waters of the Coast Range and Sierra Nevada mountains in California,
Oregon, and Washington are inhabited by a numerous group of trouts collectively
known as the rainbow trouts, which have become more or less differentiated
and are probably to be regarded as distinct species. They are among the most
beautiful, gamy, and deliciously-flavored of all trouts, and exhibit a wide varia-
tion in size, some in circumscribed waters never exceeding half a pound in
weight, while others normally weigh from 5 to 12 pounds. The fish has long
been cultivated, and has been planted by the general government in all suitable
waters of the United States. The form most extensively cultivated is indigen-
ous to the McCloud River and other streams south of Mount Shasta, and is
called Salmo trideus shasta.

The rainbow trout has been introduced into various streams of North
Carolina, and is now firmly established. As early as 1880, the planting of
young fish in cold streams in the western counties was begun, and has been eon-
tinued to the present time. This fish is adapted to warmer and more sluggish
waters than the brook trout, and is in no sense a rival of the latter. Waters that
have come unsuitable for brook trout through changed physical conditions may
be advantageously stocked with the rainbow trout. This fish feeds by prefer-
ence on insects, insect larve, worms, and crustaceans, and preys on minnows and
other fishes only when its normal food is absent or insufficient in quantity.
While inhabiting some of the waters in which the brook trout occurs, the rainbow
is for the most part found lower in the streams.

Among the state waters which have been successfully stocked with rainbow
trout are the lakes and streams of the Toxaway Company in Transylvania
County, where excellent fishing is now enjoyed by many persons each year.

138 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

The spawning season is in spring, and the spawning grounds are the smaller
tributaries of streams or the streams flowing into lakes. At Toxaway, the U.S.
Bureau of Fisheries has recently begun spawn-taking operations, the brood fish
being caught while running into the feeders of the artificial lakes. Spawning
begins when the fish are 2 or 3 years old, and continues until they reach a con-
siderable age. The eggs are .2 inch or a little more in diameter, and from 500 to
3,000 are desposited by a single fish.

This is an excellent food fish, and one of the best of all the trouts. In its
native waters it has no superiors and few equals as a game fish, but in the east it
has deteriorated in this respect and in general is inferior to the brook trout.

Order INIOMI. The Lantern-fishes.
Family SYNODONTID. The Lizard-fishes.

Chiefly small shore fishes, with elongate, cylindrical or little compressed
body; cycloid scales; straight lateral line; very wide mouth provided with sharp
teeth on the jaws, palatines, and tongue; an exceedingly long premaxillary bone
which forms the entire margin of the upper jaw and conceals the rudimentary
maxillary; branchial membranes not united or only slightly so and free from
isthmus; short or obsolete gill-rakers; small or absent air-bladder; short dorsal
fin; small adipose dorsal; forked caudal.

The typical and commonest genus, Synodus, is the only one as yet repre-
sented in the North Carolina fauna, although Trachinocephalus will no doubt
eventually be found; this genus differs from Synodus in having a stouter body
and a short, blunt, compressed head. The only American species, Trachino-
cephalus myops, the ground spearing, is common from South Carolina southward
and has been taken on a number of occasions as far north as Massachusetts.

Genus SYNODUS Gronovius. Lizard-fishes.

The lizard-fishes are numerous in warm waters in various parts of the world. —
They are small or moderate in size, and have little food value. They lie on or
partly buried on shoal sandy shores and are very voracious. They are distin-
guished by an elongate body nearly circular in cross-section; a depressed head;
a pointed snout, a wide mouth, with a strong premaxillary more than half length
of head, and a very complete and formidable set of teeth (2 series of large, knife-
like teeth on premaxillaries, the larger inner row depressible; a band of similar
teeth on lower Jaw and another on palatine; and an area of strong, depressible
teeth on tongue); a rather large eye placed above level of snout; spinous gill-
rakers; branchiostegals 12 to 16; small cycloid scales on body, cheeks, and
opercles, top of head naked; a long blind sac connected with stomach and numer-
ous pyloric coeca; anal opening much nearer to base of caudal than to base of
ventrals; a short dorsal fin placed well forward; a small adipose fin over anal; a
short anal; rather small pectorals; moderately large ventrals, with inner rays
longest; and a narrow, forked caudal. A number of species known from both

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 139

coasts of America, but only one ranging as far north asthisstate. (Synodus, an
ancient Greek name for some fish, meaning “‘teeth meeting’’.)

117. SYNODUS FQTENS (Linnezus).
“Pike’’; “‘Sand Pike’’; Lizard-fish.

Salmo fetens Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 513, 1766; South Carolina.
Synodus fetens, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 384; Beaufort Harbor. Jenkins, 1887, 86; Beaufort. Linton, 1905,
353; Beaufort.

Diaenosis (based on specimen 12.5 inches long taken at Beaufort, November 1, 1904).—
Body elongate, cylindrical, its depth .14 length; head long, depressed, lizard-like, .25 length of
body; eye placed high, its diameter contained 6 times in head and 2.5 times in snout; mouth
large and armed with numerous small, sharp, depressible teeth; snout long, sharp; premaxillary
2 times length of snout and equal to post-orbital part of head; scales in lateral series 63 to 65,
in transverse series 7 or 8 + 11 or 12; dorsal rays 12 (including 2 unbranched rays), the longest
.66 length of head; anal rays 12; caudal deeply forked; pectorals half length of head; ventrals
large, their length about equal to height of dorsal. Life colors: body and sides grayish, finely
mottled with brownish green, the centers of the scales being lighter than the edges; head brown-
ish with light vermiculations on top and sides, pale yellow below; about 8 very obscure dark
blotches along sides; belly white; dorsal nearly plain, anal white, caudal dusky with black mar-
gin, pectorals dusky greenish above and white below, ventrals pale yellowish, adipose fin white
anteriorly and black posteriorly. (fatens, odorous.)

Fig. 47. Lizarp-risH. Synodus fetens.

The lizard-fish is found on sandy shores from Massachusetts to South
America, and is common along the south Atlantic coast. It is abundant in the
North Carolina sounds, and is known locally as “pike” and “sand pike”. At
Beaufort it is often caught in line fishing in the harbor. The fishermen fear the
lizard-fish’s bite, which is said to “go to the bone”. The fish rarely attains a
length of more than a foot, and the usual length is under 9 or 10 inches, but at
Beaufort it is reported that 2-foot specimens are sometimes caught. An exam-
ple less than 2 inches long was dredged at a depth of 9 fathoms 2 miles east of
Beaufort Inlet September 1, 1899, and another 2.25 inches long was seined in
in Beaufort Harbor June 3,1905. The lizard-fish has a formidable mouth, and is
a voracious feeder; small fish constitute its principal food, but crabs, shrimp,
worms, and other animals are also eaten. As a food fish it has no value.

Although Yarrow (1877) did not list this among the fishes of Beaufort
harbor, it is probable that his remarks regarding the saury (Scombresox saurus)
in reality apply to this fish.

FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Family AULOPID/E.

Bottom fishes, inhabiting moderate depths, similar to the Synodontidz but
with maxillary well developed, gill-rakers long and slender, ctenoid scales, ete.
Only one genus represented in American waters.

Genus CHLOROPHTHALMUS Bonaparte. Green-eyes.

Small smelt-like fishes, with terete, slightly compressed body, long head,
large mouth, maxillary dilated behind and extending beyond front of large eye,
projecting lower Jaw, small teeth, short dorsal and anal fins, dorsal inserted
anterior to middle of body, ventrals under dorsal, needle-shaped gill-rakers and
silvery’ coloration. Three known American species, in Atlantie Ocean, one
recenthy detected off North Carolina. (Chlorophthalmus, green-eyed.)

118. CHLOROPHTHALMUS CHALYBEIUS (Goode).
Green-eye.

Hyphalonedrus chalybeius Goode, Proceedings U. 8S. National Museum, iii, 1880, 484; Gulf Stream off Rhode
Island, 85 to 167 fathoms.
Chlorophthalmus chalybeius, Goode & Bean, Oceanic Ichthyology, 1895, 60, fig. 71.
e

DiaGnosis.—Depth a little less than .16 length; head .25 length; eye .33 head and 4 times
interorbital space; snout .25 head; maxillary broad, wider posteriorly, extending to opposite
pupil; mandible protruding beyond snout; scales pectinate on margin, in regular rows, 48 in
lateral series, 12 in crosswise series; dorsal rays 11, the fin inserted midway between end of
snout and adipose fin; adipose dorsal over middle of anal; anal rays 8, anal base as long as
snout; caudal forked; pectorals long, faleate, twice length of lower jaw; ventrals under middle
of dorsal. Color: grayish with discreet brown mottlings, the scales metallic silvery. (chaly-
beius, steel blue.)

This species has heretofore been known only from the Gulf Stream in water
of moderate depth. It isentitledto a place in the North Carolina fauna from
having been taken by the steamer Fish-Hawk in dredgings off Cape Lookout in
August, 1902; 10 specimens, the largest 2.5 inches long, were secured.

Order HAPLOMI. The Pikes and Pike-like Fishes.

In this order the fin-rays are soft, the single dorsal fin is placed more or less
posteriorly (in some genera close to caudal), the ventral fins are abdominal, and
the pectoral fins are placed low. The body is elongate and covered with cycloid
scales which extend also on the head. There is no lateral line. The terminal
mouth contains teeth, and communicates by a duct with the air-bladder.
Among the bony characters are the absent mesocoracoid; the separate hypercora-
coid and hypocoracoid, with developed actinosts; the shoulder girdle joined to
the skull by a post-temporal; distinct pharyngeal bones; and well developed
opercles.

Of the 4 American families, 3 are strictly fresh-water and the other is
largely so. Among the members of one family are some of the largest and most
predaceous of all fresh-water fishes, and among the members of another family
are the smallest American fresh-water fishes.

we
bia

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 141

t. Lateral margin of upper jaw formed by the maxillaries; premaxillaries not protractile.
a. Size very small; jaws short, teeth villiform and of equal size.............. UMBRID.
aa. Size moderate to large; jaws produced and flattened, teeth cardiform and of unequal size.
Esocipa.
wi. Lateral margin of upper jaw formed by the premaxillaries, which are more or less protractile.
b. Vent placed well backward; premaxillaries very protractile............ PacrLiip®.
bb. Vent placed near throat; premaxillaries slightly protractile.......... AMBLYOPSID&.

Family UMBRIDA. The Mud Minnows.

A family of small fresh-water fishes, interesting on account of their habits
and their peculiar distribution; of the three known species, one is found in Aus-
tria and two in the United States. The body is long, but little compressed; the
head broad; the lower Jaw, premaxillaries, vomer, and palatines have bands of
villiform teeth; the broad maxillaries, which form the lateral margins of the
upper jaw, have no teeth; the branchial openings are wide, gill-rakers small,
branchiostegals 6 to 8; pseudobranchiz glandular; no lateral line; seales firm,
regular, cycloid, covering body and head; fins small, dorsal single, placed well
backward but in front of anal; pectorals close together; air-bladder simple.
Oviparous, carnivorous fishes, inhabiting muddy ditches, and ponds and sluggish
streams Overgrown with weeds; very hardy and able to live buried in mud;
sexes similar.

Genus UMBRA Miiller. Mud Minnows.

Characters of the genus are shown above.* One species is found locally.
(Umbra, shade.)

119. UMBRA PYGMAA (DeKay).
“Mud-fish’’; Mud Minnow.

Leuciscus pygmeus DelXay, New York Fauna, Fishes, 1842, 214; Rockland County, N. Y.

Umbra pygmea, Jordan, 1889b, 126; Tar River at Rocky Mount. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 624, pl. xcix,
fig. 268.

Umbra limi pygmea, Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; tributary of Neuse River near Raleigh

Fig. 48. Mup Minnow. Umbra pymea.

Dracnosis.—Form compact, oblong, slightly compressed, depth contained 4.5 times in
total length; head short and broad, .25 length of body; snout short, equal to eye, which enters
4.5 times in length of head; mouth moderate, jaws short; gill-slits wide; gill-rakers short and

*An interesting review of these fishes has recently been published by Dr. Theodore Gill under the title
‘A remarkable genus of fishes—the umbras”’, in Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, quarterly issue, vol.

i, 1904. #

142 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

numerous; scales in lateral series 35, in transverse series 13; dorsal rays 14; anal rays 7 or 8.
Color: dark or yellowish green, with 10 or 12 pale, narrow lengthwise stripes; a dark stripe
through eye; a black bar at base of tail; fins plain. Length, to 5 inches. (pygmaa, pygmy.)

The mud minnow, which exists in lowland streams, swamps, and ditches
from New York to North Carolina, is known from only a few localities in the
latter state, although it may be looked for in all waters from the Neuse north-
ward. It is rather scarce in Tar River at Rocky Mount, and abundant in the
vicinity of Raleigh. The National Museum has specimens collected in the
Neuse at Goldsboro by James W. Milner in 1875. The writer did not find it in the
Albemarle region in 1892, although it is known from the Virginia waters of the
Dismal Swamp, from which some of the tributaries of Albemarle Sound flow.
In mudholes about Lake Ellis in Craven County Mr. C. 8S. Brimiey found it com-
mon in 1905 and 1906.

Family ESOCIDA. The Pikes, Pickerels, and Muskallunges.

A small family of fresh-water fishes of moderate to large size, peculiar to
North America with the exception of one species found also in northern Europe
and Asia. The body is very elongate, more or less compressed; the head long
and flattened, and the mouth very large and fully provided with teeth on jaws,
tongue, palatines, and vomer; lower jaw projecting; margins of upper jaw formed
by maxillaries, which have a supplemental bone; body covered with fine scales,
head naked above; lateral line present in adults; gill-slits wide, gill-membranes
not united and free from isthmus; gill-rakers short and toothed; branchiostegals
numerous; pseudobranchie glandular, concealed; dorsal and anal fins placed far
back; pectorals close together; caudal forked; air-bladder simple. There is a
single genus.

Genus ESOX Linneus. Pikes, Pickerels, and Muskallunges.
The pikes in general have been thus referred to by Professor Goode:

They have been well described as mere machines for the assimilation of animal matter.
They are the wolves of the ponds, the bluefish of the fresh waters, and nothing comes amiss to
their ravenous maws. * * * * The hungry Hsoz is a sad foe to the proprietor of a fish preserve,
and until it has been banished from a pond, no other species can be expected to live.* * *
The enemies of Hsox in America denounce him vigorously, and declare that he is bony, flavor-
less, and of trifling value. He has his friends, however, * * * Tough old pike, and those
taken from muddy, sluggish water, are of course not to be desired, but as a rule any one of the
species is to be chosen as a delicate morsel for the table.

The yield of the pikes in North Carolina in recent years has been from 30,000
to 100,000 pounds annually, for which the fishermen have received 2.5 to 4 cents
a pound. The bulk of the catch comes from Craven and Beaufort counties.

Three representatives of this family and genus are found in the local waters,
and they may be distinguished as follows:

i. Cheeks and opercles scaly; dorsal rays 11 to 15; branchiostegals 11 to 16, scales in lateral
series 100 to 125.

a. Dorsal rays 11 to 14, anal rays 11 or 12; branchiostegals 11 to 13, scales in lateral series

88 to 110; small fish with numerous blackish vertical bars on sides ...... americanus.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 143

aa. Dorsal rays 14 or 15; anal rays 13 or 14; branchiostegals 14 to 16; scales in lateral series
about 125; medium sized fish with numerous dark lines, mostly horizontal and con-

MECtE SojasetOrLOrimeas| OOSeMetWwOLKy sellers eicleis ie ee clots sss ss) 212 reticulatus.

ii. Cheeks and opercles scaly above, naked below; dorsal rays 17; anal rays 15; branchiostegals
17 to 19; scales in lateral series about 150; very large fish with narrow indistinct bars
which break up into ill-defined dark spots..... 2.0.52... cece e eee cee eee e eens ohiensis.

(Esox, a name applied by Pliny to some fish, probably the sturgeon.)

120. ESOX AMERICANUS Gmelin.
“Pike’’; ‘‘“Red-finned Pike’”’; ‘‘Jack’’; Pickerel.

Esox lucius americanus Gmelin, Systema Nature, 1390, 1788; Long Island, N. Y.

Esox ravenelii, Cope, 1870b, 457; Catawba River.

Lucius americanus, Jordan, 1889b, 129, 133; Little River at Goldsboro; tributaries of Haw River in Guilford
County. Smith, 1893a, 195, 199; cypress swamp near Edenton; Roanoke River at Plymouth and Weldon,
Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River near Raleigh. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 626. Smith,1901,
134; Lake Mattamuskeet.

DraGnosis.—Body long, robust, the depth about .2 totallength; head large, more than .25
total length; snout broad and blunt, about .37 length of head; eye rather large, contained 5.5
times in length of head; lower jaw considerably longer than upper; maxillary extends to under
pupil; dorsal and anal fins opposite, origin of former about equidistant from base of ventrals
and caudal; ventrals about midway between end of snout and base of caudal. Color: dark
green above, sides greenish yellow, with 18 to 20 dark, vertical curved bars; a dark bar below
eye, and a dark stripe on side of head through eye; fins unspotted; lower fins in North Caro-
lina specimens sometimes scarlet, upper fins dark, edged with carmine.

This little pickerel is found in streams and swamps of the eastern seaboard
from Massachusetts to Alabama. It is known from numerous places in North
Carolina. It is of small size, rarely exceeding a foot in length, and is of less
importance as a food and game fish than Esow reticulatus.. The food is chiefly
minnows, with which the stomach is often gorged. -

121. ESOX RETICULATUS LeSueur.

“‘Pike’’; ‘‘Red-finned Pike’’; ‘‘Black Pike’’; ‘‘Duck-billed Pike’’; ‘‘Jack’’; Pickerel;
Chain Pickerel.

Esoz reticulatus LeSueur, Journal Academy Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, i, 1818, 414; Connecticut River,
Mass.; Philadelphia.

Esox affinis, Cope, 1870b, 457; Neuse River.

?Lucius vermiculatus, Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River near Raleigh.

Lucius reticulatus, Jordan, 1889b, 126, 128, 133; Tar, Neuse (and Little), and Haw rivers. Smith, 1893a,
191,195,199; Pasquotank River, Edenton Bay, Roanoke River. Jordan & Evermann, 1896,627. Smith,
1901, 134; Lake Mattamuskeet. :

DraGnosis.—Body long and slender, the depth .16 total length; caudal peduncle very
slender, only .33 depth of body; head long, .4 total length; snout long, pointed, contained 2.25
to 2.33 times in*length of head; eye small, .4 length of snout and .12 to .14 length of head.
Color: varying from green to nearly black, sides lighter and with golden luster; entire body
marked by narrow dark connecting lines which form a loose network; a dark bar below eye.
(reticulatus, with mesh-like markings.)

This pike is an inhabitant of the eastern seaboard from Maine to Louisiana.
It is common in the lower courses of North Carolina rivers flowing into the
Atlantic Ocean. About Albemarle Sound, where all the local names in quotation
marks are in use, it is very common, and is often caught in the nets of the com

144 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

mercial fishermen. Old examples living in deep, shady water are dark colored
and are called “‘black pike”. In Lake Mattamuskeet the fish is numerous and
reaches a large size (1.5 to 2 feet). A weight of 7 or 8 pounds and a length of 3
or 4 feet have been attained in waters outside the state.

The chain pickerel is a voracious feeder, consuming minnows and other
small fish in large numbers and also insects, frogs, and snakes. Its favorite
haunts are creeks, coves, and bayous with grasses and broad-leaved water plants,
under which it lurks. In spring about Albemarle Sound, the fish feeds chiefly on
alewives. Spawning occurs in late winter or early spring. Lawson (1709) said
of this species:

The jack, pike, or pickerel, is exactly the same, in Carolina, as they are in England.
Indeed, I never saw this fish so big and large in America, as I have in Europe, these with us being

seldom above two foot long, as farasI have yet seen. They are very plentiful with us in
Carolina, all our creeks and ponds being full of them. I once took out of a ware, above three

hundred of these fish, at a time.

oe

i
eT

i
Hi
i

Fig. 49. CHAIN PicKEREL; Pike. FEsoz reticulatus.

Considerable quantities of this fish are marketed, but it does not rank high,
the flesh being coarse and filled with minute bones. It bites freely at the still-
baited hook or the trolling spoon, and affords much sport to anglers.

l22. ESOX OHIENSIS Kirtland.
“Jack”; Ohio Muskallunge.

Esox ohiensis Kirtland, Proceedings Cleveland Academy of Natural Science, February 7, 1854, 85;
Mahoning River, Ohio. Jordan & Evermann, American Food and Game Fishes, 239, 1902.

Esox masquinongy, Jordan, 18896, 150; French Broad River near Asheville.

Lucius masquinongy ohiensis, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 629; Ohio River and tributaries.
Dragnosis.—Body elongate and robust, the depth .16 total length; head large, more than

.25 total length; snout .4 length of head; eye small, .09 length of head; gill-rakers ‘‘mere clumps

of spiny tubercles”. Color: dark green on back, paler below, with brassy or golden reflections;

20 to 25 irregular, dark, vertical bars on upper half of body; unpaired fins with dark green spots

or blotches. (ohiensis, inhabiting Ohio.)

This species of muskallunge inhabits Ohio River and tributaries, and is
entitled to a place in the North Carolina fauna by virtue of Dr. Jordan’s record
of its occurrence in French Broad River near Asheville. It was there reported
to be one of the food fishes of the section, and was locally known as “jack”’.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 145

The species reaches a maximum length of 5 feet, and thus rivals the Great Lakes
muskallunge (Esox masyquinongy) with which it has until recently been identified.

Family PQECILIID®. The Mummichogs, Top Minnows, etc.

A numerous family of small fresh-water, brackish-water, or salt-water fishes
found in all parts of the world, with many representatives in the United States.
They are of no value as food, but are of great importance as food for other fishes.
The sexes are usually dissimilar in form and size, and many of the species bring
forth their young alive. The principal characters of the family are: Elongate
body, compressed posteriorly, flattened anteriorly, covered with large cycloid
scales; no lateral line; mouth terminal, premaxillary bones protractile and form-
ing the margin of the upper jaw; jaws provided with cutting or villiform teeth;
branchial membranes united, free from the isthmus; gill-rakers short and thick;
pseudobranchiz absent; dorsal fin single, composed only of soft rays and placed
posteriorly; caudal fin square or concave, not forked; ventral fins abdominal ;
pectoral fins inserted close together. Of the 20 or more American genera 5 are
represented in North Carolina by 9 species.

Key to the North Carolina genera of killi-fishes.

i. Lower jaw strong and projecting; intestine comparatively short, with few convolutions;
teeth slightly movable.
a. Anal fins similar in both sexes; species oviparous.
b. Teeth pointed (none compressed, tricuspid, or bicuspid).
c. Teeth in bands or in more than one series; dorsal fin placed either before or behind

anal; air-pladder swell developed cscuicdec sae 5 onsen sees acne wcees FUNDULUS.

cc. Teeth in a single series; dorsal fin placed anterior to anal.............. Lucanla.
bbalecth incisors tricuspid, im a single Tow -.-. 2... 05. +esees aeons CYPRINODON.

aa. Anal fin in male modified into a sword-shaped organ; teeth pointed, in bands; species
AVNATOAIROTS) So he, REI OOO cle Ciclo ic Sp ORES DCU OER Ite RO ie maim acre GAMBUSIA.

ii. Lower jaw short and weak; intestine long, much convoluted; teeth freely movable, pointed,
andes single Series?) SPECIES’ VIVIPATOUS: «0.25 1. cies sos cwe hee ieee eee HETERANDRIA.

Genus FUNDULUS Lacépéde. Killi-fishes; Mummichogs.

This genus includes some of the best known and most abundant of our
“minnows”, and has numerous members in all parts of the country, 5 being in
the local fauna. Form elongate, posteriorly compressed, and back little or not
at all elevated; mouth terminal, lower jaw projecting and rather heavy; a narrow
band of teeth in each jaw; fins variable; dorsal origin in advance of, above, or
behind anal origin; anal fin larger in male; caudal margin straight or rounded;
sexes dissimilar in size, color,etc. Several species abound in water of all degrees
of density, while others are confined strictly to either fresh or salt water. Some
live on muddy bottom and feed on mud; others swim freely in creeks, rivers, and
bays, and subsist largely on insects. All the species go in schools, which some-
times contain thousands of individuals.

Key to the North Carolina species of Fundulus.

i. Dorsal fin inserted in advance of anal.
a. Seales large, less than 40 in lateral series.
b. Form elongate; branchiostegals 6; females with several black horizontal stripes, males
MT MenUmMeLOus lacks mEnbical OALSeoris oc criss cies isle eicic)e)- ciel Selincie os ces majalis.

146 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

<

bb. Form robust; branchiostegals 5; females nearly plain brown; males darker, with pearly

SPOUS i. siete Sieg eerie gee cielo tat oes to) oy ailecgerene c ehecit coger ae aes eee Teena ete heteroclitus.
aa. Scales smaller, 44 to 48 in lateral series; body slender, depth about .2 length; color oliva-
ceous, with numerous dark or light vertical bars.......................- diaphanus.

ii. Dorsal fin inserted over or slightly behind anal; scales in lateral series 38 to 42.
c. Olivaceous with brownish spots; a small mountain species ................-. rathbut.
cc. Olivaceous above, silvery on sides and belly, with 6 black longitudinal stripes from head
to tail and (in male) 12 black crossbars; a small lowland species.............. nottit.

(Fundulus, from fundus, bottom.)

123. FUNDULUS MAJALIS (Walbaum).
: “Minnow”; May-fish; Killi-fish.

Cobitis majalis Walbaum, Artedi Genera Piscium, iii, 12, 1792; Long Island.

Hydrargyra majalis, Yarrow, 1877, 214; Beaufort Harbor. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 384; Beaufort Harbor.
Kendall & Smith, 1894, 21; Hatteras Inlet.

Fundulus majalis, Jenkins, 1887, 86; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 639, pl. ci, figs. 271, 271la, 271b.
Linton, 1905, 355; Beaufort.

Fig. 50. May-riso. Fundulus majalis. Male.

Draqnosis.—Form oblong, back not elevated, the depth .25 total length; head long, more
than .25 length; mouth terminal, oblique, small; teeth in a broad band, the outer teeth enlarged;
eye .2 length of head and .66 length of snout; scales large, 35 or 36 in longitudinal series, 13 to
15 in transverse series; dorsal rays 12 to 14; anal fin higher in male, the rays 10 or 11; ventrals
longer in male, extending beyond origin of anal. Color: Male (from Beaufort), back olive,
sides and belly bright salmon yellow, lower fins clear yellow, pectorals and anal partly dusky,
posterior edge of caudal dark, dorsal nearly all black, a large black ocellated spot on last rays;
opercles and under parts of head suffused with black; cheeks, top of head, and mouth bronze
yellow, about 18 narrow dusky vertical bars. Female, olivaceous above, white below, 4 black
longitudinal stripes, 1 or 2 black crossbars at base of tail. (mayjalis, relating to May.)

The may-fish abounds from Massachusetts to Florida, in bays, salt-water
ponds, and the lower courses of rivers. It reaches a length of 8 inches, and is the
largest of the killi-fishes; the usual length is less than 6 inches, the female being
larger than the male. | The fish is often found in large droves in shallow bayous
and coves, and marshy creeks, and a single haul of a fine-meshed collecting seine
may yield a thousand or more. Spawning occurs in summer. The young are
marked by black vertical stripes.

In Beaufort specimens, the young of both sexes are marked with 14 or 15
narrow vertical bars. The external sexual characters appear at variable sizes.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 147

In some specimens 1.25 inches long (taken July 25, 1900) the vertical bars have
begun to fade, and the longitudinal stripes have appeared; the smallest male in
this lot in which the dorsal ocellus is visible is 2 inches long. In this and other
lots, there are males 2.25 inches long in which the ocellus has not appeared.
Hither the rate of growth is very irregular or the spawning time is protracted, as
a lot of young fish seined in Beaufort Harbor July 25, 1900, varied from .5 to 2.5

inches in length.

&)

CEeees:
PENRINRIh ,
OX Wee Pini
8

NER

Fig.51 May-risu. Fundulus majalis. Female.

124. FUNDULUS HETEROCLITUS (Linneus).
“Minnow’’; Mud-fish; Mummichog.

Cobitis heteroclita Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 500, 1766; Charleston, South Carolina.
Fundulus pisculentus, Yarrow, 1877, 214; Beaufort Harbor.
Fundulus heteroclitus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 384; Beaufort Harbor. Jenkins, 1887, 86; Beaufort. Jordan

& Evermann, 1896, 640, pl. cii, fig. 273. Linton, 1905, 356; Beaufort.

Fig. 52. Mup-risn. Fundulus heteroclitus. Male.

D1aGnosis.—Body rather short and deep, but little compressed, depth rather more than
.25 length; head rather short and blunt, its length contained 3 to 3.5 times in total length;
mouth small, very oblique; teeth pointed, in bands; eye .2 to .25 length of head, equal to snout
and .5 width of interorbital space; scales in lateral series 35 to 38, in transverse series 13 to 15;
dorsal rays 11; anal rays 10 or 11, oviduct attached to first ray; caudal fin rounded. Color:
Male, dark green above, yellow on belly; sides with narrow vertical silvery white bars, between
which are numerous small, irregular whitish or yellow spots; head yellow below; vertical fins

148 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

dark, with numerous pale spots; dorsal sometimes having a black spot posteriorly; anal and
ventrals yellow anteriorly. Female, plain brownish green, lighter below, sides sometimes
marked by about 15 dark crossbars narrower than the interspaces. (heteroclitus, irregular.)

The range of this killi-fish is from Maine to Mexico. It frequents chiefly
brackish waters, but is alsofound in fresh water (as in the Potomac at Washing-
ton). It is very partial to shallow muddy waters, and one of its common names
is mud-dabbler, in allusion to its mud-loving ‘habit. Length, up to 6 inches.
The species is an important bait fish, and is extensively eaten by squeteague,
striped bass, and other fish, as well as by water birds.

125. FUNDULUS DIAPHANUS (LeSueur).
Killi-fish; Spring Minnow.

Hydrargyra diaphana LeSueur, Journal Academy of Natural Sciences Philadelphia, i, 130, 1817; Saratoga
Lake.

Fundulus diaphanus, Smith, 1893a, 191, 195, 197; Pasquotank and Roanoke rivers and Edenton Bay. Smith,
Notes on Fishes of Lower Potomac River (Bulletin U. S. Fish Commission 1890), 65, pl. xix, 1892. Jor-
dan & Evermann, 1896, 645, pl. ciii, figs. 275, 275a.

Fig. 53. Sprina Minnow. Fundulus diaphanus. Male.

Draenosis.—F orm elongated, slender, posteriorly compressed, depth contained 4.5 times
in total length; head depressed, .25 to .4 total length; mouth nearly horizontal, on level with
pupil, lower jaw projecting, angle of mouth half way between eye and tip of lower jaw; eye
large, contained 3.5 times in head, 1.5 times in interorbital space, 1.33 times in snout; scales
about 45 in lateral series and 15 in transverse; dorsal fin low, beginning considerably in advance
of anal and nearer base of caudal than snout, rays 13; anal fin anteriorly sheathed by oviduct,
short, higher than dorsal, rays 11; edge of caudal fin straight or slightly emarginate. Color:
Male, uniformly olivaceous, darkest above, about 20 silvery vertical bars rather narrower than
the interspaces, which are the color of the body; back may be dark-spotted; a dark purplish
spot on opercle opposite eye; dorsal fin usually plain, occasionally faintly mottled with black
and white spots; other fins plain. Female, body marked by 15 to 20 dark vertical bars,
much narrower and shorter than silvery bars in male, the interspaces lighter than in male.
(diaphanus, transparent.)

The southern limit of the range of this species appears to be North Carolina,
whence it extends to Maine and the upper Mississippi, in rivers and lakes. It is
found coastwise in abundance, in salt and fresh water, although it is less of a
salt-water form than Fundulus heteroclitus, and often occurs in mountain brooks,
in springs, and in clear cold lakes. It is very abundant in the lower stretches of
the rivers debouching into Albemarle Sound; numerous small specimens (all

res

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 149

under 2.5 inches) were collected by the writer in Pasquotank River and Roanoke
River near Plymouth in April. The maximum length is about 4 inches.

Many species of food and game fishes, in fresh and salt water, feed largely
on this killi-fish, which, on account of its abundance, is one of the important
“minnows ’’.

Fig. 54. Sprina Minnow. Fundulus diaphanus. Female.

The prominent external sexual differences in this species were first pointed
out by the present writer in 1892, in the paper above cited, on fishes of the lower
Potomac River, in which the figures of the two sexes here given were originally
printed. All immature specimens are marked by dark vertical bars on a pale
olivaceous background; when the fish reaches a length of about 2 inches, the
differential colors begin to appear.

126. FUNDULUS RATHBUNI Jordan & Meek.
Rathbun’s Killi-fish.

Fundulus rathbuni Jordan & Meek, in Jordan, 1889a, 356, pl. xliv; Allemance Creek near Greensboro, N. C.
Jordan, 1889b, 133, 134, pl. xiv, fig. 7; Reedy Fork, South Buffalo Creek, Little Allemance Creek and other
tributaries of Haw River; and Jumping Run, tributary of Yadkin River, near Salisbury. Jordan & Ever-
mann, 1896, 649, pl. ev, fig. 280.

Fig. 55. Rarusun’s Ktsri-risn. Fundulus rathbunt.

Diaenosis.—Depth contained 4.5 times in total length, head 3.8 times in length; snout
sharp; eye about .25 length of head; mouth small; scales in lateral series 38, in transverse
series 12; two rows of scales on cheeks; fins small, dorsal rays 11, anal rays 11, caudal rounded.
Color: pale green, with small irregular oblong dark brown spots scattered on head and body;
male with scales dark-edged; fins yellowish with speckled base in male, plain in female.

(Named for Dr. Richard Rathbun, formerly of the Bureau of Fisheries, now of the Smithsonian
Institution.)

150 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

So far as known, this little killi-fish is peculiar to Cape Fear and Yadkin
basins. Itis common in small brooks, but isscarce in the larger streams. Its
usual length is 2.5 inches.

UB FUNDULUS NOTTII (Agassiz).
Star-headed Minnow.

Zygonectes nottvi Agassiz, American Journal of Science and Arts, 1854, 353; Mobile, Ala.
Fundulus nottii, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 657, pl. eviii, fig. 288.

DraGnosis.—Body comparatively long, compressed posteriorly, the depth contained 4.5
in length; head rather more than .25 length; eye very large, .37 length of head; interorbital
space .5 length of head; snout obtuse, less than eye; outer row of teeth in each jaw enlarged and
recurved; scales in lateral series 36, in transverse series 10; origin of dorsal fin more than .66
distance from snout to base of caudal, the rays 7 or 8, the longest ray about equal to distance
from snout to posterior margin of pupil; anal similar to dorsal, its origin very slightly behind .
dorsal, the rays 9 or 10; caudal rounded behind, its length greater than head; pectorals short,
acute, their length equal to height of dorsal; ventrals slightly shorter. Color: body from gill-
opening to base of caudal marked by 6 narrow, horizontal black stripes, with several other
obsolete ones above; 10 to 13 narrow, vertical black stripes of same width; a broad black bar
through eye and on cheek; general ground color of body silvery; preorbital region, lower jaw,
and upper part of opercle orange red; breast and lower half of operclereddish yellow. (Named
for Dr. Nott, who discovered the fish.)

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ooo

Fig. 56. Srar-HeEaApED Minnow. Fundulus nottii.

This beautiful little killi-fish has heretofore been recorded from South
Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama, in fresh-water streams and swamps.
The National Museum contains one specimen collected in a pond at Wilmington,
N.C., May 9, 1899, by Mr. William P. Seal. The maximum length of the species
is about 2 inches. Nothing distinctive can be said of its habits.

Genus LUCANIA Girard. Rainwater-fishes.

Diminutive fishes inhabiting brackish and fresh-water swamps, lagoons, and
ditches of United States. The body is rather short and much compressed, and
covered with large scales; the small, oblique mouth has a single row of conical
teeth in each Jaw; the fins are small; and the species are oviparous. Of the 4
species known, the range of the following embraces the North Carolina coast.
(Lucania, an ancient Italian province; a name having no known application to
these fishes.)

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 151

128. LUCANIA PARVA (Baird & Girard).
Rainwater-fish.

Cyprinodon parvus Baird & Girard, Ninth Smithsonian Report, 345, 1855; Greenport, Long Island, N. Y.
Lucania parva, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 665, pl. cix, fig. 292.

Diacgnosis.—Form rather short, the depth contained 3.25 times in total length; head
equal to depth; eye large, .33 length of head; scales in lateral series 26, in crosswise series 8;
dorsal rays 10 to 12; anal rays 10 or 11. Color: olive, scales dark-edged; dorsal dull yellow
with black spot surrounded by orange anteriorly; caudal yellow with black tip; analand ven-
trals red with dusky edges; fins in female olive, unmarked. (parva, small.)

Found in brackish ponds, ditches and bays, along the entire coast from
Cape Cod to Key West. It is known from Virginia and South Carolina, and
undoubtedly occurs in suitable waters in North Carolina. Its small size, 1.5
to 2 inches, enables it to be easily overlooked.

Genus CYPRINODON Lacépéde. Short Minnows.

Small, chubby brackish-water fishes found from United States to South
America, usually going in schools; the males larger than the females; species
oviparous. Body short, back elevated, mouth small, teeth tricuspid incisors in
a single row, scales large, origin of dorsal fin in front of anal, branchial aperture
reduced, opercle superiorly fused with shoulder girdle. Ten or twelve species
known, one common along our Atlantic coast. (Cyprinodon, carp-toothed.)

aN

S

Ny
Fig. 57. VarreGatep Minnow. Cyprinodon variegatus.

129. CYPRINODON VARIEGATUS Lacépéde.
“Sheepshead Minnow’’; Variegated Minnow; Short Minnow.

Cyprinodon variegatus Lacépéde, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, v, 486, 1803; South Carolina. Yarrow, 1877,
214; Beaufort Harbor. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 384; Beaufort Harbor. Jenkins, 1887, 86; Beaufort.
Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 671, pls. exi, exii, figs. 296, 296a.

Dracnosis.—Form short and deep, back elevated, depth .43 to .50 total length; head wide,
short, its length contained 3.25 to 3.6 times in length; snout sharp, mouth small, teeth large,

- 152 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

eye contained 3.5 times in length of head and once in snout; caudal peduncle high and short,
narrowing rapidly toward tail; scales large, 26 to 28 in lateral line, 13 in transverse line, a large
seale on shoulder nearly half length of head; intestine nearly 3 times length of body; dorsal
origin far in advance of anal, the fin higher in males than in females, the rays 11; anal rays 10.
Color: Male, olive green, with a blue sheen anteriorly, the sides, abdomen, opercles, and cheeks
salmon, dorsal black with orange anterior margin; anal dusky at base, with orange border; cau-
dal dull green, marked by a black bar at tip and another at base; ventrals dusky, with orange
margin; pectorals dull orange. Female, light olive, with about 7 or 8 dark crossbars on back
and 14 on lower part of sides; whitish or yellowish below; lower jaw blue, cheeks brassy; dorsal
dusky, with a black ocellus posteriorly; caudal dull reddish with black basal bar; other fins
pale orange. (variegatus, variegated.)

This showy minnow, which occurs from Massachusetts to Mexico, is abun-
dant in the brackish waters of the North Carolina coast. It is a very shy and
active species, difficult to catch with a dip-net, however skilfully handled, but
taken in large numbers in fine-meshed seines hauled in marshy creeks. It is
carnivorous, and in captivity will devour its own young.

The name ‘‘sheepshead minnow’”’, which is used in North Carolina and other
states, arises from the resemblance between this fish and the sheepshead, and also
from the belief, in some cases, that it is the young of the sheepshead. The full-
grown male is 3 inches long and the female is considerably shorter.

Genus GAMBUSIA Poey. Top Minnows.

Very small viviparous fishes living in schools in fresh and brackish waters of
United States, Mexico, Central America, and West Indies, the males smaller than
the females and apparently much less numerous. Body elongate, deeper in
female; mouth of moderate size, both jaws with a band of immovable pointed
teeth; scales large; fins small, anal fin in male modified into a sexual organ;
colors plain. One species found in North Carolina. (Gambusia, from the
Cuban word gambusino, meaning “nothing’’.)

130. GAMBUSIA AFFINIS (Baird & Girard).
Top Minnow.

Heterandria affinis Baird & Girard, Proceedings Academy Natural Sciences Philadelphia, 1853, 390; Rio Medina
and Rio Salado, Texas.

Haplochilus melanops Cope, 18706, 457; ‘Still water of Neuse basin, Wake County, N. C.’’

Zygonectes atrilatus Jordan & Brayton, 1878, 84; Little River at Goldsboro. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 368;
Neuse River.

Gambusia patruelis, Jenkins, 1885,11; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 26; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 86; Beaufort
Jordan, 1889b, 126, 129; Tar and Neuse rivers. Smith, 1893a, 191, 195, 199; Pasquotank and Roanoke
rivers and Edenton Bay

Gambusia affinis, Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River near Raleigh Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 680,
pl. exiii, figs. 289, 289a. :

Diaanosis.—Form plump, depth abruptly reduced posterior to dorsal and anal fins;
greatest depth a little less than .25 length; head about .25 length; eye .33 length of head; snout
with upward inclination, less marked in male; scales in lateral series 27 to 32, in transverse
series 7 to 10; dorsal fin placed far back, its origin posterior to or over last anal ray, dorsal rays
7 to 9; anal rays 8 to 10. Color: light olive, each scale with a dark edge, a fine dark line along
sides, sometimes a dark blotch below eye, a dark purplish blotch on side above vent (absent in
male), dorsal with 2 or 3 transverse rows of black spots, anal dark-edged (plain in male), cau-

be

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 153

dal with 3 or 4 irregular transverse rows of dark spots, other fins dusky; examples from ditches
and drains are very pale, those from dark-colored water of swamps are dark green, with a dis
tinct purple bar below eye. (ajfinis, related.) ;

Fig. 58. Tor Minnow. Gambusia affinis. Male.

The top minnow is found along the coast from Delaware to Mexico and
reaches inland as far as Illinois. In North Carolina it is excessively abundant
in the lowlands, in swamps, ditches, creeks, and also in the open waters of the
rivers. Roadside ditches and drains in the Albemarle region teem with the
species, and it is there that the aptness of the name top minnow is readily appre-
ciated. It also abounds in the Wilmington region, and doubtless along the
entire coastal region of the state.

The length of the adult female is 1.25 to 2.5 inches, while that of the male
rarely exceeds 1 inch and is often under .75 inch. The proportion of males to
females in a lot of specimens collected by the writer in Pasquotank River was 1
to 3, but there is usually a greater disparity, the males sometimes representing
only 2 or 3 per cent.

Fig. 59. Tor Minnow. Gambusia affinis. Female.

_ This is one of the most interesting of our fishes because it brings forth its
young alive. The young are born in spring and summer, and probably several
broods are produced in one season. From 10 to 30 are expelled at one time;

154 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

these are .37 inch long and are able to swim at once. The old fish, at least in
aquaria, often devour the young as soon as born.

The top minnow feeds on mosquitoes and other insects, the larvee of mos-
quitoes being the principal food in some places at proper season. Because of its
mosquito-eating propensity, the species plays an important rdéle, and its intro-
duction into malarious and yellow-fever regions is strongly advocated Vege-
table matter, in the form of diatoms, desmids, and filamentous algz, is also
eaten.

Genus HETERANDRIA Agassiz. Top Minnows.

Very small, viviparous fishes inhabiting swamps, ditches, and sluggish
streams of southern United States, Central America, and West Indies; similar to
Gambusia in form and habits. Mouth small, jaws weak, a single row of slender, °
movable teeth in each jaw, lower jaw short; fins small; anal fin in advance of
dorsal, modified in the male as in Gambusia. One species is found in South
Atlantic States. (Heterandria, different male.)

131. HETERANDRIA FORMOSA Agassiz.
Top Minnow.

Heterandria formosa Agassiz, Ms., 1853; Girard, Proceedings Academy Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 1859,
62; Charleston, S. C., Palatka, Fla. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 687, pl. cxiv, fig. 302.

DraGNnosis.—Body short, slightly compressed, depth .25 total length; length of head con-
tained 3.5 to 3.6 times in total length; mouth terminal, lower jaw slightly projecting; eye .33
length of head and 1.5 times snout; scales in lateral series 24 to 28; dorsal fin with 7 rays, its
origin over middle of anal; anal rays 6 to 9; caudal long, .2 length of body. Color: brownish
green; a dark band from mouth to caudal, ending at base of latter in a black spot; 6 to 9 verti-
cal dark streaks; a black spot at base of dorsal and anal. (formosa, comely.)

Fig. 60. Tor Minnow. Heterandria formosa.

This is one of the smallest of fishes, the female being only 1 inch long and the
male .75 inch. The ascribed range is from South Carolina to Florida in black-
water swamps and ditches, but it has recently been found in the vicinity of
Wilmington, N. C., by Mr. W. P. Seal, who has forwarded a number of specimens
to the National Museum. Mr. Seal states that the species abounds in cypress
ponds and tidal ditches in that region, in company with Umbra, Fundulus,
Gambusia, and other small fishes characteristic of the lowland waters.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 155

Family AMBLYOPSIDA. The Blind-fishes.

This singular American family is composed of small, ovoviviparous fishes
with primitive or rudimentary eyes, living in caves, swamps, and ditches of the
Southern and South Central states. Superficially these fishes resemble the
Peciliide, but the mouth is much larger, the scales are finer, the ventral fins are
absent or rudimentary, and the vent is placed far forward. Other characters of
this family are an elongate body, compressed posteriorly; long, flat head; pro-
jecting under jaw; edge of upper jaw formed by a long premaxillary; jaws and
palatines with bands of sharp, slender teeth; short gill-rakers; branchial mem-
branes connected with the isthmus; lateral line absent; air-bladder present;
ovary single; single dorsal fin with few rays, placed about midway between end of
snout and end of tail; anal similar to and opposite dorsal; caudal rounded, pointed
or truncate; and pectorals rather long and pointed. Of the 4 or 5 known genera,
only one is represented coastwise, and that has functional eyes and a pigmented
skin, all the others having skin-covered eyes and colorless body.

Genus CHOLOGASTER Agassiz. Swamp Minnows.

liyes small; pyloric cceca 2; ventral fins absent. Three or more species, one
found coastwise in the South Atlantic region. (Chologaster, maimed belly.)

132. CHOLOGASTER CORNUTUS Agassiz.
Fish of the Dismal Swamp.
Chologaster cornutus Agassiz, American Journal Science and Arts, 1853, 135; Waccamaw, S. C., in rice-field
ditch. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 703, pl. exv, fig. 305; Dismal Swamp to Okefinokee Swamp.

Chologaster avitus Jordan & Jenkins, in Jordan, 1889a, 356, pl. 44; outlet of Lake Drummond, Dismal Swamp,
near Suffolk, Va.

Diacnosis.—Body elongate, depth about .16 length; head .33 length; eye .10 to .12 head,
.5 snout; maxillary reaching tofront of eye; gill-membranes covering the vent; scales in lateral
series about 70; dorsal rays 8 or 9, the longest but little more than half length of head; anal
rays 8 or 9, shorter than dorsal; caudal pointed, about length of head; pectorals .66 length of
head. Color: body and head dark brown above, white below; sides with 3 narrow longi-
tudinal black stripes, the middle one extending across eye and snout; dorsal white with dark
spots; a black blotch at base of tail, beyond which a white area or bar, the posterior .5 to .6
of tail black. (cornutus, horned, in allusion to the flaps of the nostrils.)

Although long known from Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia, this
species has only recently been reported from North Carolina. Mr. Wm. P. Seal
has collected the fish in a large cypress pond near Wilmington where it is “‘about
as abundant as non-gregarious species generally are—such as Umbra and
Aphredoderus”’; he has also found it in tidal ditches in the same section, in com-
pany with Gambusia and Heterandria, In Lake Ellis, Craven County, the fish
is common, according to Mr. C. 8. Brimley; and it may be looked for in other
parts of North Carolina in suitable situations. The maximum length does not
exceed 2.5 inches.

156 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Order SYNENTOGNATHI. The Gars, Half-beaks, and Flying-fishes.
Family BELONIDA. The Needle-fishes and Marine Gars.

The fishes of this family are easily distinguishable by a very elongate, slender
body covered with minute scales; jaws produced so as to form a long, sharp bill,
and armed with numerous sharp teeth; and long, faleate dorsal and anal fins
occupying about the posterior fourth of the body length. They resemble the
gar pikes (Lepisosteide), but are more attenuated, have much thinner scales,
and are typically salt-water fishes. The lower jaw is slightly longer than the
upper, and in the young is relatively much longer; the maxillaries and premaxil-
laries are firmly united; the teeth are in a band in each jaw and in patches on the
upper and lower pharyngeal bones; the distinct and continucus lateral line is
placed very low on the side and forms a kind of fold. The needle-fishes are
voracious devourers of small fish, which they catch with great facility. Some of
the species have the habit of rushing from the water and making a series of pro-
digious leaps, renewing their impetus by a powerful flexion of the tail as it comes
in contact with the surface. Such species are known as hound-fish, and are
dangerous to fishermen, as their speed is such that they may penetrate the
fishermen’s body like an arrow. The two American genera are thus distin-
guished:

i. Body only slightly compressed, the width more than .66 the depth ......... TYLOSURUS.
ii. Body greatly compressed, the width less than .5 the depth.............. ATHLENNES.

Genus TYLOSURUS Cocco. Gar-fishes; Bill-fishes; Needle-fishes; Hound-fishes.

Large or moderate sized marine fishes, entering bays and estuaries, and some
species often found in fresh water. The slender body is either about as thick as
deep or is very slightly compressed; the color is plain green or blue above, white
below, with a silvery reflection; the gill-rakers are mere rudiments; the lateral
line extends along the side of the belly and becomes median on the slender caudal
peduncle; the caudal fin is more or less deeply forked; the ventrals and pectorals
are small, the former inserted posterior to middle of body but well separated
from the anal. The numerous species are American, and 4 are known from the
North Carolina coast, while several others may from time to time straggle there
from the tropics.

Key to the North Carolina species of Tylosurus.

i. Dorsal rays 1,14 or 1,15; anal fin larger than dorsal, its rays 1,17 or 1,18; scales in lateral series
BOUL: SOQ). 6 5. save sais's ode cea haus bape my gacdice Sa Ore aeeiig eae hae epee ae Pepe marinus.
it. pose rays 1,21 to 1,24; anal rays 1,21 to 1,24; scales in lateral series 350 or more, or less
than 275. ;
a. Bill comparatively short and strong, its length less than twice that of remainder of
head; scales in lateral series about 350)... 5...2 a2 10 - ae sma coe woe ace eee raphidoma.
aa. Bill long, at least twice length of remainder of head.
b. Upper jaw not arched at base; no lateral stripe; greatest depth of body .66 length of

pectoral; scales:in lateral series about 380). ..,. dee.2 se cc's sees bei ee acus.
bb. Upper jaw conspicuously arched at base; a bluish lateral stripe; greatest depth of
body .75 length of pectoral; scales in lateral series about 255......... caribbeus.

(Tylosurus, callous-tailed.)

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. Lb?

1338. TYLOSURUS MARINUS (Walbaum).
“Bill-fish’’; ‘‘Gar-fish’’; ‘‘Green Gar’’; ‘‘Doctor-fish’’.

Esox marinus Walbaum, Artedi Genera Piscium, iii, 88, 1792.

Belone longirostris, Yarrow, 1877, 214; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 383; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert,
1879, 368; Neuse River at Goldsboro.

Tylosurus marinus, Jordan, 1886, 26; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 86; Beaufort. Smith, 1893a, 191, 195;
Pasquotank River and Edenton Bay. Linton, 1905, 356; Beaufort.

Draaenosis.—Body slender, its greatest depth contained about 5.5 times in head; head
more than .3 total length; upper jaw (anterior to eye) .22 total length and twice length of
remainder of head; eye large, .4 postorbital part of head; maxillary only partly concealed by
preorbital; scales in lateral series about 300; lateral line forming a slight keel on caudal
peduncle; dorsal fin slightly faleate, the rays 1,14 or 1,15, the last rays not elongated; anal fin
shaped like dorsal, the rays 1,17 or 1,18; caudal slightly forked; pectorals about length of post-
orbital part of head; origm of ventrals midway between preopercle and base of caudal.
Color: uniform green above, silvery on sides, white below; a narrow silvery lengthwise stripe; a
dark bar on opercle; fins olivaceous; keel on tail not black. (marinus, of the sea.)

Fig. 61. Gar-FisH; Biti-FisH. Tylosurus marinus.

This fish, which is found from Massachusetts to Texas, is common on the
North Carolina coast, where it is the most abundant and most familiar member of
the family. The local name most often heard is “gar-fish”. Dr. Yarrow’s note
on the species at Beaufort in 1873 is:

Quite abundant; appearingin Beaufort Inletin February. At this timeitswims in schools
and many are takenin nets. When swimming near the surface of the water it will readily take
the hook. Is eaten by poor fishermen and negroes, and the flesh is said to be good. The
largest specimen seen measured 24 inches in length.

The well known habit of the species of entering fresh water is strikingly
exhibited in North Carolina. During spring it runs into Albemarle Sound, and
is not rare in the lower part of its tributaries, being often caught in nets and
seines; it is there known as “ green gar”, and is sometimes called “doctor-fish”” by
the Edenton fishermen. Jordan & Gilbert record the fish from the Neuse at
Goldsboro. The maximum length of the species is about 4 feet, the average
about 1.5 to 2 feet.

The gar is a surface swimmer and feeder, and preys chiefly on small fish like
anchovies and silversides Its movements are very swift, and it seldom fails to
catch the luckless minnow to which it gives chase.

Little is known of the spawning of the gars, except that the eggs are depos-
ited in summer in the bays and estuaries.

The flesh of the gar is very palatable, and should be generally eaten; but at
present the fish has no commercial value, and in North Carolina, when utilized at
all, is eaten only by negro fishermen. The peculiar green color of the skeleton
may perhaps account for the prejudice which many people entertain.

158 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

134. TYLOSURUS RAPHIDOMA (Ranzani).
Hound-fish.

Belone raphidoma Ranzani, Novi Commentarii Academiz Scientiarum Instituti Bononiensis, v, 1842, 359,
pl. 37, fig. 1; Brazil.
Tylosurus raphidoma, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 715, pl. exvi, fig. 308. Linton, 1905, 357; Beaufort.

DraGnosis.—Body slightly compressed, comparatively short, the depth about .08 total
length with caudal, equal to postorbital part of head and contained less than 4 times in total
length of head; head less than .33 length, broad; space between eyes about .66 length of post-
orbital part of head, with a broad shallow groove; jaws comparatively short, strong, upper
jaw (anterior to eye) less than 2 times remainder of head; teeth large, strong, knife-like; eye
less than .33 postorbital part of head and contained 1.8 times in interorbital space; maxillary
entirely covered by preorbital; scales in lateral series about 350; cheeks closely scaled, opercles
sealed only anteriorly; dorsal rays 21 to 24, height of longest rays about equal to postorbital
region; anal rays 22 to 24, the fin similar to dorsal; caudal deeply concave, the upper lobe much
longer than lower; ventrals inserted halfway between eye and base of caudal, their length less
than pectorals. Color: green above, silvery on sides and below, no lateral stripe; dorsal, cau-
dal, and pectorals blackish; caudal keel black. (raphidoma, from raphis, asharp instrument.)

This large hound-fish is a rare straggler to the United States coast north of
Florida, its normal range being the West Indies and northern South America.
The only North Carolina record is that of a 3-foot specimen taken at Beaufort
August 26,1901. The species attains a length of 5 feet, and is a hound-fish par
excellence, its leaps out of the water making it dangerous to fishermen.

135. TYLOSURUS ACUS (Lacépede).
Hound-fish; Gar-fish.

Sphyrena acus Lacépede, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, v, 6, pl. 1, fig. 2, 1803; Martinique.
?Belone hians, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 383; Beaufort.

Tylosurus caribbeus, Jordan, 1886, 26; Beaufort.

?Tylosurus acus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 717, pl. exvi, fig. 309; Beaufort, etc.

Fig. 62. Hounp-risu. Tylosurus acus.

Draanosts.—Body slightly compressed, its depth .05 total length and .66 length of pec-
torals; head flattened above, with a median groove expanding posteriorly into a triangular
space, length of head contained a little more than 3 times in total length; beak strong, about
twice length of remainder of head; eye .1 length of head, equal to interorbital width; teeth
large, sharp, about 60 in each jaw; scales in lateral series about 380; caudal keel strong; several
folds of skin across opercle; dorsal fin arising slightly in advance of anal, falcate, the developed
rays 23 or 24; anal fin falcate, the rays 21 or 22, thelast ray considerably anterior to last dorsal;

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 159

caudal deeply forked; length of pectorals a little less than postorbital part of head; ventrals
short, about .14 length of head, their base midway between eye and caudalbase. Color: green
above, silvery white on sides and below; no lateral stripe; caudal keel black; anterior dorsal
and pectoral rays blackish, other fins whitish. (acus, needle.)

A large West Indian gar-fish, straying to the east coast of the United States
as far north as Massachusetts. The North Carolina records are somewhat uncer-
tain, owing to the difficulty in determining Just what species were represented by
Belone hians of Jordan & Gilbert (1879) and Tylosurus caribbeus of Jordan (1886).
There is no doubt, however, that the present species properly belongs in the state
list, for on June 17, 1904, a specimen 4.5 inches long was seined in Beaufort
Harbor and is preserved in the laboratory; this little example is green above,
silvery on the sides, and white below, with all the fins white except the posterior
division of the dorsal, which is black, this color extending on the tail. Later
in the season a second specimen was taken at Beaufort by Dr. G. W. Gudger.

Jordan & Evermann (1896) base a Beaufort record for Tylosurus acus on
Jordan’s Tylosurus caribbeus of 1886, which in turn was founded on Jordan &
Gilbert’s Belone hians of 1879. Under the last name Jordan & Gilbert recorded
one specimen obtained by them at Beaufort in 1877, and stated that Professor
Goode had received a number of others from the North Carolina coast in the
same summer.

136. TYLOSURUS CARIBBAUS (LeSueur).
“Gar-fish’’; Hound-fish.

Belone caribbea LeSueur, Journal Academy Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, ii, 1821, 127; Caribbean Sea.
Tylosurus caribbeus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 717, West Indies. Linton, 1905, 358; Beaufort.

DraGnosis.—Body compressed, broad, very long, the depth .05 total length with caudal;
head contained 3.4 times in length; jaws long, slender, and not closing completely; upper jaw
(anterior to eye) more than 2 times length of remainder of head; teeth rather weak; eye about
.10 length of entire head and .5 postorbital region; scales in lateral series 250 to 260; dorsal rays,
24, the origin slightly behind anal, lobe low, posterior rays slightly elevated; anal rays 22, the fin
similar to dorsal; caudal fin moderately forked, upper lobe longer; a strong keel on peduncle;
ventrals inserted half-way between pupil and base of caudal. Color: green above, bluish white
on sides and below; a faint bluish lateral stripe; fins bluish. (Named after Caribbean Sea.)

This gar-fish has heretofore been known only from the West Indies. In
August, 1902, 8 specimens were obtained in the bight of Cape Lookout by assist-
ants of the Bureau of Fisheries. One of the examples, examined by Professor
Linton, had been feeding on small crustaceans and insects.

Genus ATHLENNES Jordan & Fordice. Flat-sided Gars.

From Tylosurus this genus may be easily distinguished by the much com-
pressed body and the strongly arched base of the upper jaw. One species.
(Athlennes, without slime.)

137. ATHLENNES HIANS (Cuvier & Valenciennes).
Gar-fish.

Belone hians Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, xviii, 432, 1846; Havana; Bahia.
Tylosurus hians, Jenkins, 1885, 11; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 26; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 86; Beaufort.
Athlennes hians, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 718.

160 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Dracenosis. —Body elongate, strongly compressed, the depth more than twice breadth and
.9 length; jaws long, slender, twice length of remainder of head, upper jaw with an upward
curve at base; maxillary covered by preorbital; eye .4 length of postorbital part of head; scales
minute, over 500 in lateral series; a fold of skin across preopercle; dorsal fin faleate, beginning in
advance of anal, the rays 1,24; anal fin faleate, the rays 1,25; caudal deeply forked; pectorals
long and faleate; ventrals inserted nearer to anterior edge of eye than to base of caudal. Color:
green above, silvery on sides; no lateral stripe; fins black-tipped; young with dark blotches.
(hians, gaping.)

The normal range of this gar in the Atlantic is from Florida to Brazil, but
stragglers have from time to time been reported to the northward as far as Massa-
chusetts (whence the present writer recorded the species). The first North
Carolina record was that of Dr. Jenkins, who reported the species as common at
Beaufort in 1885, not being distinguished from T'ylosurus marinus by the fisher-
men. A specimen 14 inches long was taken atBeaufort in the summer of 1903,
and in 1905 various others were caught in a pound net in the harbor: 1 August 11,
and other August 21, and 5 young August 23. The maximum length attained is
about 3 feet, and the habits are similar to those of the related gars.

Family HEMIRHAMPHID. The Half-beaks or Balaos.

Small shore fishes, the typical forms readily distinguished by their greatly
produced lower jaw. The general shape is similar to that of the gars. Body
elongate, compressed; upper jaw short and forming a flexible, flat, triangular
plate; lower jaw (in local species) very long and slender, with a membranous flap
below, toothed only at the base where it is in contact with upper jaw; maxillary
firmly united to premaxillary; teeth small, tricuspid; gill-rakers long and slender;
lateral line placed low on side; scales large, cycloid, in regular rows; air-bladder
large; dorsal and anal fins small, on posterior third of total length; caudal forked
or lunate; ventrals small, posterior, placed nearer to anal fin than to gill-open-
ing; pectorals small. Species numerous, surface-swimming, and herbivorous;
some Old World forms are viviparous. Of the 4 American genera 2 are repre-
sented in North Carolina, and may be thus distinguished:

i. Sides of body convex; air-bladder not cellular; ventrals inserted considerably in advance of

dorsal; dorsal and’ anal similar! and) opposite sana. eine eee oe HyYPORHAMPHUS.
ii. Sides of body flat, vertical; air-bladder cellular; ventrals inserted but little anterior to dorsal;
dorsal larger than anal and beginning anterior to anal .............. HEMIRHAMPHUS.

Genus HYPORHAMPHUS Gill. Half-beaks.

Form slender, compressed, the sides more or less bulging; body scales
large, deciduous, top of head covered with large plate-like scales; dorsal and anal
fins low, and alike in size and relative position; caudal fin slightly forked or
deeply incised, the lobes of about equal length; ventrals very small, inserted
about midway between gill-opening and caudal base; air-bladder large and
simple; sides with a bright silvery band. Three or four American species, only
one of which ranges along our east coast. (Hyporhamphus, beaked below.)

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES, 161

138. HYPORHAMPHUS ROBERTI (Cuvier & Valenciennes).
“Red-billed Gar’’; Half-beak.

Hemirhamphus roberti Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, xix, 24,1846; Cayenne. Jordan»

1886, 26; Beaufort.

Hemirhamphus unifasciatus, Yarrow, 1877, 214; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 383; Beaufort.

Hyporhamphus roberti, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 721, pl. exvii, fig. 312; Beaufort, ete. Linton, 1905, 358;
Beaufort.

Hyporhamphus unifasciatus, Jenkins, 1887, 86; Cape Lookout.

DraGnosis.—Dorsal and ventral outlines similar; depth contained 12 or 13 times in fotal
length and 9 times in length without lower jaw; head with lower jaw contained 2.3 times in
total length, head without lower jaw 4.3 times; lower jaw (shorter in young) .25 total length;
premaxillary plate (upper jaw) rather broader than long; eye large, more than .25 length of
head without lower jaw; scales in lateral series 54; dorsal and anal fins opposite and of the same
size, posterior rays not produced; dorsal rays 14 to 16; anal rays 15 to 17; caudal moderately
forked; pectorals short, about equal to postorbital part of head; ventrals small, but little
longer than diameter of eye, inserted about half-way between gill-opening and posterior end of
dorsal base. Color: green above, silvery white on sides, a bright silvery longitudinal stripe
narrower than eye; scales of back dark-edged; anterior dorsal and analrays and tips of caudal
blackish; filamentous tip of lower jaw red; peritoneum black. (Named for Mons. Robert, a
Frenchman who collected fish for Valenciennes at Cayenne.)

Fig. 63. Hatr-peax. Hyporhamphus robertt.

Inhabits both coasts of North and South America, and is common on our
Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It appears to visit the North Carolina coast in spring
and remains throughout thesummer. In Beaufort Harbor it is abundant about
shoals and sandy islands. Yarrow, who gives it the name of red-billed gar, has
the following note regarding it in that region:

Abundant during the latter part of August and entire month of September. This species
appears to feed along the beach in shallow water, and may be readily taken at night with a
torch and scoop net. It is also found in the channel and along the edges of shoals where blue-
fish congregate, this fish devouring enormous numbers.

On April 23, 1904, the writer caught about 50 specimens, 7 to 10 inches long,
in two seine-hauls on Bird Shoal, Beaufort Harbor, in company with gars, silver-
sides, anchovies, mullets, pin-fish, spots, etc. In August, 1899, many examples
3 to 4 inches long were cast up on Shackleford Beach near Beaufort Inlet.

The food of this and other half-beaks consists almost exclusively of green
alge. A few small crustaceans are sometimes found in the stomach, but these
are probably eaten incidentally with the seaweed.

The fish reaches a length of a foot or a little more, and is quite palatable, but
is only sparingly eaten in the United States.

Genus HEMIRHAMPHUS Cuvier. Half-beaks; Balaos.

Similar to Hyporhamphus, but the body stouter, the sides more compressed
and flat, the dorsal larger than the anal and inserted in advance of it, the ven-

162 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

trals inserted only slightly in front of dorsal and much nearer to base of caudal
than to branchial opening, the air-bladder divided by many partitions, and the
caudal more deeply forked. One Cuban species and the following, which has
been described under many names. (Hemirhamphus, half-beak.)

139. HEMIRHAMPHUS BRASILIENSIS (Linneus).
Half-beak; Balao.

Esox brasiliensis Linneus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 1758, 314; Jamaica.
Hemirhamphus brasiliensis, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 722, pl. exvii, fig. 313.

Draenosis.—Depth contained 6.75 in length (excluding lower jaw); head with lower jaw
contained 2.66 in total length, head without lower jaw 5 times in length; lower jaw (from tip of
upper jaw) nearly half longer than head and contained 4.5 times in total length; upper jaw
broader than long; eye large, .25 length of head (without lower jaw) and more than half length
of postorbital part of head; scales in lateral series about 53; dorsal rays 14, the longest less than
twice diameter of eye, the posterior rays somewhat produced; anal fin beginning about under
middle of dorsal, the rays 12, the posterior rays produced; caudal deeply forked, the lower lobe
much longer than upper; ventrals very small, inserted in advance of dorsal about length of
longest dorsal ray; length of pectorals about equal to depth of body. Color: above rich bluish
green, sides silvery, no lateral stripe; bill blackish with a scarlet or orange tip, the membrane
white-edged; dorsal lobe and upper caudal lobe orange yellow; ventrals yellow-edged. (brasili-
ensis, inhabiting Brazil.)

See ale AA
VAAN
M A Mi Sad) J
~ Ti

Fig. 64. Hatr-peax. Hemirhamphus brasiliensis.

On the coast north of Florida this fish is a straggler and heretofore has
been recorded only from Chesapeake Bay and Woods Hole, Mass. A specimen
one foot long was taken in Beaufort Harbor in July, 1899, and is included in
the laboratory record on the authority of Prof. H. V. Wilson. Another, about
10 inches long, was taken in the harbor on June 9, 1904, by Mr. Barton A. Bean,
of the U.S. National Museum. This species is abundant from Florida to Brazil,
reaches a length of 15 inches, and is said to be a good food fish.

Family SCOMBRESOCIDAL. The Sauries.

Pelagic fishes of temperate regions, having a strong superficial resemblance
to the mackerels (Secombride) in shape, color, and habits. The elongate body is
compressed; one or both jaws are prolonged to form a very weak, slender beak,
with feeble teeth; the maxillary and premaxillary are strongly united; the
numerous gill-rakers are long and slender; the scales are small, thin, and decid-
uous; the fins are small, the dorsal and anal being similar, and posterior to each
is a series of finlets as in the mackerels. Several genera, of which only one is
found in the Atlantic.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 163

Genus SCOMBRESOX Lacépéde. Sauries; Skippers.

Both jaws prolonged, forming a slender bill longer than remainder of head,
the lower jaw the longer; the jaws short in the young; air-bladder large; lateral
line near ventral edge of body, formed of minute rounded pores; opercle partly
covered with small scales. One American species. (Scombresox, mackerel-pike.)

140. SCOOMBRESOX SAURUS (Walbaum).
Skipper; Saury.
Esox saurus Walbaum, Artedi Genera Piscium, iii, 93, 1792; Cornwall.
Scombresox scutellatus, Yarrow, 1877, 214; Beaufort.
Scombresox saurus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 725, pl. exvii, fig. 314.

DraGNnosis.—Body elongate, compressed, the depth .11 total length, .13 length without
bill; head broad on top, tapering evenly to the beak, its length contained 3.4 times in total
length of body, head without bill contained 5 times in length; eye .33 length of postorbital part
of head; jaws very slender, distance from eye to end of lower jaw .2 total length; scales in lateral
line about 115, 8 rows of scales on upper part of opercle; dorsal fin small and low, the rays 10 or
11, followed by 5 finlets; anal similar to dorsal, but longer and beginning slightly in advance of
it, the rays 12 or 13, with 6 finlets; caudal well forked, the peduncle slender; pectorals shorter
than postorbital part of head; ventrals about twice diameter of eye, their base half-way from
front of eye to caudal base. Color: greenish brown on back to upper level of eye, sides and
belly silvery, a silvery lateral band about width of eye. (saurus, lizard.)

Fig. 65. Sxrpper; Saury. Scombresox saurus.

A species of the open sea, going in immense schools and preyed on by mack-
erel, tunny, etc.; rare south of Cape Cod. Recorded from Beaufort by Yarrow,
but not found by others and evidently only a straggler. Yarrow’s references to
the size of this species and to taking it with hook-and-line, and his use of the
name ‘‘sea pike”, indicate a mistaken identification. That the fish he had in
mind may have been the lizard-fish (Synodus fetens) is suggested by the omission
from his list of that very common species, which bites freely at the baited hook
and is known as “pike” in the Beaufort region.

Family EXOCGITID. The Flying-fishes.

The flying-fishes are found in the warmer parts of all seas, and are familiar
to all persons who have cruised in temperate or tropical waters, being numerous
in both species and individuals. They for the most part inhabit the open seas,
but sometimes come close inshore, and are often found in abundance about
isolated islands.

These fishes may be instantly recognized by their enormously developed
filmy pectoral fins, which are inserted high on the side of the body and when
expanded suggest wings. The form of body is elongate, and not greatly com-
pressed; head rather short; mouth small, terminal, margin of upper jaw formed

164 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

chiefly by the premaxillaries, which are not joined to the maxillaries; jaw teeth
small and weak; eye large; nostrils large, double, and close to eye; gill-mem-
branes not connected, and free from isthmus; pseudobranchie glandular; air-
bladder large and extending far backward; scales rather large, cycloid, covering
entire body and most of head; lateral line on level with ventral fins; dorsal fin
placed posteriorly, relatively small, and containing only soft rays; anal opposite
and similar to dorsal, but smaller; caudal deeply forked, the lower lobe much the
longer; ventrals abdominal, usually large and placed posteriorly.

The ‘‘flight”’ of the flying-fishes has been much discussed. Many people
have contended that the greatly enlarged pectoral fins are veritable wings and are
used as birds’ wings are, while others have held that the propelling force is in the
tail and that the pectorals are incapable of rapid and active flapping. With
regard to this question it may be stated that the shape and structure of the pec-
torals, the nature of their insertion, and the position and character of their mus-
cular attachments prevent the use of these fins in the air except as sailing or
balancing organs. The flight of Cypselurus calijornicus, the largest and most
powerful of the family, has been studied under particularly favorable cireum-
stances, and is thus described by Jordan and Evermann (1896, p. 730):

The flying-fishes live in the open sea, swimming in large schools. They will ‘‘fly” a dis-
tance of from a few rods to more than an eighth of a mile, rarely rising more than 3 or 4 feet
Their movements in the water are extremely rapid; the sole source of motive power is the
action of the strong tail while in the water. No force is acquired while the fish is in the air.
On rising from the water, the movements of the tail are continued until the whole body is out
of the water. While the tail is in motion, the pectorals seem to be in a state of rapid vibration,
but this is apparent only, due to the resistance of the air to the motions of the animal. While
the tail is in the water, the ventrals are folded. When the action of the tail ceases, the pect-
orals and ventrals are spread and held at rest. They are not used as wings, but act rather
as parachutes to hold the body in the air. When the fish begins to fall, the tail touches the
water, when its motion again begins, and with it the apparent motion of the pectorals. It is
thus enabled to resume its flight, which it finishes finally with a splash. While in the air it
resembles a large dragon-fly. The motion is very swift, at first in a straight line, but later
deflected into a curve. The motion has no relation to the direction of the wind. When a
vessel is passing through a school of these fishes, they spring up before it, moving in all direc-
tions, as grasshoppers in a meadow.

In addition to the species actually known from the coast of North Carolina,
various others undoubtedly occur and will in time be detected. The genera
represented by these species are thus differentiated:

i. Pectoral fins of moderate length, not extending beyond middle of dorsal fin; dorsal fin very

high; body elliptical im -eress- section G4. «pin. o ee eo eee sree rien PAREXOC@TUS.

ii. Pectoral fins very long, extending beyond base of dorsal and in some species to base of
caudal; dorsal fin low; body angular in cross section.

a. Ventral fins small and inserted nearer tip of snout than base of caudal, their ends not ex-

tending as far asidorsall s24..i0.0 1c assess occas 2a 2 he eis see eee Exocetus.

aa. Ventral fins large and inserted nearer base of caudal than end of snout, their ends reaching

beyond origin of dorsal 24 2).2 =< sie acto dele ieee ee ae ae ee cane Eee CYPSELURUS.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 165

Genus PAREXOCCETUS Bleeker. Flying-fishes.

Small flying-fishes with sides of body rounded, not angular; snout short;
lower jaw not projecting; teeth-on jaws and on vomer, palatines, and pterygoids;
dorsal fin elevated; pectorals not reaching beyond middle of dorsal base; ventrals
long and placed behind middle of body. (Parexocetus, near Exocetus.)

141. PAREXOC@TUS MESOGASTER (Bloch).
Flying-fish.

Exocetus mesogaster Bloch, Ichthyologie, 1795, pl. 399; Martinique.
Parexocetus mesogaster, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 728.

Diaqnosis.—Depth .2 total length; head narrow, its length a little greater than body
depth; snout pointed, its length contained a little over 4 times in length of head; eye .33 length
of head and equal to the flat interorbital space; gill-rakers long and numerous; scales in lateral
series about 38; dorsal rays 12, the longest longer than head and longer than dorsal base; anal
rays 13; length of pectorals .5 to .6 length of body, the tips extending to middle of dorsal fin;
ventrals inserted midway between eye and base of caudal, their length more than .2 total length,
and their tips extending beyond beginning of anal. Color: blue on upper half of body, silvery
below; dorsal white, except upper part of anterior rays, which is black; anal with small black
dots; caudal dusky reddish; pectorals and ventrals white, dusky in young. (mesogaster, middle

_ belly, in allusion to position of ventrals.)

es

A widely distributed species, known from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian
oceans. On the east coast of the United States it has been found as far north as
Rhode.Island. Although there are no definite North Carolina records, Jordan
and Evermann say ‘‘it is the: commonest flying-fish of the Carolina region’’, and
it will doubtless eventually be taken in the state. The sizeis small, probably not
exceeding 7 inches.

Genus EXOCCTUS Linneus. Flying-fishes.

Body quite elongate, with flattened sides; head rather short; snout blunt;
pectorals exceedingly long, extending to base of caudal; ventrals short, inserted
anteriorly, their tips not reaching as farasdorsal. (Hzocxtus, sleeping outside.)

142. EXOC@TUS VOLITANS Linnezus.
Flying-fish.

Exocetus volitans Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 316, 1758.

Exocetus evolans Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 521, 1766.

Halocypselus evolans, Jordan & Gilbert, 383, 1879; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 26; Beaufort. Jordan & Ever-
mann, 1896, 729.

DiaGnosts.—Greatest depth of body contained 5.3 times in total length; head .25 total
length; snout less than eye, contained 4.5 in head; eye large, about .25 length of head; interor-
bital region flattened, .33 length of head; gill-rakers long and slender; scales in lateral series
about 40; dorsal rays 13, the longest less than half length of head; anal similar to dorsal in
size and shape, its rays 13; lower caudal lobe .25 longer than head; pectorals .75 length of body,
tips extending to base of caudal; first ray simple, second ray divided, ventrals only half length
of head, inserted midway between tip of snout and last anal ray. Color: upper parts olivaceous;
dorsal and anal pale, a white streak on anal base; caudal dusky; pectorals dark above, with
white lower margins; ventrals white; young with 2 dark cross-bands. (volitans, flying.)

166 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

A very widely distributed and abundant species, found on both shores of
the Atlantic and also in parts of the Pacific. According to Jordan & Evermann
(1896), it is not uncommon on our Atlantic coast, where it spawns in summer.
One young specimen was taken in Beaufort Harbor by Jordan & Gilbert in
1878. :

Genus CYPSELURUS Swainson. Flying-fishes.

This genus includes numerous species, found in warm seas in all parts of the
world. The elongate body is broad above, with sides compressed and flattened;
the head is short, blunt, with small mouth and feeble teeth; the pectoral fins
extend at least as far as beginning of anal; the long ventrals are inserted nearer
to base of caudal than to end of snout, and reach beyond the origin of the anal.
Besides the two following species recorded from the state, three or four others
(rondeletti, vinciquerre, heterurus, furcatus) may be looked for:

i. Anal rays 11 or 12; longest dorsal ray .4 head; ventrals inserted about midway from postervior
margin of preoperele to base of caudal; depth contained 6.2 times in length. .speculiger.

wi. Anal rays 8 or 9; longest dorsal ray .5 head; ventrals inserted about midway from center of
pupil to base of caudal; depth contained 5.2 to 5.5 times in length ............ lutkeni.

(Cypselurus, swallow-tailed.)

143. CYPSELURUS SPECULIGER (Cuvier & Valenciennes).
Flying-fish.

Exocetus speculiger Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, xix, 93, 1846; Indian Ocean
Pacific Ocean, etc.

Exocetus volitans, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 734, pl. exviii, fig. 318. (Not EZ. volitans Linnzus.)

Exocetus melanurus, Yarrow, 1877, 214; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 383; Beaufort (after Yarrow).

Exonautes speculiger, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2836.

Dracnosis.—Form slender, the depth less than one sixth length; length of head con-
tained 4.25 times in total length; snout .25 length of head; eye contained a little less than 3
times in head; scales in lateral series about 55; dorsal rays 11 to 13, the longest .4 length of
head; anal rays 11 to 13, the longest .33 length of head; pectorals extending beyond dorsal and
anal, their length .7 length of body, first ray simple, second divided, third and fourth longest;
ventrals long, inserted rather nearer to base of caudal than to eye, their length nearly .3 length
of body. Color: back bluish green, below white; pectorals dark brown, an oblique white band
extending backward from axil to middle of fin, the edges whitish; dorsal, anal, and ventrals
whitish. (speculiger, mirror-bearing.)

This flying fish, which inhabits the open seas, is known from a number of
points on the east coast of America as far north as Newfoundland. At Woods
Hole, Mass., it is common some seasons and is caught in nets; young specimens
from 1.5 inches upward have been seined there in September and October, and
even the smallest have been observed to “fly”. Yarrow recorded the fish as
“occasionally seen” at Beaufort, but his identification was uncertain and his
note might have applied to various other species. This fish reaches a length of
afoot, and is a very superior food fish.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES 167

144. CYPSELURUS LUTKENI (Jordan & Evermann).
Flying-fish.
Exocetus robustus, Jordan & Meek, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, 1885, 61; ‘‘Cape San Antonio” (not
E. robustus Giinther from Australia).
Exocetus lutkeni Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 736; ‘‘Cape San Antonio, Cuba’’, +
Cypsilurus lutkeni, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2836.
Cypselurus lutkeni, Smith, Science (N. Y.), May 12, 1905; Beaufort.

Driaqnosis.—Depth contained 5.5 times in length to end of vertebral column; head
broad, contained 4.5 times in length; snout .66 eye and less than .25 length of head; eye very
large, more than .33 head and greater than interorbital width; scales in lateral series about 50,
rows of scales between dorsal fin and lateral line 7 or 8; dorsal rays 14, anal rays 8 or 9; the
longest anal ray .66 longest dorsal; lower caudal lobe much the longer, 1.25 times head; pec-
torals very broad and long, their lips extending to posterior end of base of anal, .66 totallength;
first pectoral ray simple and .6 length of fin, second ray branched, third ray longest; ventrals
.33 length of body, their tips extending as far back as those of pectorals, the center of the base
midway between base of caudal and pupil. Color: brownish above, silvery below; dorsal and
anal fins white, caudal dusky; pectorals white anteriorly, black posteriorly, the white extending
as a broad oblique band from base, across middle, nearly to upper margin, posterior edge of fin
pale; ventrals blackish posteriorly. (Named after the European ichthyologist Christian
Liitken, author of an important paper on the flying-fishes.)

Fig. 66. Friyrne-risH. Cypselurus lutkent.

Only 2 specimens of this fish are known. ‘The type is in the Academy of
Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and bears a label which is obviously incorreet—
“near Cape San Antonio, California, Dr. H. C. Yarrow’’—for there is no such
cape in California, and Dr. Yarrow has informed the author that he never col-
lected fishes at Cape San Antonio or elsewhere in Cuba. It is quite probable
that this fish was obtained at Beaufort, N.C., by Dr. Yarrow and was one of the
numerous collection of fishes from that region presented by him to the academy.
In this view Mr. Henry W. Fowler, curator of fishes, concurs. The second
specimen was caught in a mullet net in Beaufort Harbor, October 8, 1904, and
presented to the laboratory by Mr. J. H. Potter. It has been compared with the
type and found to agree in every essential particular. The type, however,
lacks the blackish area on the posterior part of the ventrals, and has a well
defined dark vertical bar at base of caudal.

168 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Order HEMIBRANCHII. The Half-Gills.
Family FISTULARIID®. The Trumpet-fishes.

This is the only family of the order represented in North Carolina, and it has
but a single genus. The body is very elongate, depressed, destitute of scales but
with series of bony shields partly covered by skin. The head is very long, owing
to the prolongation of the bones of the anterior part of the skull; these form a
tube at the end of which is the small mouth. Minute teeth exist on the jaws and
roof of mouth. -The gills are 4 in number on each side, the gill-rakers are obso-
lete, and the basal parts of the gills are absent; the branchial membranes are
separate, and not joined to the isthmus; pseudobranchiz are present. The
intestine is short, the pyloric cceca are few, and the air-bladder is large. The
spinous dorsal, which is small or rudimentary in other families of this order, is
entirely lacking here; the soft dorsal is small and placed for backward as in
Hemirhamphus, and the anal is similar to it in size and position; the caudal is
forked and from its middle a long, slender filament proceeds; the pectorals and
ventrals are quite small, and the latter are abdominal, wide apart, 6-rayed, and
far in advance of dorsal.

Genus FISTULARIA Linnzus. Trumpet-fishes.

Large shore fishes of warm seas, with characters as given above. The bony
plates or shields are a strip in the median line of the back, a dorso-lateral pair
posterior to the head, a pair on the sides anteriorly, and a ventral pair extending
far backward. The snout has longitudinal ridges which are more or less serrated.
The skin is either rough or smooth. The pectoral fins are broad-based and
inserted low. Three American species, two on east coast and one on both coasts;
only one known from United States waters. (Fistularia, from the Latin fistula,

a tube or pipe.)
145. FISTULARIA TABACARIA Linneus.

Trumpet-fish.

Fistularia tabacaria Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 312, 1758; tropical America. Yarrow, 1877, 205; Beau-
fort. Jenkins, 1887, 87; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 757; ‘‘occasional northward to Carolina,”’

DiAGnosis.—Greatest depth of body about .03 total length and .66 width; head rather
more than one third length; mouth oblique, lower jaw overlappin& upper; snout very long,
contained 3.75 times in total length; upper lateral edges of snout usually with a few fine serra-
tions; width of eye about equal to length of lower jaw and rather more than .1 length of head;
sharp points on anterior and posterior margins of orbit; dorsal rays 14, the longest .25 length of
snout; anal opposite dorsal, its rays 13, the longest equal to longest dorsal; caudal forked, the
lobes equal, the slender median filament a little longer than snout; pectorals short, .5 length of
head posterior to snout; ventrals very small, inserted about midway between tip of snout and
end of caudal lobes. Color: reddish brown above, with many large oblong blue spots on back
and sides, the spots arranged in series but of unequal size; under parts pale. (tabacaria, having
shape of a pipe.)

The trumpet-fish is a straggler from the West Indies to the United States

coast, where it has been recorded from as far north as Massachusetts by the
author. Dr. Yarrow recorded two specimens taken at Beaufort in September

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 169

and November, 1871; Dr. MeMurrich observed a specimen there in 1884; and it
has of late been collected there on several occasions. On August 14, 1902, the
steamer Fish-Hawk collected a specimen off the harbor, and on November 12,
1902, Mr. J. H. Potter, of Beaufort, presentd to the laboratory a specimen that
had been taken in the vicinity. Another specimen, 12 inches long, was taken on
the north side of Bird Shoal in 1903. In June, 1905, Mr. Barton A. Bean seined
several specimens along the inner beach at Fort Macon. ‘This species reaches a
length of 6 feet. It has no economic value.

Order LOPHOBRANCHII. The Tuft-gilled Fishes.
Family SYNGNATHIDA. The Pipe-fishes and Sea-horses.

The members of this family are among the most peculiar of marine fishes as
regards both form and habits. The body is more or less elongated, often slender,
and has no scales but is covered with bony plates which form a kind of armor.
The snout is long, tubular, and terminates in a small mouth without teeth.
The gill-opening is very small and at the upper posterior border of the opercle;
the gills are tufted and consist of small, rounded lobes; the gill-covers are sim-
ple, composed of a single plate. The tail is either stiff or prehensile, and is or is
not surmounted by a small caudal fin. The dorsal fin, inserted about the
middle of the body, is rather small and composed only of soft rays, the anal is
either rudimentary or well developed; the pectorals are small or lacking; the
ventrals are absent. The male is provided with an abdominal pouch in the
median line, into which the eggs are laid pending hatching. The genera are
numerous and the number of species is large, abounding in warmer waters, but
some species occur well to the north. Of the 5 American genera, 2 are repre-
sented on the east coast of the United States:

i. Body very long, slender, with long axis of head in line with long axis of body; trunk not con-
spicuously larger than adjoining parts of body; caudal fin small; tail not prehensile; anal
HMEMINITE wheadinotlikesthatrola hOrses.sg. sce oe es aca ce se caec se SIPHOSTOMA.

it. Body moderately elongate, the tail slender, with long axis of head at right angles to long
axis of body; trunk conspicuously larger than adjoining parts of body; caudal fin absent;

tail prehensile; anal fin well developed; head strongly resembling that of a horse.
Hippocampus.

Genus SIPHOSTOMA Rafinesque. Pipe-fishes.

Small, very slender, weak fishes inhabiting shoal bays and other sheltered
localities, and nearly always found among eel-grass and alge. The 6 or 7 sided
body tapers into a very long tail, and is protected by longitudinal series of keeled,
bony plates which form numerous rings on the body and tail. The head is long
slender, with a tube-like snout, which is longer in the female. All the fins are
small; the dorsal low and over or immediately anterior to vent, the anal minute,
the pectorals short and broad. The egg-pouch, formed of two folds of skin, is on
the under side of the tail in the male. There are many American species, six
being known from the Atlantic coast from Key West northward. Three species
are recorded from North Carolina, and several others may be looked for as
stragglers from the south.

170 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Key to the North Carolina pipe-fishes.

i. Body rings 17 to 19, caudal rings 31 to 33; dorsal rays 29 to 31, dorsal base covering 1,

rarely 2, dorsal rings; snout contained 1.66 to 1.8 times in head.............. floride.

ii. Body rings 20 or 21, caudal rings 36 to 38; dorsal rays 32 to 41, dorsal base covering 3 to 5
dorsal rings.

a. Snout more than half length of head; belly flat or concave; dorsal fin shorter than head,

its rays 32 to 37 and its base covering 3 dorsal and 5 caudal rings...... lowisiane.
aa. Snout half length of head; belly convex; dorsal fin longer than head, its rays 38 to 41 and
its base covering 4 or 5 dorsal rings and 4.5 or 5 caudal rings.............-. fuscum.

(Siphostoma, tube-mouthed.)

146. SIPHOSTOMA FLORID Jordan & Gilbert.
Pipe-fish.
Siphostoma floride Jordan & Gilbert, Proceedings U.S. National Museum, 1882, 263; Pensacola, Fla. Jordan,

1886, 30; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 87; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 766; Beaufort. Wilson,
1900, 355; Beaufort. Gudger, 1905a, 449; Beaufort.

DraGNosis.—Bony rings 17 to 19 on body, 31 to 33 on tail (i. e., posterior to vent); head
contained 6 to 6.5 times in total body length; snout contained 1.66 to 1.8 times in length of
head; dorsal fin low, shorter than head, its rays 29 to 31, covering 1 to 2 body rings and 5 to 6.5
caudal rings; tail longer than trunk and .55 total length; pouch involving about 18 caudal
rings; caudal fin about .4 length of dorsalbase. Color: dark or light green; sides with gray specks;
tail marked with dark bars and pale oblong spots; snout mottled; dorsal yellowish as base;
anal plain; caudal yellow with dusky tip.

Inhabits sandy shores from North Carolina to Texas. It is abundant at
Beaufort, and is probably the most numerous species in that region. A favorite
locality is about Bird Shoal, but it may be found almost everywhere in eel-grass.
The color is subject to considerable variation, depending on that of the plants
among which the fishes live. The food consists of minute organisms, mostly crus-
tacea.

The breeding habits of this species at Beaufort have been described in a
paper by Gudger (1905b). The breeding season of this and other pipe-fishes in
that region is June to August, and the transfer of eggs from the female to the
male takes place at night, so far as observed. The egg-laying occurs while the
bodies of the two fishes are mutually entwined in’such a way as to bring the
oviduct into relation with the marsupial pouch at its anterior end, the eggs
being fertilized as they enter the cavity. The transfer of eggs is repeated from
time to time until the pouch is well filled; in one pair of fishes under observation in
an aquarium at the Beaufort laboratory, the copulatory act was repeated 4
times in an hour. The eggs are at first loose in the male’s pouch, but later they
become attached in several rows on each side. Hatching ensues in about 10
days. i,

Adult fish reach a length of 9 inches, but may be only 3 inches long, the
females being a little the larger. Among a dozen mature specimens from Beau-
fort, the body rings number 18 or 19, and the caudal rings 31 to 33 (34 in one
specimen); the dorsal fin covers 16 dorsal rings and 5 to 6.5 caudal rings; and the
dorsal rays number 29 to 31. In 2 males, one with eggs and the other with
young, the dorsal base covers 2 dorsal and 5.5 caudal rings.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. ial

147. SIPHOSTOMA LOUISIANZ (Giinther.)
Pipe-fish.

Syngnathus louisiane Giinther, Catalogue of the Fishes of the British Museum, viii, 160, 1870; New Orleans.
Siphostoma louisiane, Jordan, 1886, 30; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 770; North Carolina to Texas.

Diaqanosis.—Trunk broader on ventral surface, which is flat or slightly concave and has a
median keel; bony rings 20 or 21 on body, 36 to 388 on tail; head contained 7 to 7.6 times in
total length; snout contained 1.6 times in length of head; tail longer than trunk and .56 total
length; dorsal fin shorter than head, its rays 32 to 37, covering 3 body rings and 5 caudal rings;
caudal fin longer than pectoral and .4 length of dorsal base. Color: brownish, lighter on under
parts; a well marked brown band on sides extending through eye to middle of snout; fins plain.

The range of this species coincides with that of Siphostoma floride. In
Beaufort Harbor it is found in the same localities and at the same time as
Siphostoma floride, but is less abundant. Dr. W.C. Kendall collected specimens
at Morehead in April, 1891. In the first half of June, 1905, Mr. B. A. Bean
found the fish abundant on grassy shoals in all parts of Beaufort Harbor, many
of them containing eggs about ready to hatch.

148. SIPHOSTOMA FUSCUM (Storer.)
Pipe-fish.

Syngnathus fuscus Storer, Report on Fishes of Massachusetts, 162, 1839; Nahant, Mass.

Syngnathus peckianus, Yarrow, 1877, 204; Bird Shoal, Beaufort Harbor.

Siphostoma fuscum, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 368; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 770; Cape Ann to
Virginia. Linton, 1905, 359; Beaufort.

DiaGcnosis.—Ventral surface convex, with a very slight keel; bony rings 18 to 21 on
trunk, 36 to 40 on caudal part; head short, its length contained 7.5 to 9 times in total length;
snout half length of head; tail much longer than trunk and .6 total length; dorsal fin longer than
head, its rays 36 to 41, its base covering 4 to 5 trunk rings and 4 to 5 caudal rings. Color: dark
green or brown above, lighter below; irregularly mottled with brown; snout pale beneath;
opercles silvery below. (fuscum, brown.)

Yarrow (1877) records a pipe-fish from Beaufort under a name now referred
to the synonymy of Siphostoma fuscum, and Jordan and Gilbert (1879) also list
the species; but Jordan and Evermann (1896) assign to this species a range which
extends no farther south than Virginia. However, 2 small pipe-fishes now in
the U. 8. National Museum, collected by Yarrow at Beaufort in 1872, are
Siphostoma fuscum, as is also another specimen 6.25 inches long in the museum,
collected by Mr. Earll in Middle Sound, near Wilmington, in 1880. Specimens
now in hand, 5.25 and 6.37 inches long, obtained at Beaufort in the summer of
1902, are clearly referable to this northern species. In one, a female, the rings
are 21+ 36, of which 5 body rings and 4.5 caudal rings are covered by the dorsal
fin, which has 41 rays; in the other, a male containing eggs, the rings are 20 + 38,
of which 4+ 5 are under the base of the dorsal fin, which has 38 rays; in both the
snout is half the length of head.

This is the only species of pipe-fish mentioned by Linton (1905) in his
paper on the parasites of the fishes of Beaufort; he lists 90 specimens taken in
July and August, but it is probable that most of them were the much commoner
species, lowisiane and floride.

172 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Genus HIPPOCAMPUS Rafinesque. Sea-horses.

The sea-horses are singular creatures which depart greatly from the popular
idea of the conventional fish; their head and neck bear a striking resemblance to
a horse’s; the fish move through the water in an erect position; and when resting
they usually curl their prehensile tail about a bit of seaweed or blade of grass.
Additional interest attaches to these fishes because the male fish receives the eggs
in a pouch and carries them until they are hatched, and the young occupy the
pouch until they are of considerable size, going out in search of food and returning
for shelter. The sea-horses are dried and sold as curiosities, becoming familiar
objects in all parts of the country. The body is much compressed, and Just
back of the dorsal fin tapers abruptly to along, angular, flexible tail; the belly
protrudes; the head is set at right angles to the body, and isseparated therefrom
by a constricted, arched neck; a compressed occipital crest is surmounted by a
star-shaped process; the trunk and tail are completely encased in bony plates
which have 6 spines on the body and 4 on the tail, and form rings; the head is
more or less thickly beset with spinous processes; the male has an egg-pouch at
the base of the tail, in the median line; the dorsal fin, of moderate size, is placed
about the middle of the back, opposite the vent; the anal fin is very small; the
caudal fin is deficient; the pectoral fins are short and broad. Many species,
none of large size, exist in warmer waters of all parts of the world. Two are
known from our Atlantic coast which may be thus distinguished:

i. Dorsal rays 19, covering 3.5 trunk rings and no caudal rings; color, ashy or brown, some-

times with sharply marked pale blotches but no spots.................... hudsonius.
ii. Dorsal rays 17 or 18, covering 1.5 trunk rings and 2 caudal rings; color, dark brown with
dark marbling and’numerous light blue spots..........2..0...5-s:-e.02- punctulatus.

(Hippocampus, the ancient Greek name for the sea-horse.)

Fig. 67. Sea-Horse. Hippocampus hudsonius.

149. HIPPOCAMPUS HUDSONIUS DeKay.
Sea-horse; Horse-fish.

Hippocampus hudsonius DeKay, New York Fauna, Fishes, 322, pl. 53, fig. 171, 1842; New York. Yarrow,
1877, 204; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 777, pl. exxi, fig. 327. ;

Hippocampus antiquorum, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 367; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886,30; Beaufort. Jordan &
Gilbert, Synopsis of the Fishes of North America, 1883, 907; Beaufort. Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort.

-

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 173

DraGnosis.—Rings on trunk 12, on tail 32 to 35; snout less than half total length of head;
spines on body short and blunt, those on head with cirri; diameter of eye equal to half length of
snout; dorsal rays 19, covering 3-5 trunk rings. Color: varying from light ashy to dark brown,
with pale grayish blotches having paler or blackish edges; dorsal with a dark zone near the
margin. (hudsonius, relating to Hudson River.)

This is a rather uncommon species, found from Massachusetts to South
Carolina. It isnot common on the North Carolina coast. Yarrow lists the fish
as doubtless rare, in 1871, as several were presented to him by the fishermen as
great curiosities. Jordan and Gilbert found it uncommon in 1878, being pre-
served by the fishermen as curiosities and sold to visitors at about 25 cents per
specimen. Specimens have occasionally been brought to the Beaufort labora-
tory, and a few examples 3 to 6 inches long have recently been collected about
Bird Shoal, Perry Island, and Town Marsh. Dr. R. E. Coker reports that a
large male taken August 18, 1902, had a pouch full of young and delivered them
in the laboratory aquarium August 20. The opening in the pouch is at its
anterior end and is slit-like when closed but round when the young are about to
be extruded. When liberating the young, the fish swam upright, and made a
peculiar effort resembling peristalsis. The young emerged several at a time and
were forced some distance from the parent; they swam in a cluster near the sur-
face and on the side of the aquarium nearest the light.

150. HIPPOCAMPUS PUNCTULATUS Guichenot.
Spotted Sea-horse.

Hippocampus punctulatus Guichenot, in Sagra, Cuba Poissons, 174, pl. 5, fig. 2, 1850; Cuba. Jenkins, 1885, 11;
Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 30; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 87; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 777;
“occasionally northward in Gulf Stream as far as Beaufort, N. C.”

D1aGnosis.—Rings on trunk 10, on tail about 35; snout .4 length of head; eye .5 length of
snout; spines on body obtuse and blunt; the coronet low; filaments usually absent on head;
dorsal rays 17 or 18, the base of fin covering 1.5 trunk rings and 2 caudal rings. Color: dark
brown, with darker marblings, the entire body marked by light blue spots (rarely wanting),
most numerous posteriorly. (punctulatus, dotted.)

A rare species on the United States coast, but not uncommon in the West
Indies, whence it ranges to Brazil and West Africa. Four specimens were col-
lected at Beaufort by. Dr. Jenkins in 1885, and one was taken by Mr. Barton A.
Bean on Bird Shoal, June 8, 1904. Mr. Charles Hatsel, of the Beaufort labor-
atory, collected a specimen in Bogue Sound on August 8, 1905, which lived in a
laboratory aquarium until October 10 of the same year.

Order ACANTHOPTERYGII. The Spiny-rayed Fishes.

Most of the salt-water fishes and numerous fresh-water ones are included in
this order, whose members may be regarded as representing the highest develop-
ment among fishes. The order is very complex, comprising such different families
as the perches and mullets, the mackerels and flounders; typically it is distin-
guished by the presence of spiny rays in the anterior part of the dorsal and anal
fins, but in some groups this feature is lacking, and the more constant characters

174 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

of the order must be sought in the formation of the border of the mouth solely by
the premaxillaries, in the anterior attachment of the ventral fins (which nor-
mally have 1 spine and 5 rays), in the absence of a duct connecting the air-bladder
with the mouth cavity, in the laminated gills, and in various cranial and pelvic
peculiarities.

Family APHREDODERID. The Pirate Perches.

This family, which contains a single genus, has the following leading char-
acters: Oblong body, compressed posteriorly, elevated in front of dorsal fin;
depressed head; moderate-sized, oblique mouth, with projecting lower jaw;
villiform bands of teeth on jaws, vomer, palatines, and pterygoids; serrated
margins to preopercle and preorbital; spine on posterior part of opercle; ctenoid
scales on body, opercles, cheeks, and top of head; short, dentate gill-rakers;
obsolete pseudobranchiz; imperfect or absent lateral line; vent placed far for-
ward, beneath preopercles in adult; single, high dorsal fin with 3 or 4 spines;
2 anal spines; thoracic ventral fins, with 1 short spine; rounded caudal fin; large
simple air-bladder; about 12 pyloric cceca.

Genus APHREDODERUS LeSueur. Pirate Perches.

Characters of the genus indicated in family description. One small species,
confined to United States. (A phredoderus, excrement throat, in allusion to the
position of the vent.)

Fig. 68. Pirate Percu. Aphredoderus sayanus.

151. APHREDODERUS SAYANUS (Gilliams.)
Pirate Perch.

Scolopsis sayanus Gilliams, Journal Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, iv, 81, 1824; near Philadelphia.

Aphredoderus sayanus, Cope, 1870b, 455; tributaries of Neuse River in Wake County. Jordan, 1889b, 126,
129; Tar River at Rocky Mount, Little River at Goldsboro. Smith, 1893a,199; Roanoke River at Ply-
mouth. Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River near Raleigh. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 786, pl.
exxii, fig. 331.

Draenosis.—Depth .33 total length; head equal to depth; maxillary reaching anterior

edge of eye; eye equal to snout, a little less than .2 length of head; scales in lateral series 45 to
55, those on opercle rather larger than on body, those on cheeks smaller; origin of dorsal fin

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 175

over ventrals, dorsal rays 111,10 to Iv,11, the soft rays much longer than the longest (3rd) spine;
anal rays 1,5 or 6. Color: dark brown or dark olive, sometimes with numerous dark specks
forming longitudinal rows along scales; 2 black transverse bars at base of caudal with a light
area between them. (sayanus, after Thomas Say, an American naturalist.)

The pirate perch inhabits sluggish waters, from New York to Texas and
throughout the Mississippi valley. Its maximum length is 5 inches. It is
reported to be voracious, and to feed chiefly at night. In North Carolina it is
known from various streams. Jordan reported it as rather scarce in Tar River
near Rocky Mount, and not rare in Little River at Goldsboro, and Cope found it
abundant in tributaries of the Neuse in Wake County. The National Museum
contains specimens collected in a pond at Wilmington in 1899 by Mr. W. P. Seal.
The writer collected but one specimen in Albemarle Sound and tributaries, this
being an example 2.5 inches long, of a rich brown color, taken in the Roanoke
near Plymouth; depth .28 length, head .33 length; eye 4.25 in head; dorsal rays
111,11; anal rays 11,5; scales in lateral line 51; outer parts of dorsal and caudal fins
white, inner parts reddish purple; pectorals and anal faintly spotted with purple.
Mr. C. 8. Brimley reports the species as not uncommon in Lake Ellis, Craven
County.

Family ATHERINIDA. The Silversides.

Elongate, shapely fishes, with a silvery lateral stripe, most of them of small
size, inhabiting fresh or salt waters in temperate or tropical latitudes. They
usually go in large schools, and in some regions are among the most abundant of
fishes. The body is more or less compressed, without lateral line, and is covered
with regularly arranged scales, of moderate or small size and usually cycloid.
The mouth is terminal, rather small and weak; the premaxillaries are protractile
in most of the genera; the jaws and vomerine teeth, if present, are small. The
branchial aperatures are wide; the gill-membranes not connected and free from
the isthmus; the gill-arches 4 in number; the opercular bones without spines.
A thin-walled air-bladder is present. There are 2 dorsal fins entirely disconnected;
the anterior, placed in about the middle of the back, has a few (3 to 8) very
slender, feeble spines, united by a delicate membrane; the posterior contains
soft rays, which are more numerous than the spines. The anal fin contains one
spine and rather numerous soft rays, and is usually larger than the second dorsal.
The caudal fin is usually deeply forked; the ventrals are small, placed anterior to
the first dorsal, and consist of one spine and 5 soft rays; the pectorals are of mod-
erate size and inserted rather high. The flesh is firm, white, and palatable; and
some of the species are important food fishes. Of the 10 or more North American
genera only the following 2 are represented on the Atlantic coast north of Florida.

t. Scales cycloid; dorsal and anal fins for the most part scaleless ................. MENIDIA.
it. Scales laciniate; dorsal and anal fins with large scales..................... KIRTLANDIA.

Genus MENIDIA Bonaparte. Silversides.

Small American fishes, most of them inhabiting salt or brackish water; body
elongate, compressed, belly rounded; head compressed; mouth small, oblique,

176 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

the angle usually not extending as far back as eye; Jaws weak, each with a band of
small teeth; maxillary slipping behind preorbital, premaxillaries very protractile;
scales rather large, with entire margins, no scales on dorsal and anal fins; dorsal
fins short, the first with 4 to 6 spines, the second with one spine and 6 to 11 soft
rays.

The silversides of this genus found on the east coast are considered in detail
in an interesting paper by Kendall, in the Report of the U. 8. Fish Commission
for 1901 (pp. 241-267, 6 plates of species). Silversides are eaten on the Middle
Atlantic coast under the name of ‘‘whitebait”’, but their direct economic value
is small. Owing, however, to their great abundance and wide distribution they
must be among the most important foods of many of the common food fishes of
the coast. There are numerous species, and at least two occur in North Carolina
waters, as follows:

i. Anal rays 1+ 22 or 23; beginning of dorsal fin nearer to base of caudal than to tip of snout. °
menidia.

ii. Anal rays 1+17 or 18; beginning of dorsal nearer to tip of snout than to base of caudal.
beryllina.

(Menidia, an old Latin name for some small silvery fish.)

152. MENIDIA MENIDIA (Linneus).
““Sardine’’; Silverside; Smelt.

Atherina menidia Linneus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 519, 1766; Charleston, S. C.

Chirostoma menidium, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 383; Beaufort.

Menidia menidia, Jenkins, 1885, 11; Beaufort Harbor. Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 87; Beau-
fort Harbor. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 800. Kendall, Silversides of Genus Menidia of East Coast of
United States, 1902, 264-267, text cut; Fort Macon and Wilmington, N. C. Linton, 1905, 360; Beaufort.

SEY
Ri thhg

Fig. 69. SILvERSIDE. Menidia menidia.

DiaGNnosis.—Depth .2 length; head contained 4.6 to 5 in length; mouth large; eye equal
to snout and contained 3.25 times in head; scales in lateral series 40 to 45, in transverse series
7 to 9; dorsal rays rv or v+1,7 to 1,9; anal rays 1,21 to 1,25. Color: light olivaceous, with
minute brown dots on top of head, jaws, and edge of scales on back; silvery lateral band .66
width of scales; fins plain.

The typical form ranges northward from Florida, beginning to intergrade in
North Carolina with the variety notata, which predominates further north,
ranging to Nova Scotia. This silverside abounds on sandy shores in salt and
brackish water, and exceeds a length of 6 inches. It is common on the North |

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 177

Carolina coast, and is doubtless a permanent resident, as it istaken at Beaufort
in midwinter.

The spawning season extends from early in April in the south to July in
Massachusetts. At Woods Hole, Massachusetts, a good-sized fish yielded 1,413
eggs 2 millimeters in diameter. The eggs are peculiar in having at one pole a
tuft of about 50 elastic filaments, 8 times the diameter of the egg, by means of
which the eggs are attached in clusters to marine plants. The incubatory period
is about 10 days, the newly-hatched fish being 6 millimeters long and having a
small yolk-sac.

At Beaufort in the second week of April, 1904, the silversides were spawning
freely. The average length (without caudal) of 14 spawning fish of each sex was
3.12 inches for males and 3.56 inches for females.

The food consists largely of free-swimming crustacea, such as copepods,
together with alge, diatoms, and mud.

This silverside is large enough to serve as human food, and is sometimes
eaten, being excellent when fried plain or rolled in cracker-crumbs or corn meal.
The chief value of the fish, however, is as food for blue-fish, squeteague, barra-
cuda, ete.

153. MENIDIA BERYLLINA (Cope), var. CEREA Kendall.
‘“Sardine’’; Silverside.

Chirostoma beryllinum Cope, Transactions American Philosophical Society, 1866, 403; Potomac River at Wash-
ington.

Menidia beryllina, Smith, 1893a, 192, 195; Pasquotank River and Edenton Bay, Kendall & Smith, 1894,
21; Albemarle Sound. Smith, 1901, 134; Lake Mattamuskeet.

Menidia beryllina cerea Kendall, Silversides of Genus Menidia of East Coast of United States, 1902, 261, text
cut; Albemarle Sound, Lake Mattamuskeet, Massachusetts, South Carolina, etc.

Menidia gracilis, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 797.

Fig. 70. Sriversipe. Menidia beryllina cerea.

DiaGnosis.—Depth contained 5.8 to 6 times in length; head contained about 4.3 times
in length; eye large, its diameter greater than snout and .33 length of head; scales in lateral
series 40 to 42, in transverse series 8 or 9; dorsal rays tv to vi+ 1,9 to1,11; anal rays 1,17 or 1,18.
Color: translucent waxy, the back and top of head thickly spotted with minute black dots;
snout and chin blackish; silvery lateral band narrow, less than .5 diameter of eye, on fourth
row of scales. (beryllina, having the color of emerald; cerea, waxy.)

The typical form of this species is restricted to the fresh waters of the Poto-
mac; the variety occurs from Massachusetts to South Carolina, in fresh and salt

178 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

water. Itis asmall species, rarely exceeding 3 inches in length, and is abundant
in most parts of its range. The writer found it common in the Albemarle
region; it is also recorded from Lake Mattamuskeet, and is doubtless to be
found throughout the state coastwise.

Genus KIRTLANDIA Jordan & Evermann. Rough Silversides.

This genus is scarcely separable from Menidia, as the characters on which
it is based—gashed scales on the body and scaly dorsal and anal fins—are pos-
sessed in some degree by species of Menidia. The genus contains perhaps only
a single species, which is variable. (Named for Dr. J. P. Kirtland, an early
student of American fishes.)

154. KIRTLANDIA VAGRANS (Goode & Bean).
‘‘Sardine’’; Silver-fish; Silverside.

Chirostoma vagrans Goode & Bean, Proceedings U. 8. National Museum, 1879, 148; Pensacola, Fla.

Menidia vagrans laciniata Swain, in Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis of the Fishes of North America, 908, 1883,
Beaufort, N. C.

Menidia laciniata, Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort.

Kirtlandia vagrans et laciniata, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 794, 795, pl. exxiv, fig. 336.

Kirtlandia vagrans laciniata, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2840.

Dracnosis.—Depth contained 5.5 to 6 times in length; head contained 4.4 times in
length; eye large, .33 head and greater than snout; scales firm, rough to the touch, edges
crenate, some with 12 points, number in lateral series 48 to 50, in transverse series 6 or 7, large
scales on vertical fins and head; spinous dorsal fin small, its origin slightly in advance of anal,
the rays Iv-+1,7 or V+ 1,7; anal base equal to length of head, the rays 1,14 to 1,19; caudal fin
slightly forked, the lobes equal; pectorals about length of head, their tip extending slightly
beyond origin of ventrals. Color: pale green on back, silvery on sides and belly, with a broad
silvery band covering parts of third and fourth rows of scales; scales of back dark spotted on
edge; muzzle yellowish; caudal yellow, dorsal and pectorals dusky, other fins plain. (vagrans,
wandering).

This silverside is abundant on sandy shores from Virginia to Texas, and is
also known from New Jersey and NewYork. Swain’s type of his supposed vari-
ety lacinvata came from Beaufort, N. C., where the fish is common. Jordan &
Evermann consider the typical form as inhabiting the Gulf coast, and the variety
laciniata as representing the fish found on the Atlantic coast. The species
reaches a length of 4 inches, and is largely consumed by other fishes. Owing to
the peculiar laciniate scales along the back, this fishis rough tothe touch. Many
specimens collected by Dr. W. C. Kendall at Morehead City in April, 1891, were
all males; they were in company with Menidia menidia, of which all the speci-
mens observed were spawning females.

Family MUGILIDA. The Mullets.

A numerous family of fresh-water and marine fishes, usually going in schools
and inhabiting the warmer regions of the world; in North and South America,
Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, the mullets are important food fishes. The
body is moderately elongate, or oblong, and is slightly to considerably compressed;
the cycloid scales with which the body is covered are rather large; there is no

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 179

lateral line. The head is rather short, the mouth small, the jaws weak, the
premaxillaries protractile, the teeth small or absent. The gill-arches number 4
on each side, the gill-openings are wide, the gill-membranes are free from the
isthmus, the gill-rakers are long and slender, and the pseudobranchiz are large.
The intestine is long, the peritoneum black, the air-bladder large and simple.
The caudal fin is large and usually forked; the other fins are of moderate size; the
two dorsal fins are widely separated, the anterior having 4 stiff spines, the pos-
terior a single spine and afew scft rays; anal similar to second dorsal, with 2
or 3 spines; the ventrals are abdominal and contain 5 rays preceded by a spine.

Only a single genus, the type of the family, is known from the east coast of
the United States. Dr. T. H. Bean (Catalogue to the Fishes of New York, 1903)
contends that the genus Querimana, which was established by Jordan & Gilbert
in 1883 for certain small mullets with only 2 anal spines and no adipose eyelid,
represents simply the young of Mugil, and that all the species of Mugil pass
through a Querimana stage.

Genus MUGIL Linnzus. Mullets.

In this genus the form is robust, the body only slightly compressed, the
back and belly rounded; the head obtuse, broad, and scaly; the mouth terminal,
the jaws equal, the lower jaw with a median projecting angle; the jaw teeth
short, flexible, and hair-like; the eye large, with a conspicuous fatty lid in the
adult covering part of the iris; scales large; anal spines 3 (2 in young). The
mullets are the most valuable fishes of the South Atlantic and Gulf States. In
North Carolina and Florida, especially, they support exceedingly important
fisheries. They go in vast schools along the ocean shores, in bays, and in estu-
aries, and feed chiefly on minute animal matter extracted from the mud. Of
the 10 or 12 American species, 2 range along our Atlantic coast; these, while
quite similar, may be thus distinguished:
zi. Soft dorsal and anal fins scarcely scaly; scales in lateral series about 41 or 42; anal rays 11,8;

sides and back marked with distinct dark lengthwise stripes along the rows of scales.
vi. Soft dorsal and anal fins very scaly; scales in lateral series about 38 or 39; anal ee
sides and back not marked with dark stripes (these sometimes evident after death).
curema.

The annual yield of these 2 fishes in North Carolina in the past 25 years has
not fallen below 2,500,000 pounds, and in the last year for which statistics are
available was more than double that amount. The product during 5 years as
determined by the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries was as follows:

POUNDS FRESH |
YEARS. VALUE.
AND SALTED.
Scenes ne Ee eee ie i Nace e s 3,368,000 | $80,500
Bee ee ee ea ee et Sa a) 8,058,305: |. 85,085
URE Cr OO OSS Ee ea te one) es eee eee ae | 3,585,980 | 97,408
VEIN Sigs Gh SESS AS oI SEO ora | 3,409,525 | 90,338
SETS So No aie ea ne oa eng | 6,705,490 | 187,643

180 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Mullets are caught in every county bordering on salt water, the bulk of
the yield coming from Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender, Onslow, Carteret,
Pamlico and Dare counties. (Mugil, mullet.)

155. MUGIL CEPHALUS Linnezus.
“Mullet”’; ‘Jumping Mullet’; Striped Mullet.

Mugil cephalus Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 316, 1758; Europe. Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jenkins,
1887, 87; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 811, pl. exxvi, fig. 343. Linton, 1905, 361; Beaufort.

Mugil lineatus, Yarrow, 1877, 212; Beaufort.

Mugil plumieri, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 381; Beaufort.

?Querimana gyrans Jordan & Gilbert, Proceedings U.S. National Museum, 1884, 26; Key West. Jenkins, 1885,
11; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 87; Beaufort Harbor. Smith, 1893a, 192,
195, 199; Pasquotank River, Edenton Bay, and Roanoke River.

Dragnosis.—Form stout, slightly compressed, depth rather more than .25 length; head
about equal to depth; snout short, less than eye; gape short, extending only to anterior margin
of eye; interorbital space wide, convex; scales in lateral series about 41 or 42, in transverse series
14, about 23 scales on median line between tip of snout and beginning of dorsal, few scales on
soft dorsal and anal fins; dorsal rays 11+1,8 the first spine about .5 length of head; soft dorsal
and anal fins similar, their margin incised; caudal fin deeply forked; pectorals rather long,
extending nearly to opposite origin of dorsal; longest ventral rays about equal to first dorsal
spine. Color: dark greenish or bluish on back, silvery on sides, and whitish beneath; a dark
area on each scale of the 7 or 8 upper rows, forming distinct longitudinal stripes; fins dusky,
the ventrals yellowish. (cephalus, head.)

Fig. 71. Srripep Mutuet; Jumpinc Muuuet. Mugil cephalus.

The striped mullet is of wide distribution; in the new world it is found
coastwise from Massachusetts to Brazil and from California to Chile; in the old
world it inhabits the waters of southern Europe and northern Africa. On the
south Atlantic coast of the United States it occurs in immense numbers, being
one of the most abundant food fishes from North Carolina southward. It attains
a length of 2.5 feet, but averages less than 1.5 feet. Mr. George N. Ives states
that the largest North Carolina mullet seen by him weighed 10 pounds.

This is by far the most abundant and important salt water fish of North
Carolina, this state ranking next to Florida in the extent of the mullet fishery.
It is found on the ocean beaches and in the sounds and estuaries during a large
part of the year, and is caught mostly with drag nets. Dr. Yarrow has left the
following note on the fish in the Beaufort region in 1871:

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 181

This species is the most abundant of the locality, and affords sustenance and employment
to thousands of persons on the coast of North Carolina. From the month of May, when small-
sized individuals appear, fishing continues during the entire summer with gill and small draw
nets, and in the latter part of August, as the fish commence to school preparatory to migration,
the regular seine fishing commences, and continues frequently until November. The schools
appear to come from the northward through Albemarle, Pamlico, and Core sounds, gradually
working their way to the southward. Their departure through the various inlets seems to
depend upon a favorable state of the wind, which should be from the northward, for it has been
noticed frequently that when the wind hauled, the schools of mullet already without the harbor
have suddenly turned, re-entering the inlet, and pursued their course southward through
Bogue Sound. Their movements through the water are quite slow, and a person without
exertion may keep pace with them walking upon the beach. The numbers taken are simply
enormous, sometimes as many as 500 barrels being secured at a single haul. It was estimated
by competent observers that not less than 12,000 barrels of mullet were captured on the coast
of North Carolina Friday, September 22, 1871. Regarding the spawning grounds of M. lineatus
considerable uncertainty exists. At the time of their arrival at Fort Macon, in August and
September, the females are enormously distended with roe, some, however, being more so than
others and it is supposed that the process of oviposit takes place from July until December,
many remaining in the sounds for the purpose. Many schools of young mullet have been seen
in Beaufort harbor during December and January, which could have been but a few weeks old.
These young fishes suffer from a curious disease, which is characterised by the presence of a
gradually increasing film upon the eyes, which finally destroys the sight, and myriads perish
from this cause.

Observations on the spawning habits of the mullet in the vicinity of Beau-
fort, conducted in the years 1903-6 by Mr. S.G. Worth, su ~ intendent of the
hatchery at Edenton, indicate that the species deposits its eggs during Novem-
ber and December. <A specimen 22 inches long and 4.75 pounds in weight taken
at the Mullet Pond fishery on November 20, 1903, yielded a 12-ounce roe. The
cultivation of this species on the coast of North Carolina will doubtless soon be
taken up by the general government.

The food of the mullet is varied. Twelve fish examined by Dr. Coker at
Beaufort in June and July contained amphipods, annelids, small shrimps and
ophiurans, and bivalve mollusk shells.

In winter and spring there occur in the salt, brackish, and fresh waters of the
North Carolina coast multitudes of small mullet, mostly under 1.5 inches long,
with a dark bluish or greenish back and lustrous silvery sides and belly. These
fish have only 2 anal spines, no adipose eyelid, 28 to 33 scales in lateral series, and
various other characters in which they differ from the adult mullet; and they
have usually been identified as the whirligig mullet, Querimana gyrans Jordan
& Gilbert, which is recorded from Massachusetts to Florida. According to
Dr. Bean (op. cit.), however, this nominal species in reality represents the
young stage of the fan-tail mullet (Mugil trichodon Poey), the differences
noted being due to age. This author states that the third anal spine
in young mullets is only a simple articulated ray until the fish reach a
length of 40 to 50 mm. (1.6 to 2.00 inches); then an articulation breaks off, the
point becomes sharpened, and hard material is deposited, so that a slender but
perfect spine is formed. The range of the adult fan-tail mullet is from the

i)

182 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Florida Keys to Brazil; the fish is abundant about Key West, but is not known
from the coast north of Florida, while the so-called whirligig mullet is found from
Key West to Massachusetts, in salt, brackish, and fresh water. The present
writer is inclined to accept Dr. Bean’s general conclusion in this matter, but
regards it unfortunate that Querimana gyrans has not been shown to be the
young of the striped mullet or the silverside mullet. The chief obstacle to such
an identification is the difference in the number of scales in the lateral series, and
until this is overcome the question must be considered unsettled.

156. MUGIL CUREMA Cuvier & Valenciennes.
“Silverside Mullet’’; “Mullet’’; White Mullet; Blue-back Mullet.

Mugil curema Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, xi, 87, 1836; Brazil; Martinique; Cuba.
Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 87; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 813, pl. exxvi,
fig. 344. Linton, 1905, 360; Beaufort.

Mugil brasiliensis, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 381; Beaufort.

DiAGNosis.—Form similar to that of Mugil cephalus, the depth about equal to length of
head and contained about 4 times in total length; snout .2 length of head; interorbital space
.5 length of head; scales in lateral series about 38, in transverse series 12, about 22 between tip
of snout and origin of dorsal; soft dorsal and anal thickly scaled; dorsal rays 1v +1,8, the
longest spine more than half length of head, the margin of soft dorsal incised; anal fin similar
to and opposite soft dorsal, the rays 11,9; caudal deeply forked; pectorals reaching about .75
distance to spinous dorsal. Color: dark greenish or bluish above, silvery on sides, white
beneath; no dark streaks along sides in life; two yellow blotches on side of head; a small dark
blotch at pectoral base; fins mostly pale, with small dark spots; caudal yellowish at base, with
a black margin; anal and ventrals yellowish. (cwrema,a Portuguese name for this or a similar
fish.)

Fig. 72. Wire Muiier. Mugil curema.

The range of the white mullet is from Cape Cod to Brazil, and also extends
to the west coast of America. It is an abundant species on our South Atlantic
coast, but is less numerous than the jumping mullet, with which it associates.
At Beaufort it is called “silverside mullet”. The usual length is about one foot.
The habits of the two fish are quite similar, and much that is said of the jumping
mullet applies also to this species. As a general thing this fish is not distin-
guished by the local fishermen.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES , 183

Family SPHYRAXNID. The Barracudas.

The barracudas are elongated pike-like fishes, more or less circular in cross
section, with very long, pointed head and large mouth armed with formidable
teeth. Lower jaw the longer; upper jaw not protractile, its margin formed by
the premaxillaries; maxillaries broad; teeth of unequal size on jaws and palatines,
a single large canine at tip of lower jaw; gill-openings wide, gill-membranes not
connected and free from isthmus, gill-arches 4, gill-rakers short or rudimentary,
pseudobranchie large, branchiostegals 7; no spines on opercular bones; air-
bladder large, divided anteriorly; pyloric coeca numerous; lateral line well
developed, straight; scales small, cycloid, the head scaly on top and sides; 2 dor-
sal fins widely separated, first dorsal with 5 strong spines; second dorsal and anal
similar, opposite, and rather short; caudal widely forked; pectorals short,
attached low on side; ventrals abdominal, under first dorsal. The barracudas
inhabit the warm seas; some of them attain a large size (6 feet or more) ; in some
countries they are food fishes of some importance. They are powerful, active
fishes, carnivorous, and voracious. A score or more of species are known, all
belonging in one genus.

Genus SPHYRAENA Bloch & Schneider. Barracudas.

Only one small species is known from North Carolina, but two others may
occur as stragglers; these are the great barracuda, Sphyrena barracuda, which
ranges from Brazil to Pensacola, Charleston, and Bermuda, and has occasionally
wandered to Massachusetts, and the guaguanche, Sphyrena guachancho, which
inhabits the West Indies, but has been noted in southern Massachusetts in at
least two instances. (Sphyrena, hammer-fish. )

157. SPHYRAINA BOREALIS DeKay.

Barracuda.

Sphyrena borealis DeKay, New York Fauna, Fishes, 37, pl. 60, fig. 196, 1842; New York. Yarrow, 1877, 212;
Cape Lookout. Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 825; Cape Cod to Cape Fear.
Linton, 1905, 361; Beaufort.

Sphyrena spet, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 381; Beaufort harbor.

Fig. 73.. Barracupa. Sphyrena borealis.

Diacenosis.—Body slender, subterete, depth about .12 total length; head large, .33 in
total length; maxillary rather small, not extending as far as orbit; lower jaw with a fleshy tip;
premaxillary teeth small, about 40 in number, 2 pairs in front large and canine; the anterior
teeth smallest and directed downward, the posterior directed downward and backward; about
10 teeth in lower jaw; anterior palatine teeth larger than premaxillary, wide-set; posterior

184 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

teeth small and close-set; eye small, a little wider than interorbital ‘space, interorbital area
slightly convex, with a shallow median groove divided by a ridge; scales in lateral series 115
to 130; cheeks, opercles, and top of head sealy; dorsal rays v +9, the distance between the fins
a little less than .2 total length of fish; anal rays 1,9. Color: dark greenish above, silvery
below; the young marked with dark transverse blotches. (borealis, northern.)

North Carolina appears to be the southern limit of the range of this species,
which is the common barracuda of the Middle Atlantic coast of the United
States. The species is small, rarely exceeding afoot in length. Yarrow reported
it as ‘uncommon, a few taken occasionally near Cape Lookout”. The young
are at times not uncommon in the harbor of Beaufort; in July, 1902, many
examples 1.5 to 3 inches long were taken, and in July, 1903, 7-inch specimens,
mostly on Bird Shoal.

The barracuda is an active, voracious species, subsisting largely on small
fishes—silversides at Beaufort. It is, however, not a hardy species, and dies
very quickly after being caught in a seine, so that it is difficult to carry specimens
to the aquarium.

Family MULLIDA. The Goat-fishes or Surmullets.

These fishes have a head that suggests that of a goat, the principal point of
resemblance being 2 large barbels on the throat. They are marine fishes of
rather small size, some of them gaily colored, found primarily in the tropics but
occasionally well to the north. Body elongate, somewhat compressed, back
arched; upper profile of head strongly curved; mouth small, terminal; premax-
illaries slightly protractile; maxillaries rather broad and partly concealed by the
preorbitals; lower Jaw small, with 2 long barbels attached just behind the sym-
phisis; teeth small, variously placed on jaws, vomer, and palatines; eyes rather
large and placed high on side of head; branchiostegals 4; pseudobranchie present;
opercular margin smooth or with a single broad spine; peropercle smooth or
somewhat serrate; scales large, slightly ctenoid, largest on head; lateral line
complete; pyloric caeca numerous; air-bladder simple if present; 2 dorsa’ fins,
widely separated, short, the anterior with 6 to 8 rather high spines depressible in
a groove; anal fin similar to second dorsal; ventrals attached below pectorals.
The American species number 8 or 10 and ‘belong to 3 genera, of which only one
has a place in the state fauna, although another, Mullus auratus Jordan &
Gilbert, ranges as far northward as Cape Cod and may sometime be detected
here.

Genus UPENEUS Cuvier. Goat-fishes.

This, the most numerous genus of Mullide in our waters, is distinguished by
having one or two series of strong teeth on both jaws but none on the vomer and
palatines; a narrow concave interorbital space; a short, deep opercle with a
posterior spine; long and numerous gill-rakers; first dorsal placed near head, with
7 or 8 spines; anal with 2 spines and a few soft rays; caudal forked. Several of
the West Indian and Floridan species are valuable food fishes. (Upeneus, an
ancient Greek name for some undetermined fish.)

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 185

158. UPENEUS MACULATUS (Bloch).
Goat-fish.

Mullus maculatus Bloch, Ichthyologie, pl. 348, 1797; Brazil.
Upeneus maculatus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 858, pl. exxxii, fig. 362. Linton, 1905, 361; Beaufort.

Diaaenosis.—Body moderately elongate, depth rather less than .25 length, back strongly
curved; length of head slightly less than depth of body, upper profile very steep; mouth hori-
zontal; upper jaw not extending as far as orbit; teeth coarse; those in upper jaw in a single
series or an incomplete double series; teeth in lower jaw in one series; eye large, .25 length of
head and .5 length of snout; barbels slender, .75 length of head; gill-rakers on first arch 30,
the longest about .5 eye; lateral line high, following arch of back; scales in lateral series about
30; dorsal rays vil or vu1+1,8, the longest spine (second) .66 length of head; anal rays 11,6;
longest dorsal and anal soft rays a little shorter, pectorals and ventrals a little longer, than
longest dorsal spine. Color: bright red above, yellow on sides, greenish below; 3 or 4 dark
red blotches on sides, one over opercular spine, one under each dorsal fin, and one behind dorsal;
scales on sides with a small blue spot on base, the spots forming longitudinal lines; sides of
head with blue streaks; first dorsal mostly pale blue, with some red and yellow areas; anal pale
red; caudal blue, with some yellow and red on base; pectorals mostly yellow, with red on rays;
ventrals pale blue, with red and yellow lines on anterior part; barbels yellow, with pink base;
under side of head pink. (maculatus, spotted.)

Fig. 74. Goat-FisH. Upeneus maculatus.

The red or spotted goat-fish is common in the West Indies, but north of
Florida is only a straggler and has rarely been taken. One specimen, 3 inches
long, was taken at Bird Shoal in Beaufort Harbor July 19, 1902. The species
attains a length of about a foot, and is a food fish of some importance in the
tropics. In Porto Rico it is extensively eaten and highly esteemed.

Family SCOMBRIDA. The Mackerels.

The mackerels are fishes of the high seas, with compact, fusiform bodies
adapted for rapid movement. They swim more or less in schools, some of which
are of immense size. Most of the species are of wide distribution. The family
includes species that are among the most important food fishes of the new and old
worlds. The family characters are a rather elongate body, cylindrical or
slightly compressed; a conic head; large mouth with large or small sharp teeth in

186 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

jaws; unarmed opercle; wide gill-openings; gill-membranes unconnected, and
free from the isthmus; long gill-rakers; large pseudobranchie; 4 gill-arches;
7 branchiostegals; 2 dorsal fins, the anterior of weak spines, the posterior like the
anal; posterior rays of dorsal and anal fins separated and known as finlets; caudal
peduncle slender and keeled; caudal fin large and forked; stomach sac-shaped,
with numerous cceca; air-bladder small or absent; color usually blue above, with
metallic sheen. ' Eight genera and 15 species are represented in American waters;
and of these 6 genera and 8 species are known from North Carolina. Doubtless
other wide-ranging species have from time to time been taken on the North
Carolina coast and may be looked for again. The common mackerel (Scomber
scombrus) of the Middle Atlantic and New England coast, the most valuable
member of the family in American waters and also in the world, is first met with
in spring off Cape Hatteras, but is not common in the inshore waters.

Key to the North Carolina genera of mackerels.

i. Caudal peduncle with a median keel on each side, with a smaller keel above and below this.
a. Body without scales, except on lateral line and corselet.
b. Dorsal fins separated by more than half length of head; dorsal spines 10; teeth on

vomier,, mone” on. palate bones) sg... sce cele © ccteecicwie coin cisternae AUXIS.
bb. Dorsal fins separated by a space less than .2 length of head; dorsal spines 15; teeth
on palate bones; Mone On) VOMeL a eyacier cer ei -lepet denen GYMNOSARDA.

aa. Body entirely covered with small scales.
c. Jaw teeth slender; gill-rakers numerous; pectoral fins placed low.
d. Vomer and palate bones with villiform teeth; body robust, size very large.

THUNNUS.

dd. Vomer without teeth; palate bones with a single row of strong conic teeth; body

elongate; simevsmalli: sic <2, seese wiayetsre: o7-e taney nous ieyakerer site meoba iauate ayate tes eke SARDA.

ce. Jaw teeth strong, triangular or knife-like; gill-rakers few; pectoral fins inserted near

I Peng) Bs) #2, == ee nen tet ee Ieee see ME PA RINE HS SPN SE co ST ScOMBEROMORUS.

wu. Caudal peduncle without’ median lateral keels... 02052 ec.j) 2 ene ee ScOMBER.

Genus AUXIS Cuvier. Frigate Mackerels.

Small scombrids, intermediate in form between the common mackerel and
bonito, with elongate, plump body, destitute of scales except along lateral line
and in region of pectoral and ventral fins; small mouth, very small jaw teeth
mostly in single series, short snout; slender, depressed peduncle with strong
lateral keel; small fins, the second dorsal and anal especially so; long and num-
erous gill-rakers. The single species is pelagic, swims in large schools, and is very
erratic in its movements. (Auais, ancient Greek name for the young tunny.)

159. AUXIS THAZARD (Lacépéde).
“Bonito’’; Frigate Mackerel.

Scomber thazard Lacépéde, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, iii, 9, 1802; coast of New Guinea.
Auzis thazard, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 867, pl. exxxiii, fig. 365.

Dracnosis.—Body very slightly compressed, its depth a little less than .25 total length;
head .25 length, the snout conic; maxillary bone beneath the preorbital and almost concealed
by it; eye .2 length of head, equal to snout; gill-rakers on lower limb of first arch about 33;
dorsal fins separated: by a space nearly equal to length of head, the rays x +12, with 7 or 8
finlets; anal rays 13, with 7 or 8 finlets. Color: back blue with darker vermiculations; sides
and below silvery white. (thazard, from the French tassard, a name given to fishes like
the Spanish mackerel.)

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 187

This species inhabits all the warm seas. It was not observed in United
States waters until 1880, when it came in countless numbers to the southern
New England coast. It has since been reported from time to time at various
points on our Atlantic coast. Two long-established and well-informed fish
dealers at Beaufort report that this species occurs there as a straggler, and is not

Fig. 75. Frigate MAcKEREL. . Auais thazard.

distinguished by fishermen from the related species locally called “bonito”. The
frigate mackerel reaches a weight of 3 or 4 pounds, probably averaging only 2
pounds; and is of very inferior quality as food. The posterior muscles are white,

but those near the head are black and rank.

Genus GYMNOSARDA Gill. Little Tunnies.

Large oceanic fishes, with robust form, destitute of scales except about
pectorals, ventrals, and spinous dorsal; with dorsal fins close together, the
anterior with 15 or 16 spines; and with no teeth on vomer. Of the 2 species
occasionally found on our coasts, only 1 is known from North Carolina, but the
other (Gymnosarda pelamis, the oceanic bonito) is likely to be taken any season.
(Gymnosarda, naked bonito.)

160. GYMNOSARDA ALLETERATA (Rafinesque).
“Bonito’’; “Bolter’’; Little Tunny.

Scomber alleteratus Rafinesque, Caratteri di aleuni nuovi generi e nuovi specie di animali e piante della Sicilia,
46, 1810; Palermo.
Gymnosarda alleterata, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 869, pl. exxxiv, fig. 366.

Dracnosis.—Body stout, fusiform, the depth .25 length; head contained 3.75 times in
length; eye small, .16 to .2 length of head, about .5 length of snout; dorsal rays xv or xv1+ 12,
with 8 finlets; anal rays 12, with 7 finlets; pectorals about .5 length of head. Color: back
blue, with wavy, oblique dark stripes; sides and belly silvery; 5 round black spots, size of pupil,
below pectoral fin. (alleterata, an Italian name for this fish.)

The little tunny has at times been seen in abundance in southern Massachu-
setts and elsewhere on our east coast, going in large schools. It is very irregular
in its appearance, and may not be recorded during several years. Dr. Coker
reports that this fish is known to the Beaufort fishermen as “bonito” or, some-
times, “‘bolter’’.

188 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Although eaten in Bermuda, southern Europe, and other places, it is not
highly regarded in the United States, and is seldom sent to market. Its usual
weight is 30 to 40 pounds. It has been observed at times in numbers in the

Fig. 76. Lirrte Tunny. Gymnosarda alleterata.

ocean off Roanoke Island, and is known to the fishermen of that section as
“bonito”; those taken have weighed 15 to 30 pounds. The fish is not regarded
with any favor as food in North Carolina.

Genus THUNNUS South. Great Tunnies, or Albacores.

This genus has as its only member an immense pelagic species, the largest
of the family, having a stout, scaled body, with well developed corselet; large
mouth, small conical teeth in a single series on jaws and bands of minute teeth on
roof of mouth; dorsal fins very close together, the anterior with 12 to 15 spines;
dorsal and anal finlets about 9. (Thunnus, tunny.)

161. THUNNUS THYNNUS (Linnezus).
Tunny; Horse Mackerel; Albacore.

Scomber thynnus Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 297, 1758; Europe.

Orcynus secundi-dorsalis, Yarrow, 1877, 207; Beaufort.

Orcynus thunnus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 375; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 88; Beaufort.
Thunnus thynnus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 870

Diaqnosis.—Body cylindrical, the depth .25 length; head large, contained 3.75 times in
total length; mouth large, the maxillary extending as far back as pupil; eye small, .16 length
of head; dorsal and anal fins short and faleate; dorsal rays xu to xv +13, with 8 to 10 finlets;
anal rays 12, with 8 to 10 finlets; ventrals longer than anal; pectorals short. Color: dark
blue above, grayish below with silvery blotches. (thynnus, a classical name for this fish,
whence tunny, tuna, etc.)

This magnificent species is found in warm and temperate regions of the
globe, and is not rare on our coasts. It reaches a weight of 1,500 pounds or
more and a length of 10 feet or upwards. It is a first-class food fish, and supports
important fisheries in southern Europe, but has been regarded with little favor
in the United States. It is caught chiefly in pound nets, and is usually thrown
away. It feeds on menhaden and other school fishes, and is exceedigly voracious
and destructive.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 189

From the account of this fish at Beaufort as given by Yarrow, it is evident
that he had some other species in mind. Jordan & Gilbert frequently heard of
the tunny, but did not see it; Jenkins, however, saw two specimens there in 1885.

Genus SARDA Cuvier. Bonitoes.

Moderate-sized, very active, pelagic fishes, swimming in large schools and
often coming inshore in pursuit of food. The elongate body is covered with
seales, which in the pectoral region are modified and form a corselet; the caudal
peduncle is very slender and strongly keeled; the jaws contain strong, conical
teeth, and the palate bones have similar teeth; the gill-rakers are long and stout;
the dorsal fins are separated only by a short notch; the anterior dorsal has 18 to
22 spines; the dorsal finlets number 8 or 9 and the anal usually less. Two
American species, one oneach coast. (Sarda, the ancient Greek and Latin name
for the fish, from the island of Sardinia.)

162. SARDA SARDA (Bloch).
“Bonito’’.

Scomber sarda Bloch, Ichthyologie, x, 35, pl. 334, 1797; Europe.
Sarda pelamys, Yarrow, 1877, 207; Shackleford Banks.
Sarda sarda, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 872.

Draanosis.—Body slightly compressed, depth .25 length; head contained 3.75 times in
length; mouth large, maxillary extending beyond eye and not concealed by preorbital; about
30 teeth in each jaw; corselet small, not extending beyond pectorals; lateral line wavy; gill-
rakers 11 or 12 on lower arm of first arch; dorsal rays xxr or xx11+13, with 8 finlets, the
spines becoming gradually shorter from front to back; anal rays 14, with 7 finlets. Color:
steel blue above, with numerous parallel, oblique black stripes which form v’s on back; sides
and below silvery white. (sarda, an ancient name for the bonito, from the island of Sardinia.)

The bonito is one of the best known species of the mackerel family in our
waters, being abundant in summer on the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts
southward. It is taken in large numbers in pound nets and other nets, and may
also be caught by trolling with blue-fish tackle. A weight of 12 pounds is
attained, but the average does not exceed 4 or 5. When seen in the water the
bonito may be readily recognized by its back being strikingly marked by a series
of black v’s pointed forward.

At Beaufort this fish is known to most of the fishermen as “bonito”’, but it
is not caught in noteworthy numbers. Yarrow noted that it was “tolerably
abundant near Shackleford banks’’. Goode (1884) notes that the fish is occa-
sionally observed off Cape Hatteras.

Although the bonito does not rank high as a food fish in our markets, it is
really an excellent fish when eaten soon after capture. From abundant personal
experience, the present writer endorses the following opinion of Professor Goode:

Tested side by side with the blue-fish, at the same table, the bonito seems not much
inferior, though the flesh is somewhat softer and more perishable. The bonito may be ranked
among the many excellent food fishes of our coast, and, in any other country not so abundantly
supplied with finely-flavored fishes, it would be considered of the highest value. Its vitality

190 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

is so great and its supply of blood so abundant that unless bled immediately after capture the
flesh, especially in warm weather, is apt to deteriorate,

Statistics of the North Carolina fisheries show a catch of only a few thousand
pounds of ‘‘bonito”’ annually, mostly in the gill-net fishery of Carteret County,
and this small quantity probably includes 1 or 2 other species besides Sarda
sarda. The price received by the fishermen is only 1 or 1.5 cents a pound.

Genus SCOMBEROMORUS Lacépéde. Spanish Mackerels, Ceroes, etc.

These are among the most graceful, most beautiful, and most valuable of
the mackerels. Some species enter our bays and estuaries, others remain at sea.
The form is very elongate and considerably compressed, the body being entirely
covered with rudimentary scales not forming a corselet; the head is short and
pointed; the mouth is large, with strong knife-like teeth in jaws and with villi-
form teeth on vomer and palate bones; there is a single keel on the caudal pe-
duncle; the gill-rakers are few in number; the dorsal fins are almost continuous,
the anterior low and containing 14 to 18 feeble spines; the soft dorsal and anal
are similar and are followed by 7 to 10 finlets. Of the 5 American species,
3 occur on the Atlantic coast and are known from North Carolina.

Key to the North Carolina species of Scomberomorus.

i. Origin of soft dorsal fin in advance of anal fin; 24 to 32 teeth in each jaw. .maculatus.
wz. Origin of soft dorsal fin over origin of anal fin.

a. Depth more than .2 length; about 40 teeth in each jaw..................... regalis.

aa. Depth about .16 length; about 30 teeth in each jaw........... badd ene teereeenrs cavalla.

(Scomberomorus, near Scomber.)

163. SOOMBEROMORUS MACULATUS (Mitchill).
“Spanish Mackerel’.

Scomber maculatus Mitchill, Transactions Literary and Philosophical Society of New York, i, 1815, 426; New
York. ;

Cybium maculatum, Yarrow, 1877, 208; Beaufort, Shackleford Banks, Cape Lookout. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879,
375; Beaufort; Albemarle Sound (?).

Scomberomorus maculatus, Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 88; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann,
1896, 874, pl. exxxiv, fig. 368. :

Diacnosis.—Depth contained 4.5 times in total length; head equal to depth, small,
pointed; profile from snout to dorsal fin straight; mouth large, maxillary extending to posterior
edge of eye; teeth large, sharp and compressed; gill-rakers on first arch, 2 above and 11 below
angle; lateral line wavy, with about 175 pores; dorsal rays about xvit+ 18, with 9 finlets; anal
rays 11,17, with 9 finlets; soft dorsal inserted in advance of anal a distance equal to diameter
of eye. Color: dark blue above, silvery below’; 2 rows of rounded, dull yellow or yellowish
brown spots on sides above lateral line, one row below; anterior dorsal with white base and
black distal portion; soft dorsal yellow-tinged, with black edge; anal white; pectorals black
posteriorly, yellow anteriorly with black border; caudal blackish. (maculatus, spotted.)

On the Atlantic coast of America this species is known from Brazil to Massa-
chusets. It is especially abundant in the Gulf of Mexico, about the Florida
keys, and on the coast of the Carolinas; and was once very numerous in Chesa-
peake Bay, but is now much less abundant than it was 25 years ago.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 191

The fish attains a large size, 9 or 10 pounds being the normal maximum.
Very exceptionally, however, it becomes larger; and a few years ago one was
found in the Washington (D. C.) market from Chesapeake Bay which was 41
inches long and weighed 25 pounds; it was seen and identified by Professor B. W.
Evermann and others from the United States Bureau of Fisheries.

The fish doubtless spawns throughout its entire range on the United States
coast, but, as shown hereafter, apparently very few remain on the North Caro-
lina coast during the spawning season. The lower part of Chesapeake Bay was
formerly and is still a favorite spawning ground. The eggs are about Imm.
(.04 inch) in diameter, and float at the surface; they are laid mostly at night, and
the hatching period is about 25 hours in a water temperature of 77° or 78° F.
All the eggs of a given fish do not ripen at one time, and the spawning may thus
extend over several weeks during which several hundred thousand eggs may be
deposited.

Fig. 77. Spanish Mackrerex. Scomberomorus maculatus.

As a food fish the spanish mackerel is one of the choicest species of our east
coast, being hardly surpassed by any species except the pompano. Dr. Coker
contributes the following interesting account of its economic importance on the
North Carolina coast:

The spanish mackerel are, regularly, the highest priced fish of our waters, the fishermen
not infrequently receiving 40 cents each for them. They are practically all shipped to markets
north of North Carolina, except that when not abundant enough for separate shipment, they
are put into boxes of assorted fish for state markets.

The mackerel season commences in May and the best catch is in early June; mackerel
contracts used to close June 10, but now run somewhat later. Few fish, however, are caught
after the middle of June, and while all during the summer there are a few scattered mackerel
about, there is no fishing again until fall, when they reappear in large numbers, in September,
and especially October. After the first of November it is unusual to find any number of
mackerel.

The view of the fish-shippers as to the movements of this fish is probably correct. In
the spring the schools of mackerel are coming from the south. At this season they are com-
paratively poor and have a roe that is not quiteripe. A few remain here but the mass pass on
north, and somewhere north of us spawn and fatten. With the first “shift of wind” (to the
north) in September, the scattered mackerel here school up and start south. They are suc-
ceeded by schools from farther north, which are accountable for the later fall catches. Now
they are without roe and fat—with an average weight of about 3 pounds, as opposed to barely
over 2 pounds in the spring. The largest mackerel caught are a little over 11 pounds,

192 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

The spring catch is greater than that of the fall, but this is doubtless due to weather con-
ditions. Apparently spanish mackerel run before the wind, so that, since all the fishing is done
within a comparatively short distance from the shore, the fish are not expected when an off-
shore wind prevails. Thus, a southeast breeze is quite favorable, while a northwest breeze
is most unfavorable for fishing. To the prevailing southerly winds of the spring and summer
is, therefore, to be attributed the better catch in May and June.

On the night and morning of October 19 and 20, 1903, one dealer at Morehead City
received 15,000 pounds of mackerel—an unprecedented day’s catch for the fall, though larger
catches are sometimes made in the spring. The number of mackerel taken varies much from
year to year; during the fall of 1903 it has been high; a year ago there were not many, some
being taken 10 miles off Cape Lookout.

The yield of this excellent fish in 1902 aggregated 354,085 pounds, valued at
$19,948. The bulk of the catch came from the seine and gill-net fisheries
of Carteret, Pamlico, Hyde, and Dare counties. In 1897 the product was
330,840 pounds, worth $18,017; and in 1890 was 91,500 pounds, valued at $6,252.

164. SCOMBEROMORUS REGALIS (Bloch).
“Cero’’; King-fish; King Cero; Spotted Cero; Spotted Mackerel.

Scomber regalis Bloch, Ichthyologie, pl. 333, 1797; Martinique.
Cybium regale, Yarrow, 1877, 208; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 375; Beaufort (after Yarrow).
Scomberomorus regalis, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 975, pl. exxxv, fig. 369. Linton, 1905, 362; Beaufort.

Diaenosis.—Depth contained 4.5 times in total length; length of head slightly greater
than depth; maxillary reaching to below eve; teeth triangular, compressed; lateral line descend-
ing obliquely, wavy along tail; pectoral fins scaly; dorsal rays about xvur+ 15, with 8 finlets;
anal rays 11,14; caudal fin less widely forked than in S. maculatus. Color: silvery, darker on
back; 2 blackish longitudinal stripes across lateral line under soft dorsal, these broken into
numerous spots posteriorly; similar spots in rows above and below the others; spinous dorsal
fin black anteriorly. (regalis, royal, kingly.)

Fig. 78. Kine-risH. Scomberomorus regalis.

Although the king-fish ranges northward on our east coast as far as Massa-
chusetts, it is not abundant north of Florida. Its similarity to the spanish
mackerel and cero is such that the fishermen often do not distinguish between
them. Yarrow reported the fish as not abundant at Beaufort, only one being
seen by him, and Jordan, Gilbert, and Jenkins did not find it there. It
occurs regularly in summer, however, in company with Scombermorus cavalla,
but its relative abundance has not been determined. The usual weight is 15 to
35 pounds. Its habits are like those of the cero, and its food and game qualities
are similar.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 193

165. SCOMBEROMORUS CAVALLA (Cuvier).
“Cero’’; King-fish.

Cybium cavalla Cuvier, Regne Animal, ed. 2, ii, 200, 1829; Brazil.
Scomberomorus cavalla, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 875.

Driacnosis.—Depth .16 total length; head .2 length; eye .5 length of snout; maxillary
extending under eye; teeth triangular, compressed; gill-rakers short, less than .33 diameter of
eye, 8 below angle of first arch; lateral line descending abruptly below soft dorsal fin; dorsal
rays xvI+15, anal rays 11,15, each with 8 finlets. Color: iron gray above, lighter below;
adults almost or quite unspotted; young with dark yellow spots on sides; no black blotch on
anterior part of first dorsal fin. (cavalla, a Spanish name meaning horse.)

The cero inhabits both coasts of the tropical Atlantic, extending its range as
far northward as Massachusetts. It occurs in large schools, and is especially
abundant from South Carolina to Key West. It is a powerful, active ocean
marauder, its large mouth being provided with sharp teeth which work havoc
among the schools of small fishes.

Although the species is common on the North Carolina coast, it has rarely
been recorded therefrom, and ichthyological literature contains few or no North
Carolina references. Yarrow, Jordan, Gilbert, Jenkins, and others did not find
the fish in the Beaufort region, but it occurs there at the same time as the spanish
mackerel, May, June, September, and October being the best months for it. It
does not, however, go into the estuaries and rivers like the latter, but remains
outside, although sometimes occurring in the inlet and occasionally in the
channels along Shackleford Banks and Fort Macon. It is much less abundant
and less valuable than the spanish mackerel, bringing only half as much per
pound; and, as its sharp teeth and great strength make it disastrous to ordinary
nets, it is not sought by the market fishermen, who, however, catch it incident-
ally in drift nets, set nets, and purse seines used for spanish mackerel. Dr.
Coker states that 15 or 20 is a good catch toa boat in a day, but that on one
occasion 160 were received by a local dealer as the day’s catch of one boat.
Mr. George N. Ives reports that when he operated large seines in the bight of
Cape Lookout he sometimes landed 1,500 to 2,000 ceroes at a haul, the largest
weighing 40 pounds. At the present time many fish could be caught there if
especially strong seines were used, but the cero brings a very small price and
is rarely marketed in the north.

In the channels near the “‘banks”’, ceroes are likely to be found among
menhaden; and 2 or 3 to 10 or 20 are not infrequently caught by the menhaden
boats in schools of menhaden. The fish thus taken are eaten on board the boats,
not being considered of sufficient value to ship. In the line fishing for “trout”
and other species, the cero is sometimes troublesome, and may then be readily
caught by baiting a large hook on a stout line with a young croaker or trout.

At Beaufort the cero is the most highly prized of the game fishes, being
caught by trolling. The usual weight of those thus taken is 15 to 30 pounds,
some being larger. Dr. Coker has seen 24 cero brought in as the result of one
day’s fishing, this being considered a good catch, Lut doubtless this number has

194 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

at times been greatly exceeded. Mr. M. B. Claussen, of New York, who has
angled much in the Beaufort region, reports that a few years ago he caught a
cero there that weighed 54 pounds.

Opinion differs at Beaufort as to the quality of the fresh meat, but it has
not good keeping qualities and soon becomes soft even in ice; as a salted fish,
however, the cero is good. One of the most successful of the anglers who visit
Beaufort is Mr. MeLung, of Tennessee, who regards the cero as one of the most
delicious of sea food fishes when eaten within a few hours after being caught,
but useless when shipped home, as the flesh losses its fine flavor and becomes
soft. :

The cero catch of North Carolina in 1902 was 45,380 pounds, for which the
fishermen received $455. Nearly this entire quantity is to be credited to the
seine fisheries in Carteret County.

Genus SCOMBER Linnzus. Common Mackerels.

This genus contains a few moderate sized, wandering marine fishes char-
acterized by an elongate, fusiform body; slender caudal peduncle with 2 lateral
keels on each side; wide, weak mouth, with small teeth on jaws, vomer, and
palatines; maxillary slipping behind preorbital; very small scales; long and
slender gill-rakers; numerous pyloric cceca; small or deficient air-bladder; widely
separated dorsal fins, the anterior with 9 to 12 weak spines; 5 to 9 finlets behind
dorsal and anal fins; rather small forked caudal fin; and small pectoral and ven-
trals fins. Two American species, both widely distributed and valuable for
food. (Scomber, a name based on the ancient Greek name for the common

mackerel.)
166. SCOMBER SCOMBRUS Linneus.

“Round Mackerel’; Common Mackerel.

Scomber scombrus Linnaeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 297, 1758; Atlantic Ocean. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, pl.
exxxiii, fig. 363; south to Cape Hatteras. Goode, 1884, 281; sounds about Cape Hatteras.

Fig. 79. Common Macxkeret. Scomber scombrus.

DiaGnosis.—Depth contained 4.5 times in length; head somewhat less than .25 length;
maxillary reaching vertical from anterior edge of orbit; eye .2 length of head and .66 snout;
snout long and pointed; air-bladder absent; dorsal rays x1+ 12; the fins separated by a space
somewhat less than length of head; anal rays 1,11, opposite and similar to soft dorsal; 5 finlets
behind dorsal and anal fins; caudal fin deeply forked; pectorals about .5 length of head; ventrals
shorter. Color: above dark blue, with numerous transverse wavy, parallel black bars; below
elistenitig white; fins dusky, dorsals edged with white. (scombriis, ancient Mediterranean name
for the fish.)

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 195

There are no definite North Carolina records for this species, although it has
been frequently cited as occurring “‘off Cape Hatteras’’, ‘‘as far south as Cape
Hatteras”’, etc. As is well known, it often happens that the first schools of
mackerel met with by the New England fishermen in spring are off Cape Hatteras,
and in one or two instances the fish have been seen off Cape Hatteras in December
or late fall.

The writer’s recent observations have shown that this is the species known
to the fishermen of Cape Lookout and other North Carolina localities as ‘round
mackerel’’. The fish is caught in bottom gill nets at Cape Lookout in spring and
fall, and one specimen was taken there in the third week in April, 1904. The
largest numbers come with the spanish mackerel in May. During summer the
mackerel is absent, but in fall it reappears and at that time is sometimes caught
in pound nets in Pamlico Sound and about Roanoke Island. Mr. George N.
Ives, however, one of the very best informed fish men in North Carolina, says he
has never seen this fish in the state and doubts its occurrence.

Family TRICHIURIDAS. The Hair-tails.

These fishes frequent the warmer parts of the ocean and swim near the sur-
face. They are exceedingly elongate, with closely compressed sides and body
tapering posteriorly to a point. The head is large, with wide mouth, powerful
jaws, and prominent teeth. The gills are 4 in number, the gill-membranes are
not connected and are free from the isthmus. The body is destitute of scales,
but there is a lateral line. The air-bladder is present. The fin development is
peculiar: The dorsal fin is very long, and usually without differentiation of the
spinous and soft rays, all of which are short; the anal is likewise long and very
low; the caudal is absent; the pectorals are small; and the ventrals are either
absent or rudimentary. The family is represented in American waters by a
single genus and species.

Genus TRICHIURUS Linnzus. Cutlass-fishes.

Body band-like; head long, lower jaw strong and projecting; teeth on jaws
and palatines, those on jaw of unequal size, strong and sharp; margin of maxil-
lary partly covered by preorbital; lateral line decurved; dorsal fin extending
without a break from nape to end of tail; anal consisting of short, detached
spines nearly concealed by the skin; posterior extremity of body produced as a
long filament; pectorals very short; ventrals absent. (Trichiurus, hair-tail.)

167. TRICHIURUS LEPTURUS Linneus.
“Sword-fish’’; Cutlass-fish; Scabbard-fish; Sabre-fish; Hair-tail.
Trichiurus lepturus Linneus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 246, 1758; America. Yarrow, 1877, 207; Beaufort. Jen-
kins, 1887, 88; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 889, pl. exxxvii, fig. 375.
Diacnosis.—Greatest depth of body about .06 total length; head pointed, comparatively
large, contained 7.5 times in total length; upper jaw with about 4 large lancet-like teeth and
others smaller; lower jaw with numerous sharp teeth; mandible reaching to posterior margin of
eye; eye large, .5 length of snout and .16 length of head; posterior margin of opercle forming

196 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

a rather sharp angle; lateral line beginning opposite upper margin of eye, dropping suddenly
behind pectoral, and continued to tail near and concurrent with belly; dorsal rays about 135,
of nearly uniform length, the longest not twice diameter of eye; anal spines about 100, scarcely
evident, the anterior directed backward, the posterior forward; pectorals short, pointed,
-slightly longer than eye. Color: uniformly glistening silvery; dorsal fin with a dark margia.
(lepturus, slender tailed.)

This curious and easily recognized fish of the warm seas comes northward
on our east coast as far as Massachusetts, and is not rare from Chesapeake Bay
southward. It attains a length of 5 feet, and in Jamaica and other places is
eaten, although it has little value in the United States. On the North Carolina
coast it enters all the inlets and sounds during summer and fall, and sometimes
at least in winter. At Beaufort it is often caught in line fishing at the inlet and
inside the harbor, the hooks being baited with mullet and sunk to the bottom;
the fish is said to pull very hard when caught. Many are taken in mullet nets as
late as the second half of November, 40 to 50 being sometimes taken at one
haul; they tangle the nets badly, and are not liked by the fishermen. On
December 13, 1890, Dr. W. C. Kendall found a cutlass-fish stranded on the beach
at Hatteras Inlet.

Fig. 80. Curtass-FIisH; Harr-raru. Trichiurus lepturus.

The cutlass-fish has an exceedingly formidable mouth, and, being an active
swimmer, must be a terror to small fishes: Spawning occurs in summer. In
August, 1906, Dr. E. W. Gudger obtained ripe eggs from a 30-inch fish caught
at Beaufort. The ovary is single, and in this specimen was about 6.5 inches
long.

Family XIPHIIDAS. The Sword-fishes.

This family contains a single species of large size and great power, inhabi-
ting the high seas. Body elongate, compact, smooth, and destitute of scales.
Upper jaw greatly prolonged and forming a flat sword, the bones entering into
it being the premaxillaries, ethmoid, and vomer; lower jaw large; teeth absent in
adult. Gills 4, the lamine of each united into a single plate; gill-membranes
separate, not connected with isthmus. Intestine long, pyloric cceca numerous,
air-bladder large and simple. Two dorsal fins, the anterior large and beginning
opposite gill-opening, the posterior very small and situated near the caudal; 2
anal fins, the anterior rather large, the posterior small and opposite second
dorsal; caudal very large and widely forked; pectorals long, narrow and pointed;

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 197

ventrals absent; all the fins shark-like, the rays developed in the skin; caudal
peduncle slender, with a keel on each side; young with both jaws produced, the
dorsal and anal fins continuous, the head spinous, and body with rudimentary
scales.
Genus XIPHIAS Linnzus. Sword-fishes.
Characters of the genus noted above. (Xiphias, ancient Greek name for
the sword-fish, from 2vphos, a sword.)

168. XIPHIAS GLADIUS Linnzus.
Sword-fish.

Xiphias gladius Linneus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 248, 1758; Europe. Yarrow, 1877, 207; off Cape Lookout.
Jenkins, 1887, 88; Beaufort Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 894.

Diaqnosis.—Body very slightly compressed, tapering uniformly from head to tail, the
greatest depth (at anterior dorsal fin) contained 5.5 to 6 times in total length (to base of caudal
fin); head with sword longer than remainder of body; snout about .33 total length to tip of
caudal lobes; mouth large, the cleft extending far beyond eye; eye .25 postorbital part of head;
first dorsal fin very high and faleate anteriorly, its height nearly as great as depth of body;
dorsal rays 40+2 to 4; first anal fin faleate like dorsal but smaller, its origin about midway
between pectorals and base of caudal; anal rays 18 to 21+3; length of caudal lobes measured
from end of keel greater than depth of body; pectorals placed very low, their length about

_ equal to that of first dorsal. Color: lustrous blackish purple above, whitish beneath; the

fins dark bluish; upper side of sword purplish blue like the head, under side lighter; iris blue.
(gladius, sword.)

This large inhabitant of the high seas is common off the entire east coast of
the United States, occasionally coming into the inshore waters. Yarrow did not
see this species at Fort Macon, but received “reliable information of its occa-
sional appearance off Cape Lookout’.

Jenkins lists it as “‘occasionally reported by fishermen’’, and cites Prof. W.
K. Brooks as authority for the statement. Goode (1884) quotes a Mr. A. W.
Simpson as reporting that sword-fish have at times been seen in large numbers
off Cape Hatteras in November and December, sometimes entering the sounds.

The sword-fish is one of the largest, most powerful, and most dangerous
fishes sought by man. The average weight is 400 to 500 pounds, and the maxi-
mum more than 800 pounds, the length of the largest being 15 feet. On the
New England coast there is an important fishery for the sword-fish, which is
killed by harpooning. The flesh is firm and palatable, and usually brings a good
price; it is sold in the form of steaks.

Family ISTIOPHORID. The Sail-fishes and Spear-fishes.

These are large, pelagic fishes, similar in appearance and habits to the much
commoner sword-fish (Xiphias), but readily distinguishable therefrom by the
compressed body, elongate dorsal fin, well-developed ventral fins, shorter sword,
complex air-bladder, etc. The body is elongate and covered with linear scutes.
The bones of the upper jaw are fused and elongated to form a long and strong
sword or spear. The mouth is provided with small granular teeth on jaws and

19 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

CO

palatines. There are 2 anal fins. On each side of the caudal peduncle are 2
fleshy ridges. The intestine is short and but slightly convoluted, and the large
air-bladder has numerous divisions. The family contains 2 genera, which are
thus distinguished:

i. Dorsal fin much higher than depth of body, and not divided in middle; ventral fins formed

Of DOR SENAY S sere ne peaacy teins oe lane hae ene Pape aa Pewee erin er re Lee ISTIOPHORUS.
ii. Dorsal fin less than height of body, and separated in middle by aborted rays; ventral fins
formed) of avsnelesspin@ sem. 32. coc ar eee oe a ere TETRAPTURUS.

Genus ISTIOPHORUS Lacépéde. Sail-fishes.

Form slender, much compressed, caudal peduncle narrow; skin rough and
covered with small, elongate scales; sword flattened, tapering to a point, its
upper and lower surfaces rounded; dorsal fin continuous, beginning on head and
extending nearly to caudal, the anterior three-fourths very high, the posterior
rays low; anal fin double, small; caudal lobes widely flaring; ventral rays very
long. Several species, 1 American. (/stiophorus, sail-bearing.)

169. ISTIOPHORUS NIGRICANS (Lacépede).
Sail-fish.

Makaira nigricans Lacépéde, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, iv, 688, 1803; Rochelle, France.
Istiophorus nigricans, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 891, pl. exxxii, fig. 376.

DiaGanosis.—Depth greatest over gill-opening, .14 length from tip of sword to base of tail;
head (including upper jaw) 2.5 times depth; eye small, .09 to .10 length of head, midway
between tip of lower jaw and gill-slit; upper jaw 3 times length of postorbital region; lateral
line straight, with a marked arch over pectoral; dorsal rays about xu,7, the longest spines more
than twice body depth, the last rays much reduced; anal rays 9+7; caudal deeply forked, the
lobes very slender and about length of upper jaw; ventrals long and pointed, longer than upper
jaw; pectorals .5 ventrals. Color: above bluish black, below pale; dorsal fin bluish, with
numerous round black spots; caudal with black blotches; other fins dark. (nigricans, becoming
black.)

The sail-fish, so named because of the immense dorsal fin, is not uncommon
in the West Indies and about the Florida Keys, but occurs only as a rare straggler
along the east coast of the United States. The only specimen recorded from
North Carolina was caught by a Morehead City fisherman in the summer of 1884
and was handled by Mr. George N. Ives, then in business at that place. The
specimen finally reached Mr. H. H. Brimley, by whom it was preserved for the
State Museum at Raleigh. This example is 71 inches long, with upper jaw 15
inches long. -
Genus TETRAPTURUS Rafinesque. Spear-fishes.

Body elongate, sides much compressed, caudal peduncle contracted; scales
rudimentary and embedded; dorsal fins separate; the first beginning over gill-slit
and extending beyond first anal, with anterior rays elevated and others very low,
the second dorsal small and opposite second anal; caudal fin widely forked; ven-
tral fins consisting of a single slender ray. Two American and several old world
species. (Vetrapturus, four-winged tail.)

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 199

170. TETRAPTURUS ALBIDUS Poey.
Spear-fish; Bill-fish.

Tetrapturus albidus Poey, Memorias sobre la historia natural de la isia de Cuba, ii, 237, 1858; Havana. Goode,
1884, 357, pl. 116.
Tetrapturus imperator, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 892.

DiaGnosis.—Greatest depth of body, under anterior lobe of dorsal fin, .15 total length;
depth of caudal peduncle .25 depth of body; head (with upper jaw) about .3 length; eye small,
.25 postorbital part of head; length of snout about twice length of remainder of head; dorsal
rays 111,35+6, the anterior elevated rays about .75 depth of body; anal rays 11,8+6; each
caudal lobe as long as upper jaw, the fork making an angle of 70 to 80 degrees; pectorals longer
than ventrals and nearly .5 length of head. Color: back and fins dark blue, sides and below
white; anterior dorsal fin dark-spotted. (albidus, whitened.)

This species, whose center of abundance is the West Indies, occasionally
ranges as far north as Massachusetts. There is a single North Carolina record
which has been communicated by Mr. H. H. Brimley. This is a specimen found
on the beach on Bogue Bank in the summer of 1892 by Mr. Thomas C. Harris,
then curator of the State Museum. The head of this specimen is now in the
museum; it is 41 inches long, with upper jaw 29 inches long, spear at tip of lower
jaw 2 inches wide and 1.45 inches deep, width of head between eyes 7.25 inches,
and diameter of eye 2.5 inches. These dimensions indicate a fish more than 10
feet long.

The spear-fish sometimes attains a very large size, one 26 feet long having
been reported from the island of Mauritius, where the species is highly esteemed
as food. Like the sword-fish, this species occasionally attacks vessels without
any provocation, and may cause serious leaks; it is also dangerous to fishermen in
small boats. It often floats listlessly at the surface, but is also known to swim
at a depth of 100 fathoms.

Family CARANGID. The Cavallies, Pompanoes, etc.

A numerous and important family of marine fishes, found in warm and tem-
perate latitudes. They are for the most part active swimmers, and many of the
species go in schools. The carangids differ much in form, some being elongate
and not greatly compressed, while others are deep and much compressed. The
body is usually covered with thin cycloid scales, but is sometimes naked; the
lateral line is arched anteriorly, straight posteriorly, and may be armed with
bony plates; the dorsal fins are more or less separated, the spines rather weak and
depressible in a groove; the anal fin is long, with 2 stiff spines; the caudal fin is
widely forked, the peduncle slender; the pectoral fins are usually long and narrow;
the gill-rakers are usually long; the gill-membranes are free from the isthmus and
usually not united; the air-bladder is present, the pseudobranchiz are large, and
the pyloric cceca are numerous. There are about 20 American genera, of which
8 are known to be represented in the state fauna.

Key to the North Carolina genera of carangids.

i. Body covered with linear, embedded scales, giving the skin a peculiar leathery appearance;
premaxillaries not protractile; pectoral fins short and rounded.......... OLIGOPLITES.

ii.Body either naked or covered with small cycloid scales; premaxillaries protractile; pectoral
fins either long and faleate or short and pointed.

200 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA,

a. Anal fin much shorter than soft dorsal, its base not longer than abdomen.. .SERIOLA.
aa. Anal fin as long as soft dorsal, its base longer than abdomen.
b. Pectoral fins long and faleate; maxillary with a supplemental bone; lateral line usually
with bony plates.
c. Dorsal outline more strongly curved than ventral outline.
d. Lateral line with bony plates only on posterior part.

e. Body elongate, moderately compressed, back somewhat elevated; jaw teeth
in a few series or in one series; no fin-rays produced; plates of lateral
line strongly developed: .8 <tc igen see eek em Sees Cae ee CARANX.
first 5 or 6 dorsal and anal rays produced as long filaments; plates of

ee. Body short and deep, greatly compressed; jaw teeth in villiform bands;
lateral Jineswellidevelopedt a... o... 02 s-cc cries reel ALECTIS.

eee. Body broad ovate, strongly compressed, anterior profile nearly vertical,
forehead bulging; teeth weak; dorsal and anal fins very low, no rays pro-
duced; plates of lateral line almost obsolete................. VOMER.
dd. Jiateral line without any; bony. plates... 2... 2. << ahe ae oh eae SELENE.

cc. Dorsal outline less strongly curved than ventral; no plates on lateral line.
CHLOROSCOMBRUS.
bb. Pectoral fins short and not faleate; maxillary without supplemental bone; lateral line
without bony DIates,, 2% cy c:cre csi ele ae cas wieamy a)ieha ease ketone e marie) ote TRACHINOTUS.

Fig. 81. LearHer-Jacker. Oligoplites saurus. |

Genus OLIGOPLITES Gill. Leather-jackets.

The leather-jackets are easily recognizable by their greatly compressed,
more or less elongate body covered with very narrow scales embedded in the skin
with little regularity of arrangement, the scales being very different from ordi-
nary ones. Head short, compressed; mouth large, with bands of small, sharp
teeth on jaws, tongue, palatines and vomer; upper jaw not protractile; maxillary
narrow; gill-rakers long; lateral line with a slight curve anteriorly, unarmed;
caudal peduncle without keel; dorsal spines low, separated, 3 to 5 in number;
second dorsal long, anterior rays highest, posterior rays low, separated, and
forming finlets; anal spines well separated from soft part, the latter similar to
soft dorsal; caudal widely forked; pectorals and ventrals short, the latter depres-
sible in a groove. The few species are of small size and are found only in
warmer American waters. (Oligoplites, poorly armed.)

171. OLIGOPLITES SAURUS (Bloch & Schneider).
Runner; Leather-jacket.

Scomber saurus Bloch & Schneider, Systema Ichthyologie#, 1801, 321; Jamaica.
Oligoplites saurus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 898, pl. exxxviii, fig. 378.

SYSTEMATIC GATALOGUR OF FISHES. 201

Draanosis.—Depth .25 length; head .2 length; maxillary extending beyond pupil; eye
slightly less than snout, .25 head; head naked, the body covered with linear, obliquely arranged,
embedded scales; dorsal rays v +1,20; anal rays 11+1,20; caudal lobes equal, about length of
head; pectorals and ventrals about .66 length of head. Color: bluish on back and _ top of
head, silvery on sides and belly; iris and fins yellow. (saurus, lizard.)

Although the leather-jacket ranges regularly from the tropics along our
east coast to New York, it has not heretofore been recorded from North Carolina.
On May 17, 1904, a Beaufort fisherman brought a 10-inch specimen to the labora-
tory, and reported that he had met with the fish before. The species rarely
exceeds a foot in length, and has no food vaue.

Genus SERIOLA Cuvier. Amber-fishes.

Rather large, shapely fishes, usually with a good deal of greenish-yellow on
body and fins, whence the name of amber-fish. They are found on the coasts of
America, Europe, and Asia, and in some countries are important food fishes.
Body rather elongate, slightly compressed, back not elevated; head conical;
mouth large, with bands of small teeth on jaws, tongue, vomer, and palatals;
premaxillaries protractile; supplemental maxillary broad; body and sides of
head covered with very small scales; lateral line greatly arched anteriorly, form-
ing a keel on side of peduncle; anterior dorsal fin low, with about 7 spines con-
nected by a membrane; posterior dorsal long, elevated in front; anal similar to
soft dorsal but smaller, preceded by 2 very small free spines (disappearing with
age); ventrals rather long; pectorals short. About 10 American species, 7 of
which occur on our east coast; 3 known from North Carolina.*

Key to the North Carolina species of amber-fishes.

i. Body marked by 5 or 6 broad black cross-bands, very distinct in smaller specimens, becom-
ing obsolete with age; size moderate.

a. Body rather stout, the depth .33 length to end of scales; length of head much less than

depth of body; a dark band from eye to spinous dorsal; ventrals and spinous dorsal

Lac keeper men Ae ry her ataN nD Meee tsa tym aa df cvs cia) cies Gieranspare sie a tiga zonata.

aa. Body slender, the depth .21 length; length of head greater than depth of body; a hori-

zontal yellow band from opercle to end of tail; ventral and spinous dorsal not black.

carolinensis.

ti. Body not marked by black cross-bands; form slender, depth of body about .25 length to

end of scales; length of head equal to or less than depth of body; a golden stripe from eye

LOMSPANLOUA GOTSAlEBIZOy ALEC Ue craps acidic als fe ee cals tlmfele dvs eens tee eee ces Meee lalandi.

(Seriola, an Italian name for one of the fishes of this genus.)

172. SERIOLA ZONATA (Mitchill).t
Rudder-fish; Shark Pilot.

Scomber zonatus Mitchill, Transactions Literary and Philosophical Society of New York, 1815, 427; New York
Bay.
Seriola zonata, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 902, pl. exxxix, fig. 381; Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras.

*Several other amber fishes (S. fasciata, S. rivoliana) are known from South Carolina and may be looked
for further north,

+The pilot-fish (Naucrates ductor) was recorded from Beaufort by Yarrow on the authority of a fisher-
man; but no specimen has been obtained from North Carolina, and it is probable that the fish Yarrow noted
was the young of this species.

202 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

DraGNnosis.—Body rather deep, the depth contained 3 times in total length; back and
top of head compressed; head .75 depth of body; supplemental maxillary bone about as broad
as eye; lower Jaw somewhat projecting; eye rather large, .66 snout; dorsal rays vir+1,38, the
longest spine about equal to eye; anterior soft dorsal rays somewhat elongate but less than
half length of eye; origin of anal fin under tenth ray of soft dorsal, the anal rays 1,21; pectorals
less than .5 length of head; ventrals .6 head. Color: above dull bluish-gray, below white;
back and sides with 5 or 6 broad black crossbands, 3 of which extend on dorsal and 2 on anal,
the bars becoming more indistinct with age and disappearing in largest fish; a dark oblique
stripe from eye to spinous dorsal; spinous dorsal black; tips of caudal white; ventrals black
above, pale below. (zonata, banded).

Ranges from Cape Hatteras northward to Massachusetts, and will doubtless
be found well represented on the North Carolina coast when properly sought.
The deep, banded body enables one to recognize the species readily. The young
are interesting aquarium fish. This species and the next associate with sharks
or other large fish, and are also often found about the rudders of vessels. Attains
a length of 3 feet, and is an excellent food fish.

173. SERIOLA CAROLINENSIS Holbrook.
Rudder-fish: Shark Pilot.

Seriola carolinensis Holbrook, Ichthyology of South Carolina, 72, 1860; Charleston.
Halatractus zonatus, Yarrow, 1877, 209; Beaufort.
Seriola zonata, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 377; Beaufort.
Seriola zonata carolinensis, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 902; north to Cape Hatteras.

Diacnosis.—Body slender, the depth about .21 total length; head .28 length; eye small,
.16 head; dorsal rays v to vir +1,36 or 37; anal rays 1,19 to 1,21. Color: bluish above, whitish
below, a greenish-yellow band extending from opercle to caudal; fins mostly greenish, the
ventrals whitish; young with about 6 black cross-bands which become fainter with age, the
bands extending on dorsal and anal fins. (carolinensis, inhabiting Carolina.)

This species is closely related to Seriola zonata and has been regarded by
recent writers as a variety of that species; it is a much more elongate form,
however, with smaller eye and somewhat different color, and may be recognized
as a distinct species until it is found to intergrade with zonata.

The fish is found from Cape Hatteras to Texas, but is not common in North
Carolina. Yarrow in 1871 observed only a single specimen at Beaufort; Jordan
and Gilbert in 1878 and Jenkins in 1885 did not find it there; and of late it has
rarely been seen. The fish is not known to the Beaufort fishermen.

174. SERIOLA LALANDI Cuvier & Valenciennes.
Amber-fish; Yellow-tail.

Seriola lalandi Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, ix, 208, 1833; Brazil. Jordan &
Evermann, 1896, 903, pl. exl, fig. 382, Linton, 1905, 363; off Cape Lookout. :

DriaGnosis.—Depth .25 total length to fork of caudal; caudal peduncle slender, its depth
but little more than diameter of eye; head about equal to depth; maxillary reaching to pupil;
eye small, less than .5 length of snout and .16 length of head; scales in lateral series about 160;
dorsal rays about v1+1,34, the anterior dorsal very low, the posterior elevated in front, the
longest soft ray being .5 head; anal fin similar to but much smaller than second dorsal, its rays
1,21 to 1,24. Color: grayish or purplish golden above, whitish below; a bright bronze hori-

SYSTEMATIC GATALOGUE OF FISHES. 203

zontal stripe extending from snout, through eye, to caudal; an oblique bronze stripe from eye
to spinous dorsal; ventrals white below, anal blackish, other fins dusky yellow. (lalandi, after
a French naturalist named Delalande.)

This amber-fish, which is found from Brazil to southern New England, is
common southward and is sometimes taken in considerable numbers on the
New Jersey coast. There appear to be no published records of its capture in
North Carolina, but it undoubtedly occurs there every year and could be found
if sought for with proper apparatus on the outer shores.

Fig. 82. Amper-FisH. Seriola lalandi.

A number of years ago, some New Jersey fishermen set pound-nets off the
beach at Nags Head and for some time caught numbers of fine, large amber-fish,
and 20 boxes of the fish were sent to market from Skyco, Roanoke Island. The
steamer Fish-Hawk caught a specimen about 28 miles off Cape Lookout, August
21, 1902.

Genus CARANX Lacépéde. Crevallés; Cavallies.

A numerous genus of rather small marine species, found in all warm seas,
some of them valuable food fishes. Form ovate, considerably compressed; back
sometimes arched; head large or moderate; mouth rather large, maxillary reach-
ing to below or beyond eye; jaw teeth not in villiform bands, usually present on
vomer, tongue, and palatines; premaxillaries protractile; gill-rakers long; eye
large, with adipose eye-lid; anterior dorsal fin rather low, the spines connected by
membrane, soft dorsal elevated in front, both fins depressible in a groove; anal
fin similar to soft dorsal, preceded by 2 strong spines; pectoral fins falcate; pos-
terior part of lateral line with strong bony plates, each plate with a spine; a short
dorsal branch of lateral line usually present. The American species number a
dozen or more; the 5 known from the east coast of the United States have been
noted in local waters.

Key to the North Carolina species of Caranzx.

i. Soft dorsal and anal fins only slightly elevated in front, their rays about 27 and 23 respec-
tively; teeth in a narrow band in each jaw, without canines.

a. Greatest depth of body contained 2.8 times in length; straight part of lateral line about as

long as curved part; color pale, mostly golden .....................-. bartholomei.

aa. Greatest depth of body contained 3.5 times in length; straight part of lateral line much

longer than curved part; color dark, mostly bluish............ REP NE wr ceeuaiten ruber.

204 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

ti. Soft dorsal and anal fins much elevated in front, the rays less numerous than above; teeth
in upper jaw in a band, in lower jaw in single series.
b. Breast without scales, except small patch before ventrals; outer teeth in upper jaw
canine; ‘ boepy plates an ‘lateral line S0-Ge0 oan 5 ae cee nee oe ine hippos.
bb. Breast entirely covered with scales; outer teeth in jaw not canine.
c. Body rather elongate, depth less than .33 length; bony plates in lateral line 50; soft

dorsal rays U, 24 i hoe os. Se hielo ates e create nee eae sat tee crysos.
cc. Body shorter, depth .4 length; bony plates in lateral line 35; soft dorsal rays
Tp Die ss ie Ste wea ese wen ote ARSED ce casas Soy esaat SPAR ET aeons Pe eee Te ay che Ten meee RAN ree latus.

The cavallies do not figure prominently in the fisheries of the state, being
held in little esteem and not especially sought. The total catch in 1902 was
13,900 pounds, which sold for $164.

(Caranx, a corruption of a Portuguese or French name for these fishes).

175. CARANX BARTHOLOMAI Cuvier & Valenciennes.
Yellow Jack.

Caranx bartholomei Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, ix, 1)G, 1833; St. Bartholomew
Island. Jenkins, 1885, 11; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. ; Jenkins, 1887, 88; Beaufort;
Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 919; West Indies to North Carolina,

Caranx beani Jordan, Proceedings U. 8. National Museum, ili, 188), 486; Beaufort.

D1aGnosis.—Body deep, compressed, the depth contained 2.8 times in length; head not
much compressed, .33 length; maxillary not extending to pupil; eye shorter than snout; gill- °
rakers long; soft dorsal, anal, and caudal fins densely scaled; plates in lateral line 28; dorsal
rays vilt+1,27, soft part slightly faleate; anal rays 11+1,23; pectorals falcate, a little shorter
than head and extending beyond front of anal. Color: bluish silvery, with golden suffusion;
fins pale yellow; young with golden spots. (Named after the island of St. Bartholomew.)

This species, which is common in the West Indies, occasionally strays to the
coast of Florida and North Carolina. Two small specimens seined in Beaufort
Harbor by Drs. Jordan and Gilbert in 1878 were made the basis of a new species,
Caranx beani, which is now considered synonymous with Caranx bartholomer.
Dr. Jenkins obtained several specimens at Beaufort in the summer of 1885. On
August 4, 1905, Mr. C. B. Wilson seined in the harbor a specimen now preserved
at the laboratory.

176. CARANX RUBER (Bloch).
Crevallé; Carbonero.
Scomber ruber Bloch, Ichthyologie, pl. 342, 1793; island of St. Croix.

Caranc ruber, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 919.

DriaGnosis.—Depth contained about 3.5 times in total length; head about equal to depth;
maxillary barely reaching front of eye and contained 2.75 times in head; no canine teeth in
jaws; diameter of eye less than .25 head; snout more than .3 head; scutes 25 to 30, lateral line
not strongly arched; dorsal rays vi1+1,26 to 28, the anterior rays of soft dorsal more than .3
head; anal rays 1+1,22; pectoral fins as long as head. Color: bluish above, silvery below;
an obscure horizontal blue stripe below dorsal; dorsal yellowish; lower lobe of caudal with a
blackish bar; other fins plain. (ruber, red, an inappropriate name based on a drawing errone-
ously colored.)

In August, 1906, a specimen of this fish about 8 inches long was caught in
Beaufort Harbor, and is now in the laboratory collection. This species has not

heretofore been recorded from the United States, but is common in the West
Indies.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 205

177. CARANX HIPPOS (Linneus).

“‘Olbacore”’; ‘Albacore’ ; ‘‘Horse Mackerel”; Crevallé; Cavally ; Horse Orevallé (S.C.);
Jack; Jack Crevallé (S.C.)

Scomber hippos Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 494, 1766; Charleston, S. C.

Carangus hippos, Yarrow, 1877, 208; Beaufort.

Caranx hippos, Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 920, pl. exli, fig. 387. Linton, 1905,
365; Beaufort.

DraGnosis.—Depth .4 length; head large and deep, 28 length of body, anterior profile
strongly curved; mouth large, lower jaw prominent, maxillary extending to or beyond posterior
border of eye; two canine teeth in front of lower jaw; eye .2 length of head; gill-rakers long and
stout, 15 on lower arm of first arch; plates on lateral line 30; dorsal rays vim1+1,20; anal rays
11+1,17; pectorals slightly longer than head. Color: olive green above, golden on sides and
abdomen; a large black opercular blotch; axil of pectorals with a black blotch; margin of soft
dorsal black. (hippos, horse.)

Fig. 83. Cavauiy. Caranx hippos.

This species of cavally is found on both coasts of America, and occurs
regularly on the eastern seaboard of the United States as far north as Massachu-
setts. On the North Carolina coast it is the commonest species of the genus. At
Beaufort, where the general name for the cavallies is ‘‘albacore”’ or ‘‘olbacore’’,
these fishes were formerly caught in considerable quantities in spring, but are
not now abundant; occasionally a shipment of 25 to 30 boxes is made. The
local opinion is that the fish has a thick skin and tough flesh, and does not have
high rank as a food fish; although at Key West, Florida, and at other places it
has some commercial importance. Its weight is usually under 5 pounds, but
often reaches 10 or 12 pounds and occasionally 20 pounds. Lawson’s note on
the cavallies doubtless applies primarily to this species:

Cavallies are of a brownish color, have exceeding small scales and a very thick skin; they
are as firm a fish as ever I saw; therefore will keep sweet (in the hot weather) two days, when
others will stink in half a day, unless salted. They ought to be scaled as soon as taken; other-
wise you must pull off the skin and scales, when boiled; the skin being the choicest of the fish.
The meat, which is white and large, is dressed with this fish.

206 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

178. CARANX CRYSOS (Mitchill).

“Horse Mackerel’; ‘‘Sun-fish’’; ‘“Albacore’’; ‘‘Olbacore’”’; Cavally; Crevallé; Horse
, Crevallé (S. C.); Jack Crevallé (S. C.); Hard-tail; Runner; Jurel;
r Yellow Mackerel.

Scomber crysos Mitchill, Transactions Literary and Philosophical Society of New York, i, 1815, 424; New York.

Carangus chrysos, Yarrow, 1877, 208; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 376; Beaufort.

Carangus pisquetus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 376; Beaufort (after Yarrow).

Paratractus pisquetos, Yarrow, 1877, 208; Beaufort.

Caranx chrysus, Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 88; Beaufort.

Caranx crysos, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 921, pl. exlii, fig. 388.

DiaGanosis.—Depth contained 3.25 times in total-length; head contained 3.75 times in
length; maxillary extending to pupil; eye shorter than snout, contained 3.5 times in head;
gill-rakers long and numerous; plates covering entire straight part of lateral line, 50 in number;
dorsal rays vui+1,24; anal rays 141,19; pectorals about length of head. Color: light green
above, golden yellow or silvery below; a black opercular spot; fins pale. (erysos, gold.)

Fig. 84. CavaLiy; Harp-rait. Caranz crysos.

The range of this cavally extends from Brazil to Massachusetts. On the
North Carolina coast it is ordinarily less common that Caranx hippos. Yarrow
reported a few seen at Fort Macon in early fall, and took one 14 inches long in
May. Jenkins noted the fish as common in the summer of 1885. One or two
specimens have been obtained in recent years for the Beaufort laboratory, and
in 1905 the species was very common, upward of 240 specimens being caught
between July 18 and August 28 in a pound net operated in the interest of the
laboratory. The local name in most general use is ‘‘olbacore’”’. In the Gulf of
Mexico the species is very abundant and highly esteemed as food. The length
rarely exceeds 15 inches.

179. CARANX LATUS Agassiz.
Jurel; Horse-eye Jack.

Caranx latus Agassiz, Pisces Brasilienses, 105, 1829; Brazil. Jenkins, 1885, 11; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 27;
Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 88; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 923.
Caranx richardi Holbrook, Ichthyology of South Carolina, 96, pl. 18, fig. 1, 1860; South Carolina.
Diaaqnosis.—Shaped like C. hippos, but with less strongly curved profile; depth .4 length;
head contained 3.4 times in length; maxillary extending as far as posterior edge of pupil; canine

Ss

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 207

teeth in front of lower jaw; gill-rakers long, 12 below angle of first arch; scutes in lateral line
35; dorsal rays viit+1,22; anal rays 1+4+1,16 to 18; pectorals length of head. Color: bluish
above, with silvery or golden sides and abdomen; a small black opercular spot; young with
black cross-bands; caudal yellow; no spot on pectorals. (latus, broad.)

Fig. 85. Jure.. Caranz latus.

From the West Indies and South America, this species ranges northward to
Virginia; it is alsofound on the west coast of Mexico. It was first recorded from
North Carolina in 1885, when Jenkins obtained a few specimens at Beaufort.
Specimens have recently been obtained at Perry Island and Bird Shoal, and out-
side the harbor by the Fish-Hawk on August 14,1902. A pound net belonging
to the Beaufort laboratory caught 19 specimens in the second and third weeks
of August, 1905, but took none during the remainder of the season. From time
immemorial the sale of this fish has been prohibited in Cuba because of the
numerous cases of illness (ciguatera) which have followed its use.

Genus ALECTIS Rafinesque. Thread-fishes.

Body deep, rhomboid, much compressed; scales minute, embedded; bony
plates on straight part of lateral line; teeth in villiform bands on jaws, tongue,
vomer, and palatines; dorsal spines short and rudimentary, mostly disappearing
with age; soft dorsal and anal fins similar, the first 5 or 6 rays thread-like; ventrals
short; pectorals faleate. In the young, the body is more orbicular, the
thread-like rays are longer, and the ventrals are longer than in the adult. Sev-
eral species, only one American. (Alectis, chicken-cock, in allusion to the names
sea-cock, sea-hen, and fish-cock applied to these and similar fishes in olden times.)

180. ALECTIS CILIARIS (Bloch).
“‘Moon-fish’’; “Shoemaker’”’; Thread-fish; Cobbler-fish.

Zeus ciliaris Bloch, Ichthyologie, vi, 29, 1788; East Indies,
Blepharichthys crinitus, Yarrow, 1877, 208; Beaufort.

Alectris crinitus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 376; Beaufort (after Yarrow).
Caranx crinitus, Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort.

Alectis ciliaris, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 931.

208 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

DiaGnosis.—Depth varying with age, .5 total length in adult, equal to length in young;
head .33 length; a sharp keel on occiput; mouth horizontal in adult, oblique in young; lateral
line with a wide arch anteriorly, the plates on posterior part numbering about 12; dorsal rays
v1+1,19; anal rays 1 +1,16; pectorals: faleate, longer than head; ventrals broad. Color: above
bluish, below golden yellow; a dark blotch on opercle, another on dorsal, and another on ar.al.
(ciliaris, with long threads or lashes.)

Fig. 86. THREAD-FISH. Alectis ciliaris.

From the tropical seas this species ranges northward on our east coast as far
as Massachusetts; it is, however, not common north of Florida. At Beaufort a
few specimens are taken nearly every year in summer and fall. The largest seen
there are 12 inches long, which is about the maximum size of the species. The
names ‘‘moon-fish”’ and ‘‘shoemaker”’ are applied to this species in the Beau-
fort region, the former name being shared by several related fishes.

The dorsal and anal rays in the thread-fish are enormously extended,
especially in the smaller individuals, and must at times prove a decided incon-
venience. Two specimens 8 inches long taken at Beaufort September 14, 1904,
by Mr. 8. G. Worth had dorsal and anal filaments 15 inches long.

Genus VOMER Cuvier & Valenciennes. Moon-fishes.

Body ovate, much compressed, forehead gibbous, lateral line strongly
arched anteriorly, weak plates on the lateral line posteriorly, scales rudimentary,
anterior dorsal obsolete, soft dorsal and anal low. In young, the form is deeper
and the fins are higher. Several American species, one occurring in United
States waters. (Vomer, plowshare, in allusion to the shape of the body.)

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 209

181. VOMER SETIPINNIS (Mitchill).
“Moon-fish”’; ‘“Sun-fish’’; Horse-fish.

Zeus setipinnis Mitchill, Transactions Literary and Philosophical Society of New York, 1815, 384; New York.
Vomer setipinnis, Yarrow, 1877, 208; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 376; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 27;
Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 88; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 934, pl. exliv, fig. 392.

DracNnosis.—Depth in adult .5 total length, in young .6 to .8 length; head contained 3.5
times in length, anterior profile steep, forehead very prominent, snout projecting, mouth
oblique, maxillary extending to front of eye; plates on lateral line about 20; dorsal rays vii +1,
21 or 22; anal rays 11+1,19 or 20; these fins very low in adults; ventral fins very small; pectorals
about length of head. Color: pale green above, silvery on sides; a black blotch at angle of
lateral line in young. (setipinnis. bristle-finned.)

Fig. 87. Moon-risH; Horse-FrisH. Vomer setipinnis.

Found along the entire east coast of the United States, but not common
northward; its range extends through the West Indies to Brazil, and, on the
Pacific coast, from Mexico to Peru. Yarrow records it from Beaufort as “abun-
dant in the fall, numbers being taken on the outer beach in company with mullet”.
Its local North Carolina names are ‘‘moon-fish” and “‘sun-fish”’, and it is not
distinguished by the fishermen from Selene vomer. It reaches a length of a foot,
and is a good food fish, but is seldom marketed.

Genus SELENE Lac€épéde. Moon-fishes.

Marine fishes of very peculiar shape, body greatly compressed and much
elevated, anterior profile very steep, edges of body sharp; head short and deep
with a prominent angle at nape; mouth small, with protractile premaxillaries
and broad maxillaries with supplemental bone; jaws, tongue, vomer, and palatals
with minute teeth; gill-rakers long and slender; scales small, lateral line without
bony plates; soft dorsal and anal fins with anterior rays much elongated, spinous
dorsal rays filiform in young, anal spines becoming obsolete in adult, ventrals
very long in young and minute in adult. Two American species, one found on
the east coast. (Selene, moon.)

210 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

182. SELENE VOMER (Linnezus.)
“‘Moon-fish’’; “Sun-fish’’; ““Horse-fish’’; Lookdown; Horsehead.

Zeus vomer Linnweus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 1758, 266; America.

Selene argentea, Yarrow, 1877, 208; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 376; Beaufort.

Argyriosus vomer, Yarrow, 1877, 208; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 376; Beaufort.

Argyriosus capillaris, Yarrow, 1877, 208; Beaufort.

Selene vomer, Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 88; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 936, pls.
exliv, exlv, figs. 393, 393a. Linton, 1905, 365; Beaufort.

DrAqnosis.—Depth in adult about .66 total length; head .33 length; profile from tip of
snout to occiput straight; mouth horizontal, the lower jaw small; diameter of eye about equal
to length of opercle and to distance from eye to anterior profile; lateral line with a well marked
arch anteriorly, the length of arch greater than that of straight part; dorsal rays vi + 1,23, the
spines very low; anal rays 1+1,18, the 2 anterior spines immovable and sometimes absent;
pectorals long, faleate. Color: uniform silvery. (vomer, plowshare.)

Fig. 88. Moon-riso; Lookpown. Selene vomer.

This species is found on both coasts of America, its range on the east coast
being from Brazil to Massachusetts; it is rather common from Chesapeake Bay
southward. In the Beaufort region, where it is known as ‘‘moon-fish”’, “‘sun-
fish”’, and “horse-fish’’, it is common from May throughout the summer, speci-
mens 2 to 6 inches long often being taken in the harbor and on the outer beaches
in company with mullets and Vomer setipinnis. The food consists chiefly of
shrimp, other small crustaceans, and small gastropods and bivalves.

The young differs greatly from the adult in appearance, the body being
much deeper, the profile less vertical, the ventral fins much longer, and the
dorsal rays more produced. An example in the Beaufort laboratory 1.25 inches
long taken in the summer of 1900 has the ventral fins 1 inch long and the anterior
dorsal rays 2.37 inches long.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. Peta |

Genus CHLOROSCOMBRUS Girard. Bumpers.

Small American marine fishes, with much compressed, elliptical body, the
_ ventral curve being greater than the dorsal; caudal peduncle very slender; small
smooth scales covering body, head nearly naked; lateral line arched anteriorly,
plates wanting; mouth small, oblique, upper jaw protractile, the maxillary bone
concave behind and with a large supplemental bone; feeble teeth, mostly in one
series, on jaws and roof of mouth; dorsal spines weak, joined by membrane; soft
dorsal and anal similar, low, slightly elevated in front, anal spines strong; pec-
torals long and falcate; ventrals small. Two species, one in Atlantic, the other in
Pacific Ocean. (Chloroscombrus, green mackerel.)

183. CHLOROSCOMBRUS CHRYSURUS (Linneus).
Bumper.

Scomber chrysurus Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 494, 1766; Charleston, S. C.
Chloroscombrus chrysurus, Jenkins, 1885, 11; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887,89; Beau-
fort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 936, pl. exlv, fig. 394.

Draanosis.—Depth .4 total length; head deeper than long, about .25 length; eye longer
than snout, .33 length of head; maxillary extending as far as anterior margin of eye; dorsal
rays Vi1+1,26; anal rays 11+1,26; pectorals .33 length of body; depth of caudal peduncle less
than diameter of eye. Color: above green, below golden; a dark spot on upper part of opercle
and in axil of pectoral; inside of mouth black; caudal peduncle black above; dorsal and anal
fins plain, with a narrow dark margin; pectorals and caudal pale greenish-yellow. (chrysurus,
gold-tailed).

Fig. 89. Bumrrer. Chloroscombrus chrysurus.

While the bumper is found from Cape Cod to Brazil, it is not common north
of Charleston and has rarely been taken in North Carolina waters. One small
specimen was collected at Beaufort by Dr. Jenkins in the summer of 1885, and
another 1.87 inches long, now in the Beaufort laboratory, was obtained in the
harbor Sept. 4, 1901, from the bell-cavity of a medusa (Dactylometra.) Three
other specimens, the largest 4.25 inches long, were taken inthelaboratory pound
net in Beaufort Harbor, in July and August, 1905. The species reaches a length
of a foot and is very handsome, but has no food value, the flesh being dry and
bony. The North Carolina fishermen do not appear to know the species.

212 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Genus TRACHINOTUS Lacépéde. Pompanoes.

A numerous genus of subtropical marine fishes, some of them excellent food.
The body is ovate, compressed, the edges rounded; head blunt, snout truncate;
mouth rather small, horizontal, maxillary extending about to middle of eye,
premaxillaries protractile; vomer and palatals with villiform teeth in bands,
teeth usually absent in adults; preopercle entire in adult, spinous in young;
gill-rakers short; scales small, smooth; lateral line not strongly arched, unarmed;
dorsal spines low, 6 in number, connected by membrane in young but free in
adult; soft dorsal and anal faleate; anal preceded by 2 stout spines which become
obsolete with age. Of the 10 or 12 American species, 5 are known from the east
coast of the United States, and 4 of these have been taken in local waters.

Key to the North Carolina species of pompanoes.

i. Soft dorsal rays 19 or 20; soft anal rays 17 to 19.
a. Body very strongly compressed; sides with 4 narrow black vertical bars; anterior soft
rays of dorsal and anal very long, extending to or beyond middle of caudal. . . .glaucus.
aa. Body moderately compressed; no black cross-bars on sides; anterior dorsal and anal soft
rays rarely reaching base of caudal.
b. Body broad, depth about .66 length; anterior soft rays of dorsal and anal fins con-

siderably elongated, the dorsal lobe much longer than head; size small... .falcatus.

bb. Body oblong, depth about .4 length; anterior soft rays of dorsal and anal fins shorter;

S170 DATO anes Sstsino ples shoe Sete ays Pe GPR Eom ahi ee ee ke Pie Te ee eee goodei.

it. Bott dorsal rays 25,to 27; sott-anal rays 22 to 26220. 10a -ee eee carolinus.

(Trachinotus, rough-back.)

184. TRACHINOTUS GLAUCUS (Bloch).
- “Gaff-topsail Pompano’’.

Chetodon glaucus Bloch, Ichthyologie, pl. 210, 1787; Martinique.
Trachinotus glaucus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 940, pl. exlvi, fig. 395.

Fig. 90. Garr-TopsaIL Pompano. Trachinotus glaucus.

Draenosis.—Depth .5 length; head .25 length; eye contained 3.6 times in length of head;
dorsal rays v1+1,19, anal rays 11+1,18; caudal lobes long, nearly half length of body. Color:

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 213

bluish above, golden below, 4 narrow black vertical bars on back and sides, a fifth bar repre-
sented by a spot on lateral line on peduncle; dorsal and anal lobes dark, caudal bluish, pectorals
golden and bluish, ventrals whitish. (glawcus, hoary blue.)

This pompano is peculiar in having the anterior soft rays of the dorsal and
anal fins very much elongated, and in having 4 black vertical bands on back and
sides. The species is found from Chesapeake Bay to Caribbean Sea, and is not
uncommon in Florida. It has not been reported from North Carolina waters,
but nevertheless occurs there irregularly, and is known locally as “ gaff-topsail
pompano”’. Inthe summer of 1903 a specimen 9 inches long was taken at Beau-
fort. Ten or twelve years ago, according to Mr. J. H. Potter, a local fish dealer,
a great many were caught at Beaufort. The species somewhat exceeds a foot in
length, but does not rank high as a food fish.

185. TRACHINOTUS FALCATUS (Linnzus).
*Allovericore’’; Round Pompano.

Labrus falcatus Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 1758, 284; America.

Trachynotus ovatus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 376; Beaufort.

Trachynotus rhomboides, Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 89; Beaufort.
Trachinotus falcatus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 941, pl. exlvi, fig. 396.

DiaGcnesis.—Body very broad, the depth more than .5 total length; head contained 3.75
times in length; snout shorter than eye; dorsal rays v1+1,19, dorsal spines thick and short;
anal rays 11+1,18; anterior rays of dorsal and anal reaching nearly to posterior margin of fins;
ventrals short, .33 length of head. Color: bluish above, silvery below; fins bluish with lighter
tips; dorsal black in young. (falcatus, scythe-shaped.)

The principal habitat of the round or ovate pompano is the West Indies,
whence it extends to Massachusetts and Brazil. The young are sometimes
abundant in southern Massachusetts, where they are transported by the Gulf
Stream, but the adults are not common anywhere in the northern part of the
species’ range. Jenkins obtained one specimen at Beaufort in the summer of
1885; Jordan & Gilbert took a single young specimen there in 1878; and in 1902
a l-inch example was taken at Town Marsh, Beaufort harbor, on August 23, and
additional specimens were collected at the bight of Cape Lookout. The maxi-
mum length of the species is 15 inches.

186. TRACHINOTUS GOODEI Jordan & Evermann.
‘“‘Pompano’’; Permit.
Trachinotus goodei Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 431; West Indies, north to west Florida.

Diaenosis.—Depth contained 2.6 times in total length; head .33 length; dorsal rays
v1+1,19; anal rays 1+1,17; ventrals .5 length of head. Color: bluish silvery above, silvery
white below; dorsal, anal, and caudal lobes black. (Named after Prof. George Brown Goode,
former U. S. Commissioner of Fisheries.)

This large pompano is a West Indian form which ranges regularly to Florida
and sometimes strays to points on the east coast north of Florida. It is occa-
sionally taken by the Beaufort fishermen, the examples weighing 25 pounds or

214 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

more; and many years ago one weighing 28 pounds was caught at Cape Lookout
and forwarded to Professor Baird at Washington by Mr. George N. Ives. In the
State Museum at Raleigh there is a fine example of this fish taken in New Han-
over County in 1884 by Mr. H. H. Brimley, and in the same collection there are
several others from the southern part of the state; all of these are about 2.5 feet
long. In July, 1906, Dr. E. W. Gudger saw a 20-pound specimen at Hatteras.
The local fishermen have no more for it except “‘pompano”’. As a food fish it is
inferior to the smaller species.

187. TRACHINOTUS CAROLINUS (Linnezus.)
“Pompano”’; “Sun-fish’’.

Gasterosteus carolinus Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 490, 1766; Carolina.

Trachynotus carolinus, Yarrow, 1877, 209; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 377; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886,
27; Beaufort.

Trachinotus carolinus, Jenkins, 1887,89; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 944, pl. exlvii, fig. 398. Lin-
ton, 1905, 366; Beaufort.

DiaGgnosis.—Depth contained 2.33 to 2.4 times in total length; head .25 length; eye
equal to snout, contained 4.5 times in length of head; dorsal rays v1+1,25; anal rays 1+1,23:
ventrals about .5 length of pectorals and .4 length of head. Color: bluish or greenish on back
silvery on sides, rich golden yellow below; fins with bluish or yellowish shades.

Fig. 91. Pompano. Trachinotus carolinus.

This well-known food fish occurs on our Atlantic coast between Massachu-
setts and Texas, and is common from Chesapeake Bay southward. Its present
abundance on the North Carolina coast is not nearly so great as formerly.
Yarrow, referring to the year 1871, stated that it was abundant at Beaufort in
fall, and Jordan & Gilbert reported it as very abundant on the outer banks, the
young going in great schools in the surf. Examples from .5 inch to 4 inches long
are taken in Beaufort Harbor in summer, but spawning fish have not yet been
reported from that region. The local names for the species are “pompano” and
“sun-fish”’. The latter has been in use here since early colonial days, and was
employed in 1709 by Lawson, who wrote:

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 215

Sun-fish are flat and rounder than a bream, and are reckon’d a fine-tasted fish, and not
without reason. They are much the size of angel-fish.

The pompano ranks as one of the choicest of our salt-water food fishes, and
by many people is regarded as the best. The catch in the state in 1902 was
19,590 pounds, for which the fishermen received $965, the bulk of the yield com-
ing from Carteret, Beaufort, and Pamlico counties. In 1897 more than 53,000
pounds, valued at $1,728, were credited to the state, while in 1890 only 9,750
pounds, worth $780, were reported. With regard to the pompano in the Beau-
fort region Dr. Coker reported:

The searcity of the pompano at Beaufort prevents its being counted an important fish.
During the years 1902-3 the catch amounted to only a few hundred pounds. <A few years
ago a good many boxes were shipped, and in the days of the Cape Lookout fishery quantities
were taken. The average weight is 2.5 to4 pounds, the largest being about 5 pounds. Fish
of 3 to 5 pounds weight bring prices which compare with those for mackerel, 20 to 25 cents,
sometimes 40 cents a pound, while the smaller ones are of much less value, hardly selling so
well as spots.

Family POMATOMIDA. The Blue-fishes.

This family, which is related to the Carangidz, contains a single genus.
Body elongate, compressed, covered with weakly ctenoid scales; head large;
mouth large, oblique, lower jaw projecting, premaxillaries protractile, maxillary
with a large supplemental bone; jaws with a single series of strong, wide-set
teeth; upper jaw with an inner row of small depressed teeth; a patch of villiform
teeth on vomer and on base of tongue, a band of such teeth on palatines; opercle
terminating in a flat point, preopercle produced and serrated; gill-membranes
free from isthmus and not connected; gill-rakers few and slender; branchio-
stegals 7; pseudobranchiz large; lateral line present; cheeks and opercles scaly;
air-bladder present; pyloric cceca numerous; dorsal fins 2, the anterior with
weak, low spines, the posterior dorsal long, elevated anteriorly; anal similar to
second dorsal, with 2 small free spines; dorsal and anal scaly; ventrals thoracic;
pectorals small; caudal widely forked.

Genus POMATOMUS Lacépéde. Blue-fishes.

The generic characters are included in the family description. There is only
a single species, found in both old and new worlds. (Pomatomus, with cutting

opercles.)
188. POMATOMUS SALTATRIX (Linneus).

“Blue-fish’’; “Tailor’’; ‘‘Green-fish’’; “Skip-jack’’; Snapping Mackerel.

Perca saltatrix Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 293, 1758; Carolina.

Pomatomus saltatrix, Yarrow, 1877, 210; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 380; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 27;
Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 89; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 946, pl. exlviii, fig. 400. Linton,
1805, 368; Beaufort.

Draenosis.—Body elongate but stout, depth .25 total length; head contained 3.3 times
in length; cheeks long; eye small, .5 length of snout and .12 length of head; maxillary extending
beyond eye; scales in lateral series about 95; top of head and a ridge above cheek naked; dorsal
rays vi1+1,25; anal rays 11+1,25; pectorals about .5 length of head. Color: green above,
silvery below; the young brilliant silvery. (saltatriz, leaper.)

216 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

The blue-fish is widely distributed in the Atlantic Ocean, and is also known
from the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. It is, however, nowhere
more abundant and valuable than in the United States, where it is one of the
most highly esteemed and economically important of food fishes.

“‘Blue-fish”’, “‘green-fish”’, and “‘skip-jack”’ are among the names applied
to the fish in North Carolina, and of late ‘tailor’, a Chesapeake Bay name, has
come into use at Beaufort. Lawson (1709) lists both “‘blue-fish”’ and “‘taylors”’
among the fishes of the state.

Fig. 92. Biusn-FisH. Pomatomus saltatrix.

The species attains a large size. Some schools consist of fish weighing 8 or
10 pounds or even more, while other schools may be composed of 1—pound,
3—pound, or 5-pound fish. The larger fish remain at sea, while the smaller ones
enter bays, sounds, and rivers. Fish weighing more than 15 pounds are rare, and
the maximum authentic weight is less than 30 pounds. In “ Forest and Stream”
for October 10, 1903, the writer published a note on what appears to have been
the largest recorded blue-fish; it was taken at the Maddequet Life-saving Station,
Nantucket, in the latter part of September, 1903, and was 3 feet 9 inches long
and weighed 27 pounds. Professor Goode, in his “Natural History of Useful
Aquatic Animals” (1884), gives the following data showing the relation between
the length and weight of the blue-fish:

Length. Weight.
WA Sinches. (Asse 4 odatsan eee bee ets ae eae nies oem ee eee erate, Bae esta 1 pound
17 Ee Ne eens a Pe Lene il ott tote ote sts ot oak canis poy 2 as
21 rere bere ert rt ete an teary Rar hos Gan the sias OSs iene ot. 3 “
24 TE ean erie fdliveize) haigbs GOSS Rue Ret eh ov eels 5 Cosas Cae Nek elas ee MS RCSA ge eee ieee ame et 4 f
26 SES 1 Sub eae Tense GAG seen cueka ei heieaete yeas Teuetcs eEeel ae eae eR rere 5 Z
doe (eae Neate eRe a atte neo khyies Ha ceo MOREE oe wl Solos ted 6 ss
29 Se NS sane iia dete ae ak hanes BL RCTS RMA Rega ES ey ec ea ee eae 8 is

The blue-fish probably spawns offshore in summer, but ripe examples have
rarely been observed and nothing definite is known as to the spawning time and
habits. At Woods Hole, Massachusetts, well-developed spawn is found in the
fish when they first arrive from the south about June 1, and young fish about 3
inches long appear in July. The young, 3 to 6 inches long, are abundant in
Beaufort harbor in summer.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. a le

The blue-fish is one of the most voracious and destructive of fishes. Com-
pared with its ravages, the work of man in killing fishes is utterly insignificant.
The remarks of Professor Baird on this subject may appropriately be quoted:

There is no parallel in point of destructiveness to the blue-fish among the marine species
on our coast, whatever may the case among some of the carnivorous fish of the South Ameri-
can waters. The blue-fish has been well likened to an animated chopping-machine, the busi-
ness of which is to cut to pieces and otherwise destroy as many fish as possible in a given space
of time. All the writers are unanimous in regard to the destructiveness of the blue-fish.
Going in large schools, in pursuit of fish much inferior to themselves in size, they move along
like a pack of hungry wolves, destroying everything before them. Their trail is marked by
fragments of fish and by the stain of blood in the sea, as, where the fish is too large to be swal-
lowed entire, the hinder portion will be bitten off and the anterior part allowed to float or sink.
It is even maintained, with great earnestness, that such is the gluttony of the fish that when
the stomach becomes full the contents are disgorged and then again filled. It is certain that
it kills many more fish than it requires for its own support.

The youngest fish, equally with the older, perform this function of destruction, and
although they occasionally devour crabs, worms, etc., the bulk of their sustenance throughout
the greater part of the year is derived from other fish. Nothing is more common than to
find a small blue-fish of six or eight inches in length under a school of minnows making continual
dashes and captures among them. The stomachs of the blue-fish of all sizes, with rare excep-
tions, are found loaded with the other fish, sometimes to the number of thirty or forty, either
entire or in fragments.

As already referred to, it must also be borne in mind that it is not merely the small
fry that are thus devoured, and which it is expected will fall a prey to other animals, but
that the food of the blue-fish consists very largely of individuals which have already passed a
large percentage of the chances against their attaining maturity, many of them, indeed, hay-
ing arrived at the period of spawning. To make the case more clear, let us realize for a
moment the number of blue-fish that exist on our coast in the summer season. As far as |
can ascertain by the statistics obtained at the fishing stations on the New England coast,
as also from the records of the New York markets, kindly furnished by Middleton & Carman,
of the Fulton Market, the capture of blue-fish, from New Jersey to Monomoy, during the
season, amounts to not less than one million individuals, averaging five or six pounds each.
Those, however, who have seen the blue-fish in his native waters, and realized the immense
number there existing, will be quite willing to admit that probably not one fish in a thousand
is ever taken by man. If, therefore, we have an actual capture of one million, we may allow
one thousand millions as occuring in the extent of our coasts referred to, even neglecting the
smaller ones, which perhaps should also be taken into the account.

An allowance of ten fish per day to each blue-fish is not excessive, according to the testi-
mony elicited from the fishermen and substantiated by the stomachs of those examined; this
gives ten thousand millions of fish destroyed per day. And as the period of the stay of the
blue-fish on the New England coast is at least one hundred and twenty days, we have in round
numbers twelve hundred million millions of fish devoured in the course of a season. Again,
if each blue-fish, averaging five pounds, devours or destroys even half its own weight of other
fish per day (and I am not sure that the estimate of some witnesses of twice this weight is not
more nearly correct), we will have, during the same period, a daily loss of twenty-five hundred
million pounds, equal to three hundred thousand millions for the season.

This estimate applies to three or four year old fish, of at least three to five pounds in
weight. We must, however, allow for those of smaller size, and a hundred-fold or more in
number, all engaged simultaneously in the butchery referred to.

We can scarcely conceive of a number so vast; and however much we may diminish, within
reason, the estimate of the number of blue-fish and the average of their captures, there still

218 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

remains an appalling aggregate of destruction. While the smallest blue-fish feed upon the
diminutive fry, those of which we have taken account capture fish of large size, many of
them, if not capable of reproduction, being within at least one or two years of that period.

North Carolina has long been famous for its blue-fish, which support special
market fisheries and also afford excellent sport to many hundreds of persons
annually. The species is subject to great variations in abundance quite indepen-
dent of human influence. Yarrow has left the following note on the fish during
1871:

This species appears in Beaufort Inlet in early spring, but is taken only in nets. In June >
it commences to take the hook, but the months of August and September are the best for
trolling. At this time enormous numbers may be found in schools, swimming alongside shoals
in tolerably rough water. On the 23rd day of September, 1871, four persons, in four hours,
took by trolling 660 blue-fish. During the latter part of this month, in the same year, enor-
mous schools were noticed in and near the ship channel, feeding upon the red-billed gar, so-
called (Hyporhamphus roberti). The stomachs of individuals taken were literally crammed
with these fishes. The very large specimens of blue-fish occasionally met with in the markets
in January never enter Beaufort Inlet; they are taken on the beach from Cape Lookout north-
ward, the run lasting sometimes two months, occasionally only a week or ten days. During
the last week of December, 1871, large schools of young blue-fish were noticed in Beaufort
Inlet swimming from the southward, apparently making for the sea; their size about four
inches.

Mr. R. Edward Earll Gn Goode, 1884) gave the following account of the
blue-fish in North Carolina in the years preceding 1880:

The large fish are most abundant between Cape Hatteras and New Inlet. Small fish
frequently enter the sounds during the summer months, and have long been taken by the
residents. The larger ones seldom enter the inlets, but remain near the outer shore, where
they feed upon the menhaden, shad, and alewives, during the season of their migrations to
and from the larger sounds in fall and spring..

Apparently the first that was known of the presence of large blue-fish in this region was
in 1842, when a quantity was taken in a haul-seine near New Inlet. Gill-nets were first used
for the capture of the species in this locality in 1847, though they were not generally adopted
till several years latter. The first vessel visited the region in 1866, and from that date to 1879
six to twelve sail came regularly to the locality. The fishery reached its height between 1870
and 1876, when in addition to the vessels fully one hundred crews of five men each fished
along the shores. The catch varies greatly from time to time as the fish are constantly on the
move and often go beyond reach of the seines and gill-nets. Some seasons each boat’s crew
has averaged four or five thousand fish weighing ten to fifteen pounds each, and again they
have taken almost nothing. Frequently the bulk of the catch of an entire season is taken in
three or four days.

Since the winter of 1877 and 1878 the fish are said to have been much less abundant and
of smaller size. In the winter of 1879 and 1880 about seventy-five crews were engaged in the
fishery from the first of November till Christmas. The total catch did not exceed fifty thousand
fish averaging six pounds each. The small number taken is partially accounted for by the
fact that many of the fish were so small as to readily pass through the meshes without being
caught.

During my visit in May, 1880, large schools of blue-fish were reported along the shore, and
a considerable number of shad and other species were found upon the beach where they had
been driven by their pursuers. A good many blue-fish were also stranded while in pursuit of
their prey. It seemed that there is no reason to believe that the fish have permanently left

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 219

the coast, or that they are even so scarce as is at present claimed, for the men have fished with
little regularity, and have gone a short distance from the shore, while the bulk of the blue-fish
may have been farther out.

Lawson’s note on the blue-fishin North Carolina waters in the first decade of
the eighteenth century has some historic interest:

The blue-fish is one of our best fishes and always very fat. They are as long as a sal-
mon, and indeed, I think, full as good meat. These fish come (in the fall of the year) gen-
erally after there has been one black frost, when there appear great shoals of them. The
Hatteras Indians, and others, run into the sands of the sea and strike them, though some
of these fish have caused sickness and violent burnings after eating them, which is found to
proceed from the gall that is broken in some of them, and is hurtful. Sometimes many
cartloads of these are thrown and left dry on the seaside, which comes by their eager pursuit
of the small fish, in which they run themselves ashore, and the tide leaving them, they can-
not recover the water again. They are called blue-fish, because they are of that colour,
and have a forked tail, and are shaped like a dolphin.

Among the salt-water fishes of North Carolina, the blue-fish is exceeded in
value by only the mullets and the squeteagues. The general trend of the fishery
is upward, but the catch shows seasonal fluctuations here as elsewhere. Follow-
ing are the official statistics for 5 years:

YEARS. POUNDS. VALUE.
ORD Eee ue 600,000 $12,000
SSID) eas Se te bee De 895,110 20,877
Fess ne AEE ED ee eo ois s Fo stem |) 1 B40, 115 33,603
ABORT 2 i an ee ee ee I eae rae 1,696,175 46,752
YEP D eS A BBO ee 977,140 34,268

Gill nets take the largest quantities, followed by seines, pound nets, and
lines, the last being used principally in Dare County. The fishermen of Carteret
County conduct the most extensive fishery, closely followed by those of Dare
County; noteworthy fishing is also done in Beaufort, Craven, Hyde, New
Hanover, Onslow, and Pamlico counties. In recent years about 8 or 10 per cent
of the product has been salted.

Family RACHYCENTRIDA. The Crab-eaters.

This family includes a single genus related to the scombroid fishes. The
body is elongate, cylindrical, and covered with small, smooth scales; head broad,
somewhat depressed; mouth horizontal, wide, maxillary reaching front of eye;
short, sharp teeth in villiform bands on jaws, tongue, vomer, and palatines; pre-
maxillaries not protractile; preopercular margin entire; gill-rakers short and
stout; air-bladder absent; dorsal fin consisting of 8 short, stout spines, not con-
nected by membrane and each depressible in a groove, and a long, low soft por-
tion; anal fin similar to soft dorsal, with 2 spines; caudal strongly forked.

230 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Genus RACHYCENTRON Kaup. Crab-eaters.

The peculiarities of this genus are indicated in the family definition. One
species, of wide distribution, superficially resembling the common remora.
(Rachycentron, spiny back.)

189. RACHYCENTRON CANADUS (Linnzus).
“Cabio’’; Crab-eater; Sergeant-fish.

Gasterosteus canadus Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 491, 1766; Carolina.

Elacate canada, Yarrow, 1877, 212; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1885, 11; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort.
Jenkins, 1887, 88; Beaufort.

Rachycentron canadus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 948, pl. exlviii, fig. 401. Linton, 1905, 370; Beaufort,

D1aGnosis.—Depth contained 5.6 times in length; head contained 4.25 times in length;
lateral line wavy, nearly parallel with back, descending posteriorly; dorsal rays vi1+1,26;
anal rays 11,25; caudal deeply concave, upper lobe longer; pectorals broad and pointed. Color:
dark brown on back, silvery white below; a dark lateral band, about width of eye, extending
from snout to tail; below this a narrower dark band. (canadus, Canada, where the species does
not occur.)

Fig. 93. Crap-EATER. Rachycentron canadus.

In summer this species is found on the middle and south Atlantic coast of
the United States, being especially common in Chesapeake Bay, where it is a
food fish of some importance under the name ‘‘ bonito”’; in winter it withdraws to
the West Indies. It also occurs in the East Indies. Dr. Yarrow inserted this
species in his Beaufort list but does not mention having seen an example; there
is, however, a specimen in the National Museum obtained at Beaufort by Dr.
Yarrow, and there is a second specimen forwarded from Fort Macon by Dr.
Weyrich in 1872. Drs. Jordan and Gilbert failed to find it and omitted it
altogether from their list. Dr. Jenkins, however, found it in 1885. Dr. Coker
reports that when the large seines were used in the Cape Lookout fisheries, crab-
eaters were often taken, some of them weighing 40 to 50 pounds; they were
shipped chiefly to the state markets, where they brought a fair price, sometimes
being sold as cero. The fish was found occasionally in the Beaufort market in
1901, and a number of specimens were collected for the laboratory in the summer
of 1903, one on an oyster reef in the harbor, another, 10 inches long, on
Bird Shoal. The regular name for the fish at Beaufort is ‘“cabio”’’, allied to
the Bermuda name “cubby-yew”’; the book name “‘cobia”’ is possibly a mis-
print.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. DAN

The fish is known to spawn in Chesapeake Bay in summer, and its eggs have
been artificially hatched. It feeds largely on crabs, but also eats shrimp and
small fish of all kinds, and is very voracious. It attains a length of 5 feet or more
and a weight of upwards of 60 pounds.

Family STROMATEID®. The Butter-fishes.

Small marine fishes, some of them food fishes of importance. Body com-
pressed, depth moderate or extreme; head more or less blunt; mouth small or
moderate, with weak teeth in jaws; tongue, vomer, and palatines rarely or never
toothed; esophagus with lateral sacs in which are hooked teeth; nostrils double;
opercles entire or serrate; gill-membranes free from isthmus; gill-rakers long or
moderate; pseudobranchie present; branchiostegals 5 to 7; lateral line present
and continuous; body and more or less of head covered with small, thin cycloid
scales, which extend on vertical fins; air-bladder usually lacking; pyloric cceca
numerous; dorsal fin single, preceded by a few weak or obsolete spines, the soft
rays numerous; anal similar to dorsal, usually with 3 spines; ventrals thoracic,
present in young but sometimes absent in adults. Following the revision of this
family by Regan (Annals and Magazine of Natural History, vol. x, 7th series,
1902), 4 genera are represented in the local fauna. In addition thereto at least
one other, Palinurichthys, may be provisionally inserted; the rudder-fish, Palinur-
ichthys perciformis (Mitchill), is often observed on the Middle Atlantic coast
under floating boxes, logs, etc.,or about rudders of vessels, and doubtless will be
found to occur in North Carolina waters.

Key to the North Carolina genera of Stromateide.

i. Ventral fins present in adult as well as in young; esophagus with longitudinal folds; dorsal
spines 7 to 11.
a. Lateral line concurrent with outline of back; dorsal spines high, 10 or 11 in number.

Geeleccineon VoOniereaAnG pal atiNes 2.2 an cee scars cg dce sna dates acs ceetee ees NoMEus

ip. ING) (RESUTEE is POG ee nec Cee penne oe a PSENES
aa. Lateral line curved anteriorly, straight posteriorly; dorsal spines low, 7 to 9 in number.
PALINURICHTHYS.

ii. Ventral fins absent in adult; esophagus without longitudinal folds; dorsal spines 3.
c. Dorsal and anal fins very high and faleate in front; body almost as deep as long; no
series of pores along back above lateral line.....................205 PEPRILUS.
ce. Dorsal and anal fins moderately elevated in front and not faleate: body not half as
deep as long; a series of conspicuous pores along back above lateral line.
PORONOTUS.

Genus NOMEUS Cuvier. Portuguese-man-of-war-fishes.

In this genus the body is moderately compressed; head rather flat above;
teeth on Jaws, vomer, and palatines, in a single series on jaws; pseudobranchiz
large; air-bladder present; about 10 dorsal spines and 3 anal spines; ventrals long
and attached to abdomen by a membrane; caudal strongly forked. One species.
(Nomeus, pastor.)

190. NOMEUS GRONOVII (Gmelin).

Portuguese-man-of-war-fish.

Gobius gronovii Gmelin, Systema Nature, xiii, 1205, 1788; tropical America.
Nomeus gronovii, Jenkins, 1885, 11; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 89; Beaufort,
Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 949, Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort,

bo
bo

FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

DiaGcnosis.—Depth contained 3.8 times in total length, the dorsal and ventral outlines
equally curved; head contained 3.4 times in length; maxillary extending under anterior part
of eye; eye contained 3.2 times in head, snout 4 times; scales in lateral’series 65; dorsal rays
Ix or X+1,25 to 27; anal rays 11,25 to 27; ventrals extending to front of anal, a little
shorter than head; pectorals extending beyond front of anal. Color: light brown above, silvery
below, sides with large brown spots; caudal with brown spots; anal with 3 brown spots; ventrals
black with silvery margin; pectorals brown above, white below. (Named for the celebrated
Dutch ichthyologist, Gronovius, contemporary with Linnzus.)

ad)
PF
7

40k

psy

Fig. 94. PorruGuEsE-MAN-OF-WAR-FISH. Nomeus gronovii.

This native of tropical waters (West and East Indian) is abundant in the
Sargasso Sea and not uncommon in southern Florida; at more northern points on
the United States coast it occurs as a straggler. Dr. Jenkins took an example
half an inch long in a tow net at Beaufort in the summer of 1885, and states that
in fall the fish is common, “‘then found only in a medusa, the medusa never being
found without a Nomeus’’. Prof. Wilson also records the fish as occurring at
Beaufort in the bell-cavity of the medusa Stomolophus. The present author
has noted the occurrence at Woods Hole, Mass., of as many as 12 of these fish
under a single specimen of the medusa known as the “ Portuguese man-of-war”’
(Physalia). The usual length attained is 5 or 6 inches.

Genus PSENES Cuvier and Valenciennes.

Body rather deep and compressed; mouth small, overhung by the swollen
snout; jaw teeth in a single series; no teeth on tongue and vomer in young;
scales of small or moderate size, covering body; first dorsal with 10 or 11 spines;
second dorsal and anal long and similar; anal spines 3, not separate from soft
part. There are 5 or 6 American species, some found in very deep water and
some at the surface; 1 known from North Carolina coast. (Psenes, osprey or
fish-hawk, a name of no obvious application.)

191. PSENES REGULUS Poey.

Psenes regulus Poey, Synopsis piscium cubensium, 375, 1868; Cuba. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 951.

DraGnosis.—Body oval, much compressed, depth .4 length; head about equal to depth;
eye large, more than .3 head; teeth on jaws in one row, short, slender; dorsal rays x,16 to x,18;

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 223

anal rays 111,15; caudal rounded; ventrals much shorter than pectorals. Color: silvery white,
with large irregular dark spots and blotches. (regulus, little king.)

A 1-inch specimen of this species, heretofore known only from the coast of
Cuba, was obtained by the steamer Fish-Hawk off Beaufort in the summer of
1902; it was doubtless a mere straggler, wafted there by the Gulf Stream. The
maximum length is about 3.5 inches.

Genus PEPRILUS Cuvier. Harvest-fishes.

Body much compressed, orbicular; head short, anterior profile obtuse; cau-
dal peduncle slender, without keel; mouth terminal, oblique, jaws about equal;
lateral line arched, continuous; dorsal fin long, with anterior rays much elongated,
anal fin similar; caudal fin large and strongly forked; pectorals long and narrow;
ventrals absent, represented by a single sharp spine attached to pubic bone.
One species on the Atlantic coast of the United States.

192. PEPRILUS ALEPIDOTUS (Linneus).
“Star’’; “Star-fish’’; Harvest-fish.

?Stromateus paru Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 248, 1758; Jamaica.
Chetodon alepidotus Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 460, 1766; Charleston.
Rhombus paru, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 965; 1898, 2849; pl. cl, fig. 404.
Stromateus alepidotus, Kendall & Smith, 1894, 21; Hatteras Inlet

Fig. 95. HaArvest-FisH; Srar-FisH. Peprilus alepidotus.

D1aGnosis.—Depth .66 to .75 length; caudal peduncle very short and narrow, its depth
equal to distance from pupil to end of snout; head small, .25 to .28 length; mouth very small,

224 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

maxillary reaching to front of orbit; eye longer than snout, .33 length of head; scales thin,
deciduous, about 90 in lateral series; dorsal fin faleate, the rays 111,45; anal fin similar to dorsal,
the rays 111,43; caudal fin long, very deeply forked; pectorals 1.4 to 1.6 times length of head.
Color: pale green above, golden yellow or silvery below. (alepidotus, unscaled.)

The harvest-fish ranges from Massachusetts to South America, and is not
uncommon in Chesapeake Bay and southward. Although it has not often been
recorded from North Carolina, it is not rare there. About Roanoke Island, in
Croatan and Pamlico sounds, it is well known under the name of “star” or
“star-fish”’. It is often taken in pound nets in Pamlico Sound, and is there
considered an excellent food-fish. On December 13, 1890, Dr. Kendall found
several live specimens stranded on the beach at Hatteras Inlet. During July
and August, 1905, more than 500 specimens were reported as being caught in
Beaufort Harbor in a pound net operated for the laboratory. Eight inches
appears to be about the maximum length attained. The young are often found
beneath the ‘‘ Portuguese man-of-war” and other large meduse.

Genus PORONOTUS Gill. Butter-fishes.

Similar to Peprilus, but with depth of body much less, the dorsal and anal
fins less elongated, and a series of large, wide-set pores along the back; lateral
line arched and placed high on the side; pectorals long; ventrals wanting. One
species. (Poronotus, pore-back.)

193. PORONOTUS TRIACANTHUS (Peck).

“Butter-fish’’; “Butter-perch’’; Dollar-fish; Harvest-fish.

Stromateus triacanthus Peck, Memoirs American Academy, li, part 2, 48, pl. 2, fig. 2, 1809; Piscataqua River,
New Hampshire. Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort.

Poronotus triacanthus, Yarrow, 1877, 209; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 377; Beaufort (after Yarrow).
Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2849, pl. el, fig. 405.

Rhombus triacanthus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 967.

DiaGnosis.—Body oval, dorsal and ventral curves similar, depth contained 2.3 times in
- total length; head .25 length; maxillary not extending as far as anterior margin of eye; lower
jaw somewhat the longer; snout very short and obtuse; eye .25 length of head; gill-rakers .6
diameter of eye; scales very small; a-row of conspicuous pores on back near base of dorsal fin;
dorsal rays 111,45; anal rays 111,38; pectorals longer than head; caudal deeply forked. Color:
bluish silvery, with numerous irregular, discreet, dark spots (not evident after death). (¢ri-
acanthus, three-spined.)

Ranges along the entire east coast of the United States, and is abundant
from Massachusetts to North Carolina from spring to fall. Yarrow reported the
species as not abundant at Beaufort; Jordan & Gilbert and Jenkins did not find
it there. It occurs, however, in the inside waters near Beaufort and Morehead
from April to fall, being most common during the latter season. According to
Dr. Coker it is caught in large numbers in some parts of Pamlico Sound (as in
the vicinity of Portsmouth), and is also taken about Cape Lookout. It is com-
mon about Roanoke Island from May through the summer. In June, 1899, one
was found in the bell-cavity of a jelly-fish (Stomolophus) at Beaufort, On

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 225

December 13, 1890, Dr. W. C. Kendall found one stranded on the beach of
Hatteras Inlet.

The butter-fish goes in schools, sometimes of large size, and when swimming
leisurely has a peculiar undulatory movement. Its maximum size is under a
foot. In North Carolina, as elsewhere, it is considered an excellent pan fish.
The local names are “butter-fish” and ‘“‘butter-perch”. The species is not
always distinguished from Peprilus alepidotus by the fishermen.

Fig. 96. Butrer-FisH. Poronotus triacanthus.

Commercially this fish is worth several thousand dollars annually to the
North Carolina fishermen. In 1897 a catch of 94,750 pounds sold for $1,758,
and in 1902 a catch of 83,218 pounds brought $1,357.

Family CORYPHANID. The Dolphins.

A family of large oceanic fishes found chiefly in warm seas, noted for their
beautiful, evanescent hues. The body is elongated and much compressed,
tapering gradually from head to tail; the forehead is elevated owing to a crest on
the skull; the mouth is large, with cardiform teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatal
bones, and with villiform teeth in a patch on tongue; there is a single many-
rayed dorsal fin beginning over eye and extending nearly to caudal fin; the anal
fin is similar to dorsal and about half its length; the pectoral fins short and
small; the ventrals rather large; the caudal long and very deeply forked; a lateral
line is present, and the body is covered with small cycloid scales; the gill-mem-
branes are free from isthmus; the branchiostegals number 7; the pseudobranchiz
are absent; the pyloric cceca are numerous; the air-bladder is lacking. One
genus.

Genus CORYPHAENA Linnzus. Dolphins.

This genus, the characters of which have been given in the family definition,

contains probably only 2 species. Both are now recorded from North Carolina,

226 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

although only one has heretofore been reported from the coasts of the United
States. The two are very much alike:

i. Frontal profile nearly vertical in adult; maxillary reaching to or beyond middle of eye;

dorsal rays 55 to 65; anal rays 26 to 30; size very large..............-00eeees hippurus.
ii. Frontal profile convex in adult; maxillary reaching front of pupil; dorsal rays 51 to 55;
anal rays 24 to'26; ‘size’small,..s). acc es ee ein oe eee eb nee eee equisetis.

(Coryphena, a name given by Aristotle to the following species. )

194. CORYPHANA HIPPURUS Linneus.
~ Dolphin.

Coryphena hippurus Linneus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 261, 1758; openseas. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 952,
pl. exlix, fig.402. Tinton, 1905, 372; Beaufort.

DiaGcnosis.—Depth .2 length; length of head contained 4.6 to 5.75 times in length; profile
varying with age and sex, that of adult male nearly vertical; maxillary extending to or beyond
middle of orbit; dorsal rays 55 to 65; anal rays 26 to 30. Color: brilliant, changing rapidly
after death; general hue light green, darker above; white or golden below; back and head with
a series of about 15 bright blue spots which extend on snout and form bands; dorsal fin purplish
blue, with paler oblique lines; caudal yellow; other fins tinged with blue; small black spots on
lower parts. (hippurus, horse-tail.)

Fig. 97. Douprain. Coryphena hippurus.

The dolphin is known from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and from the
western Pacific. On our east coast it ranges as far as Cape Cod, where a number
of small specimens have been collected by the writer, and is not rare from South
Carolina to Texas. It reaches a length of 6 feet, and is a good food fish, although
reputed to be poisonous at times. It is a powerful swimmer, and preys on other
fishes which live near the surface.

This species has not heretofore been recorded from North Carolina. A
specimen was caught by a Beaufort fisherman on August 1, 1902, and sent to the
laboratory by Mr. Charles S. Wallace, of Morehead City. It measured 28.5
inches over all, had 56 dorsal and 27 anal rays, and contained fish, among which
silversides and a small lizard-fish were recognizable. In the summer of 1903 at
least one dolphin was taken near Beaufort, but did not reach the laboratory.
Two examples about 15 inches long from Carteret County are in the State
Museum at Raleigh.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 227

195. CORYPHANA EQUISETIS Linnezus.
Small Dolphin.

Coryphena equisetis Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 261, 1758; high seas. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 952.
Linton, 1905, 375; off Cape Lookout.

Dracnosis.—Depth contained 3.4 to 4 times in length; head contained 4.2 to 4.6 times
in length; profile of head oblique; maxillary extending to front of pupil; dorsal rays 51 to 55;
anal rays 24 to 26. Color: brilliant and evanescent; brownish green on back, white or golden
below, back and sides with blue spots; dorsal blue, with pale stripes; caudal yellow; other fins
blue tinged. (equisetis, horse-tail.)

This small species inhabits the open Atlantic, and apparently has not
previously been recorded from the coast of the United States. On August 21,
1902, 3 specimens 20 to 24 inches long were caught by the steamer Fish-Hawk
about 28 miles off Cape Lookout. They agree very well with the published
descriptions as regards frontal profile, length of maxillary, dorsal and anal rays,
ete.

Family CENTRARCHIDA. The Fresh-water Basses and Sun-fishes.

This strictly American family includes some of the best known and most use-
ful of our fresh-water fishes, and is represented by numerous species east of the
Rocky Mountains, only a single species being found beyond the mountains.
Nearly all the species have nests and guard their eggs and young with great care.
Anatomical characters by which the family is distinguished are a compressed and
rather short body; a large or small terminal mouth well supplied with villiform
teeth in bands on jaws, vomer, palatines, etc.; protractile premaxillaries; maxil-
laries with a supplemental bone, obsolete in small-mouthed species; opercular
margin with 2 points or with a single long flap; preopercle entire or slightly
serrate; pseudobranchiz small; branchiostegals usually 6; gill-membranes not
connected (except in Elassoma) and not attached to isthmus; gill-rakers mostly
short, with teeth; body, opercles, and cheeks scaly; lateral line present and
usually perfect; two dorsal fins connected, the anterior with 6 to 13 spinous
rays (4 or 5 in Elassoma); anal fin large, with 3 to 8 spines and numerous soft
rays; intestine short; pyloric coeca 5 to 10 (absent in Elassoma). Of the 12 or 13
genera recognized, the following 10 are represented in North Carolina by 17
species:

Key to North Carolina genera of basses and sun-fishes.

MOIS SOINEes 410F Oss PYlOLie COCA ADSENE 6... 6... sale ee ce tee cen weness EXLASSOMA.
wi. Dorsal spines 6 to 13; pyloric coeca present.
a. Dorsal fin about same size as anal.
b. Dorsal spines 6 to 8; anal spines 6; body and fins profusely and irregularly spotted
Svat ET mu ESLET cope ree pean eh sen terres less Gils eisaisa Glee ela war's bisnee seid ge me Pomoxis.
Bae Worsalsspinessl 1 or, 1 2: anal spines 7 OF So. 52 <6 26 eno oie eel ees CENTRARCHUS.
aa. Dorsal fin much larger than anal.
c. Body comparatively short and deep, depth usually exceeding .4 length; no deep
notch between two dorsal fins.
d. Teeth on tongue and pterygoids; mouth moderate, the maxillary extending be-
yond middle of eye.
e: peales cycloid: secnudal am rounded, .; 2... a6 vie nese nate ode ACANTHARCHUS.
ee. Scales etenoid; caudal fin concave.

228 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

fj. Anal spines 5 to 8; opercular margin with 2 flat points; preopercle serrate

Bb BH GIE So. sx pcssele soo een Sasi ns ata eee oe ere AMBLOPLITES.
jj. Anal spines 3; opercular margin with a long flap; preopercle entire.
CH NOBRYTTUS.

dd. No teeth on tongue and pterygoids; mouth small, the maxillary barely extending
to pupil or not reaching anterior margin of eye.
g. Caudal fin rounded; opercle with no flap; fishes small (3 inches or less).
h. Dorsal spines 9; maxillary extending to anterior edge of pupil. . ENNEACANTHUS.
hh. Dorsal spines 10; maxillary not reaching anterior edge of eye. MESOGONISTIUS.
gg. Caudal fin concave; opercle prolonged into a flap, always black; supplementary

maxillary bone rudimentary orlackanp. 206 i «ele orcs spe-iciine aes LEPOMIS.
cc. Body elongate, depth about .33 length; dorsal fins separated by a deep notch; fishes
Of Comparatively, large srZe) ss. .0c's,. cicsecte ascie wrore nieve eaten rete eee eer MIcROPTERUS.

Genus ELASSOMA Jordan. Pygmy Sun-fishes.

This genus is by some authorities made the type of a separate family,
Elassomidz. It is characterized by a reduced number of dorsal spines (4 or 5);
a rather long, compressed body covered with large scales; conical teeth in a few
series in jaws, weak teeth on vomer; gill-membranes connected, not joined to
isthmus; knob-like gill-rakers; obsolete lateral line; small fins; no pyloric ceca.
The genus contains 2 species, which are among the smallest of known fishes,
inhabiting swampy districts in the Southern and South Central States. They
are dwarfed sun-fishes, bearing the same relation to the other sun-fishes that the
darters do to the perches. The 2 species are quite similar, but typical examples
may be thus distinguished:

a. Scales in longitudinal series 38 to 45; a round black spot as large as eye on side below

anterior part of dorsal fin; numerous dark narrow vertical bars on sides .... zonatum.
aa. Scales in longitudinal series 27 to 30; no round black spot on side; no dark cross-bars.
evergladet.

(Elassoma, diminution.)

196. ELASSOMA ZONATUM Jordan.
Pygmy Sun-fish.

Elassoma zonata Jordan, Bulletin U. S. National Museum, x, 50, 1877; Little Red River, Judsonia, White
County, Arkansas.
Elassoma zonatum, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 982; 1898, 2851 (Waccamaw River at Whiteville, N. C.).

D1aqnosis.—Depth contained 3.5 times in total length; head .33 length; mouth small,
oblique, the maxillary barely reaching pupil; eye large, .33 length of head; scales in lateral
series about 40, in transverse series 19; dorsal rays Iv,9, v,9, or v,10: anal rays 11,5; caudal
rounded. Color: olive green; 10 or 12 dark vertical bands on sides; a large rounded black spot
on side under anterior part of dorsal; a black bar at base of caudal; fins obscurely barred.
Length, 1.5 inches. (zonatum, banded.)

There is only a single North Carolina record for this species, Prof. Harrison
Garman having collected a specimen at Whiteville, Columbia County, on the
Waccamaw River. Itis probable that the species will be found to be not uncom-
mon in that section. It ranges southward from Illinois in sluggish waters.

197. ELASSOMA EVERGLADETI Jordan.
Pygmy Sun-fish.

Elassoma evergladei Jordan, Proceedings U. 8. National Museum, 1884, 323; Indian River and Lake Jessup,
Florida, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 982, pl. cliii, fig. 414.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 229

DrAenosis.—Body less compressed than in zonatum, the depth contained 3.5 times in

total length; head 3.1 times in length; mouth very small, upper jaw reaching only to anterior

- margin of eye, lower jaw slightly projecting; eye large, its diameter greater than snout and

.33 head; scales in lengthwise series about 30, in transverse series 13; cheeks and opercles scaly;

dorsal rays 11,8 to Iv,9; anal rays iii,5 to iii,7; caudal rounded. Color: variable, usually dark

brown, with darker spots; some of the body scales blue; vertical bands on sides either faint

or absent; no black spot on shoulder; dorsal and anal fins with several rows of dark (red)

spots; caudal usually with vertical rows of dark spots and 2 red spots at base. Length, to 1.3
inches. (evergladei, of the Everglades.)

Fig. 98. Pyamy Sun-risu. LHlassoma evergladet.

Heretofore known from swampy regions in Georgia and Florida. In Jan-
uary, 1906, the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries received from Mr. W. P. Seal a specimen
taken by him in a large cypress swamp near Wilmington, N.C. He reports the
species as not rare in that locality and found in the same situations as the mud
minnow (Umbra) and various cyprinodonts (Gambusia, Heterandria, etc.).

Genus POMOXIS Rafinesque. Crappies.

A strongly marked genus of rather large sun-fishes, distinguished by a com-
pressed and deep body; large, oblique mouth; projecting, upturned snout; broad
maxillary with large supplemental bone; projecting lower faw; long and slender
gill-rakers; finely toothed preopercle and preorbital; large scales, with complete
lateral line; well developed dorsal and anal fins, the anal larger; ventral fins close
together, with a strong spine. Two species, very similar but quite distinct; only
one definitely detected in North Carolina, although the other may be looked
for and will eventually be introduced. The two are distinguished as follows:

i. Dorsal spines 7 or 8; depth .5 length; 6 rows of scales on cheeks; dark markings not form-

ICRI E MU ALOU ICES Sa tai cn ais cis clecverd su cls va cals cise ce') sores see ee eves sparoides.
it. Dorsal spines 5 or 6; depth .42 to .45 length; 4 or 5 rows of scales on cheeks; dark markings
TOUR VERUICALDALS OMSIGGSs 5... cick cco sss cec sce ese cevcesccseesoesvess annularis.*

(Pomoxis, sharp opercle.)

*Pomoxis annularis Rafinesque. Crappie. In 1865, under the name Pomoris protacanthus, Dr. Gill
described a fish supposed to be from Tarboro, on Tar River, N.C. This species is now referred to the synonymy
of P. annularis, the crappie, as an examination of the types in the National Museum indicates that it is undoubt-
edly that species. As there is considerable doubt, however, as to the locality in which the specimen was really
collected, and as P. annularis is not known from North Carolina (although it may be looked for in the French
Broad), it is thought best to disregard these specimens, t :

230 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

198. POMOXIS SPAROIDES (Lacépéde).
“Speckled Perch’’; “White Perch’’; Calico Bass; Strawberry Bass; Crappy.

Labrus sparoides Lacépede, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, iii, 517, 1802; South Carolina.

Pomoxys hexacanthus, Cope, 1870b, 451; Neuse River.

Pomocxis sparoides, Jordan, 1889b, 126, 130; Tar and Neuse rivers. Smith, 1893a, 192, 196, 199; Pasquotank
River, Edenton Bay, Roanoke River. Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River. Jordan & Ever-
mann, 1896, 987, pl. cliv, fig. 416.

DraGnosis.—Body much compressed, back elevated, the depth .5 length; head .33
length; snout somewhat upturned; mouth large, maxillary extending beyond pupil; eye large,
equal to snout, .25 length of head; scales in lateral series 40 to 45, in transverse series 22;
dorsal and anal fins high; dorsal rays vi1,15 or vi11,15; anal rays v1,17 or v1,18. Color: body
light silvery green, sometimes with a delicate pink or purple suffusion; back ‘and sides irregu-
larly mottled with dark green or black; dorsal, anal, and caudal fins marked by pale and dark
green or black spots in more or less regular rows. (sparoides, like Sparus, the sea bream.)

y
aM
Bo ete

—— HG :

eS

<5

Fig. 99. Carico Bass; STRAWBERRY Bass; Crappy. Pomoxis sparoides.

The calico bass is found coastwise from New Jersey to Texas, and through-
out the Great Lakes and upper Mississippi basin. Its range has been greatly
extended by transplanting, the Potomac and various other streams having been
successfully stocked. This fish is common in Albemarle Sound and tributaries,
in Tar and Neuse rivers, and in other suitable waters of the coastal plain and
Piedmont regions. The name “speckled perch” is in use on Albemarle and
Pamlico sounds, and the name “white perch” is applied near Raleigh. The
fish mentioned by Lawson in 1709 as the “flat, mottled perch, or Irishman”’, is
doubtless this species.

This bass ranks high as a game fish, and in fall affords sport to the people of
Edenton and other points, minnows and grubs being used for bait. The flesh is
firm, white, and of fine flavor when the fish are taken from cool, pure waters.
The maximum weight is 3 pounds, but the average is not over 1 pound.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 231

The calico bass spawns in March in Cape Fear River, several weeks later
in the Albemarle section. The mated fish prepare their nest, and zealously
guard their eggs and brood in the same manner as the black basses, remaining
with the fry until the latter begin to take food; at times they have been observed
to show great pugnacity in defence of their progeny.

Genus CENTRARCHUS Cuvier & Valenciennes. Fliers; Round Sun-fishes.

This genus embraces a single small species which is one of the most beautiful
of the sun-fishes. Among the generic characters are the short, deep, and com-
pressed body; projecting lower jaw; well developed supplemental bone on
maxillary; teeth on jaws, tongue, vomer, palatines, and pterygoids; long, slender,
numerous gill-rakers; large fins; large ctenoid scales; and complete lateral line.
(Centrarchus, spiny vent.)

199. CENTRARCHUS MACROPTERUS (Lacépéde).
“Flier’”’; “Mill-pond Perch’’; “Sun-fish’’.

Labrus macropterus Lacépéde, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, iii, 447, 1802; Charleston, S. C.

Centrarchus trideus, Cope, 18706, 451; Neuse River.

Centrarchus macropterus, Jordan, 1889b, 130; Neuse River at Millburnie, Little River at Goldsboro. Smith,
1893a, 199; Roanoke River at Plymouth. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 988, pl. clv, fig. 417.

Fig. 100. Fuier. Centrarchus macropterus.

DiaGnosis.—Body comparatively short, profile from dorsal fin to eye very steep, depth .5
length; head contained 2.75 to 3 times in length; mouth oblique, rather small, the maxillary
extending to pupil; eye contained 3.5 to 4 times in head; scales in lateral series 38 to 45, in
transverse series 21, 4 to 6 rows on cheeks; dorsal rays x1 to xur,12 to 14; anal rays vu,15 or
vi1,15. Color: bright yellowish green or pea green, with longitudinal rows of small dark-
brown spots; a dark spot below eye; soft dorsal and anal obscurely mottled or with narrow
blackish bars. (macropterus, large-finned.)

232 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

This exceedingly beautiful sun-fish inhabits lowland waters from Virginia
to Louisiana, and the Mississippi basin as far north as Illinois. It is common in
Roanoke and Neuse rivers, is also known from Tar River, and doubtless occurs
in all other coastal streams. Its small size, 6 or 7 inches, renders it unimportant
as a food fish, but it is used locally, at Plymouth and other places, being caught
in slat-weirs, seines, etc. It shares with other species the name of “‘sun-fish”’
but is also known locally as “flier” and ‘‘mill-pond perch”, designations which
seem to be used only for this species and in this state.

Genus ACANTHARCHUS Gill. Mud Sun-fishes.

In this genus the form is oblong, rather stout, and but little compressed;
mouth moderate, maxillary broad, supplemental bone large, lower jaw slightly
projecting; teeth on jaws, vomer, palatines, pterygoids, and tongue; gill-rakers
few, long; preopercular margin not serrate; scales large, lateral line complete;
dorsal spines 11 or 12, anal spines 5; caudal rounded. One small species.
(Acantharchus, spiny vent.)

200. ACANTHARCHUS POMOTIS (Baird).
“Mud Perch’’; ‘Perch’’; Mud Sun-fish; Mud Bass.

Centrarchus pomotis Baird, Ninth Smithsonian Report, 325, 1854; New York and New Jersey.
Acantharchus pomotis, Jordan, 1889b, 126, 130; Tar River near Rocky Mount, Neuse River at Millburnie.
Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River near Raleigh. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 989, pl. clv, fig. 418

Fig. 101. Mup Sun-FisH; Mup Bass. Acantharchus pomotis.

Diacnosis.—Depth .4 total length; head .37 length; mouth wide, maxillary extending
to posterior third of eye; snout short; eye .25 head, exceeding snout; developed gill-rakers
about 5; scales in lateral series about 43, in transverse series 18, rows of scales on cheeks 5;
dorsal rays x1,10 to xu1,11, the spines very low, only half length of soft rays; anal rays v,10;
caudal rounded; pectorals .6 length of head. Color: dark greenish, with 5 blackish lengthwise
bands on side and back; several dark horizontal bands on cheeks, the lowermost extending on
mandible; a black spot on upper part of opercle. (pomotis, a genus of sun-fishes synonymous
with Lepomis.)

.
.
{

N. C. GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY

PLATE

AHOEN &CO

FLIER (CENTRARCHUS MACROPTERUS)

Phe EF

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 233

The mud bass, which lives in sluggish fresh waters along the coast from New
York to South Carolina, is known from the Neuse near Raleigh and at Kinston;
from the Tar near Rocky Mount; and from Lake Ellis in Craven County. It
doubtless exists in various other state waters in which no collections have been
made. Its length is about 6 inches, and its food value is slight. It lives mostly
in muddy water, and is said to be nocturnal in its habits.

Genus AMBLOPLITES Rafinesque. Rock Basses.

Body oblong, compressed, back somewhat elevated; mouth large, a large
supplemental maxillary; teeth in bands or patches on jaws, tongue, vomer, and
pterygoids; preopercular angle serrate; gill-rakers long, strong, and toothed;
scales large, lateral line complete; dorsal fin longer than anal, with 10 or 11 low
spines. One species. (Ambloplites, blunt armature.)

201. AMBLOPLITES RUPESTRIS (Rafinesque).
Rock Bass; Red-eye.

Bodianus rupestris Rafinesque, American Monthly Magazine, 1817, 120; lakes of New York, Vermont, and
Canada.

Ambloplites rupestris, Cope, 1870b, 451; French Broad Biver and head of Cumberland. Jordan, 1889b, 153;
Swannanoa River near Asheville and Spring Creek at Hot Springs. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 989,
pl. clvi, fig. 419.

:

es

es

i

si

Fig. 102. Rock Bass. Ambloplites rupestris.

Draenosis.—Depth .4 to .5 total length; head large, contained 2.75 times in length; mouth
large, maxillary reaching to posterior edge of pupil; eye large, about equal to snout, contained
3.5 times in head; gill rakers on lower arm of first arch 7 to 10; scales in lateral series 40, in
transverse series 17, scales on cheeks in 6 to 8 rows; dorsal rays x,10 or x1,10, spines low, the
longest less than .5 length of head; anal rays v,10 to v111,10; caudal concave, with rounded ends.
Color: pale green, with dark mottlings and a dark spot on each scale; a dark spot on upper
part of opercle; fins dark mottled. (rupestris, inhabiting rocks.)

From Vermont this species ranges through the Great Lakes to Manitoba,
thence to the lower Mississippi valley, being abundant in the Great Lakes and
the Mississippi basin. In North Carolina the rock bass is naturally confined to

234 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

the French Broad and tributaries, where it is reported as abundant by both
Cope and Jordan, the latter remarking that it ascends the mountain streams
farther than other sun-fishes. A specimen in the State Museum was caught near
Raleigh about 1892; this, however, was probably an introduced example.

The rock bass reaches a length of 12 or 14 inches and a weight of 2 pounds.
It is a good table fish, and also ranks high as a game fish, being a free biter and
vigorous fighter. It is a desirable fish for ponds, and has been extensively
planted in all parts of the country; one of the principal hatcheries is at Wythe-
ville, Virginia. The fish spawns in spring, on gravelly bars, the parents guarding
the eggs and young.

Genus CHAXNOBRYTTUS Gill. Warmouths.

This genus resembles Ambloplites in general shape, teeth, dorsal and caudal
fins, but it has only 3 anal spines and the preopercle is not serrated. There is
only one known species. (Chenobryttus, yawning sun-fish.)

202. CHA NOBRYTTUS GULOSUS (Cuvier & Valenciennes).
“Goggle-eye’’; ‘‘Chub’’; ‘‘Mud Chub’’; ‘‘Red-eyed Bream’’; Warmouth; Red-eye.

Pomotis gulosus Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, iii, 498, 1829; Lake Pontchartrain and
lagoons near New Orleans.

Chenobryttus gillii, Cope, 1870b, 452; all streams of North Carolina east of Alleghenies.

Chenobryttus gulosus, Jordan, 1889b, 130, 133; Neuse River near Raleigh, Moccasin Swamp near Goldsboro,
Reedy Fork of Haw River (tributary of Cape Fear). Smith, 1893a, 196, 199; Edenton Bay, Roanoke
River at Plymouth and Weldon. Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River near Raleigh. Jordan &
Evermann, 1896, 992, pl. elvii, fig. 421.

Fig. 103. WarmMoutH; GOGGLE-EYE. Chenobryttus gulosus

DiaGnosis.—Body stout, depth .4 to .5 length; head large, about .4 length; mouth large,
maxillary extending as far as posterior margin of eye; eye equal to snout, contained 4 to 4.5
times in head; 8 or 9 gill-rakers fully developed; scales in lateral series 40 to 46, in transverse
series 17 or 18, 6 to 8 rows on cheeks; dorsal rays x,9 or x,10, the spines short, less than .5
length of head; anal rays 11,8 or 11,9; caudal concave, the ends rounded; pectorals pointed,
rather long, extending to or beyond anal origin. Color: above dark green, clouded with red,

— —

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 235

blue, or bronze; below yellow; dusky spots on each scale or on many scales; a black spot on
opercle; 3 dark bars radiating from eye; vertical fins with dusky mottlings; a large dark spot
on posterior part of soft dorsal. (gulosus, large-throated.)

This fish is distributed from the Great Lakes to North Carolina and Texas,
being particularly numerous in the South Atlantic and Gulf States. Cope
(1870) stated that “‘this species is exceedingly common in all the streams of
North Carolina east of the Allegheny Mountains”’, but that “it does not occur
in the French Broad”. Jordan, in his explorations in 1888, found the fish only
in the Neuse and Cape Fear basins. The present writer in 1892 found it common
in Albemarle Sound and abundant in the lower Roanoke. The National Museum
contains specimens from Tar River at Tarboro and Yadkin River at Salem, and
Mr. W. H. Yopp reports it from the Cape Fear and tributaries about Wilmington.

Warmouth is a distinctive name for this species, but the North Carolina
names are ‘‘gogele-eye”’, “chub”, and “‘mud chub” on Albemarle Sound and
tributaries; “‘red-eyed bream” on the Catawba, according to Cope; and “ goggle-
eye perch” at Wilmington. In South Carolina and Georgia the vernacular
names are warmouth perch, more-mouth bream, yaw-mouth perch,warm-mouth
perch, and sun trout. Bream, sun-fish, and perch are southern names which
this species shares with other centrarchids.

The warmouth rarely exceeds 10 inches in length. In the Albemarle region
it is caught in gill nets and other nets, and is sold in the local markets. It is in
the Wilmington markets throughout the year, but is not very abundant; it there
ranges from one-fourth of a pound to one pound in weight, and brings the fisher-
men 7 cents a pound on an average. The fish takes the hook readily and is often
caught by North Carolina anglers.

Genus ENNEACANTHUS Gill. Little Sun-fishes.

Small fishes, with rather short, deep, compressed body; small mouth, with
teeth on Jaws, vomer, and palatines, but none on tongue; short maxillary with
supplemental bone well developed; margin of preopercle entire; 2 flat points on
opercular margin; large scales; lateral line usually complete; short and not
numerous gill-rakers; about 9 dorsal spines, 3 anal spines; convex caudal fin.
Two species are now recognized, both found in North Carolina:

t. Dark spot on opercle more than half diameter of eye; 5 to8 persistent black vertical bars on

sides.) body and ins with) purplishior golden spots. <0... 22sec eee nee tees obesus.
ii. Dark spot on opercle less than half diameter of eye; vertical bars narrower and less distinct
(disappearing with age); body and fins with sky-blue spots.................. gloriosus.

(Enneacanthus, nine-spined. ) j

(+. y ‘\ C R \ L

203. ENNEACANTHUS OBESUS (Baird).
Little Sun-fish.

Pomotis obesus Baird; Ninth Smithsonian Report, 324, 1854;—Beesley- Point, NeJr

Enneacanthus guttatus, Cope, 1870b, 452; Neuse River.

Enneacanthus obesus, Smith, 1893a, 199; Roanoke River at Weldon. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 993.
D1aGnosis.—Body compressed, elliptical, depth more than .5 length; head .37 to .4 total

length of body; eye rather large, its diameter contained 3 to 3.25 times in head; snout less

236 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

than eye; mouth oblique, comparatively small, the maxillary extending as far back as center
of pupil; gill-rakers on lower arm of first arch 10 to 12, those on short arm 3 or 4, usually rudi-
mentary; scales in lateral series about 32, in transverse series 14 or 15; scales on cheek in 4
rows; dorsal rays rx,10 or rx,11, the longest spine .5 length of head, the longest soft ray .66
length of head; anal fin large, the rays 11,10, the third spine about .5 length of head, the sofé
part of fin larger than soft dorsal; caudal fin rounded; pectorals rather long, .75 length of
head, reaching beyond anal spines; ventrals extending to second anal ray. Color: body olive
green, with 5 to 8 dark transverse bars; body, cheeks, and fins with small purple or golden
spots; opercular flap with a velvety black spot edged with purple; a black bar beneath eye.
(obesus, fat.)

This diminutive sun-fish, which occurs along the coast from Massachusetts
to Florida in sluggish waters, has been reported in North Carolina only from
Neuse and Roanoke rivers, and is much rarer than the next species. It lives
among weeds in quiet water. Its maximum length is 3.75 inches, but it rarely
exceeds 3 inches.

204. ENNEACANTHUS GLORIOSUS (Holbrook).
“Speckled Perch’’; Little Sun-fish; Blue-spotted Sun-fish.

Bryttus gloriosus Holbrook, Journal Academy Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1855, 51; Cooper River, S. C.
Enneacanthus pinniger Jordan, Bulletin x, U. S. National Museum, 27, 1877; Neuse River at Kinston.
Enneacanthus simulans, Smith, 1893a, 196; Edenton Bay.
Enneacanthus gloriosus, Jordan, 1889b, 126,130; Tar and Little rivers. Smith, 1901, 134: Lake Mattamuskeet.

Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse Basin near Raleigh. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 993, pl. elviii, fig.

422

Dracnosis.—Form very similar to that of obesus, but its depth equal to or less than .5

total length; head .37 length; eye a little less than .33 length of head; snout short, .66 diameter
of eye; maxillary extending to anterior margin of pupil; gill-rakers on lower arm of first arch-
10 or 11, on upper arm 3 (of which only 1 is developed); scales in lateral series 30 to 32, in trans-
verse series 12 to 14; dorsal rays 1x,10 to x,11, the longest spine equal to postorbital part of
head, the longest soft rays equal to head minus snout; anal rays 11,9 to v1,10, the first spine less
than eye, the third spine equal to postorbital region of head, the longest soft rays about equal to
those of dorsal; caudal fin rounded, the longest rays .66 length of head; pectorals extending
to above base of second or third anal soft ray, about .75 length of head; ventrals about .66
length of head. Color: males, dark olive green, with numerous small round blue spots on body,
head, and fins, the spots having a tendency to form irregular cross stripes; opercular spot
pearly blue, with a blue margin; a black bar below eye; females duller, the spots large and less
distinct; young with narrow dark crossbars, more or less indistinct. (gloriosus, glorious.)

This handsome little sun-fish, whose maximum length is only 3 inches,
ranges from New York to South Carolina, in clear coastal streams, and is common
in NorthCarolina. The types of Jordan’s nominal species, Enneacanthus pinniger,
came from Neuse River at Kinston. Other North Carolina localities where the
species has been collected are Little River at Goldsboro, Neuse River near Raleigh,
Tar River at Rocky Mount, Edenton Bay, Lake Ellis, and Lake Mattamuskeet.
The fish is too small to have any economic value, but is most desirable and
attractive for the aquarium.

Genus MESOGONISTIUS Gill. Banded Sun-fishes.

Form short and compressed; mouth small, the maxillary not reaching as
far as anterior margin of eye, the supplemental bone very small; small teeth on

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 237

jaws, vomer, and palatines; opercular margin with 2 flat points covered with
skin; preopercular margin entire; gill-rakers long and toothed; scales large;
dorsal spines 10, the middle spines rather long; anal fin smaller than dorsal, the
rays longer; caudal and pectorals rounded. A single small species. (Meso-
gonistius, middle-angled dorsal.)

205. MESOGONISTIUS CHASTODON (Baird).
Black-banded Sun-fish.

Pomotis chetodon Baird, Ninth Smithsonian Report, 324. 1854; Cedar Swamp Creek, N. J.
Mesogonistius chetodon, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 995, pl. clviii, fig. 423.

Fig. 104. Buack—BANDED Sun-FISH. Mesogonistius chetodon.

DiacNnosis.—Body rather short, much compressed, depth contained 1.7 to 2 times in
total length; head .33 total length; eye large, .33 length of head; mouth small; gill-rakers short,
10 or 11 on lower arm of first arch; lateral line unbroken; scales in lateral series about
28, in transverse series 14; fins large; dorsal rays x,10; anal rays 11,12. Color (of specimens
from Wilmington): body dirty white or pale straw color, often with silvery purplish
reflections, marked by 6 to 8 black vertical bars; the first of these, through the eye, is the
narrowest, most intense, and most sharply defined, the part below the eye being jet black
and usually the most conspicuous part of the fish; second bar anterior to pectorals, represented
on opercle by a black spot; third bar extends on spinous dorsal, forming a bluish black blotch
on first three interradial membranes and a similar central stripe on ventrals; fourth bar at
front of soft dorsal; fifth bar under posterior edge of soft dorsal, last bar at base of caudal;
fourth spinous dorsal membrane with white pigment, sometimes orange in male; soft dorsal with
about 5 transverse rows of dark brown spots on rays; caudal similarly marked; anal with dark
edge and about 4 longitudinal rows of dark brown spots; anal in some specimens with a purplish
suffusion and spots; pectorals colorless, unmarked; opercle and posterior edge of orbit with
brilliant golden reflections; iris anterior to black bar orange, posterior section white. Length,
to 3 inches. (chatodon, a genus of salt-water fishes many of which resemble this species in
coloration.) BS

238 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

This is one of the smallest, most beautiful, and most interesting of the sun-
fishes. Although it ranges from New Jersey to southern North Carolina and is
abundant in the latter state, there are no published records of its occurrence
south of Maryland. Specimens in the National Museum were collected in Neuse
River at Kinston about 1874, and in ponds along the Cape Fear River at
Wilmington in 1899 by W. P. Seal. The species has no common name except
banded or black-banded sun-fish, and this exists only in books, as the fish is
unknown to fishermen.

According to Mr. Seal, who has collected many specimens of this fish in New
Jersey and North Carolina for aquarium purposes, in the latter state it is abun-
dant in rice ditches, creeks, and ponds connected with Cape Fear River. It is
always found among water plants, and occupies very circumscribed areas in the
waters in which found, differing markedly in this respect from Enneacanthus,
which is distributed throughout the waters.

In 1901 Mr. Seal forwarded to the United States Bureau of Fisheries from
Wilmington 50 living examples of this fish, which were kept in aquaria for nearly
a year and proved very attractive and interesting. One peculiarity of behavior
was their habit of clustering on the leaves or branches of water plants and
remaining perfectly quiet for long periods. Sometimes, every fish would be
thus situated, and, if the vegetation was profuse, very effectively concealed.
On one occasion 14 of them were packed on the top of a tall narrow spray of
Myriophyllum with their heads turned outward. The fish often rest with the
long axis of the body vertical, the head being up. When disturbed, even when
touched, they leave the hiding or resting place with reluctance, and proceed to a
new place with a few short rapid darts.

Judging by its behavior in captivity, this dainty little fish eats only living,
moving food. Even when very hungry, it refused chopped meat. When suppli-
plied with white-fish fry and trout fry it ate them promptly, but without great
avidity. One fish which struck at atrout fry failed to grasp it, and, although the
fry dropped to the bottom dead, the sun-fish did not notice it further. Another
stopped following a trout fry to pursue a gammarid. Insect larvee and small
crustacea were always eaten readily, and such animals are doubtless the usual
natural food.

The species spawns in North Carolina in March. Some of the specimens
forwarded by Mr. Seal were in spawning condition, he having expressed ripe eggs
from them before shipment. In the aquarium, however, they did not spawn.

Genus LEPOMIS Rafinesque. Common Sun-fishes.

These are the typical “‘sun-fishes” which in the Southern States are usually
called “bream’’, “brim’’, or ‘“‘perch”’, with or without qualifying names. They
are numerous as to both species and individuals, and are among the best known
of American lake, pond, river, and creek fishes. Their brilliant coloration and
the avidity with which they take the baited hook make them very popular with
youthful anglers and compensate for their comparatively small size. The

PLATE 8

N. C. GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY

Mesogonistius chetodon.

BANDED SUN-FISH.
From a painting by Charles B. Hudson of living specimens from Wilmington, N.C.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 239

species are difficult to distinguish, and even the numerous genera which have
from time to time been recognized are separated by no constant characters of
importance. In the present account, the genus Lepomis is regarded as embrac-
ing all the species found in North Carolina, and may be defined as follows:

Body ovate, compressed, the dorsal outline in adults rather more strongly
arched than the ventral; mouth of moderate size, Jaws equal, maxillary narrow
and not extending beyond pupil, supplemental bone small or wanting; no teeth
on tongue or pterygoids; pharyngeal bones narrow or broad, with sharp or
blunt paved teeth; preopercular margin entire; opercle ending in a more or less
elongated flap which is conspicuously colored; gill-rakers usually short and
feeble; dorsal spines 10, anal spines 3; caudal fin concave or emarginate behind;
pectorals long or short, pointed or rounded.

Five species recorded from North Carolina, typical adult specimens of
which may be thus identified:

Key to the North Carolina species of Lepomis.

i. Pectoral fins rather short, rounded, not extending to first anal spine; opercular flap very long

and narrow.
Oe Scalesminelareraleseniesn4 aut) 48-1 cis = reise e eid arate eieeuale oisdelso aetamcner ene sca auritus.
AU PEOCHCREIN GI AEPALERETICS oO) GOL4O% cies vice God © Ae ma iw ole We alway ke Cadlnrs wilere a megalotis.

ii. Pectoral fins longer, pointed, and reaching to or beyond first anal spine; opercular flap
short and broad.

b. Gill-rakers on lower arm of first arch 11 to 13; opercular flap without pale margin; a

black blotch at base of dorsal and anal fins posteriorly.................... incisor.

bb. Gill-rakers on lower arm of arch 10, of moderate length; opercular flap with a broad

orange margin posteriorly and inferiorly; no black blotch on dorsal or anal. . holbrooki.

bbb. Gill-rakers on lower arm of first arch 8 to 10, very short and feeble; opercular flap with

bright red margin: no black blotch on dorsal or anal.................. gibbosus.

(Lepomis, scaly opercle.)

206. LEPOMIS AURITUS (Linnzus).

“Yellow-belly’’; “Red-belly’’; ‘“Leather-ear’’; “Red-bellied Bream’’; ‘‘Robin Perch’’;
“Robin’’; “Leather-ear Robin’’; ‘‘Leather-ear Perch’’; Long-eared Sun-fish.
Labrus auritus Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 283, 1758; Philadelphia.
Lepomis rubricauda, Cope, 18706, 452; Catawba, Yadkin, and Neuse basins
Lepomis auritus, Jordan, 1889b, 126, 130, 133, 139; Tar, Neuse, Little, Cape Fear, Yadkin, and Catawba basins.
Smith, 1893a, 196; Edenton Bay. Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River near Raleigh. Jordan &
Evermann, 1896, 1001, pl. clix, figs, 425, 425a.

_ Dragnosis.—Body moderately elongate, the depth about .5 length; head (exclusive of
flap) .33 length; mouth oblique, comparatively large, maxillary extending nearly to anterior
margin of pupil; eye .22 to .25 length of head, .66 length of snout; gill-rakers on lower arm of
first arch 8 or 9, strong, short, the longest .33 diameter of eye; scales in lateral series about 45,
in transverse series 6 or 7+13 to 15; scales on cheeks in 5 or 6 rows; opercular flap very long
and narrow (in full grown fish), its width rather less than eye; dorsal rays x,10 to x,12, the
longest spine .33 length of head and .66 longest soft ray; anal rays 111,8 to 111,10, the spines stout,
the longest (3rd) equal to snout and .66 longest soft ray; caudal rather short and moderately
incised behind; pectorals broad, rounded, reaching to vent; ventrals reaching to or beyond
vent, the spine .5 length of fin. Color: light olive above, the belly orange, brightest in breed-
ing males; scales on sides pale bluish with reddish centers; bluish stripes on head; opercular
flap usually with pale lower margin; dorsal, anal, and caudal fins yellow or orange. (auritus,
eared.)

240 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

In the streams of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, from Maine to Louisiana,
this well known sun-fish abounds. Both typical auritus and the southern
variety, solis, are represented in North Carolina, the latter distinguished by
having larger scales on cheeks and breast, and a dusky blotch on the posterior
part of dorsal fin. Cope (1870), under the name Lepomis rubricauda, records
the species as very common in the basins of the Catawba, Yadkin, and Neuse.
More recent collectors have reported it as common in the same waters and in
addition in Tar and Cape Fear rivers and Albemarle Sound. The National
Museum contains specimens from the lower Neuse at Kinston, collected by
J. W. Milner; and at New Bern, collected by Marshall McDonald.

Fig. 105. Loneg-faARED SuN-FISH; ReD-BELLY; Rosin. Lepomis auritus.

The species bears numerous names in North Carolina; some of them are
peculiar to it, while others are sometimes applied to related species. The most
generally used names are given above, but various other combinations of “robin”,
“perch”, “bream”, ‘“red-belly”’, “leather-ear”’, etc., are heard. On Albemarle
and Currituck sounds and their tributaries the names most often used are
“leather-ear’’, “‘red-belly”’, ‘‘yellow-belly”’, and “robin”’.

The long-eared sun-fish rarely exceeds 8 inches in length. It is often caught
by anglers using angleworms, grubs, and grasshoppers as bait; and is sometimes
taken in the nets of the commercial fishermen and sent to market.

207. LEPOMIS MEGALOTIS (Rafinesque).

Large-eared Sun-fish.

Ichthelis megalotis Rafinesque, Ichthyologia Ohiensis, 29, 1829; Ohio River. :
Lepomis megalotis, Cope, 1870b, 452; upper waters of French Broad. Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse
River near Raleigh. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1002, pl. elx, fig. 426.

DiaGnosis.—Body rather short and compressed, back arched, profile becoming steeper
over eye, depth .4 to .6 total length; head .33 length; eye .25 length of head, a little less than

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 241

‘snout; mouth small, the maxillary extending as far as pupil; gill-rakers short and feeble, 8 or
9 on lower arm of first arch; width of opercular flap equal to eye, its length nearly twice width;
scales in lateral series 35 to 45, in transverse series 5+ 14; rows of scales on cheek, about 5;
dorsal rays x,10 to x,12, the longest spine about .33 head; anal rays 11,8 to 111,10, the longest
spine about length of longest dorsal spine; pectorals .66 to .75 head; ventrals very long,
extending beyond anal origin. Color: back blue, under parts orange, the sides with orange
spots and blue streaks; opercular flap with pale blue or red margin, sometimes wanting; cheeks
orange with blue stripes; lips and stripes before eye blue; soft dorsal and anal rays blue, mem-
branes yellow. (megalotis, large-eared.)

The long-eared sun-fish is an abundant species throughout most of its range,
from the Great Lakes region to Texas, but in North Carolina, which marks its
southeastern limit, itis not common. Evermann & Cox record a single specimen
from Neuse River near Raleigh. The only other record is that of Cope from
“the upper waters of the French Broad’’, which, however, may refer to another
species, although there is nothing improbable in the reference. A length of
8 inches is reached.

208. LEPOMIS INCISOR (Cuvier & Valenciennes).

“Blue Joe’; “Blue Perch’’; Blue Bream (S.C.); Blue Sun-fish; Copper-nosed
Bream; Blue-gill.

Pomotis incisor Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, vii, 466, 1831; New Orleans.

? Lepomis notatus, Cope, 18706, 453; French Broad River.

Lepomis purpurescens Cope, 18706, 454; Yadkin River in Roane County, N. C

Lepomis pallidus, Jordan, 1889b, 152; Spring Creek (tributary of French Broad). Smith, 1893a, 196, 200;
Edenton Bay, Roanoke River at Weldon. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1005, pl. clx, fig. 427. Smith,
1901, 134; Lake Mattamuskeet. (Not Labrus pallidus Mitchill.)

Lepomis incisor, Smith, Science, May 12, 1904, 746.

_ Dragnosis.—Body very short and deep in old examples, more slender in young, the depth
contained 1.8 to 2.25 times in total length; length of head contained about 3 times in total
length; mouth small. oblique, the lower jaw slightly longer, maxillary reaching as far as anterior
margin of eye; eye about equal to snout and rather less than .25 length of head; opercular flap
of moderate length and broad; gill-rakers rather short, stout, about 11 or 12 on long arm of
first arch, the longest .25 diameter of eye; scales in lateral series about 42 to 52, of which 40 to
50 have pores; scales in transverse series 7+ 15 or 16; scales on cheeks in 5 rows; dorsal rays
x,11 or x,12, the spines strong, the first as long as snout and half as long as the fifth, the
longest soft rays about half length of head; anal rays 11,10 to 11,12, the spines stout, the first
less than eye, the longest soft rays .5 length of head; caudal notched; pectorals very long and
pointed, about length of head, reaching beyond origin of anal; ventrals extending nearly to
anal, the spine nearly as long as the third anal. Color: adults light or dark green, with a
beautiful purplish luster in life, the belly coppery red; sides with dark transverse bars, most
distinct when the fish is in the water; cheeks and jaws bright purplish blue; opercular flap
black; a black blotch on base of dorsal and anal posteriorly; young duller, the sides silvery,
the fin blotches obscure. (incisor, cutter.)

The blue-gill has a wide distribution, extending from western New York
throughout the Great Lakes to Florida and Texas. In North Carolina it has
been collected at various points. In creeks near Edenton and in Roanoke
River at Weldon it was found to be common by the present writer. Jordan
reported it as scarce in Spring Creek (tributary of the French Broad) at Hot
Springs. A specimen collected at Wilmington by Prof.S. F. Baird in April, 1877,

242 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

is in the National Museum. The fish described by Cope as Lepomis purpures-
cens, from the Yadkin, is referred to this species; and the fish he called Lepomis
notatus from the French Broad is probably also referable to it.

This is the largest and finest of the sun-fishes. It attainsa lengthof 12 to14
inches and a weight of a pound and a half, and when full grown is a magnificent
species. As a game and food fish it stands high. In the Albemarle region it is
often sought by anglers, and is also sold in the local markets; the names “blue
joe” and “blue perch” are applied to it in that section. In Lake Mattamuskeet,
where the blue bream is common, it ranks next to the white perch in popular
estimation as a food fish.

This fish has for many years been called Lepomis pallidus in the belief that
Mitchill’s name of Labrus pallidus applied to it; but a close examination of
Mitchill’s description shows that it could not have been intended for this species,
and furthermore the blue-gill is unknown in the locality from which the type of
pallidus came. The earliest available name is incisor of Cuvier & Valenciennes.

209. LEPOMIS HOLBROOKI (Cuvier & Valenciennes).
Holbrook’s Sun-fish.

Pomotis holbrooki Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, vii, 466, 1831; Charleston, 8S. C.
Lepomis holbrooki, Jordan, 1889b, 130; Little River at Goldsboro.
Eupomotis holbrooki, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1008.

DiaGnosis.—Body stout, the depth about .5 total length; head contained 3 to 3.5 times
in length; snout rather long, .25 length of head; maxillary extending to front of eye; eye equal
to snout; opercular flap short and broad; gill-rakers rather short, distinctly dentate, about 10
on long arm of first arch; scales in lateral series about 45, in transverse series 6+ 15, 5 rows on
cheek; dorsal rays x,10 to x,12 the spines and soft rays equally high, the longest .5 length of
head; anal rays 111,9 to 111,11; pectorals as long ashead. Color: dark green above, silvery below;
breast yellow; opercular flap dark, with a broad orange-red margin; fins dark, with yellow
rays. (Named for Dr. Holbrook, author of Ichthyology of South Carolina.)

This sun-fish is peculiar to the lowland streams between Virginia and Florida,
and is especially numerous in South Carolina and Florida. The only North
Carolina record is that of Jordan (1889b), who reported the fish as scarce in
Little River near Goldsboro. One large specimen was collected by the writer
a number of years ago at the western end of Albemarle Sound. The fish attains
a length of 10 or 11 inches, and is of some importance in the southern part of its
habitat. In size, habits, food value, and gameness it closely resembles the
blue-gill.

210. LEPOMIS GIBBOSUS (Linnzus).

“Sand Perch’’; ‘‘Robin’’; “Robin Perch’’; ‘“Red-belly’’; “Yellow-belly’’; Pumpkin-
seed; Tobacco-box.

Perca gibbosus Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 292, 1758; Carolina.

Pomotis maculatus, Cope, 18706, 455; all North Carolina rivers east of Alleghenies.

Lepomis gibbosus, Jordan, 1889b, 130; Neuse River near Raleigh. Smith, 1893a@, 192, 196, 200; Pasquotank
River, Edenton Bay. Roanoke River at Plymouth and Welden. Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse
River near Raleigh.

Eupomotis gibbosus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1009, pl. elxi, fig. 429. Smith, 1901, 134; Lake Mattamuskeet.

N. C. GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY

PLATE 9

A HOEN & CO

BLUE-GILL; BLUE JOE (LEPOMIS INCISOR). FEMALE

—_

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 243

Diacnosis.—Body ovate, the depth .5 to .7 total length, the thickness .33 the depth;
length of head contained 3 times in length; a slight depression in the profile above eye; mouth
oblique, small, the maxillary barely extending to front of orbit; eye equal to snout, rather less
than .25 length of head; opercular flap very broad, short; gill-rakers very short, 8 to 11 on
lower arm of first arch, the longest not .25 diameter of eye; scales in lateral series 40 to 45, in
transverse series 6+3, 4 rows of scales on cheek; dorsal rays x,10 to x,12, the first spine about
equal to eye, the longest twice diameter of eye, the longest soft ray-equal to distance from eye
to end of flap; anal rays 11,10, the first spine half length of third, which is less than twice
diameter of eye, the soft rays shorter than those of dorsal; caudal notched; pectorals long but
less than head, extending as far as anal origin; ventrals reaching beyond vent. Color: above
olive with bluish reflection, sides spotted with orange; cheeks orange, with wavy blue streaks;
lower fins orange, dorsal and caudal fins bluish with orange spots; opercular flap black, with
lower posterior margin bright scarlet. (gibbosus, hunched or humped.)

This species is found along the entire Atlantic seaboard of the United
States, in the Great Lakes, and in the northern part of the Mississippi basin.
Jordan & Evermann (1896) say the fish is rather rare in the Carolinas and
Florida, but it is very common in the Neuse and abundant in Albemarle Sound
and tributaries, being the most numerous of the sun-fishes in the latter section.
Cope ascribes the fish to ‘all the rivers of North Carolina east of the Allegheny
range”, but Jordan did not find it in any stream west of the Neuse.

The breeding habits of this sun-fish have been studied by the writer and
others, and are now well known. The “nest” is a slight depression on the
bottom made by the fins, and after the eggs are laid and attached to stones or
weeds, the male stands guard and repels intruding fishes or other animals; the
care of the young also devolves on the male, which at this season is in his brightest
colors and even in the water can be readily distinguished from his mate.

The names borne by this fish in North Carolina are “robin’’, “robin perch”’,
“red-belly”, and ‘‘yellow-belly”’, all used about Albemarle Sound; ‘sand
perch”’, on the Neuse near Raleigh; and ‘‘robin”’ on the Neuse about New Bern.
It is likely that the fishermen do nct always distinguish this species from
Lepomis auritus, as both are sometimes given the same names in the same places.
Pumpkin-seed and tobacco-box are very old names given to the fish in other
states. In his list of the fresh-water fishes of North Carolina, Lawson (1709)
mentions “pearch, small and flat, with red spots, call’d round robins”, and
elsewhere in his work he makes the following reference to this species:

We have another sort of pearch, which is the least sort of all, but as good meat as any.
These are distinguished from the other sorts [i. e., yellow perch, white perch, crappy, and
black bass] by the name of round-robins; being flat, and very round-shap’d; they are spotted
with red spots very beautiful, and are easily caught with an angle, as all the other sorts of
pearches are.

The pumpkin-seed is one of the commonest fishes which fall to the lot of
youthful anglers, as it abounds in ponds and streams, is a ready biter, and is not
very fastidious in its tastes. As it does not exceed 8 inches in length and
usually does not exceed 6 inches, it has little commercial value. On Roanoke
River it is caught in gill nets with Chenobryttus and Centrarchus, and is regularly
exposed for sale in the Plymouth market. In Currituck; Camden, Dare, and

244 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

other counties in the extreme eastern section, comparatively large quantities
of ‘“‘robins”’ are taken in seines, fykes, and other nets, the principal catch being
in Currituck Sound. The annual product is now 40,000 to 50,000 pounds, for
which the fishermen receive 1.5 to 3 cents a pound.

Genus MICROPTERUS Lacépéde. Black Basses.

The largest and most highly developed fishes of the family, characterized
by an elongate, moderately compressed body; stout caudal peduncle; long head;
large, oblique mouth, with long and broad maxillary and strong, projecting
lower jaw; supplementary maxillary very broad; bands of fine teeth on jaws,
vomer, and palatines; posterior margin of opercle with 2 broad points; preopercle
entire; gill-rakers long and slender; scales small, ctenoid; lateral line complete;
dorsal fins continuous, a deep notch at their junction; dorsal spines 10, rather
low; anal fin similar to soft dorsal, the spines 3; caudal fin concave behind.
The genus has only 2 members, both represented in the North Carolina fauna;
they closely resemble one another but may be distinguished as follows:

i. Inhabits cold, clear running water; maxillary not reaching beyond eye; scales in lateral
series 70 to 85, in transverse series about 36; scales on cheek small, in about 17 rows; color
nearly uniform green, the young barred or spotted...............-........-- dolomieu.

ii. Inhabits chiefly sluggish, warmer waters; maxillary reaching beyond eye; scales in lateral
series 65 to 70, in transverse series 23 to 28; scales on cheek large, in about 10 rows;
a distinct black lateral band in young and in adults of moderate size, being obsolete in old
BPSCIMENS! 5 a5 Sete hn ere see Te aera eeer att THe eel Rees Mee CI ee oer nee ana salmoides.

(Micropterus, small-finned, an inappropriate name based on a specimen with
mutilated dorsal fin.)

211. MICROPTERUS DOLOMIEU Lacépede.
Small-mouthed Black Bass.

Micropterus dolomieu Lacépede, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, iv, 325, 1802; locality doubtful. Jordan,
1889b, 130, 152; basins of Neuse and French Broad. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1011, pl. elxii, figs.
430, 430a.

Micropterus fasciatus, Cope, 1870b, 450; French Broad River.

DraGcnosis.—Depth of body and length of head about .33 total length without caudal,
depth increasing with age; maxillary extending to or in advance of posterior margin of eye;
teeth in villiform hands on jaws, vomer, and palate; eye about .5 length of snout and .16 to
.20 length of head; gill-rakers long, 16 or 17 in number, about 10 on upper portion of arch;
scales small, about 77 in lateral series, about 25 in transverse series; about 17 rows of fine
scales on cheeks; lateral line slightly arched anteriorly; dorsal rays x,13 to x,15, the longest
spine (fifth) about equal to snout and about half longest soft ray; anal rays 11,10 to m1,12,
the first and second spines very short; bases of soft dorsal and anal scaly; pectorals and ventrals
short and rounded; caudal slightly concave behind. Color: body dull green, with golden or
brassy lustre, white below; 3 dark bands radiating posteriorly from eye; caudal yellowish-
green, with blackish margin; young with dark spots, which never form a lateral band but
sometimes collect into vertical bands. (Named in honor of M. Dolomieu, a French naturalist.)

This species was originally found from Vermont through the Great Lakes
basin to Manitoba, and thence southward to South Carolina, Mississippi, and
Arkansas, being confined mostly to the mountainous parts of the southeastern
states. By artificial means, the range has been considerably extended. In

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 245

North Carolina the small-mouthed black bass is much less widely distributed
than the large-mouthed species. It is known from Neuse River near Raleigh,
and Little River at Goldsboro, and from Swannanoa River near Asheville, and
Spring Creek at Hot Springs, in all of which places it iscommon. As its general
and local distribution indicates, this species prefers cooler, clearer, and swifter
water than its congener, and is a less hardy but more gamy fish. It is one of the
best and most sought of American game fishes, and is probably entitled to first
rank in this respect, taking the artificial fly, the baited hook, or the troll in a
fashion to thrill even the veteran angler.

oo

REA
a Pe y
a
a Ree
, My a vie ae
Pt i aN ASS
ee Ay Chee 1
() Se ae A
ne a

Fig. 106. SMALL-MOoUTHED Biack Bass. Micropterus dolomieu.

It is exceeded in size by the es species, and is rarely heavier than 6
pounds, while averaging only 2 or 24 pounds.

212. MICROPTERUS SALMOIDES (Lacépéde).
“Chub”; “Welshman”; “Trout’’; ‘Fresh-water Trout’’; Large-mouthed Black Bass.

Labrus salmoides Lacépéde, Histoire Naturelle des Poisons, 716, 1802; South Carolina.

Micropterus nigricans, Cope, 1870b, 451; Neuse, Yadkin, Catawba, and French Broad rivers.

Micropterus salmoides, Jordan, 1889b, 130; Neuse and Little rivers. Smith, 1893a, 192, 196, 200; Pasquotank
River, Albemarle Sound, Roanoke River at Plymouth and Weldon. Smith, 18936, 282, pl. bxi; Curri-
tuck Sound. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1012, pl. elxiii, fig. 431. Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Walnut
Creek (tributary of Neuse), near Raleigh. Smith, 1901, 134; Lake Mattamuskeet.

Diaenosis.—Greatest depth about .33 length; length of head about equal to depth;
mouth large and wide, the maxillary in adults extending beyond eye; bands of villiform teeth
on jaws and roof of mouth, teeth sometimes present on tongue; eye .5 to .66 length of snout;
gill-rakers on first arch 17 or 18, usually 10 above angle; scales in lateral series about 68, in
transverse series 25; scales on cheeks not much smaller than on body, in about 10 rows; dorsal
rays X,12 or x,13, the longest spine (fourth) more than half length of longest soft ray; anal rays
111,10 or m1,11, the first spine about .5 length of second, the second about .5 length of third;
caudal fin incised posteriorly; pectoral fins rounded, .5 length of head; ventrals rounded,
shorter than pectorals. Color: back green, sides silvery green, belly white; a well defined
black lateral band in both young and adults, this breaking up and growing fainter with age; a
few small irregularly disposed dark spots on sides; 3 dark bands radiating from eye posteriorly;
caudal pale near body, black at margin, with a white edge. —_ (salmoides, like a salmon or trout;
the fish is called “trout” throughout the southern states.)

246 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

The large-mouthed black bass is native to a wide expanse of territory,
bounded on the north by the Great Lakes and on the south by‘southern Florida
and Mexico. Through the efforts of the general government, as represented by
the Bureau of Fisheries, the species has been introduced into nearly every state,
and may also be met with in various European countries. While found in the
mountain regions of North Carolina, this bass is essentially a fish of the plateau
and coastal plain regions, being more numerous in the coastwise waters than
elsewhere. It is especially abundant in tributaries of Albemarle Sound and in
Currituck Sound, and probably exists there in greater numbers than in any other
waters in the country.

The name by which this fish is generally known in North Carolina is ‘“‘ Welsh-
man”, which is not employed elsewhere. This designation was in use as ea-ly
as 1709, when Lawson referred to the “brown pearch, or Welshman”’. Another
local name, peculiar to North Carolina and Virginia, is ‘‘chub”. ‘Trout”’ is
the name usually applied to the fish in all the southern states, and it was this

Fig. 107. Large-MouTHED Brack Bass. Micropterus salmoides.

fact that led the Frenchman, Lacépéde, to give it the technical name salmoides
(that is, like a salmon or trout). Among the fishermen of the Wilmington
region the fish is known as ‘‘chub”’ and ‘fresh-water trout”.

This is the largest and most important member of the family, and is the
equal of the small-mouthed black bass as a food fish and but slightly inferior as a
game fish. It inhabits more sluggish and warmer waters than the other species,
and thrives under more extreme conditions of environment and temperature; for
this reason it is better adapted for transplanting in the country at large. It
reaches its maximum weight in Florida, where examples weighing as muchas 20 to
25 pounds have been taken in lakes. Relatively large fish of 6 to 8 pounds are
also common in the South Central States, while in the north the maximum is
about 8 pounds and the average is 2 to 4 pounds.

The fish occasionally enters brackish and salt water. On April 7, 1904, the
writer observed several fine examples that had been caught in pound nets in
Croatan Sound in water that was quite salt; these had doubtless come out of
some of the short rivers about the sound.

PLATE 10

N. C. GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY

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SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 247

Both species of black bass are remarkably zealous in the breeding habits.
The fish, which have been in schools through the winter, become paired in early
spring and begin the preparation of the nest. The nest is located in compara-
tively shallow water and usually consists of fine gravel, brushed into a circular
mass 1.5 to 2 feet in diameter; sometimes the nest is simply a rounded area on a
gravel, clay, or mud bottom from which all foreign material is removed by
the parent fish. When the eggs are deposited, they become attached to the
bottom, and are thenceforth continually guarded by one or both parents, while
the water over the nest is kept agitated by a gentle motion of the fins. Fish and
other intruders are attacked and driven away from the vicinity of the nest.
From 2,000 to upwards of 10,000 eggs are deposited by one fish, and the hatching
period is from 1 to 3 weeks. When the young emerge, they remain in the nest
for several days while the yolk-sac is being absorbed, and then they rise in a
school and hover over the nest for several days more before scattering. During
this time the parents continue their guardianship, circling about the nest and
keeping all enemies away and at the same time preventing the fry from wandering
away. Finally, the young must separate in order to obtain food, and, having
been driven among the dense vegetation or in shoal water for protection, they
are deserted by their parents.

The food of the young fish consists of minute animals—crustacea, insects,
etc. At a very early period, however, they begin to prey on their smaller
brothers, and this cannibalism continues after they become adults. The larger
fish are very voracious and aggressive feeders, taking all kinds of fish as well as
small mammals, frogs, tadpoles, snakes, worms, insects,and also vegetable matter.

Under favorable conditions, the young bass reach a length of 6 to 8 inches in
a year, and sexual maturity in reached when 2 years old.

As a market fish the large-mouth black bass is moreimportant in North Caro-
lina than in any other state. In 1890 the catch aggregated 407,530 pounds,
valued at $20,492. In 1897 the output increased to 535,340 pounds, worth
$33,611; and in 1902 it rose to 632,675 pounds, which sold for $58,013. Currituck
Sound produces about three-fourths of the total yield in the state.

Family PERCID. The Perches.

A numerous family of fresh-water fishes, chiefly represented in eastern North
America and Europe; most of them very small species known as darters, which
are peculiar to America. The principal family characters are an elongate body,
compressed or not; medium sized head; terminal or slightly inferior mouth of
small or large size; premaxillaries protractile or not, maxillaries without distinct
supplemental bone; villiform teeth in bands on jaws, vomer, and palatines, a
few canine teeth in some species, teeth occasionally absent from vomer and
palatines; sharp teeth on the lower pharyngeals; branchiostegals 6 or 7; gill-
arches 4; gill-rakers long, slender, and dentate; gill-membranes free from
isthmus and either connected or separate; pseudobranchie small or wanting;

248 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

preopercle entire or serrate; opercular margin usually with a flat spine; pyloric
cceca few; lateral lme present; scales ctenoid, adherent, covering body more or
less completely, head naked or partly scaled; dorsal fins 2, nearly always
separate, the first with 6 to 15 spines; anal equal to or smaller than second
dorsal, with 1 or 2 spines; caudal forked, notched, square or rounded; pectorals
of various sizes, Sometimes quite large; ventrals well developed, inserted below
pectorals, consisting of 1 spine and 5 soft rays. The family has 12 genera and
22 known species in North Carolina waters.

Key to the North Carolina genera of perches.

i. Pseudobranchie and air-bladder well developed; branchiostegals 7; preopercle serrate;
species large or medium sized.

a. Large canine teeth on jaws and palatine bones; ventral fins well separated; pyloric coeca

BETO: a AVERLE OLED AGS ssoctlctsrone Gece trois) acne ete ere are: Acute eye eee STIZOSTEDION.

aa. No eanine teeth; ventral fins close together; pyloric ececa 3; vertebrae 41....... PERCA.

ti. Pseudobranchie and air-bladder slightly developed or absent; branchiostegals 6; preoper-
cular margin not serrate; species all small, some of them minute.

Prercina, BoLtnosoma, and other genera of darters.

Genus STIZOSTEDION Rafinesque. Pike Perches.

Large American fresh-water fishes, closely related to the pike perch of Europe,
with very elongate, little compressed body; long, conical head; large mouth,
with long, sharp canine teeth and villiform teeth in bands; spinous opercles,
serrated preopercles; 7 branchiostegals; slender gill-rakers; 3 to 7 pyloric cceca;
large air-bladder; small ctenoid scales covering all of body and parts of head;
lateral line complete; dorsal fins disconnected, with 12 to 15 spines and 17 to 21
soft rays; 2 slender anal spines; and well-separated ventrals. Two species, most
numerous in the Great Lakes; one found locally. (GStizostedion, pungent throat.)

213. STIZOSTEDION VITREUM (Mitchill).

“Wall-eyed Pike’’; “Jack’’; ‘‘Salmon’’; “Pickerel’’; ‘River Trout’’; ‘‘Brook Trout”’;
“Golden Trout’’; “California Salmon’’; Jack Salmon; Pike Perch;
Blue Pike; Yellow Pike.
Perca vitrea Mitchill, American Monthly Magazine, ii, 247, 1818; Cayuga Lake, New York.
Stizostedium americanum et salmoneum, Cope, 1870b, 448-449; French Broad and Neuse rivers.

Stizostedion vitreum, Jordan, 1889b, 150; French Broad River. Smith, 1893a, 192, 196, 200; Pasquotank River,
Edenton Bay, Roanoke River. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1021, figs. 433, 433a.

Diaconsis.—Form rather slender, depth greatest just behind head, somewhat more than
.2 length; head .28 to .37 length; mouth large, maxillary reaching beyond middle of orbit; eye
somewhat more than .2 head, its diameter shorter than snout; scales small, 110 to 130 in
lengthwise series, about 35 in transverse series, a few scales on cheeks and top of head;
pyloric cceca 3; dorsal fins separated by a space greater than eye, the rays x11 to xvi + 19 to 21,
the longest spines .5 head, the bases of the 2 fins of nearly equal length; anal rays 11,12 to 11,14;
caudal deeply concave. Color: variable; general tone dark green, yellow, or blue, more or
less blotched or mottled with darker; lower parts and fins pale; a large black spot on posterior
part of spinous dorsal; soft dorsal and caudal mottled with yellow and green; pectoral base
dusky. (vitreum, glassy.)

The pike perch is one of the most important commercial fishes of the United
States, and is cultivated on an immense scale by the United States government

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 249

on Lake Erie and elsewhere. From the Great Lakes, where it supports fisheries
of great extent, it ranges eastward to Vermont and southward to North Carolina,
Georgia,and Alabama. In North Carolina it hasa peculiar distribution, involving
headwaters of the Mississippi system and also some of the rivers of the Atlantic
slope. Professor Cope gave the following interesting account of his observations
of this fish in the French Broad River in 1869:

This is the largest percoid of the western waters, occasionally attaining a weight of 35
pounds; no specimen of more than 10 pounds came under my observation. It loves the most
boisterous and rapid streams, ascendng them to near their sources, having much the manners
and haunting the same waters as the trout, but of much less voracious habits. Its swiftness
enables it to take the black perch [=black bass] with ease, though that fish is, after it, much
the most powerful swimmer of the river it inhabits. I took two from the stomach of a lucio-
perca [= pike perch] of 8 pounds, one of which weighed 24 pounds. Suckers are used as bait
in taking them by hook; but the mode in which large specimens are most readily taken is by
shooting. When the lucioperca has gorged himself, be seeks some shallow bayou and lies in a
slugggish state, digesting his meal. Then the gun-fisherman, concealed in a tree close by,
makes sure of him. It is the most valued food fish of the French Broad, its flesh being very
tender as well as rich. Without the opercular armature of the Percae, its chief defense is in
its numerous and powerful canine teeth, which make serious wounds on the hands of the unwary
fisherman. ‘The common name on the French Broad is “jack”’.

Fig. 108. WaALL-EYED PIKE; PIKE PercH. Stizostedion vitreum.

Dr. Jordan in 1888 had this fish reported to him as one of the food fishes of
the French Broad under the name of ‘‘river trout”’.. The present writer in 1892
found the fish in various tributaries of Albemarle Sound, where it is known under
some extraordinary names. In Pasquotank River it was noted that numbers of
pike perch 12 to 15 inches long were caught by the net fishermen, and, although
the fish was not sufficiently abundant to have much commercial importance, it
was popular locally and always met with ready sale. Under the impression that
it is a salt-water species which wenders into the sound, some fishermen called it
“salt-water pike’’, to distinguish it from the fresh-water pike (Esox); and the
name “California salmon”’ was also heard in the lower river, this probably based
on the belief that it is an introduced species. In the vicinity of Edenton it is
caught in pound nets and dutch nets, and is sometimes called “‘pickerel’”’. In the
lower Roanoke, where it is not uncommon and goes by the name of ‘brook

250 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.
trout’’, it is caught in seines hauled for shad; and in the upper river near Weldon
it is rare and known as “salmon”’.

It has been thought by some persons that this species was not native to
the Albemarle region, but Mr. 8. G. Worth considers it. indigenous to those
waters, and the National Museum contains a specimen collected by J. W. Milner
at Avoca as long ago as 1878. Salmon Creek is the suggestive name of a small
stream between Chowan and Roanoke rivers.

The pike perch spawns in early spring, in shoal waters. The eggs are .08
inch in diameter , and resemble those of the shad in being semibuoyant but differ
therefrom in being adhesive. The number laid is about 45,000 for each pound
of the female, and the hatching season is a little less than 3 weeks in a water tem-
perature of 45°F. In hatching the eggs artificially the tendency to adhere in
masses is overcome by separating them mechanically with starch or muck, which
is mixed with the eggs immediately after fertilization.

The species ranks high as a game fish, and is easily lured with artificial fly,
trolling spoon, or baited hook. The natural food consists mostly of soft-finned
fishes, with a variable proportion of insects aad crustaceans.

Its edible qualities are excellent, the flesh being firm, white, and well-flavored;
and it stands shipment better than most fishes. In North Carolina the com-
mercial value of the species is small.

Genus PERCA Linneus. Yellow Perches.

Small fresh-water fishes, of which 3 species are known, 1 from Asia, 1 from
Europe, and 1 from North America. Body oblong or elongate, compressed;
back elevated; mouth moderate sized, terminal, with protractile premaxillaries
and bands of fine teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatines; a spinous process on opercle,
and serrations on preopercle and shoulder girdle; gill-membranes not united;
scales ctenoid, rather small, completely covering body and part of cheeks and
opercles; lateral line present; air bladder present; dorsal fins well separated, the
spines high and strong, 12 to 16 in number; 2 weak anal spines; ventral fins close
together, with a conspicuous spine. (Perca, perch.)

214. PERCA FLAVESCENS (Mitchill).
“Red-fin’’; “Englishman’’; “Raccoon Perch”’; ‘Yellow Perch”’.

Morone flavescens Mitchill, Report on Fishes of New York, 18, 1814; near New York City.

Perca flavescens, Cope, 1870b, 448; Neuse River. Smith, 1893a, 192, 196, 200; Pasquotank River, Albemarle
Sound, and Roanoke River. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1023, pl. elxv, fig. 435. Smith, 1901, 134;
Lake Mattamuskeet.

Diacnosis.—Depth greatest under first 4 dorsal spines, less than .33 length; caudal
peduncle rather broad, .33 head; head acutely pointed, its length about equal to depth of body,
profile concave; mouth slightly oblique, maxillary not extending as far as middle of eye; snout
much longer than eye; eye rather small, .16 head; gill-rakers short and stout, about 15 on long
arm head of first arch; rows of scales in lateral series 75 to 90, in transverse series about 25; tubes
in lateral line 55 to 60; cheeks and upper part of opercles well-scaled; dorsal rays xu to xv +
11,13 to 11,15, longest spines less than .5 head; anal rays 1,7 or 11,8, the spines much shorter than
soft rays; caudal slightly concave behind; pectorals .5 head; ventrals somewhat longer. Color:

N. C. GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY

PEATE W4

ENGLISHMAN (PERCA FLAVESCENS)

REDFIN;

YELLOW PERCH;

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 251

above dark olive-green, sides yellow, below pale, back and sides marked by 6 to 8 broad black
bands; a black blotch sometimes on spinous dorsal; lower fins red or orange, brightest in males
during spawning season. (flavescens, yellowish.)

The yellow perch is one of the best known fresh-water fishes of the Atlantic
and North Central States. Its range extends from North Carolina to Nova
Scotia, throughout the Great Lakes, and in the upper Mississippi basin. The
species abounds in Albemarle Sound and tributaries. It is also abundant in Lake
Mattamuskeet, but is less numerous than formerly. From Neuse River it was
recorded by Cope; McDonald and Milner collected it in the lower course of that
stream (Kinston), but Jordan and Evermann & Cox did not record it from that
river. In the vicinity of Wilmington, according to Mr. W. H. Yopp, it occurs in
Cape Fear River and tributary creeks but is not abundant.

The yellow perch averages less than a foot in length and a pound in weight.
The maximum attained, by a specimen recorded from the Delaware River, is

Fig. 109. Yr.tuow Percu. Perca flavescens.

4.5 pounds, but examples weighing as much as 2 pounds are very rare. The
females average considerably larger than the males.

The paired and anal fins in spring are crimson, whence the local name
“yred-fin”’ in use on Pasquotank River, Lake Mattamuskeet, and other waters of
the state. The name “raccoon perch”, employed at Edenton, Plymouth, and
other points, has reference to the vertical markings on the fish, which resemble
those on a raccoon’s tail. ‘‘Englishman’’, heard at Edenton and elsewhere in
the western part of Albemarle Sound, is used in contradistinction to ‘‘ Welsh-
man’’, the local name for the large-mouth black bass. The name “ English
pearch” occurs in Lawson’s work.

The perch spawns in early spring—in February in Albemarle Sound. The
spawn is very peculiar, in that the eggs are cemented together in asingle layer in
the form of long hollow strings which, when extruded, are several inches wide
and folded or plaited like the bellows of an accordeon, but are capable of being
drawn out to the length of 3 to7feet. One fish in an aquarium at the Bureau

252 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

of Fisheries, Washington, D. C., deposited a string 88 inches long, the weight
of which after fertilization was 41 ounces, while the weight of the fish before the
escape of the eggs was only 24 ounces. The egg masses are not attached to
stones, vegetation, or other submerged objects, but are deposited loosely in the
water. Spawning takes place at night, ia water having a temperature of 44° to
50° F., and the hatching period lasts from 2 to 4 weeks.

The species is usually found in schools, the movements of which in the rivers
and larger lakes are influenced by spawning, food, temperature of water, etc.

The yellow perch is faicly good for the table, and is taken for market in
large quantities in the Great Lakes and 1ivers of the Middle Atlantic States. It
bites readily at the hooks baited with live minnows, angleworms, etc., and is
caught in immense quantities by anglers. The amount taken in the commercial
fisheries of North Carolina in 1902 was 105,990 pounds, valued at $5,639. About
two-thirds of the catch comes from Currituck County.

Subfamily ETHEOSTOMINA. The Darters.

These diminutive perches are among the most interesting of fresh-water
fishes. Their favorite haunts are cold mountain streams, but some few species
are found in the lowlands. From the typical perches they differ in having very
rudimentary or entirely deficient air-bladder and pseudobranchiz, an entire
preopercular margin, and 6 branchiostegals, and fewer pyloric cceca, in addition
to their small size and gay colors. The following interesting account of the
group is taken from Jordan & Evermann (1896):

The colors of the Etheostomine are usually very brilliant, species of the Etheostomine
especially being among the most brilliantly colored fishes known; the sexual differences are
often great, the females being as a rule dull in color and more speckled or barred than the males.
Most of them prefer clear running water, where they lie on the bottom concealed under stones,
darting, when frightened or hungry, with great velocity, for a short distance, by a powerful
movement of the fan-shaped pectorals, then stopping as suddenly. They rarely use the caudal
fin in swimming, and they are seldom seen moving or floating freely in the water like most
fishes. When at rest they support themselves on their expanded ventrals and anal fin. All
of them can turn the head from side to side, and they frequently he with the head in a curved
position or partly on one side of the body. The species of Ammocrypta, and perhaps some of
the others, prefer a sandy bottom, where by a sudden plunge, the fish buries itself in the sand
and remains quiescent for hours at a time, with onlyits eyesand snout visible. The otherslurk
in stony places, under rocks and weeds. Although more than usually tenacious of vitality,
the darters, from their bottom life, are the first to be disturbed by impurities in the water. All
of the darters are carnivorous, feeding chiefly on the larvee of Diptera, andin their way voraci-
ous. All are of small size; the largest (Percina rex) reaches a length of 10 inches, while the
smallest (Microperca punctulata) is, next to Elassoma zonatum, the smallest spiny-rayed fish
known, barely attaining the length of an inch and half.

The different genera are very similar and have not always been recognized by
authors, who have sometimes included all the species in the single genus Etheo-
stoma; for convenience, however, if for no other reason, about 15 genera may be
recognized, and of these the following 10 are known from North Carolina:

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 255

Key to the North Carolina genera oj darters.

t. Size comparatively large, adults 5 inches or longer; head broad between eyes; premaxil-
laries free only at sides, not protractile; snout conic, pig-like, projecting; ventral fins separ-
ated by a space equal to the width of their base; on median line below a line of large scales
which fall off, leaving a naked space; dorsal spines 13 to 15 ................ PERCINA.

wt. Size small, rarely more than 5 inches and usually 2.5 to 4 inches; head narrow between

eyes; premaxillaries either protractile or not; snout little or not at all projecting.
a. Parietal region rather depressed, only slightly convex in cross section.
b. Body more or less completely scaled, not extremely elongate nor hyaline.
c. Premaxillaries not protractile, a band of skin connecting them in the median
with line the forehead; anal fin large, usually larger than second dorsal.
d. Median line of abdomen usually with more or less enlarged scales which are
BHCC ICEL VAIS res ep earl sate ote esa 8 3 Ae Side whats a curs ao wee HADROPTERUS.
dd, Median line of abdomen with small scales which are not shed. .HypoHomus.
cc. Premaxillaries protractile, separated by a groove from the skin of the forehead.
e. Anal spines 2; ventral fins close together.
‘f. Maxillary not joined to preorbital except at base; teeth on vomer.

ULOCENTRA.

jf. Maxillary united to preorbital for most of its length; no teeth on vomer.

DIPLESION.

ee. Anal spine single; ventral fins well separated .......... BoLEosoMa.

bb. Abdominal region naked, body exceedingly elongate and hyaline............ Toa.

aa. Parietal region not depressed, strongly convex or ()-shaped in cross section; premaxil-
laries not protractile; belly covered with persistent scales; head naked above; anal
fin much smaller than second dorsal; ventral fins inserted close together; lateral line

resent.
q: ateral line straight, sometimes absent posteriorly; dorsal spines 7 to 15. ErHEOSTOMA.
gg. Lateral line arched anteriorly, incomplete and interrupted.
kh: Lop of head. naked~ dorsal spines 9 or 10.........°. ».@ieteeee 2; BOLEICHTHYS.
hh. Top of head scaled; dorsal spines 9 to 12..............0.25 COPELANDELLUS.

Genus PERCINA Haldeman. Log Perches.

The largest of the darters. Form elongate, somewhat compressed; head
depressed; snout tapering, overhanging small mouth; maxillary short; premax-
illaries not protractile; teeth on jaws, vomer,and palatines; scales small, those on
ventral surface large, plate-like, and deciduous; lateral line not interrupted; air-
bladder rudimentary; dorsal fins well separated, the anterior with 13 to 15 spines,
the posterior with 12 to 17 rays; anal shorter than second dorsal; ventrals com-
paratively widely separated; body marked with black vertical bands. Two
known species, one peculiar to the Roanoke River, in Virginia, the other widely
distributed. (Percina, little perch.)

215. PERCINA CAPRODES (Rafinesque).
Log Perch; Hog Molly.

Sciena caprodes Rafinesque, American Monthly Magazine, 1818, 534; Ohio River.
Percina caprodes, Jordan, 18896, 153; Swannanoa River near Asheville. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1026,
pl. elxv, fig. 436. Bean, 1903, 914; Cane River.

Draconsis.—Depth contained 5 to 6.5 times in length; head long, contained 4 to 4.75
times in length; mouth small, inferior, maxillary not extending to eye; eye .25 length of head
and .6 length of snout; snout rounded, tapering; scales in lateral series £0 to 95, in transverse
series 9+15; scales on cheeks, opercles, and nape, but none on chest; dorsal fins low, the rays
xu to xvir+12 to 17, the commonest formula xv +15; anal rays 11,9 to 17,12, the spines feeble;
caudal slightly concave behind; pectorals rounded, about length of head. Color: yellowish
green, with about 15 blackish bars of unequal size extending from back to below median line,
between these bars shorter and narrow ones reaching about to lateral lines; a rounded black
spot at base of caudal; fins mostly marked with rows of small black spots. (caprodes, pig-like.)

254 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

The log perch is the largest of the darters, reaching a length of 8 or 10 inches.
It is found from the Great Lakes region to Texas, and along the Atlantic slope as
far south as Virginia. In North Carolina it is known only from tributaries of the
French Broad. Jordan took one specimen in Swannanoa River near Asheville,
and Bean records one fine example from Cane River. The species inhabits clear
swift streams, and bites readily at the baited hook.

lH Jf $
SSIS A
YH: WEE
Pa & Re ws. iv * a4 Coes
ies Bx sie mA 2S ¥

.s i eo

KON
Fig. 110. Loa Percn. Percina caprodes.

Genus HADROPTERUS Agassiz. Black-sided Darters.

Brightly colored, active, and graceful darters. Body elongate, cylindrical
or compressed; head above more or less depressed; mouth wide, terminal; pre-
maxillaries not protractile; teeth on jaws and vomer, and usually on palatines;
gill-membranes joined or separate; body scaly, median ventral line with enlarged
scales or plates which are shed at intervals; sides of head either scaly or naked;
lateral line more or less complete; pyloric coca 2 to 4; fins rather large; dorsal
fins contiguous, the spines 10 to 15, the posterior fin with shorter base than the
anterior; anal fin with 2 spines, similar to second dorsal; ventral fins well separ-
ated. About a dozen known species, the 3 following recorded from the state, 2
from the Atlantic slope and 1 from the Mississippi drainage basin:

slightly connected. Atlantic drainage system.

a. First dorsal as high as second; scales 52 to 56; depth much less than .2 length; eye.25
length of head; cheeks usually naked, but sometimes with embedded scales; nape and
breast naked; median ventral scales large and few...................2+++: peltatus.

aa. First dorsal lower than second; scales 44 to 50; depth much more than . 2 length; eye
small, less than .25 length of head; cheeks, nape, and breast naked; median ventral
scales moderately large, ‘about $ im number 2... 02... acm. eis een roanoka.

(Hadropterus, strong-finned.)

216. HADROPTERUS EVIDES (Jordan & Copeland).

Darter.

Alvordius evides Jordan & Copeland, Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1877, 51; White
River, Indiana, q

Etheostoma evides, Jordan, 18896, 153; French Broad River and Spring Creek at Hot Springs, Swannanoa River
at Asheville.

Hadropterus evides, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1036, pl. elxvii, fig. 440.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 255

Diacnosis (North Carolina specimens).—Depth contained 5.3 times in length; head
heavy, contained 4.3 times in length; eye large, contained 3.5 times in head; maxillary extend-
ing to front of eye; lower jaw included; throat, cheeks, and neck above without scales; opercles
scaly; scales in lateral series 52 to 65, in transverse seies 9+9 to 9+11; dorsal rays x1+ 10;
anal rays 11,8 or 1,9. Color: Male—olive green, with 8 deep blue-green cross-bars; an orange-
brown lateral band forming brownish spaces between the cross-bars; belly, breast, throat,
lower jaw, cheeks, opercles and snout orange or orange yellow; a blue-black bar posterior to
eye, a golden crescent anterior to this; spinous dorsal rusty orange, last rays black; soft dorsal
orange at base and speckled; caudal yellow, with 2 orange spots at base and several dark cross-
bars; pectorals and anal yellow, with faint bars. Female—the orange color of male replaced
by pale yellow, the markings on side black, dorsal membranes orange at tip and base. (evides,
handsome.)

ean! fs hep
X a) .
a il

Fig. 111. Darter. Hadropterus evides.

This very brilliantly colored species inhabits the Mississippi basin, and ranges
from North Carolina to Indiana, and from Arkansas to Iowa. In North Carolina
it is abundant in the French Broad and Swannanoa. Length, 3 inches.

217. HADROPTERUS PELTATUS (Stauffer).
Shielded Darter.

Etheostoma peltatum Stauffer Ms., in Cope, Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1864,
233; Conestoga Creek, Pa. Jordan, 1889b, 126, 130, 133,134, 139; Tar, Neuse, Cape Fear, Yadkin and
Catawba rivers and various tributaries. Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River.

Etheostoma nevisense Cope, 1870a, 261; Neuse River near Raleigh. Cope, 1870b, 449; ‘“‘turbulent waters
of Neuse’’.

Etheostoma maculatum, Cope, 1870b, 449; Buck Creek, tributary of Catawba.

Alvordius crassus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 368; Neuse River at Goldsboro.

Hadropterus peltatus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1034.

DraGnosis.—Body cylindrical, compressed posteriorly, depth contained 5.6 times in
‘length; head rather large, .25 length; maxillary extending slightly beyond anterior margin of
eye; lower jaw slightly included; eye .25 length of head, equal to blunt snout; scales in lateral
series 52 to 56, in transverse series 6+9; scales on head as stated in key; fins comparatively
small; dorsal rays x11+12; anal rays 11,10; caudal slightly concave behind; pectorals shorter
than head, extending barely as far backwards as ventral. Color: pale yellow with black
markings; cross blotches on back and irregular lengthwise lines above lateral line; 6 large
quadrangular spots on sides, with faint bars intervening, the whole sometimes merged into a
lateral bar; top of head, a bar below eye, snout, opercle, and axillary band all black; anterior
dorsal with black median band and black spots on edge; posterior dorsal and caudal faintly
barred; pectorals and ventrals dusky; female paler. (peltatus, shielded.)

256 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. ‘

This darter is found in coastwise streams between Pennsylvania and South
Carolina, and is one of the commonest of the North Carolina darters. Under the
name of Htheostoma nevisense, Cope described it from the Neuse, and it has since
been found in various parts of that river. It is known from the Tar at Rocky
Mount; from South Buffalo Creek and Little Allemance Creek, tributaries of the
Cape Fear in Guilford County; from Little Yadkin or South River at Lindsays
Mills; and from Catawba River near Marion, Bucks Creek at Pleasant Garden,
and Johns River near Morgantown. Length, 2.5 inches.

218. HADROPTERUS ROANOKA (Jordan & Jenkins).

Roanoke Darter.

Etheostoma roanoka Jordan & Jenkins, in Jordan, 1889a, 358, pl. xlv, fig. 10; Roanoke River, Va. Jordan 1889b,
126, 130, pl. xv, fig. 10; Tar and Neuse rivers.

Hadropterus roanoka, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1036.

Percina roanoka, Boulenger, Catalogue of Fishes of British Museum, second edition, vol. i, 62, 1895; Neuse
River, Raleigh, N. C.

Diacnosis.—Form rather stout, moderately compressed, depth contained 4.30 to 4.75
times in length; head broad, contained 3.75 to 4 times in length; mouth small, low; maxillary
reaching beyond front of pupil and more than .25 length of head; premaxillaries not protrac-
tile; lower jaw included; snout blunt, equal to eye and contained about 4.5 times in length of
head; gill-membranes slightly connected; margin of preopercle smooth; lateral line complete;
scales in lateral series 44 to 50, in transverse series 5+9; no scales on cheeks, nape and breast;
2 or 3 large scales on upper part of opercle, these sometines absent; median ventral surface
with a few large plate-like scales; dorsal fins of moderate size, the rays x or x14+ 11; anal fin
rather large, the rays 01,8 or 11,9, the spinesstrong; caudal slightly concave behind; pectorals
as long as head and extending as far as vent, reaching beyond the ventrals. Color: Male—
pale yellow with dark green markings; 10 or 11 vertical green bars on sides which run together
into a band, back with dark mottlings; head dark blue above, one black bar below eye and
another anterior to eye, under parts of head sulphur yellow; lips orange yellow; a pale spot on
nape; fins mostly plain bluish black; on first dorsal a median band of bright yellow; faint
bars on second dorsal and anal; orange markings on those fins and also on ventrals; 2 yellow
spots at caudal base. Female—paler; the confluent vertical markings on sides diamond-
shaped and black; under parts yellowish; well defined bars on second dorsal and caudal
(Named for Roanoke River.)

This species is known only from the Roanoke, Tar, and Neuse basins. It is
stated by Jordan to be very abundant in the Neuse at Milburnie, near Raleigh.

Length, 2 inches.
Genus HYPOHOMUS Cope. -Darters.

Comparatively large, showy darters, quite similar to Hadropterus, but the
scales on the median ventral surface are small like those of the body and are not
shed. Body elongate, head depressed, premaxillaries not protractile, anal fin
rather large, ventrals widely separated, scales very small or moderate, lateral line
complete or incomplete. Five known species, of which the 2 following are
recorded from North Carolina:

i. Seales very small, about 100 in lateral series; snout moderately long; gill-membranes
slightly connected; general color of body olive green tinged with orange; a lateral band of
confluent elongated blotches and a long row of small, discreet brown spots between
lateral line and basetol dorsalis .cse.c sorties oe sayeth en ne aurantiacus.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 257

wi. Scales larger, about 82 in lateral series; snout long and slender; gill-membranes widely
connected across isthmus; general color of body yellowish green, with about 10 broad
dusky cross bars and 10 dusky blotches along side; a very distinct black shoulder spot.
squamatus.

(Hypohomus, uniform below).

219. HYPOHOMUS AURANTIACUS (Cope).
Orange-colored Darter.

Cottogaster aurantiacus Cope, Journal Academy Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1868 (1869), 211; Holston
River, Saltville, Va.

Hypohomus aurantiacus, Cope, 1870b, 449; French Broad River, Madison County, N.C. Jordan & Evermann,
1896, 1040, pl. clxviii, fig. 442.

Hadropterus aurantiacus, Bean, Proceedings U. 8. National Museum 1885, 165; French Broad River, N. C.

Diacnosis.—Body quite elongate, slightly compressed, the depth contained 6 times in
length; head contained 4.25 to 4.5 times in length; mouth very slightly oblique; maxillary
reaching to anterior margin of pupil; lower jaw included; snout decurved, rather long, its
length contained 3.5 in head; diameter of eye less than snout; interorbital width .2 length of
head; gill-membranes slightly joined; scales firm, regular, those in lateral series about 100,
in transverse series 14+15, about 85 with pores; cheeks, nape, and opercles covered with fine
scales; breast naked; lateral line straight, continuous, beginning opposite upper margin of
pupil; dorsal fins long, low, separated by a space equal to half diameter of eye; dorsal rays
xv+15, the longest spines less than half length of head, the longest soft rays .33 longer than
longest spines; anal fin as high as soft dorsal, the rays 1,11; caudal margin nearly straight;
pectorals rather long, extending half way to anal. Color: olive green, with orange tinge; a black
lateral band, about width of eye, formed of connected blotches; a row of yellow spots above this
band; a row of small brown spots on each side above level of eye, extending from head to a
point under soft dorsal; chin and throat orangé; head dark above; spinous dorsal orange in
front, yellow behind. (awrantiacus, orange colored.)

MMT

Fig. 112. ORANGE-COLORED Darter. Hypohomus aurantiacus.

A very beautiful species, peculiar to the upper tributaries of the Tennessee.
Only 2 specimens appear to have been recorded from North Carolina. One,
4.6 inches long was obtained by Cope (1870); the other, in the National Museum,
was collected at Asheville in 1885 by Dr. J. A. Watson and described by Dr.
Bean.

220. HYPOHOMUS SQUAMATUS (Gilbert & Swain).
: Scaly Darter.

Etheostoma squamatus Gilbert & Swain, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, 1887, 50; French Broad River,
Tenn.

Etheostoma squamatum, Jordan, 1889b, 153; Spring Creek (tributary to French Broad) at Hot Springs, N. C

Hypohomus squamatus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1040.

258 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

DiacGnosis.—Back elevated, making an angle at nape; depth contained 5.5 times in
length; head long, slender, its length contained 3.75 in total length; mouth long, narrow;
maxillary extending as far as anterior margin of eye; lower jaw included; jaw teeth in broad
band, the outer anterior teeth enlarged; snout long and sharp, equal to maxillary and con-
tained 3.5 in head; eye contained 4.75 times in head, 1.4 times in snout; interorbital space 4
eye; gill-membranes broadly connected; scales in lateral series about 82, in transverse series
10+18; cheeks, breast, and nape covered with finer scales than body; opercles with larger,
spiny scales; dorsal rays x1v + 13, the longest spine .33 head; anal fin shorter and higher than
soft dorsal, the rays 1,10; caudal slightly concave, with rounded lobes; pectorals about .8
length of head; ventrals about .6 length of head. Color of North Carolina specimens: body
yellowish green, with about 10 dark green cross bars and same number of blotches along lateral
line; a black spot on shoulder; a black line through eye; side and top of head dusky; a dusky
blotch at base of tail, a round black spot behind it; dorsal yellowish green at base, then a
dusky band, then an orange band, and a dusky edge; second dorsal and caudal pale green,
spotted, the rays brown; anal dusky, mottled; pectorals dull yellow, mottled; ventrals
dusky. (squamatus, scaly.)

Known only from the upper part of the Tennessee basin, where it is rare.
The only North Carolina specimens, 4 in number, were recorded by Jordan from
the French Broad at Hot Springs; the largest of these was 4.6 inches long, which
is about the maximum attained by this species.

Genus ULOCENTRA Jordan. Darters.

In this genus the body is moderately elongate and but slightly compressed;
head short, thick, with but slightly convex parietal region; mouthsmall, horizon-
tal, with small vomerine teeth, premaxillaries protractile, occasionally with a
bridle extending to the forehead; maxillary not closely joined to preorbital; gill-
membranes narrowly or broadly joined; median line of belly without enlarged
plate-like scales; lateral line present; 9 to 13 spines in first dorsal; second dorsal
larger than anal; anal with 2 prominent spines, the first the longer. Of the half-
dozen species known, only one is a member of the local fauna. (Ulocentra,
complete-spined.)

221. ULOCENTRA SIMOTERA (Cope).

Snub-nosed Darter.

Hyostoma simoterum Cope, Journal Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1868 (1869), 215; Holston
River and tributaries. Cope, 1870b, 494; French Broad River, N. C.
Ulocentra simotera, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1051, pl. clxx, fig. 448.

DiaGnosis.—Form comparatively short, the depth .20 to .25 total length; head about
equal to depth; profile from dorsal base to mouth strongly curved; snout short and blunt;
maxillary reaching as far as anterior edge of pupil; eye rather longer than snout, .25 length of
head; scales in lateral series about 50, in transverse series 6+11; opercles, cheeks, and breast
more or less scaly; dorsal rays x+9 to 11, both fins higher than head is long; anal small,
beginning under end of first dorsal, the rays 11,7; caudal very slightly concave; pectorals
longer than head; ventrals as long as head. Color; pale green on back, yellow or orange on
belly; some scales on back with reddish centers, surrounded by yellow scales; sides with quad-
rate dark green blotches; head with dark markings; a dark stripe extending forward from
eye, another downward from eye; first dorsal fin with a pale base, then a black bar, then
another pale zone, the edge brownish, the membranes with an orange spot on pale part; second
dorsal fin with pale yellow rays, a black spot at base of each, membranes brown-spotted;

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 259

anal and ventral fins pale yellow; caudal fin yellow, with 3 narrow black bars; pectoral fins pale
yellow, with faint bars, (simotera, snub-nosed).

SN

Fig. 113. Snus-nosep Darter. Ulocentra simotera.

This species is known from western Virginia to Alabama, being abundant in
Holston River and other streams on the western slope of the Alleghanies. It
has been recorded from North Carolina only by Cope, from the French Broad,
and the National Museum contains a specimen collected there by - Cope.
Length, 3 inches.

Genus DIPLESION Rafinesque. Darters.

This genus contains only a single species, with body elongate, cylindrical;
head short, profile strongly curved; mouth small, somewhat inferior; lower jaw
short; premaxillaries protractile, a slight bridle connecting them with forehead;
maxillary united to preorbital; jaw teeth strong, no teeth on vomer and pala-
tines; gill-membranes broadly united; gill-rakers short; scales of moderate size,
those on ventral surface not enlarged; lateral line complete; anterior dorsal
lower and longer than posterior; anal smaller than second dorsal, with 2 strong
spines. (Dziplesion, nearly two, in allusion to the deeply incised dorsal.)

222. DIPLESION BLENNIOIDES (Rafinesque).
Green-sided Darter.

Etheostoma blennioides Rafinesque, Journal de Physique, 1819, 419; Ohio River. Jordan, 1889b, 153; Swan-
nanoa River and Spring Creek.

Hyostoma cymatogrammum, Cope, 18706, 450; French Broad River.

Diplesion blennioides, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1053, pl. clxx, fig. 449.

Diacenosis.—Depth contained 4.75 to 6 times in length, head 4.3 to 4.6 times; mouth
very small, horizontal; upper jaw partly concealed in a groove under snout, maxillary extend-
ing about to anterior margin of eye; eye large, contained 3.5 in length of head, rather shorter
than snout, the eyes close together and separated by a groove; opercular spine strong; pyloric
coeca 4; scales in lateral series 65 to 78, in transverse series 6+ 14, fine scales on cheeks, large
scales on opercles; chest naked; dorsal rays xm to xtv+12 to 15; anal rays 01,8 or 11.9; caudal
slightly concave; pectorals longer than head. Color: olive green, the back tessellated with
dark, the sides with about 8 pairs of green vertical bars joined below (sometimes above);
orange dots on sides; olive stripes and dark bars on head; first dorsal light brown at base,
blue above; second dorsal and anal bluish green; caudal green, with faint bars; females
duller. (blennioides, blenny-like.)

260 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Inhabits clear brooks from Pennsylvania to South Dakota, and southward
to Alabama. Recorded from the French Broad in North Carolina by Cope, and
from the Swannanoa at Asheville and Spring Creek at Hot Springs by Jordan,
who found it common. It is also known from Richland Creek near Waynesville,
where specimens were collected by Mr. P. L. Jouy. This is one of the finest of
the darters, having a maximum length of 5 inches.

Genus BOLEOSOMA DeKay. Tessellated Darters.

Small, active fishes, found among vegetation in mountain and lowland
streams. Form elongate, fusiform; head small, contracted anteriorly, the supe-
rior profile convex; parietal region slightly convex; mouth small, horizontal,
maxillaries protractile, teeth on vomer; gill-membranes connected either narrowly
or broadly; pyloric cceca 3 to 6; scales rather large, those on median ventral sur-
face not enlarged or deciduous; lateral line complete, or interrupted behind;
dorsal spines 8 to 10, soft dorsal markedly larger than anal; the latter with a
single short spine; ventral fins comparatively well separated; coloration rather
plain, no red or blue, the males black in spring. About 10 species; 4 known
from North Carolina: (Boleosoma, arrow-bodied.)

223. BOLEOSOMA OLMSTEDI (Storer).
Tessellated Darter.

Etheostoma olmstedi Storer, Journal Boston Society of Natural History, 1841, 61, pl 5, fig. 2; Hartford, Connec-
ticut.
Etheostoma nigrum olmstedi, Jordan, 1889b, 130; Neuse and Little rivers Smith, 1893a, 192, 196, 200;
Pasquotank and Roanoke rivers, and Albemarle Sound.
Boleosoma nigrum olmstedi, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1057, pl. clxxi, fig. 451.
DraGnosis (based on Edenton specimens).—Form slender, rounded, the depth contained
5.5 times in length; head .25 length; eye contained 3.5 times in head; opercles, cheeks, and
breast scaly; scales in lateral series 48 to 52, in transverse series 6+8; dorsal fins high, the
rays X or xI+13 or 14; anal rays 1,8 or 1,9. Color: olivaceous; back tessellated with darker;
sides blotched; head dusky in males, a black stripe below eye and another anterior to eye;
dorsal fins irregularly and finely spotted with dark brown or black; caudal with 6 or 8 narrow,
dark vertical bars. (Named for Charles Olmstead, an early American fish student.)

This darter occurs from Massachusetts to North Carolina in coastwise
streams. It is abundant in Little River at Goldsboro and in Abemarle Sound
and tributaries, many examples being collected by the writer among clumps of
Myriophyllum in quiet muddy water at Edenton, and in running muddy water
at Plymouth; all the fish were under 3 inches in length, the males .25 to .5 inch
longer than the females.

224. BOLEOSOMA NIGRUM (Rafinesque).
Johnny Darter; Black Darter.

Etheostoma nigrum Rafinesque, Ichthyologia Ohiensis, 37, 1820; Green River, Ky. Jordan, 1889b, 133, 134,
139; Haw, Yadkin, and Catawba rivers.
Boleosoma nigrum, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1056, pl. clxx, fig. 450.
DraGcnosis.—Body very long and slender, the depth .16 to .2 length, caudal peduncle
longer than head; head about .25 length; eye rather more than .25 head and about equal to

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 261

snout; mouth small, lower jaw slightly included; opercular spine strong; opercles scaly,
space before dorsal fin more or less scaly, cheeks and breast naked; scales in lateral series 44
to 46, in transverse series 5+9; vertical fins rather high, spinous dorsal lower than soft dorsal

_and about .5 head, dorsal rays 1x+12; anal rays 1,7 to 1,9; caudal fin truncate or slightly
concave; pectorals as long as head. Color: pale greenish; back tessellated with brown; sides
with brown blotches; head speckled, a black stripe before eye and often one below eye; fins
with dark bars, sometimes nearly absent; males in spring anteriorly, and often entirely, black.
(nigrum, black.)

Fig. 114. Jounny Darter. Boleosoma nigrum.

The johnny darter is a widely distributed and well known species, and is
often the most abundant darter in the streams where it exists; it lives on sandy
or gravelly bottom among submerged plants. The male in spring assumes an
intense bluish-black color which often covers the entire body and fins. Although
it may occur in some of the North Carolina streams west of the mountains, it is
as yet recorded only from the upper waters of the Cape Fear, Yadkin, and
Catawba, where Jordan found it to be more or less common, Length, 2 to 3
inches.

225. BOLEOSOMA EFFULGENS (Girard).

Effulgent Darter.

Arlina effulgens Girard, Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1859, 64; tributaries of
Potomac River, D. C.

Boleosoma effulgens, Cope, 18706, 450; Deep River, Guilford Co., N. C.

Etheostoma nigrum effulgens, Jordan, 1889b, 126; Tar River at Rocky Mount.

Boleosoma nigrum effulgens, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1058; Maryland to North Carolina.

Diacenosis.—Body very long, the depth contained more than 6 times in length; head
contained 4.2 times in length, snout strongly decurved; eye large, more than .25 head; opercu-
lar spine rudimentary; opercles scaly, nape and breast naked, cheeks usually naked; scales
in lateral series 40 to 42, in crosswise series 5+ 6; fins well developed; dorsal very high, especi-
ally in male, the rays rx,13; anal rays 1,9; caudal fin well rounded; pectorals and ventrals
extending to or beyond anal origin. Color: lustrous green, with 7 dark cross blotches on
back, and 8 faint bars on side; a dark spot at base of caudal; dorsal blackish, with white
spots on rays; caudal white spotted. (effulgens, brilliant.)

Found coastwise from North Carolina northward as far as Washington, D.C.
Jordan records the species as common in Tar River at Rocky Mount, and Cope
had specimens from Deep River, a tributary of the Cape Fear in Guilford County.
Length, 2.5 inches.

262 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

226. BOLEOSOMA MACULATICEPS Cope.
Spotted-head Darter.

Boleosoma maculaticeps Cope, 1870b, 269; upper Catawba River, N. C. F
Boleosoma nigrum maculaticeps, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1058; Catawba River.

Dracnosis.—Body slender, the depth less than .15 length; head .25 length; eye large, con-
tained 3.75 times in head; opercular spine moderate; cheeks scaleless; scales in lateral series
41, in transverse series 5+ 10; fins large; dorsal rays rx+13; anal rays 1,9; caudal fin truncate.
Color: pale yellowish, with ill-defined series of dark spots on back and sides, with smaller spots
between; nape, top of head, and snout with large brown spots; fins black-barred. (maculati-
ceps, spotted head.)

Known only from the upper waters of Catawba River, where it is reported to
be common. No one but Cope appears to have collected the species. Length,
2.2 inches.

Genus IOA Jordan & Brayton. Darters.

Small fishes inhabiting brooks with sandy bottom in the southern pine
lands. Body exceedingly elongate, cylindrical, and translucent; head long and
pointed; premaxillaries protractile; body only partly scaled; lateral line com-
plete; gill-membranes slightly connected; dorsal spines 7 to 9; anal fin much
smaller than second dorsal, with 2 spines. Probably only a single species,
peculiar to Virginia and North Carolina. (loa, arrow or dart.)

227. IOA VITREA (Cope).

Glassy Darter.

Pecilichthys vitreus Cope, 1870a, 263; Walnut Creek, tributary of Neuse River. Cope, 1870b, 449; Walnut
Creek.
Etheostoma vitreum, Jordan, 1889b, 126, 130; Tar and Neuse rivers. Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Walnut
Creek, tributary of Neuse.
Toa vitrea, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 368; Neuse River at Goldsboro. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1064; south-
eastern Virginia and eastern North Carolina.
Dracnosis.—Form very slender, the depth .14 length; head slender, pointed, contained
4 to 4.5 times in length; maxillary extending to front of eye; eye about equal to snout, con-
tained 3.6 times in head; scales in lateral series 50 to 62; cheeks and opercles covered with
large ctenoid scales; breast naked, a naked:space on belly anterior to vent, scales on sides very
large and rough, back from middle of spinous dorsal forward naked; fins small; dorsal rays
vil to rx+11 to 14; anal much smaller than second dorsal, the rays 1,6 to 11,9; pectorals long
and narrow. Color: translucent in life, with 7 green spots on back and 8 or 9 linear green
spots on sides; fins plain. (vitrea, glassy.)

Cope based this species on a single specimen from Walnut Creek, a tributary
of the Neuse in Wake County. Jordan reports the fish as very abundant in Tar
River at Rocky Mount, Neuse River at Millburnie, and Little River at Goldsboro.
Evermann & Cox (1896) record the fish from Walnut Creek, the type locality.
It is also known from Dismal Swamp and from Blackwater River, tributary of
the Chowan, in Virginia. Length, 2 inches.

Genus ETHEOSTOMA Rafinesque. Darters.

The most numerous genus of darters, containing some of the most brilliant
and interesting species. Their form is varied, and is perhaps susceptible of

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 263

division in a number of genera. Body not particularly elongate, and in some
species rather stout; mouth terminal or slightly inferior; premaxillaries not pro-
tractile; teeth in jaws strong, vomer and palatines usually toothed; parietal
region of skull very strongly convex in cross section; gill-membranes either
connected or not; body completely scaled, the scales on median ventral surface
small and persistent; lateral line nearly straight, sometimes deficient posteriorly ;
pyloric cceca 3 or 4; fins well developed; first dorsal with 7 to L5 spines, the fin
larger than second, which is larger than anal; anal spines 2, the first larger, the
second rarely rudimentary; ventral fins closetogether. Nearly 40 species known,
7 being recorded from North Carolina, distinguished as follows:

Key to the North Carolina species of Etheostoma.

z. Lateral line complete or practically so, only a few pores being absent.
a. Gill-membranes rather broadly joined together; ventral fins very close together, the inter-
space less than width of base of fin.
b. Head without any scales.
c. Pectoral fins about length of head; scales in lateral series 48 or less; dorsal

spines 9 to 11; head .25 total length or more.............. thalassinum.

cc. Pectoral fins .33 longer than head; scales in lateral series 48 or more; dorsal
spines 11 or 12; head less than .25 totallength................. swannanoa.

BommEle RO marys S CUCU he repent aiekela Cte ac ele g olen hs 6 o's g w'sieesisie ate ts eels ot wale es zonaie.

aa. Gill-membranes only slightly joined together; ventral fins still closer together.
d. Snout abruptly decurved, scales in lateral series 50 to 60.

Cm WOrs ae SPIN CRlel CORR meen calc cia's aisieia ile esas gwatelele snatersis 6 camurum.

CommDOrsales pines A cmv tnt er eth rele sievetss sis sale eue cio gieisials © ste Giles vulneratum.

dd. Snout not decurved; scales in lateral series 45 to 48............... rufilineatum.

ii. Lateral line incomplete, extending about to end of spinous dorsal; dorsal spines about 8;
head naked, scales in lateral series 40 to 65; caudal large, rounded.......... flabellare.

(Etheostoma, various-mouthed.)

228. ETHEOSTOMA THALASSINUM (Jordan & Brayton).

Sea-green Darter.

Nothonotus thalassinus Jordan & Brayton, 1878, 13; Catawba River, Reedy River, Ecoree River; Saluda River
and other tributaries of the Santee in North and South Carolina.

Etheostoma thalassinum, Jordan, 1889b, 139; Bucks Creek and Johns River, tributaries of Catawba. Jordan
& Evermann, 1898, 1071.

Dragnosis.—Form rather stout, back arched, depth contained 4.75 to 5 times in length
head large, contained 3.6 to 4 times in length; snout blunt, as long as eye, which is contained
3.5 to 4 times in head; upper jaw longer, reaching backward to eye; head, throat, and anterior
part of neck without scales; scales in lateral series 40 to 48, in transverse series 6 + 6; fins large;
dorsal rays ix to x1+10 to 12; anal rays u,7 or 11,8; caudal distinctly lunate; pectorals as
long as head. Color: mottled olive green, sides with 6 or 7 bluish green cross-bars; belly
orange; head grass green, with dark green streaks below eye; spinous dorsal reddish at base,
then black, the distal third red; soft dorsal black at base, reddish above; caudal with 2 orange
spots at base, orange on margin, black between; anal brilliant bluish green, with pale tip;
ventrals green; pectorals orange at base with a dark spot; female duller and more speckled.
(thalassinum, sea green.)

This species is known only from the Santee basin, in which, according to
Jordan, it is much the commonest of the darters. It is especially abundant in
Bucks Creek among weed-grown rocks. Length, 2.5 inches.

264 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

229. ETHEOSTOMA SWANNANOA Jordan & Evermann.
Swanannoa Darter.

Etheostoma swannanoa Jordan & Evermann, in Jordan, 1889a, 360, pl. xlv, fig. 13; Holston and Swannanoa
rivers. Jordan, 1889b, 153, pl. xv, fig. 13; south fork of Swannanoa River. Jordan & Evermann
1896, 1071.

DiaGnosis.—Depth contained 6 times in total length; head rather short and deep, con-
tained 4.3 times in length; superior profile strongly curved; snout short and blunt; mouth
small, horizontal; lower jaw included; premaxillaries not protractile; maxillaries extending
as far as anterior margin of eye; eye high on side of head, large, .25 length of head; branchial
membranes broadly connected across isthmus; scales in lateral series 48 to 58, in transverse
series 6+7 or 8; cheeks, opercles, and breast naked, nape scaly or naked; lateral line complete;
dorsal rays XI or x11+12 to 14, the two fins contiguous; anal rays 11,9; pectorals extending
beyond tips of ventrals, .33 longer than head. Color: Male—dark green on back, light green
below; 6 dark green blotches on back, 8 to 10 more or less connected dark green blotches on
sides; a dark bar below eye; base and edge of spinous dorsal bright brown; soft dorsal and
caudal speckled green; base and lower edge of pectorals saffron; anal and ventrals pale yel-
low. Female and young—duller, body more spotted, pectorals and caudal with dark bars.
(Named for Swannanoa River.)

Fig. 115. Swannanoa Darter. Ltheostoma swannanoa.

Known only from the clear cold waters of Holston River in Virginia and
the south fork of Swannanoa River in North Carolina. Length, 3 inches.

230. ETHEOSTOMA ZONALE (Cope).
Blue-banded Darter.

Pecilichthys zonalis Cope, Journal Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1868 (1869), 212, pl. xxiv,
fig. 1; Holston River, Va. Cope, 18706, 450; French Broad River.

Nothonotus zonalis, Jordan & Brayton, 1878, 58; French Broad River (after Cope).

Etheostoma zonale, Jordan, 1889b, 153; French Broad River at Hot Springs, Spring Creek at Hot Springs,
Swannanoa River at Asheville. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1075.

Diagnosis.—Body rather slender, the depth .20 to .16 length; head small, short, .25 to
.20 length; mouth small; maxillary extending to anterior margin of orbit; snout short,
decurved, blunt, shorter than eye; eye contained 3.5 to 4 times in head; scales in lateral
series about 50, in transverse series 6+9; cheeks, opercle, and neck scaly, breast rarely so;
dorsal rays x or xt+10 to 12, the posterior fin higher and shorter than the anterior; anal fin
smaller than second dorsal, the rays 1,6 or 1,7; caudal margin slightly concave; pectorals
about length of head. Color: bright green above, golden below; a broad, brown lateral band;
6 dark brown spots on back; 8 turquoise blue stripes extending downward from lateral band
and encircling the belly; back of head, muzzle, a bar below eye, and a spot on opercle black;
anal, caudal, pectoral, and ventral fins golden, with brown spots; central part of spinous dorsal
crimson, base of soft dorsal with a series of round crimson spots; base of pectorals with a
black spot; female speckled and with duller colors. (zonale, banded.)

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 265

Inhabits Mississippi basin, from northern North Carolina to northern Indi-
ana, westward and southward to Iowa and Louisiana. It is rather common in
the French Broad and tributaries in North Carolina. Length, 3 inches.

231. ETHEOSTOMA CAMURUM (Cope).
Blue-breasted Darter.

Pecilichthys camurum Cope, 1870a, 265; headwaters of Cumberland River in Tennessee.
Etheostoma camurum, Jordan, 18896, 153; Spring Creek, tributary of French Broad. Jordan & Evermann,
1896, 1076, pl. clxxii, fig. 456.

Diaqgnosis.—Form stout, the depth contained 4.5 times in total length; caudal peduncle
deep; head short, .25 length; maxillary extending beyond anterior margin of eye; eye less
than snout, contained 4.5 times in head; snout sharply decurved; scales in lateral series 50
to 58, in transverse series 7+8; head naked; dorsal fins high, the rays x1+13; anal rays 11,8;
caudal truncate with rounded corners; pectorals much shorter than head. Color: Male—
above dark green or blackish, below paler; sides with many crimson dots, which may be
arranged in series; fine longitudinal lines along the-rows of scales; several dark streaks on
side of head; breast and throat deep blue; a black spot in front of spinous dorsal, a crimson spot
on margin above this; soft dorsal, anal and caudal red with yellow margin, a narrow edge of
the fins being dark blue or black; pectorals and ventrals with broad red border. Female—
duller, general color green, with many brown scales on sides; fins mostly yellowish green,
the caudal red, all vertical fins black-edged. (camurum, blunt-headed. )

SH
RRS

Fig. 116. BiLur-BreasteD Darter. LEtheostoma camurum.

This darter, the most beautiful of its kind and perhaps the most ornate of
all fresh-water fishes, ranges from Ohio and Indiana to the headwaters of the
Tennessee. It is probably rare in North Carolina, and only a single specimen is
known from that state; this was collected by Jordan in 1888 in Spring Creek at
Hot Springs. Length, 2.5 inches.

232. ETHEOSTOMA VULNERATUM (Cope).
Red-spotted Darter.

Pecilichthys vulneratus Cope, 1870a, 266; Warm Springs Creek, tributary of French Broad, N.C. Cope, 18706,
450; Warm Springs Creek.
Etheostoma vulneratum, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1077.

DraGnosis.—Form cylindrical, rather robust, depth contained 4.5 times in length;
head .25 length of body; caudal peduncle deep; eye equal to snout, .25 length of head; scales

266 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

in lateral series 53, in transverse series 8+9; dorsal rays x1v+13; anal rays 11,8; caudal
rounded. Color: light green, sides with a few small crimson spots and about 8 dark green
cross bars which are interrupted above lateral line; first dorsal marked with a median series
of red spots, second dorsal with black margin, caudal pale orange, fins otherwise plain. (vulne-
ratum, wounded.)

This darter, 2 inches long, was described from Warm Springs Creek, a tribu-
tary of the French Broad in Madison County, North Carolina, and is known from
no other locality. Warm Springs is now called Hot Springs, and the creek is
referred to as Spring Creek in Jordan’s report herein frequently cited. This
species is possibly the young of Etheostoma camurum, but the larger number of
dorsal spines suggests that it is distinct.

233. ETHEOSTOMA RUFILINEATUM (Cope).
Red-lined Darter.

Pecilichthys rufilineatus Cope, 1870a, 267; Warm Springs Creek, Madison County, N. C. Cope, 1870b, 450;
Warm Springs Creek.

Etheostoma rufilineatum, Jordan, 1889b, 153; Spring Creek at Hot Springs and Swannanoa River at Asheville.
Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1079.

DiaGnosis.—Body rather stout, the depth contained 4.5 to 5 times in length, the back
somewhat elevated, the caudal peduncle deep; head .25 length; snout short, conical; eye
rather small, equal to snout, contained 4.5 times in head; lateral line complete; scales rather
large, those in lateral series 45 to 48, in transverse series 6+ 7; opercles scaly; cheeks, nape,
and breast naked; dorsal fins rather large, the rays x to xu+11 to 13; anal rays 1,8 or 1,9;
caudal small, truncate behind; pectorals equal to length of head. Color: Male—body above
green, with dark lengthwise stripes and clusters of yellow brown scales; belly orange yellow,
breast blue; head with blackish stripe from nape to snout, another below, and 2 spots still
lower; side of head with 5 black streaks; sides of lips orange; opercles, cheeks, and branchi-
ostegals with orange spots; fins brilliant, mostly with scarlet borders; dorsal pale yellow,
with black dots and reddish edge; anal and ventrals yellow at base, pale and blackish lines on
edge, and scarlet between; caudal yellow and orange; pectorals yellow, with black and scarlet
base and scarlet bar near edge. Female—body green, with 8 dark, more or less interrupted
cross bars; sides with yellow longitudinal streaks; head marked as in male; fins yellow or
orange, with blackish spots or bars. (rufitlneatum, red-lined.)

A very beautiful species, living in clear brooks in upper waters of Tennessee -
and Cumberland rivers. Described from Warm Springs Creek by Cope, it was
collected in the same locality by Jordan nearly 20 years after and was also found
by him in the Swannanoa, being common among river weeds. A specimen in the
National Museum from Big Creek, a tributary of the French Broad, was collected
by Gilbert & Swain in 1884. Length, 3 inches.

234. ETHEOSTOMA FLABELLARE Rafinesque.
Fan-tailed Darter.

Etheostoma flabellaris Rafinesque, Journal de Physique, 1819, 419; tributaries of Ohio River.

Pecilichthys flabellatus, Cope, 1870b, 450; Catawba River.

Etheostoma flabellare, Jordan, 1889b, 139, 153; Bucks Creek and Johns River, tributaries of Catawba, and Swan-
nanoa River. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1097.

Diaconsis.—Body rather slender, depth contained 4.5 to 5.5 times in length; head very
long and pointed, contained 3.6 to 4 times in length; mouth oblique, maxillary extending to

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 267

front of eye, lower jaw projecting; snout straight, .25 length of head; upper lip on level with
upper margin of eye; eye rather less than snout; scales in lateral series 40 to 65, in transverse
series about 7+7; head naked; lateral line straight, extending about as far as posterior part
of spinous dorsal; dorsal rays about vu1+ 12 to 14, the spinous part in male .3 higher than soft
part, the tips with fleshy enlargements; anal similar to soft dorsal, the rays 11,7 to 1,9; caudal
rather large, rounded; pectorals averaging less than head in length. Color: dark greenish
brown, dusky above, the sides with dark cross bars or blotches; a dark line along side of head
through eye; a black shoulder spot; fins mostly plain; fleshy tips of spinous dorsal reddish:
soft dorsal, caudal, and pectorals barred. (flavellare, fan-like.)

Ranges from New York to Alabama and Iowa, being found on both slopes
of the Alleghanies in North Carolina. It is common in the Catawba, and also
in the Swannanoa and its north and south forks, inhabiting cold, clear waters.
Length, 2.5 inches. Jordan & Copeland have given the following interesting
account of this species:

The darter of darters is the fan-tail (Htheostoma flabellare), Hardiest, wiriest, wariest
of them all, it is the one which is most expert in catching other creatures, and the one which
most surely evades your clutch. You can catch a weasel asleep when you put your finger on
one of these. It is a slim, narrow, black, pirate-rigged little fish, with a long pointed head,
and a projecting, prow-like lower jaw. It carries no flag, but is colored like the rocks among
which it lives. It is dark brown in hue, with a dusky spot on each scale, so that the whole
body seems covered with lengthwise stripes, and these are further relieved by cross bands of
the same color. Its fins, especially the broad, fan-shaped caudal, are likewise much checkered
with spots of black. The spines of the dorsal fin are very low, and each of these in the male
ends in a little fleshy pad of rusty-red color, the fish’s only attempt at ornamentation. The
fan-tailed darter chooses the coldest and swiftest waters, and in these, as befits his form, he
leads an active, predatory life. He is the terror of water snails and caddis worms, and the
larvee of mosquitoes. In the aquarium this darter is one of the most interesting of fishes, for,
though plainly colored, it is very handsome, and in its movements is the most graceful of all
the darters. Its mouth opens wider than that of any of the others, and it is fuller of bristling
teeth. Its large, yellow-rimmed black eyes are ever on the watch. The least of a “fish” and
the most of a darter, the fan-tailed is worthily left as a type of the genus Ltheostoma, in which
it was first placed by its discoverer, Rafinesque.

Genus BOLEICHTHYS Girard. Darters.

A small genus, similar to some species of Etheostoma, but having the lateral
line slightly arched anteriorly and always deficient behind; premaxillaries not
protractile; gill-membranes slightly united; top of head naked, opercles scaly,
cheeks scaly or not. There are several variable species, inhabiting swampy or
lowland waters; one local species. (Boleichthys, dart fish.)

235. BOLEICHTHYS FUSIFORMIS (Girard).

Fusiform Darter.

Boleosoma fusiformis Girard, Proceedings Boston Society of Natural History, 1854. 41; Charles River. Mass.
Boleichthys fusiformis, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1101. Smith, 1901, 134; Lake Mattamuskeet.

DiaGnosis.—Form variable, usually elongate, compressed, the depth .25 to .16 length;
caudal peduncle long and slender; head rather long, contained 3.5 to 4 times in length; mouth
moderate, maxillary extending beyond anterior margin of eye; snout short, less than eye,
-25 length of head; opércular spine strong; lateral line high, more or less interrupted; scales

268 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

strongly ctenoid, 45 to 60 in lateral series, 3+ 12 in transverse series; nape, cheeks, opercles,
and breast well scaled, rarely naked; fins rather small; dorsal fins well separated, anterior
with 1x or x low spines, posterior higher, with 9 to 12 rays; anal rays 11,6 to 11,8; caudal rounded;
pectorals about as long as ventrals, shorter than head. Color: variable, usually dark green
above, paler below, the upper parts irregularly blotched or mottled with darker; a dark bar
below eye, another anterior to eye; spinous dorsal bright blue, with a median zone of red; soft
dorsal, caudal, and pectorals with dark bars or spots; other fins plain. (fusiformis, spindle-
shaped.)

Fig. 117. Fustrorm Darter. Boleichthys fusiformis.

This darter, which inhabits lowland streams, swanips, and lakes from Massa-
chusetts to Texas, and is doubtless to be met with in various parts of North
Carolina, is as yet known only from Lake Mattamuskeet, where it was collected
by the Bureau of Fisheries in 1900.

Genus COPELANDELLUS Jordan & Evermann. Darters.

Similar to Boleichthys but differing in having the top of the head closely
scaled; body slender, compressed; eye large; gill-membranes not connected;
lateral line high, incomplete behind; cheeks, opercles, breast, and nape scaled;
snout, jaws and preopercle naked. Onespecies. (Named for Herbert Copeland,
of Indiana, an early associate of Dr. Jordan and a student of the darters.)

236. COPELANDELLUS QUIESCENS (Jordan).

Copeland’s Darter.
Pecilichthys quiescens Jordan, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, 1884, 478; Allapaha River, Georgia.
Copelandellus quiescens, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1100, pl. elxxvi, fig. 468.

DraGnosis.—Depth .2 length; head .27 length; eye more than .25 head and much longer
than snout; maxillary reaching to a point under pupil; scales in lateral series 48 to 55, in trans-
verse series 3+ 10; lateral line on 20 to 28 scales; dorsal rays 1x to x11+ 9 to 12; anal rays 11,7;
caudal rounded; pectorals long. Color: dark brown, with bright red and blackish mottlings
on back and sides; 3 black bars about eye; a black humeral spot; dorsal, anal, and caudal fins
dark-barred; other fins plain. (quiescens, remaining quiet.)

Inhabiting the lowland swamps and sluggish streams of the coastal plain
from Virginia to Florida, this species has not heretofore been recorded from
North Carolina. Mr. William P. Seal, of the Aquarium Supply Company,
Delair, New Jersey, has collected numbers of specimens in the vicinity of Wil-

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 269

mington, and in January, 1906, forwarded a specimen to the writer with the
following interesting note on the species:

I found Copelandellus near Wilmington in a cypress pond about 10 miles in circumference,
cut off from tide water by a high dam. In this place there are Centrarchus and many other
kinds of basses and sunfishes, as well as minnows and a great abundance of prawns. This
species is also to be found in ditches into which the tide flows to the depth of several inches to
a foot and where Fundulus, Gambusia, Heterandria, Umbra, Chologaster, Elassoma, Aphredo-
derus, and sunfishes abound. Copelandellus will stand warm and stagnant water better than
any other darter I know of. I had specimens to spawn in a small sti'l-water aquarium at
Wilmington. The eggs were deposited on the under side of the leaves of lilies and other plants.
The fish reaches a length of 2.5 or 3 inches.

3 a
pen caeny

Ou
Weep ae
“oe

Fig. 118. Coprnanp’s Darter. Copelandellus quiescens.

This species is known also from Lake Ellis in Craven County, where Mr.
C.S. Brimley reports that he collected 15 specimens in June, 1905.

Family APOGONICHTHYIDZ&. The Cardinal-fishes.

A numerous family of small fishes, found chiefly in tropical seas and most

abundant in the East Indies and Oceania. Body elongate, usually compressed,
back often elevated; mouth rather large, more or less oblique, with villiform teeth
on jaws, vomer, and sometimes palatines; lower bones of pharynx with sharp
-teeth; opercular spine inconspicuous; edge of preopercle entire or slightly ser-
rated; scales rather large, usually ctenoid, completely covering body and more or
less of head; lateral line present; dorsal fins separate, the anterior with 6 to 9
spines; soft dorsal short and similar to anal, which has 2 to 4 spines; ventrals
thoracic; color in some species bright red. The 9 or 10 American genera are
represented by about 20 species, of which only 1 is known from the North Caro-
lina coast, but several others occur as stragglers to the north and south and may
sometime be found locally.

Genus HYPOCLYDONIA Goode & Bean.

Very small bottom fishes, completely covered with deciduous, smooth
scales, those of head embedded in skin; 2 flat spines on opercle; minute serrations
on preopercle; stout gill-rakers in moderate number; 7 branchiostegals; a gland-
ular organ at upper angle of gill-slit; high lateral line; and well-developed fins.
One species. (Hypoclydonia, below the wave.)

270 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

237. HYPOCLYDONIA BELLA Goode & Bean.

Hypoclydonia bella Goode & Bean, Oceanic Ichthyology, 236, fig. 237, 1895; off Cape Fear and other parts of
North Carolina coast, off South Carolina, ete. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1115, pl. elxxix, fig. 475.

Dracnosis.—Depth contained 3.66 times in length; head .33 length; eye large, .28 length
of head and .5 longer than snout; mouth large, maxillary reaching a point under middle oi
pupil; minute teeth in bands or patches on jaws, vomer, and palatines, with a few enlarged
canines on upper and lower jaws; scales in lateral series 29, in transverse series 2+7; dorsal
rays 1x+1,9; anal rays 1,7; caudal long and forked; pectorals and ventrals equal, about .6
head. Color: plain; head purplish brown above; a dark triangular blotch at apex of spinous
dorsal. (bella, beautiful.)

Known from specimens collected by the steamer Albatross off the coast of
Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina, in depths of 90 to 259 fathoms,
and from a single example collected by the steamer Fish-Hawk off Cape Lookout
on August 27, 1902. The length of the species is under 4 inches.

Family SERRANID. The Sea Basses, Striped Basses, Groupers, etc.

A large and important family of carnivorous marine and fresh-water fishes,
with numerous representatives in American waters, including some of our most
valuable food-fishes, such as the striped bass, white perch, and sea bass. The
leading characters of the family are oblong, compressed body covered with per-
sistent scales (usually ectenoid); large or moderate mouth with protractile pre-
maxillary; supplemental maxillary bone either present of absent; pointed teeth,
in bands on jaws, vomerine, and palatines; long or short gill-rakers; 4 gills; large
pseudobranchiae; gill-membranes not connected, and not united to isthmus;
6 or 7 branchisotegals; single lateral line, not reaching caudal fin; scaly cheeks
and opercles; preopercular margin -usually serrate; one or two flat points on
posterior margin of opercle; skull without spines; dorsal fin single or double, with
stiff spines 2 to 15 in number, and 10 to 30 soft rays; short anal fin, with 3 spines
(if any) and 7 to 12 soft rays; air bladder present; stomach with few or numerous
pyloric appendages; intestine short. The North Carolina serranids number 10
and belong in 7 genera.

Key to the North Carolina genera of Serranide.
i. Dorsal fins 2.
a. Dorsal fins not connected; ‘anal rays) 11,11 or mi,12.. es. ese oe ee ee Roccws.
aa. Dorsal! fins; connected: anal srays” 111,8) Or) TIT, 9icm).- =. 2 init oe eee elo alee MoRONE.
ii. Dorsal fin single, more or less divided.
b. Maxillary with supplemental bone. ;
c. Anal rays 111,7 to 111,9; head narrow above; parietal crests not continued forward

on ‘the: frontal bones: ctstica steed ce oe sos eterno eh or one ere here eh tT arenas EPINEPHELUS
cc. Anal rays mt, 11 or 111,12; head rather broad above; parietal crests continued for-
ward tomuddlerot orbits aenoceiceriic soon aoe eee eer MYCTEROPERCA.

bb. Maxillary without supplemental bone.
d. Caudal fin rounded or ending in 3 points, with middle rays produced; some of the

dorsal spines with fleshy Glaments: ..5:)2.0.do<0n some eee oe CENTROPRISTES.
dd. Caudal fin forked, concave, or square; dorsal spines without fleshy tips.

e. Branchiostegals 7; caudal fin deeply concave.....................5 DIPLECTRUM.

¢e.. Branchiosterals'6caudalitin ‘truncate: a2 ocr eons ere were cas ee eee DULEs.

Genus ROCCUS Mitchill. Striped Basses or Rock-fishes.

American anadromous and fresh-water fishes, with elongate or moderate
body, projecting lower jaw, patches of teeth on base of tongue, unconnnected

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 271

dorsal fins, and dark longitudinal stripes along sides. Two species, one in Great
Lakes and Mississippi basin, the other coastwise. (Roccus, a latinization of the
vernacular name, rock.)

238. ROCCUS LINEATUS (Bloch).
“Rock’”’; “Rock-fish’’; Striped Bass.

Sciena lineata Bloch, Ichthyologie, ix, 53, pl. 305, 1792; ‘‘Mediterranean Sea’”’ (?).

Roccus lineatus, Cope, 1870b, 448; Neuse River. Yarrow, 1877, 211; Fort Macon, New River, Neuse River,
Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 380; New and Neuse rivers. Smith, 1893a, 192, 196, 200; Pasquotank River,
Albemarle Sound, Roanoke River at Plymouth and Weldon. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1132, pl.
elxxx, fig. 478.

Roccus septentrionalis, Jenkins, 1887, 89; Beaufort (after Yarrow.)

Draenosis.—Body long, slightly compressed, depth contained 3.5 to 4 times in total
length; head less than .33 length; mouth large, maxillary extending nearly to middle of eye,
lower jaw projecting; base of tongue with 2 parallel patches of teeth; eye small, .15 to .20
length of head, .5 to .66 length of snout; preopercle with weak serrations; gill-rakers long and
slender, about 20 in number; scales in lateral series 65 to 70; fins rather small; dorsal rays
x1+1,12, longest spine less than .5 length of head; anal rays 11,11; caudal forked. Color:
above olive, sides and below white; back and sides marked by 7 or 8 black longitudinal stripes,
one along the lateral line; fins pale or dusky. (lineatus, striped.)

Fig. 119. Srripep Bass; Rocx-risw. Roccus lineatus.

This is the largest and one of the best of American fresh-water or anadrom-
ous spiny-rayed fishes. It ascends streams along the entire Atlantic coast from
New Brunswick to Alabama, being most numerous between Massachusetts and
North Carolina. It has also been introduced on the Pacific coast, and several
million pounds are now caught for market annually in California. It ascends all
suitable rivers in North Carolina, and is especially abundant in the Albemarle
region.

Striped bass weighing 60 or 75 pounds are not uncommon, and ocasionally
their weight exceeds 100 pounds. At Dr. Capehart’s shad seine-fishery at Avoca,
North Carolina, fish of 105 pounds have been taken. Dr. Goode reports one
caught in Massachusetts that weighed 112 pounds, supposed to have been the
largest specimen known. At Edenton, North Carolina, in April, 1891, the writer
saw several striped bass, from dutch nets in the sound, each of which weighed

Die FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

125 pounds. Fish weighing from half a pound upward are caught for market,
and the average weight is probably 3 to 5 pounds.

In North Carolina striped bass are caught in some numbers throughout the
year, just as in the Potomac and other streams to the northward; but the princi-
pal run is in spring when the fish are going upstream to spawn.

The spawning season in this state extends from late in April to early in May.
Probably the most important striped bass spawning ground in the country at
this time is in Roanoke River, in the vicinity of Weldon, where there is a fall of
50 feet in about 6 miles. In these rapids, where the muddy current is exceedingly
strong and rendered very erratic by islands, boulders, and rocks, the fish spawns;
and it is here that the general government. has recently taken up the artificial
propagation of the species. The eggs are similar to those of the shad, but
average a trifle larger; and the number deposited by a full-sized fish may exceed
several millions. In 1903 Mr. 8. G. Worth, while conducting hatching operations
on the Roanoke, stripped from a 20—pound fish a mass of eggs which after fertili-
zation and immersion in water measured 60 quarts, equivalent to 1,500,000 ona
basis of 25,000 to the quart. On April 21, 1897, a female “rock” caught in a
shad seine at Avoca weighed 60 pounds, was 4 feet 4 inches long, and had ovaries
16 inches long and 5 inches wide, but the eggs were not nearly ripe. The roe ofa
fish weighing over 100 pounds taken at the same place in 1896 is said to have
weighed 44 pounds. The average egg production of 12 fish stripped at Weldon
in 1903 was over 700,000. The eggs may be hatched in shad jars, and the
young emerge in 36 hours when the water temperature in 70° F.

Mr. Worth (1903) has given the following very interesting account of the
spawning habits of this fish in Roanoke River:

For twenty years and more I have heard of the rock-fish fights at Weldon, and although
I had taken eggs there in two seasons about twenty years ago, I never witnessed a rock fight
until this year; and this season I saw hundreds of fights, as they term them. When the female
fish are in spawning condition the male fish gather around them in great numbers. ‘There will
be one big fish, which may weigh five to fifty pounds, as one of them did which I took eggs from,
and she will be surrounded by twenty, thirty or fifty small fish, and sometimes the fishermen
will run one of their nets under and catch one of these large fish and thirty or more of the small
fish; and what seemed to be an interesting point in connection with that is that the small
fish.appear to be the only male fish that mate with the female. They are known there as perch
rock, because they are the size of a perch, and by actual weight they do not weigh as much as
two pounds apiece, and yet they seem to represent practically about all there is in the way of
male fishes. ‘These rock fights were interesting. The fishes showed themselves on top of the
water and flurried the water and made noises that would attract your attention, so that you
would turn around to see the water breaking a hundred yards away. I thought before that
that there was a good deal of imagination in it, but I know that it is a fact, and any one can
witness it, and when that is going on it is the spawning season, which follows right on the heels
of the shad spawning.

It is assumed by all the fishermen that operate on the river that the reddening of the
water is caused by the gashes made by the fishes finning one another in their attempt to get
nearer to the spawning female fish. It causes a bloody stain which I did not myself witness,
but I know it has taken place, from the great number of persons who told me about it, and that
the water was actually discolored.

PLATE 12

N. C. GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY

(SNLWANIT SNODOY) HSI4d-MOOUN 'SSva GadlyLs

oo ¥ NSO

ENG ° Y . Ads
Vuvore rao sasne re

VA
= Stee acne

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 2H

All kinds of fish of suitable size are eaten by the striped bass. In North
Carolina in spring, shad and alewives are the principal food and are consumed in
enormous numbers, the bass being gluttonous and becoming very fat. Crabs,
shrimps, lobsters, squid, clams, and other invertebrates are also devoured.

The striped bass is one of the best and most valuable of American fishes, the
flesh being white, flaky, well-flavored, and remaining firm when shipped to
market. As a game fish it is a general favorite in both salt and fresh water, and
by many anglers it is more highly esteemed than any other species. A popular
method of fishing, practiced mostly in southern New England, is heaving and
hauling in the surf with a stout line baited with menhaden or other fish.

In North Carolina the striped bass ranks next in importance to shad and
alewives among the anadromous fishes, and the quantity here caught exceeds that
in any other state except California. While considerable quantities are taken
with seines, gill nets, lines, and slides, the bulk of the yield, considering the entire
state, comes from pound nets; most of the apparatus is operated primarily for
shad and alewives. The fishery is most extensive in Dare County, where about
half the total product is obtained. Other counties in which large quantities are
taken are Currituck, Chowan, Bertie, Martin, Halifax, Washington, Beaufort,
and Craven. Jn the waters about Beaufort and Morehead, striped bass are
caught in only small quantities, but they are more numerous at New Bern and
other points on the Neuse. The fishery is more important in Roanoke River
than in any other stream, and there the catch is chiefly with sweep seines, the
leading seine fishery being near Plymouth. Other methods of fishing in and near
the falls in the upper river are thus described by Mr. Worth (1903):

The fish go up there in March and April, and if there is water enough they distribute
themselves over the falls where the current is so strong that it is apparently dangerous to go
even when the river is at moderate stages, and when it is high it is really very dangerous;
and these fish get up in these numerous channels between the islands, and are inaccessible
until the water begins to fall. When it falls to a certain stage the fishermen use finger traps
and begin to take those fishes. They are swept out by the current on the finger boards and
are captured. As soon as the river falls somewhat lower the fish become uneasy on account
of the light covering of water on the falls, and drop below the foot of the falls at Weldon, and
from that point down 2 miles there is fishing carried on with dip nets; they are after the man-
ner of the shad skim nets, and are rigged on a bow; one man sits in the bow of the boat and
the other in the stern, paddling, and they float down the river one or two miles and then turn
back. There are quite a number of boats engaged in this business, and they catch very con-
siderable numbers of fish there.

Comparative statistics of the North Carolina striped bass catch,

YEARS. PoUNDSs. VALUE.
ESO: woth og Roe ee Eo ced DIE Se eee nenCe ae 770,000* hei queer. Seer :
USS a abiua ee oe A re eee 499,586 $24,944
IES as bs eiss Sa oes Ee Sen Coa 560,354 27,981
SSO meee eas ete Aa) coh, Gott oters de -aiene's 531,349 30,611
TES, eee RS ay Sie ee ce | 845,123 58,035
THSYOD) So Mb nS ane Sid Gino Oe CS eo Ean ae ea ear 568,341 32,138
TSO? 5) Sree aiee Scdcthtn Goats oo Fetch ORG eRe Oe 1,183,400 114,111

* Estimate: J

274 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Genus MORONE Mitchill. White Perches.

This genus includes 2 small species, both American, one found in the Miss-
issippi valley, the other on the Atlantic coast, Similar to Roccus, but with no
teeth at base of tongue, a shorter anal fin, stouter spines in first dorsal fin, and
dorsal fins more or less connected by amembrane. Body rather short and deep,
jaws nearly equal; edge of tongue with linear patches of teeth; lower margin of
preopercle finely serrate; scales rather large; second anal spine enlarged.
(Morone, a name of unknown significance.)

239. MORONE AMERICANA (Gmelin).
“Perch’’; “Black Perch”; ‘‘Silver Perch’’; White Perch.

Perca americana Gmelin, Systema Nature, iii, 1308, 1788; New York.

Morone americana, Yarrow, 1877, 211; New and Neuse rivers. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1133, pl. clxxxi,
fig. 479. Smith, 1893a, 192, 196, 200; Pasquotank River, Edenton Bay, Roanoke River. Smith,
1901, 134; Lake Mattamuskeet.

Draenosis.—Back somewhat elevated, depth .4 to .33 total length; head contained 2.75
to 3.33 times in length; eye .25 head, less than snout; gill-rakers long, 18 to 21 in number;
scales in lateral series 50 to 55, in transverse series 20; head scaly as far forward as nostrils;
dorsal rays rx +-1,12, longest spine .5 head; anal rays 11,8 or 11,9, second spine as long as third
and stouter. Color: variable, ranging from almost black in ponds and certain brackish waters
to silvery white with faint longitudinal streaks

Fig. 120. Wuite Percu. Morone americana.

This excellent little fish of the fresh, brackish, and salt waters of our east
coast ranges from South Carolina to the maritime provinces of Canada. While
essentially an anadromous species it is often landlocked in fresh water. lts most
common and appropriate name is white perch, but in North Carolina it is called
“silver perch”, ‘black perch”, or simply ‘‘perch”’.

In Albemarle Sound, it is more abundant and more valuable than the yellow
perch, although scarcer than formerly; and in Currituck Sound it exists in
greater abundance than any other commercial species, The average weight of
those marketed is .5 to .75 of a pound, and the maximum weight is about 1.5

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 275

pounds. In Lake Mattamuskeet it is very numerous, attains a large size, and is
the most highly prized and important fish there found. In New, Neuse, and
other rivers of the southern part of the state the fish also abounds.

The spawning season in Albemarle Sound begins between April 1 and 10 and
continues for about 10 days. At that time there may be observed in the sound
and its tributaries large numbers of white perch 2 to 3 inches long and doubtless a
year old, which mix freely with the schools of minnows, silversides, and mullets.

The white perch feeds on minnows, shrimps, and other animals. It is one
of the best of American game fishes, and is a favorite with anglers; it takes the
artificial fly readily, and also bites at minnows, worms, etc. Asa pan fish it has
few superiors, and is by many persons preferred to any other species.

The annual catch of white perch in North Carolina in recent years has been
about a million pounds. In 1902 the fishermen sold 941,000 pounds and received
$62,666 therefor, most of this yield coming from the seine and pound-net fisheries,
and nearly half of it being credited to Currituck Sound.

Genus EPINEPHELUS Bloch. Groupers.

A numerous genus of large marine food-fishes, inhabiting tropical and sub-
tropical waters; some of them of considerable economic value. Form rather
robust, compressed; mouth large, with a few large canine teeth in front of jaws,
and with enlarged, depressible inner teeth in each jaw; maxillary large, supple-
mental bone well developed and scaly; preopercle serrate; opercle with strong
spines; gill-rakers short and few; scales small, ctenoid, those of lateral line tri-
angular and cycloid; dorsal fins continuous, with 10 or 11 spines; anal spines 3, the
second usually largest; caudal fin concave or rounded; pectorals rounded, short;
ventrals close together, with a strong spine. Of the 12 or more American
species, 7 are known from the south Atlantic coast of the United States, and of
these the following have been detected in North Carolina:

i. Caudal fin rounded; second dorsal spine shorter than third or fourth; scales in lateral line
110 to 125; body marked by irregular dark cross-bars; vertical fins edged with yellow.

striatus.
it. Caudal fin concave; second dorsal spine as long as third or fourth; scales in lateral line 130
to 140; body without cross-bars; vertical fins edged with blue-black.......... morio.

(Epinephelus, clouded over, in allusion to a membrane supposed to cover the

eye.)
240. EPINEPHELUS STRIATUS (Bloch).

Nassau Grouper; Hamlet.

oO
Anthias striatus Bloch, Ichthyologie, ix, 109, pl. 324, 1792; Martinique.
Epinephelus striatus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1157, pl. clxxxiii, fig. 483.

Driaanosis.—Form deep, slightly compressed, depth contained 2.8 times in total length;
head pointed, contained about 2.5 times in length; mouth moderate, maxillary extending to
posterior edge of eye; jaw teeth in bands, with 2 canines in front of each jaw; nostrils close
together, of nearly same size; interorbital space contained 8.5 times in length of head; gill-
rakers slender, 16 on lower arm of first arch; scales in lateral series 110 to 125, in transverse
series 60 to 70; dorsal rays x1,17; anal rays 111,8; ventrals short; pectorals long. Color: above
greenish gray, below paler; about 4 dark brown undulating cross-bars extending on dorsal

276 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

fin; a jet-black blotch on top of caudal peduncle; a dark stripe through eye and snout, another
on median line of snout, which divides opposite eyes and extends backward to occiput; lower
parts of head orange; a ring of small black spots around eye; edge of dorsals, anal, caudal, and
ventrals yellow; pectorals light orange; ventrals blackish. (striatus, striped.)

A specimen 4.25 inches long, takenin Beaufort harbor inthesummer of 1905,
is probably referable to this species, although it may be one of several other
species of which the young are not well known. This is a large West Indian
species, common at Key West, and must occur only as a straggler in North
Carolina. :

241. EPINEPHELUS MORIO (Cuvier & Valenciennes).
Red Grouper.

Serranus morio Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, li, 285, 1828; New York and San
Domingo.

Epinephelus morio, Yarrow, 1877, 211; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896,
1160, pl. clxxxiv, fig. 485.

DiaGcnosis.—F orm comparatively deep, depth contained 2.8 times in length; head large,
4 length of body; mouth large, maxillary extending beyond eye; jaw teeth in narrow bands,
2 small canines in front of each jaw, the lower pair smaller; eye rather large; nostrils small, of
equal size; preopercle serrate, teeth at angle slightly enlarged; gill-rakers slender, 15 on lower
arm of first arch; scales in lateral series 130 to 140, in transverse series 75 to 80; dorsal rays
x1,16 or x1,17, the spines high, second twice length of first; anal rays 111,8 or 11,9, second spine
stronger than third; ventrals short, not extending to vent; pectorals more than .5 length of
head, reaching beyond tips of ventrals. Color: olive gray or brown, with paler clouds; head
and breast salmon color; head with numerous small, round, brown dots; vertical fins of same
color as body; a broad ridge of black on soft dorsal, anal, and caudal, with narrow white edge;
spinous dorsal black-edged; ventrals dusky; pectorals greenish. (morio, Moor.)

Fig. 121. Rep Grouper. Epinephelus morio.

This large and excellent grouper is an abundant inhabitant of the American
coast from Brazil to Florida, and regularly extends its range for some distance
north along the South Atlantic coast. It occurs as a straggler as far as Massa-
chusetts, where the present writer has found it on several occasions in summer.
Although Yarrow saw only one specimen at Beaufort, the species is probably to
be found there every year. One specimen was taken in the laboratory seine in

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. PET

1902, and fully 150 were collected in the summer of 1903, at Bird Shoal and Uncle
Israel Shoal; only the young were noted.

The red grouper is an important food fish at Key West, in the Gulf of Mexico,
and southward, attaining a leneth of 3 feet; but in North Carolina it does not
occur in sufficient abundance nor is it of large enough size to have any economic
value. ae

Genus MYCTEROPERCA Gill. Groupers.

This genus contains many species of tropical marine food-fishes, mostly of
large size, similar to Epinephelus but differing in cranial characters and in having
a longer anal fin, longer body, larger mouth, etc. Head broad and concave
between eyes, with strong lateral crests which extend forward to join the supra-
ocular crest above eyes; lower jaw strongly projecting; scales chiefly cycloid;
gill-rakers various; nostrils small, of equal size or with posterior pair enlarged.
More than 20 American species, of which 6 are known from our south Atlantic
coast. Three, as follows, occur as stragglers in North Carolina:

t. Angle of preopercle salient, with enlarged teeth; developed gill-rakers on lower arm of first
arch about 12; scales in lateral series about 140; caudal margin rather strongly con-
CAN Campa tte teem ete re Ee state) oisas hited siationg! eladagsl axed diggs ta ldcsaae see os delete microlepis.

w. Angle of preopercle not salient, the teeth scarcely enlarged.

a. Developed gill-rakers on lower arm of first arch about 8; scales in lateral series about 125;

CaMenlMAre Musab, CONCAVE ss 52.652 62 cake eed wee bale vice ewe news cas venenosa.
aa. Developed gill-rakers on lower arm of first arch about 10; scales in lateral series about
NO -eecancalimeancimeustraighiiien seysisiac- 2 se nets «soe oeles adie ects 6 soa sae bonaci.

(Mycteroperca, nostril perch.)

242. MYCTEROPERCA MICROLEPIS (Goode & Bean).
Gag.

Trisotropis microlepis Goode & Bean, Proceedings U.S. National Museum, 1879, 141; west Florida.
Mycteroperca microlepis, Jenkins, 1885, 11; Beaufort harbor. Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort, Jenkins, 1887, 90;
Beaufort harbor. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1177, pl. clxxxviii, fig. 494.

Fig. 122. Gaa. Mycteroperca microlepis.

DiaGnosis.—Body rather long, compressed, depth contained 3.5 times in total length;
head long, pointed, contained 2.6 times in length; mouth large, maxillary reaching beyond
eye; teeth in narrow bands, 2 canines in front of each jaw, the lower smaller; scales in lateral
series 140 to 145, in transverse series 75 to 85; gill-rakers on lower arm of frst arch about 12;
dorsal rays x1,16 to x1,19, spines slender, third and fourth spines longest; anal rays 1,11;

278 . FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

caudal margin concave; pectorals .5 length of head, reaching beyond ends of ventrals. Color:
variable; usually brownish gray above, paler below, with faint traces of darker spots; black
mustache; dorsal dark green, edge of soft dorsal black; caudal black with bright blue shades,
edge white; anal indigo blue with white edge; pectorals Bree ventrals black, first ray
white-tipped. (microlepis, small scaled.)

The gag is found on both coasts of Florida, and ranges northward on the
Atlantic coast as far as Beaufort, North Carolina. It reaches a weight of 50
pounds, and is a food-fish of considerable value in Florida, being abundant about
the reefs. Dr. Yarrow’s collections at Beaufort in 1871 contained a number of
specimens of this species now in the National Museum; they were not identified
at the time, however, and are not included in Yarrow’s list of the fishes of Fort
Macon and vicinity. The species was first recognized at Beaufort by Dr. Jenkins
in 1885, when one specimen was obtained. Small examples have since been
taken in Beaufort Harbor and vicinity on a number of occasions, about 20 being
seined at Bird Shoal, Uncle Israel Shoal, and Newport River in July and August,
1902, these were from 2.75 to 8.5 inches long. In June, 1904, Mr. Barton A.
Bean, while collecting specimens for the National Museum, obtained the young
in Beaufort Harbor, but only in limited numbers.

2438. MYCTEROPERCA VENENOSA (Linnezus).
* Yellow-finned Grouper; Rock-fish.

Perca venenosa Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 292, 1758; Bahamas.
Mycteroperca venenosa, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1173, pl. elxxxvii, fig. 491.

Diacnosis.—Body rather stout and not greatly compressed, depth .33 length; head large,
blunt, .4 length of body; mouth large, maxillary extending beyond eye, nearly .5 length of
head; jaw teeth in narrow bands, 2 well developed canines in each jaw; eye .14 length of
head; interorbital space broad and flat, .2 head; scales small, mostly cycloid, about 125 in
lengthwise series; vertical fins rather small; dorsal rays x1,16, second and tenth the same
height, longest .33 head; anal rays 11,11; caudal margin slightly concave; pectorals rounded,
extending beyond ventrals. Color: dark green above, bluish or pearly below; back and
sides reticulated and blotched with light green; body and head covered with round yellowish
brown spots; fins variegated. (venenosa, venemous or poisonous.)

Known from North Carolina by 2 small specimens seined in Beaufort Harbor
in the summer of 1902. The species reaches a length of 3 feet, and is common in
southern Forida and the West Indies.

244, MYOTEROPERCA BONAOCI (Poey).
Black Grouper.

Serranus bonaci Poey, Memorias sobre la Historia Natural de la Isla de Cuba, ii, 129, 1860; Cuba.
Mycteropecra bonact, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1174, pl. clxxxvii, fig. 492 (skull)

Driaanosis.—Form rather long, depth contained 3.25 times in total length; head contained
2.75 times in length; mouth large, maxillary extending beyond eye; in each jaw 2 strong canine
teeth directed forward; scales in lateral series 120 to 125, in transverse series about 70; gill-
rakers few and long, 10 to 12 on lower arm of first arch; dorsal rays x1,16 to x1,18, the spines
weak and slender, third and fourth longest; anal rays w1,11 or m1,12, the fin high and
rounded; caudal truncate; pectorals extending beyond tips of ventrals, which are short. Color:

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 279

orange brown, olive on back; sides and belly with gray reticulations surrounding round or
oblong areas of ground color; reticulations on head bluish, the areas smaller; a line of 6 or 7
spots from eye to preopercle; dorsal and caudal mottled brown; anal with 2 or 3 rows of bluish
spots, tip black; pectorals olive brown; ventrals black with blue rays. (bonaci, the Cuban
name for this fish.)

On the Atlantic coast north of Florida, this species is only a stragglerfrom
the West Indies, although it is abundant at Key West. The writer has reported
it from Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where it was probably carried in the Gulf
Stream. Three small specimens were seined in Beaufort Harbor in the summer
of 1902, and several others were taken there in June, 1904. The fish attains a
weight of 50 pounds, and is used for food.

Genus CENTROPRISTES Cuvier & Valenciennes. Sea Basses.

Bottom marine fishes, peculiar to the Atlantic coast of America, with robust,
slightly compressed body, very large mouth, no supplemental bone, smooth
tongue, weak canine teeth, serrate preopercle, long and slender gill-rakers, short
dorsal fin, fleshy filaments on tips of dorsal spines, 3-lobed or double concave
caudal, ventrals close together and in advance of pectorals. Of the 3 authentic
species, 2 occur on the North Carolina coast and may be readily distinguished as
follows: :

i. Tips of dorsal spines with short fleshy flaps; gill-rakers on lower arm 18; caudal fin rounded,
with a produced ray at upper angle; color black or dark blue................ striatus.
wt. Tips of dorsal spines with long hair-like processes; gill-rakers on lower arm 10; caudal fin

deeply double-concave, with central and marginal rays much produced; color, greenish
OOME sVMILIANCLATIQCLOSE-DAT Sais is ataiehepeiate de Ga isietenlnJa STe'e 6 wpb ste 2 eee Siena oe philadelphicus.

(Centropristes, spine-saw.)

245. CENTROPRISTES STRIATUS (Linnzus).
“Black-fish’’; ““Bass’’; Sea Bass; Black Will (Va.).

Labrus striatus Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 285, 1758; ‘‘America’’,

Perca atraria Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 485, 1766; Carolina.

Centropristis atrarius, Yarrow, 1877, 211; off Shackleford Banks and Cape Lookout. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879,
380; Beaufort. <

Serranus atrarius, Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 89; Beaufort. Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort.

Centropristes striatus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1199, pl. exe, fig. 500. Linton, 1905, 375; Beaufort.

D1aGNnosis.—Form robust, back elevated, depth rather more than .33 total length; head
large, thick, its length about equal to body depth; mouth oblique, lower jaw longer, maxillary
broad, less than .5 length of head; jaw teeth in broad bands, canines small; eye .2 length of head;
gill-rakers long, 18 below angle; preopercle finely serrate, angle and lower edge with larger
teeth; scales in lateral series 55 to 60, in transverse series 20 to 25, 11 rows of scales on cheeks;
dorsal rays x,11, the spines strong, longest .5 length of head; short dermal flaps on some of
the spines; anal rays 11,7 or 11,8; pectorals very long, contained 1.25 times in length of head;
ventrals a little shorter; upper caudal ray produced. Color: dark brown, black, or rich blue,
more or less mottled and with pale longitudinal streaks; dorsal with lines of white spots, other
fins dark. Male in breeding season develops a large nuchal or frontal hump and assumes a
bright blue color; fins in male larger. (striatus, striped.)

The sea bass, known in North Carolina as “black-fish” and “bass’’, isa
northern species the southern limit of whose range is Florida. It is one of the

280 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

best known and more important salt-water fish between Massachusetts and
South Carolina and supports a special fishery inten states. The largest fish weigh
6 pounds, but the usual weight is under 4 pounds.

The species occurs abundantly off the coast of North Carolina, and is caught
for market in various sections. It is common about jetties and on shelly and
rocky bottoms, attaining the largest size and greatest abundance on the offshore
reefs and banks. Dr. Coker contributes the following notes on the fish in the
Beaufort region:

The ‘‘black-fish” has been an undeveloped resource at Beaufort, as the grounds along
the coast were never regularly worked by the fishermen until the winter of 1903-4, when, in
November, the enterprising Mr. George N. Ives, of Newbern, equipped a sharpie with a naph-
tha motor and began fishing off New River In December, two Morehead fish dealers began
sending naphtha launches to the “‘black-fish rocks” off Bear Inlet, about 30 miles below Beaufort.
The boats which carry 4 men, who use hand lines, anchor in the inlet at night and run out to
the ‘“‘rocks,” 10 miles off shore, each suitable day, the trip lasting about a week. From Beau-
fort similar fishing is done at Wrightsville and other points further southward. This fishery

should increase in extent and prove very profitable, as the sea bass is an excellent fish, bearing
shipment well and commanding good prices in the northern markets.

32
yy

Fig. 123. Sea Bass; Buack-FisH. Centropristes striatus.

A special sea-bass ground surveyed by thesteamer Fish-Hawk in the summer
of 1902 lies 20.5 miles ssw. tw. from the outer buoy on Beaufort Bar, and is
covered with 13.5 fathoms of water. The bottom is of rough coral, with sea-
fans and other growths such as are found on the coast of Florida, andisrich in
animal life. On September 12 two hours were spent in handline fishing by the
ship’s crew, and in that time there were caught about 700 sea bass, together with
a few large grunts, 2 red snappers, and various small fish.

On the ledges and banks lying off Cape Fear the “ black-fish” is caught from
July to December, but, according to Mr. W. H. Yopp, of Wilmington, is not very
abundant; the fish in that region run from .5 to 1.5 pounds.

The sea bass feeds on the bottom, eating small fish, squid, crabs, and various
other animals. Its mouth is very large, its teeth are formidable, and it is a
voracious feeder.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 281

Spawning occurs in spring, off the North Carolina coast, probably in May.
The eggs, which float at the surface, are .04 inch in diameter, and hatch in 5 days
in water of 59° or 60°F. The male during the spawning season develops a promi-
nent hump on the nape and assumes a beautiful bright blue color. The young,
which are common around the shores, have a broad black longitudinal stripe on
the side. Fish 4 to 5 inches long are abundant in Beaufort Harbor in summer.

The catch of sea bass in this state during 3 years was as follows: 1889—
28,900 pounds, $939; 1897—189,225 pounds, $5,564; 1902—57,250 pounds,
$1,929. The bulk of the product comes from Carteret and New Hanover coun-
ties.

246. CENTROPRISTES PHILADELPHIOUS (Linnzus.)
Rock Sea Bass.

Perca philadelphica Linneus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 291, 1758; America,

Perca trifurca Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 489, 1766; Carolina.

Lutjanus tridens Lacépéde, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, iv, 246, 1802; Carolina.
Serranus philadelphicus, Jenkins, 1887, 89; Beaufort.

Centropristes philadelphicus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1201, pl. exci, fig. 501.

a
23
SS

CS
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Sus
af
‘ig

Sys

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S27
<7

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ml

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Be

Fig. 124. Rock Sea Bass. Centropristes philadelphicus.

Diacnosis.—Form rather elongate, depth contained 3.33 to 3.66 times in total length;
head contained 2.75 times in length; maxillary extending to posterior edge of pupil; teeth in
bands on jaws. some of them enlarged, a patch of teeth on vomer and on palatines; eye con-
tained 4.75 times in head; preopercular margin serrate, the teeth enlarged on and below angle;
subopercle and interopercle finely serrate; gill-rakers .5 length of eye, 10 below angle of first
arch; scales strongly ctenoid, those in lateral series 50 to 55, in transverse series 20; scales on
opercle of same size as those on body, in 8 or 9 rows; scales on cheeks smaller, in 9 to 11 rows;
dorsal rays x,11, the spines with long hair-like processes, third and fourth spines longest and
.5 length of head; anal rays 11,7; upper, middle and lower,caudal rays elongated; pectoral long
and broad, contained 1.3 times in length of head. Color: greeni:h above, white below; 6 or 7
broad brown bars on back and sides; upper part of head and snout with many brownish red
spots and lines; upper lip reddish, tip of lower jaw purple; spinous dorsal translucent, with
white and dusky streaks, a large black blotch on membranes between last spines, a few dark
spots on spines; filaments on dorsal spines scarlet; soft dorsal with bluish white and reddish
spots; caudal translucent, spotted like soft dorsal, with brownish red margin; anal white, with
yellow streak and terminal black bar; ventrals whitish or blackish; pectorals plain. (Named
after the city of Philadelphia, for no obvious reason.)

282 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

This species, which lives on rocky bottom in rather deep water off Charleston,
South Carolina, is also known from the North Carolina coast at Beaufort. Dr.
Jenkins obtained a few specimens in Beaufort Harbor in 1885. In the summer
of 1902, 8 specimens were taken in a trawl by the steamer Fish-Hawk near the
sea buoy off Beaufort Inlet; and 2 others, 4 inches long, were seined on Bird
Shoal in Beaufort Harbor in 1903. The maximum size is about 1 foot.

Genus DIPLECTRUM Holbrook. Squirrel-fishes.

Small American marine species, with preopercle armed with 2 clusters of
strong spines; low dorsal fin, without elongated rays; deeply concave caudal fin;

rounded pectorals; small scales, and top of head with a large bare area. Five
known species, 1 found on the South Atlantic Coast. (Diplectruwm, double spur.)

247. DIPLECTRUM FORMOSUM (Linneus).
Squirrel-fish.

Perca formosa Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 488, 1766; Carolina.
Diplectrum formosum, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1207, pl. exci, fig. 502.

TOO
By 8 yeast
St Ha

Fig. 125. Squirret-FisH. Diplectrum formosum.

Diacnosis.—Body elongate, depth contained 3.4 times in total length; head contained
3.33 times in length; mouth large, maxillary extending to pupil, lower jaw the longer; eye .2
length of head, shorter than snout; preopercle with finely serrate upper margin and 2 patches
of divergent spines; gill-rakers 14 or 15 below angle of first arch; scales in lateral series 80 to
90, in transverse series 30; numerous rows of scales on cheeks and opercles; dorsal rays x,12,
all low, the longest .5 head; anal rays 11,7, soft rays of uniform length, the spines shorter and
weak; caudal concave. Color: dull, light brownish above, white below; 7 or 8 rather broad
dark cross-bands, 3 or 4 dark longitudinal stripes, 8 narrow blue longitudinal stripes; head yel-
low, with 5 or 6 wavy blue stripes below eye; 5 narrow blue cross-bars between eyes; dark spot
at base of caudal; dorsal yellowish gteen with 2 median blue cross-lines which torm ocelli pos-
teriorly; caudal like dorsal; other fins white. (formosum, handsome.)

This beautiful little serranid, which ranges as far south as Uruguay, has not
heretofore been recorded north of Charleston, South Carolina. In the summer
of 1903, 4 young specimens were caught in the laboratory seine in Beaufort
Harbor. The species is usually found on sandy shores, takes the baited hook
readily, reaches a length of a foot, and is a good food fish.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 283

Genus DULES Cuvier.

In this genus the body is deep and compressed, the caudal fin is square; and
the branchiostegals number only 6. Three species are known, 1 South American,
1 West Indian, and the following. (Dules, slave, “the fish being under the lash
of the long dorsal spine’’.)

248. DULES SUBLIGARIUS (Cope).

Centropristes subligarius Cope, Proceedings Academy of Sciences of Philadelphia, 1870, 120; Pensacola.
Serranus dispilurus, Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort.

Serranus subligarius, Jenkins, 1887, 89; Beaufort.

Dules subligarius, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1218; Beaufort, ete.

D1acnosis.—Depth contained 2.66 times in total length; head long, low, .4 length; mouth
small, maxillary extending to posterior edge of pupil; teeth small canines, not well developed;
eye .25 length of head; preopercle sharply serrate; gill-rakers 6 or 8, short; scales in lateral
' series about 42, in transverse series 23; 10 series of scales on cheeks; no scales on jaws, preorb-
ital, and front of head; dorsal rays x,13; anal rays 1,7, second spine longer and stouter than
third; caudal truncate. Color: olivaceous, tinged with brown, pale below; scales on sides
with black margin; 5 very distinct dark cross-bars posteriorly; a large cream-colored blotch
on side anterior to vent; a black ring around peduncle; a large black blotch on soft dorsal;
cheeks yellow; head brown below; a net-work of wavy blue lines on branchiostegals, lower jaw,
and. interopercle; dorsals mottled; ventrals faintly barred; other fins grayish with blackish
bars. (subligarius, truss-wearing, in allusion to the light blotch on each side near vent.)

This small fish is known from the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina,
and Florida, and has usualy been taken indeep water. Dr. Jenkins, in 1885, took
several young specimens in Beaufort Harbor in eel-grass. The Fish-Hawk
dredged 3 specimens 20.5 miles from the sea buoy off Beaufort Inlet in 13.5
fathoms on September 12, 1902 (station 7344).

Family LOBOTID. Triple-tails.

This family, which contains only one species, a large, widely distributed
marine fish, is related to the sea basses (Serranide), Body oblong, compressed;
dorsal fin continuous, the spinous part longer than the soft; anal spines 3, the
soft part opposite and similar to the soft dorsal; skull broad anteriorly, the eyes
placed far forward, the snout short

Genus LOBOTES Cuvier. Triple-tails or Flashers.

Back elevated; caudal peduncle short and deep; upper profile of head slightly
concave; mouth of moderate size, lips thick, upper jaw protractile, lower jaw
projecting; bands of conical teeth in jaws, a row of larger conical teeth in front,
vomer and palatines toothless; preopercle serrate; air-bladder present; pyloric
cceca 3; body and head covered with ctenoid scales, which extend on the fleshy
bases of the soft dorsal and anal fins; soft rays of the dorsal and anal elongated,
extending backward, and producing with the rounded caudal a three-lobed
effect. (Lobotes, lobed.)

284 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

249. LOBOTES SURINAMENSIS (Bloch).
“Steamboat”’; Triple-tail; Flasher; Sea Perch (S. C.); Black Perch (S. C.).

Holocentrus surinamensis Bloch, Ichthyologie, pl. 243, 1790; Surinam.
Lobotes surinamensis, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1235, pl. exciv, fig. 510.

D1aqnosis.—Depth variable, averaging .5 length; head .3 length; maxillary heavy, extend-
ing to pupil; eye about equal to snout and contained 6 times in head; scales in lateral series
about 55, those about eye very fine, those on opercle large; dorsal rays x11,15 or x11,16, the
fifth spine longest; anal rays 11,11, the third spine longest; pectorals short, rounded, .5 length
of head; ventrals longer than pectorals. Color: dull black above, silvery gray on sides and
below; fins dusky; sides and fins sometimes with small yellowish blotches. (surinamensis,
inhabiting Surinam.)

F

fats
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i

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Fig. 126. TrrpLe-rait; Fuasner. Lobotes surinamensis.

This large, easily recognized species, which inhabits all warm seas, is found
on the Atlantic coast of the United States as far north as Massachusetts, but is
not common anywhere. It attains a length of 3 feet.

There appear to be no published North Carolina records, and the specimens
known to have been taken in the state are few. One 25 inches long, now in the
State Museum at Raleigh, was collected in Carteret County in 1892 by Mr. H. H.
Brimley, who reports that the species is called “steamboat” by the fishermen of
Wilmington. Another specimen, 23 inches long, now in the laboratory, was taken
in Beaufort Harbor in September, 1908. Mr. 8. G. Worth states that he
had an 11—pound fish from Beaufort several years ago which was served on his
table; the meat was firm, white, and flaky like that of asheepshead, and was well-
flavored.

A laboratory specimen 3.5 inches long taken in Beaufort Harbor in the
summer of 1902 has a broad white margin on the caudal fin and white pectorals.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 285

Family PRIACANTHID. The Catalufas.

A sharply defined family of tropical, carnivorous fishes, with compressed,
oblong or ovate body; deep head; large, oblique mouth, having minute teeth on
jaws, vomer, and palatines; protractile premaxillaries, broad maxillary without
supplemental bone; large eye, with diameter nearly .5 leneth of head; post-
orbital part of head much shortened, opercle with 2 or 3 pointed flaps; preopercle
serrate; gills 4, gill-rakers long, gill-membranes separate, and not joined to
isthmus; pseudobranchie very well developed; entire body, head, snout, and
maxillary covered with small rough scales; lateral line present, continuous; air-
bladder large; pyloric cceca few; dorsal fin continuous, with 10 spines and 9 to 15
soft rays; anal fin with 3 spines and 9 to 15 soft rays; pectorals rather small;
ventrals large, thoracic, inserted anterior to pectorals and joined to abdomen by
amembrane. ‘Two genera, both represented in American waters but only 1 in
North Carolina, although the other (Priacanthus) may be looked for, as 1 species
has been taken as a straggler as far north as Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Genus PSEUDOPRIACANTHUS Bleeker. Big-eyes.

Small deep-water fishes with very deep body; very rough scales; strongly
arched lateral line; 2 small spines at angle of preopercle; dorsal and anal fins with
strong rough spines. (Pseudopriacanthus, false Priacanthus.)

250. PSEUDOPRIACANTHUS ALTUS (Gill).
Short Big-eye.

Priacanthus altus Gill, Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 1862, 132; Narragansett Bay,
Ree
Pseudopriacanthus altus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1239, pl. exev, fig. 512.

Diaenosis.—Depth about .5 length, least depth of caudal peduncle .25 depth of body;
head very short, less than .3 length; mouth nearly vertical, the broad maxillary extending to
middle of pupil; eye very large, .5 length of head and more than twice length of snout; scales
etenoid, number in lateral series 42; dorsal fin high, the rays x,11, the longest spine .66 length of
head; anal rays 111,11, the longest spine (third) .5 head; caudal margin square; pectorals .6
head; ventrals as long as head and extending to first anal spine. Color: lustrous crimson,
the back dark; fins black-edged except pectorals. (altus, high.)

The short big-eye is a beautiful West Indian species which sometimes strays
northward and is occasionally taken in considerable numbers as far as southern
Massachusetts. The largest recorded specimen, 11 inches long, was taken at
Charleston, S.C. The only North Carolina example thus far known was .5 inch
long and was obtained by the steamer Fish-Hawk off Beaufort on August 14,
1902.

Family LUTIANID. The Snappers.

The snappers constitute a very numerous family of warm-water shore fishes,
nearly all of them being food fishes and some of great economic importance in the
United States and other countries. Form mostly oblong, compressed; head
large, with conspicuous crests on skull; mouth usually large, terminal, low, well

286 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

supplied with teeth on jaws and usually on vomer and palatines; premaxillaries
moderately protractile; maxillaries long, slipping under a sheath formed by the
preorbital; supplemental bone absent; opercles without spines, preopercles
serrate or entire; gill-arches 4; gill-rakers short, moderate, or long; gill-membranes
separate and not joined to isthmus; pseudobranchie conspicuous; air-bladder
present; intestines short; pyloric cceca few; lateral line present; scales ctenoid,
of moderate size, adherent, and completely covering body and usually sides
of head; dorsal fin single or double, with 10 or 12 rather strong spines; anal
similar to posterior dorsal, with 3 spines; caudal concave or forked, pectorals
long and pointed; ventrals thoracic, the rays 1,5, with modified scales at base.

Of the 15 American genera only one, Iutianus (or Neome*nis) is represented
in the state, although several others, which occur on the coast of South
Carolina and Florida, may be looked for.

Genus LUTIANUS Bloch. Snappers.

A numerous genus of cosmopolitan distribution, characterized by an oblong,
compressed body with moderately elevated back; a long, pointed head; a large
mouth, well supplied with bands of villiform teeth in jaws, 2 to 4 canine teeth in
front of upper jaw, and bands or patches of teeth on vomer, palatines, and tongue
(in adult); preopercle finely serrate; gill-rakers few and moderately long; scales
deficient on top of head except for an oblique band on nape; lateral line coneur-
rent with dorsal outline; dorsal fin single, the spines 10 or 11; anal rays 7 to 9.
Upwards of 20 American species, of which 4 have thus far been detected in North

Carolina.
Key to North Carclina snappers.*

i. No black spot on side, young with dark cross bands; anal fin rounded, its middle rays less
than .5 length of head; caudal with concave margin.

a. Depth contained 2.75 to 3 times in length; mouth large, maxillary .4 length of head;
scales in lateral series about 50; 7 oblique series of scales between dorsal and lateral line;
pectoral short, less than .66 length of head; soft dorsal, anal, and caudal blackish.

griseus.

aa. Depth contained 2.5 times in length; mouth smaller, maxillary .33 length of head;

scales in lateral series about 43; 5 or 6 oblique series of scales between dorsal and lateral

line; pectorals longer, more than .66 length of head; soft dorsal, anal, and caudal orange

OD LV SUL OW clas: aves ni gyessnave iol ale csy 0) ao stiexsi suey ete exes oloves a av ovetoiel=t UMS beter ol one hon mentee cree a see apodus.

ii. A black blotch on side, either permanent or growing fainter with age, young without dark

cross bands; anal fin angulated, the middle rays much more than .5 length of head;
caudal fin forked.

b. Lingual teeth well developed, in a broad patch; color nearly uniform rose red.

blackfordi.
bb. Lingual teeth few, in a narrow patch; color greenish above, with dark cross bands,
numerous oblique streaks, and a persistent black spot on side..............-. analis.

(Lutianus,.a latinization of a Malayan name for one of the snappers.)

251. LUTIANUS GRISEUS (Linneus).
Gray Snapper; Mangrove Snapper.

Labrus griseus Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 283, 1758.
Neomenis griseus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1255.

* The key is based on adult characters

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 287

Draenosis.—Body rather elongate, depth contained about 3 times in length; length of
head somewhat greater than depth; maxillary extending as far as pupil; snout pointed, con-
tained 3 times in length of head; eye small, a little more than .2 length of head; gill-rakers short
and thick, about 8 on lower arm of first arch; scales large, about 50 in lateral series, 7+ 12 in
transverse series, 7 rows on cheek, 7 rows on opercle, and 3 rows on temporal region; dorsal
rays x,14, the fourth spine largest; anal rays 111,8; caudal slightly concave; pectorals short,
contained about 1.6 times in head; ventrals shorter than pectorals. Color: dark green above,
coppery red below, with dark lengthwise streaks corresponding with rows of scales; spinous
dorsal blackish with red edge; soft dorsal dusky, with white edge anteriorly; anal reddish,
with white margin: caudal reddish black; pectorals and ventrals pale. (griseus, gray.)

The gray snapper is abundant in Florida and the West Indies, often being
seen on sandy shores and on the edges of mangrove swamps; it also ascends
fresh-water streams. Stragglers, usually young, have been found in Chesa-
peake Bay, on the New Jersey coast, at Woods Hole, Mass., and at other points
on the Atlantic seaboard. Four small examples were seined at Beaufort in the
summer of 1902. The species reaches a weight of 15 to 18 pounds, but averages
less than 5 pounds; and is a food fish of considerahle value in Florida.

252. LUTIANUS APODUS (Walbaum).
Schoolmaster.
Perca apoda Walbaum, Artedi Genera Piscium, 351, 1792.
Neomenis apodus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1258, pl. exevii, fig. 515.

D1aenosis.—Body rather deep, the depth .4 length; length of head equal to depth; max-
illary extending to front of orbit; 4 canine teeth in front of upper jaw; snout very long and
pointed, more than .3 length of head; gill-rakers short and thick, about 9 on long arm of first
arch; scales rather large, 42 to 45 in lateral series, 6+ 13 in transverse series, 7 rows on cheeks
and 7 on opercles; dorsal rays x,14; anal rays 111,8; caudal slightly forked; pectorals .75 length
of head; ventrals .5 lengths of head. Color: dark greenish above, orange on sides and below,
with 8 or 9narrow pale bluish vertical bars; head greenish above, bright orange on sides; all
fins orange, the dorsal with blue spots; young with a distinct blue stripe below eye, usually
lacking in adult. (apodus. without feet, the species having been based on a drawing in which
the pectoral fins were omitted.)

This snapper, whose regular range is from Florida to Brazil, occasionally
strays to the northeast coast, young examples having been taken at Woods Hole,
Mass., by the writer. In the summer of 1902 one small specimen was seined in
Beaufort Harbor, and on September 25, 1905, another 2 inches long was taken
at the wharf on Pivers Island, Beaufort, these being the only North Carolina
records. The maximum weight of this species is 7 or 8 pounds and the average
2 or 3 pounds.

253. LUTIANUS BLACKFORDI Goode & Bean.
“Red Snapper’’.

Lutjanus blackfordi Goode & Bean, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, 1876, 176; Pensacola, Fla.
? Bodianus aya Bloch, Ichthyologie, 227, 1790; Brazil.
Neomenis aya, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1264, pl. exevii, fig. 516.

Dtaanosis.—Body rather deep, depth contained 2.6 times in length, back elevated; head
large its length equal to body depth, superior profile straight from snout to nape; mouth large,

288 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

maxillary not extending beyond front of orbit; a broad patch of teeth on tongue, in addition
to the usual teeth in jaws; snout contained 2.8 times in head; eye less than .2 length of head;
gill-rakers .5 diameter of eye, 8 on lower arm of first arch; scales in lateral series 60, in trans-
verse series 8+ 15, 6 rows on cheek, 7 on opercle; dorsal rays x,14, the fourth and fifth spines
longest; anal rays 11,9, the middle rays very long; caudal slightly forked; pectorals pointe 1,
8 length of head, extending to or beyond front of anal fin; ventrals .5 to .6 length of head.
Color: rich rose red, paler below; a black spot, disappearing with age, above lateral line under
anterior rays of soft dorsal; fins mostly brick red. (Named for the late Eugene G. Blackford,
of New York City.)

Fig. 127. Rep Snapper. Lutianus blackjordi.

This important food fish of the Gulf of Mexico and the West Indies has
occasionally been found as far north as Woods Hole, in southern Massachusetts.
The fish caught for market are from 1 to 3 feet long, and several million pounds
are taken annually with lines in the Gulf of Mexico and sent all over the United
States. The Fish-Hawk took several specimens of this species while line-fishing
on the black-fish grounds off Beaufort in September, 1902, and at least 5 young
examples were seined on the beach at Cape Lookout and in Beaufort Harbor in
the summers of 1902 and 1903. The species, however, will probably not be
found in sufficient numbers on the grounds lying off North Carolina to make it a
product of any economic value, although in the extensive seine fisheries formerly
conducted in the ocean at Cape Lookout examples were sometimes caught. The
State Museum at Raleigh contains a specimen from Cape Lookout presented by
Mr. George N. Ives. The species becomes more common toward the southern
part of the coast, and is said to be taken in considerable numbers on the “snapper
banks” lying off Cape Fear.

254. LUTIANUS ANALIS (Cuvier & Valenciennes).
Mutton-fish.

Mesoprion analis Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, ii, 452, 1828; San Domingo.
Neomenis analis, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1265, pl. exeviii, fig. 517.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 289

D1aenosis.—Depth of body .37 length, back somewhat elevated; length of head equal
to depth; a small narrow patch of teeth on middle of tongue, usual teeth in jaws; maxillary not
extending to front of eye; snout long and pointed, contained 2.6 in head; eye small, contained
3 times in snout and 6 times in length of head; interorbital space equal to diameter of eye;
gill-rakers .5 length of eye, 8 on long arm of first arch; scales in lateral series about 67, in trans-
verse series 10+17, 7 rows on cheeks and about 9 on opercles; dorsal fin low, the rays x,14,
fourth spine longest, ninth and tenth soft rays longest; anal fin angulated, the rays 111,8; caudal
broad, forked; pectorals extending about to anal Color: above lateral line dark green with
oblique lines of blue spots; sides bluish; belly white tinged with red; back and sides with 6 to
8 dark narrow vertical stripes wider than spaces between them; head bronze green, darker
above, a pearly streak under eye from snout to gill-opening; a blue streak from eye to nostrils;
iris bright red; a small, persistent lateral blotch immediately above lateral line under first
dorsal soft rays, anal, caudal, pectorals, and ventrals brick red, the caudal with a narrow
black margin; dorsal yellowish with reddish markings. (analis, relating to anal fin, which
has long rays.)

Se et -*
eee
SN WR 4
: * a See

Ah ‘3

Fig. 128. Murron-riso. Lwutianus analis.

This snapper is common from the east coast of Florida to Brazil, and is a food
fish of some importance, reaching a weight of 25 pounds. Stragglers have been
found at Woods Hole, Mass., and may be looked for at all intervening points. It
has been taken on the North Carolina coast at Beaufort, where 10 small specimens
were seined at Bird Shoal and Uncle Israel Island in the summer of 1902.

Family HAXMULIDA. The Grunts.

A numerous family of small or moderate-sized carnivorous fishes inhabiting
temperate and tropical shores, important as food in Florida, West Indies, and
elsewhere. They are related to the snappers on one hand and the porgies on the
other. Body outline varying from oblong to ovate; head large, the skull with
conspicuous crests; mouth variable, terminal, low, horizontal; premaxillaries
protractile; maxillary slipping under margin of preorbital, no supplemental bone;
jaw teeth pointed, none canine, no teeth on tongue, vomer, or palatines; opercle
destitute of spines, preopercle entire or serrate; gill-arches 4; gill-membranes not
united, free from isthmus; gill-rakers in moderate number; branchiostegals 6 or
7; body covered with adherent ctenoid or cycloid scales; sides of head scaly;

290 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

lateral line continuous, concurrent with dorsal outline; air-bladder present;
pyloric cceca few; intestinal canal short; dorsal fin usually continuous, sometimes
divided into 2 separate parts, the spines 10 to 12; anal similar to soft dorsal, the
spines 3; caudal margin more or less concave; pectorals well developed; ventrals
thoracic, the rays 1,5, a scaly appendage at base. All the species make a grunt-
ing noise by means of the air-bladder, whence the names grunt, pig-fish, and
hog-fish, by which these fish are commonly known. There are about 15 Amer-
ican genera, of which 3 are represented on the North Carolina coast by a single
representative each.
Key to the North Carolina genera of grunts.

i. Anal fin long, the rays 111,10 to 11,13; mouth small, its inside not scarlet; vertical soft fins

either: naked!.or scaled only.atibase> «int sat Sel Cee ee ee ORTHOPRISTIS.

av. Anal fin shorter, the rays 1,7 or 11,8; mouth large, its inside scarlet; vertical soft fins
densely scaled from base to margin.

a. Dorsal spines 12; 10 to 14 gill-rakers on lower limb of first arch; second anal spine

much’ longer tham ‘third isan crs err cis ornare eearke eget cae eke aren none H#®MULON.
aa. Dorsal spines 13; 12 to 18 gill-rakerson lower limb of first arch; second anal spine
scarcely longer thantthirdbac 2.0 ches « diac esesnisee « peicaeee tee eee BATHYSTOMA.

Genus ORTHOPRISTIS Girard. Pig-fishes.

Rather small fishes with oblong, compressed body, elevated back, com-
pressed head, small mouth, teeth in bands in jaws, rather small scales, single
dorsal fin with a slight notch, 12 or 13 slender dorsal spines, 15 or 16 short soft
rays, rather long anal fin with 3 small spines and 10 to 138 soft rays, and naked
or partly scaled vertical fins. About half a dozen known species from Atlantic
and Pacific coasts of America. (Orthopristis, straight saw, in allusion to the
evenly serrated preopercle.)

255. ORTHOPRISTIS CHRYSOPTERUS (Linneus).
“Pig-fish’’; “Hog-fish’’; Sailor’s Choice (S.C.).

Perca chrysoptera Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 485, 1766; Charleston.

Orthopristis fulvomaculatus, Yarrow, 1877, 211; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 379; Beaufort.

Orthopristis chrysopterus, Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 90; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann.
1898, 1338, pl. cex, fig. 541. Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort. Linton, 1905, 376; Beaufort.

Pomadasys fulvomaculatus, Goode, 1884, 398; Beaufort. LEarll, 1887, 493; banks off Wiimington.

Dracnosis.—Form ovate, compressed, the back strongly arched, depth 4 length; head
contained 3 times in length; mouth small, low, with a narrow band of slender teeth in each
jaw; maxillary short, a little more than half length of head; vertical limb of preoperele straight
and nearly entire: gill-rakers short, 7+ 12 on first arch; scales in lateral series 60, in transverse
series 10+ 20, those above lateral line in oblique rows, those below in horizontal rows; top of
head, opercles, and cheeks scaled; snout and jaws naked; a scaly sheath at base of dorsal and
anal spines; dorsal fin continuous, with scarcely any notch separating the two parts, the rays
x11,16 or x111,16, longest spines (third and fourth) .4 length of head, longest rays shorter than
longest spines; anal rays 111,12 or 111,13, the length of rays similar to those in soft dorsal; caudal
forked, upper lobe longer; pectorals pointed, .8 length of head; ventrals .66 length of head.
Color: dull light blue, becoming silvery below; edges of scales orange-brown, this color forming
narrow stripes which are oblique above lateral line and horizontal below; snout and part of
upper lip sky-blue; various bronze spots on snout and side of head; inside of mouth pale; dorsal
clear, with bronze spots; anal whitish, with bronze base and dusky edge; caudal yellow, with
dusky margin; other fins yellow; peritoneum black. (chrysopterus golden-finned.)

PLATE 13

N. C. GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY

09 8 NSOH'Y

(SNYALdOSAYHD SILSINGOHLYO) HSIS-DOH YO HS14-9ld

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 291

From Chesapeake Bay to Mexico this species is more or less abundant on
sandy shores; the young are found in numbers as far north as New York.

The “pig-fish” or “hog-fish” is one of the commonest food fishes of the
North Carolina coast, occurring in all the sounds and salt-water estuaries, and
also on the outlying banks. At Beaufort it is abundant, and is present through-
out the year. The spawning season is Mayand June. While the fish reaches a
length of 15 inches, those caught in North Carolina do not average more than 8 or
10 inches.

The stomachs of 42 adult hog-fish examined by Dr. Coker between June 15
and July 19, 1904, contained for the most part annelids of various kinds (Axio-
thea, Diopatra, Cerebratulus, and mutilated parts resembling Rhyncobolus and
Arenicola; also pectinarian sand-tubes). Solenomya shells were very commonly
present, and in one case apart of the body of the mollusk. Amphipods of
various species were also often found to constitute an article of diet. The forms

Fig. 129. Pia-risH; Hoa-risu. Orthopristis chrysopterus.

found only 2 or 3 times were (Gebia large and small), parts of young common
blue crabs, and fragments of ophiurans. In single fishes there were nematode
worms, small ascidians, eggs and young of the horse-shoe crab, abdomen of her-
mit crab, an isopod, and fragments of grass. The stomachs of six hog-fish 2 to 4
inches long seined at Town Marsh were full of small shrimps.

The “hog-fish”’ is one of the leading food fishes of the state, and is caught
for market with hand-lines and seines, the most extensive fishing being carried on
in the Beaufort region, in Pamlico Sound in Hyde County, and on the coast of
New Hanover County. At Beaufort it is one of the most important fishes, find-
ing a ready market in North Carolina and at Norfolix, Petersburg, and other
points. The entire catch for sale is now disposed of fresh, but at one time the
fish were mostly salted and sold in Baltimore. Many are still salted in fall for
local consumption. The fish is considered of much finer quality in fall—in

292 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

October and later—than earlier; and a striking difference in quality is said to be
noticed in fish from different localities—the Bogue Sound fish being distinctly
superior to those from Harker Island in Cove Sound, and those from Neuse River
still better. The hog-fish catch of North Carolina in 1902 was 191,670 pounds,
for which the fishermen received $6,677, an average of 3.4 cents per pound; in
1890 it amounted to 256,520 pounds, worth $7,971, an average of 3.1 cents per
pound. The largest catch is made in New Hanover County.

Genus HAXMULON Cuvier. Grunts.

Small American shore fishes, some of them highly colored; some very
important as food fishes in southern Florida. Body oblong, compressed, back
more or less elevated, mouth large; maxillary long and extending to below eye;
lower jaw included; preopercle finely serrate; rows of scales not parallel with
lateral line; junction of spinous and soft parts of dorsal fin marked by a notch;
dorsal spines 11 or 12; second anal spine very large; caudal forked; caudal
fin and soft parts of dorsal and anal fins densely scaled from base to tip; lips
and inside of mouth bright red. About 12 species, of which only 1 ranges
northward to the North Carolina coast. -(H@mulon, bloody gum.)

256. HAAMULON PLUMIERI (Lacépéde).
“Snapper’’;, Grunt’; Black Grunt (S: ©:):

Labrus plumieri Lacépéde, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, iii, 480, pl. 2, fig. 2, 1802; Martinique.
Hemulon arcuatum, Yarrow, 1877, 211; Beaufort (identification doubtful).

Diabasis formosus, Earll, 1887, 493; black-fish banks off Wilmington.

Hemulon plumieri, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1305, pl. eev, fig. 532; Cape Hatteras to Rio Janeiro.

Fig. 130. Grunt. Hemulon plumieri.

Diaenosis.—Body somewhat elongate, elevated at shoulders, depth about .4 length;
head large, about equal to depth, upper profile slightly concave; mouth large, maxillary extend-
ing as far as pupil, .5 length of head; teeth strong, in rather broad bands; snout long, about 2.5
times diameter of eye; eye small, .16 to 20 length of head; gill-rakers short, about 12+ 15 on

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 293

first arch: scales in lateral series 50, in transverse series 8+-17, those above lateral line larger
and in irregular and oblique rows: those below in oblique rows; dorsal rays x11,16, the spinous
part much higher than soft, the longest spine (third or fourth) equal to snout; anal rays 11,8,
the sec .d spine twice diameter of eye, the soft rays longer than those in soft dorsal; caudal
rather deeply torxed; pectorals pointed, .66 length of head; ventrals .6 head. Color: bluish
gray, bases of scales with greenish bronze spots forming oblique lines; head golden. with num-
erous sharply defined narrow sky-blue stripes mostly horizontal, 3 or 4 of the stripes extending
to anterior part of back inside © mouth bright orange; fins all grayish, spinous part of dorsal
with yellow margin; anal tinged with yellow, ventrals with blue luster. (Named for Father
Plumier, who more than 200 years ago sent drawings of Martinique fishes to Europe.)

This grunt is found from North Carolina to Brazil, and is abundant on the
lower part of the South Atlantic coast. At Key West it is more abundant than
all other grunts combined, and it is also quite common on the coast of South
Carolina. The largest fish are 18 inches long, but the average is under 1 foot.
This species doubtless occurs regularly on the various banks lying off the North
Carolina coast, and Mr. Earll noted the species as one of those caught in the
summer line-fishing off Wilmington. Yarrow said of this fish at Beaufort:
“Very abundant in early spring and summer, generally found in marshy creeks
inside of inlet; size 4 to 8 inches.’’ There is considerable doubt, however, as
to the species Yarrow had in mind, and Jordan & Gilbert believed that his
remarks referred to the pig-fish (Orthopristis).

Mr. W. H. Yopp, of Wilmington, in November, 1905, forwarded to the
writer 2 grunts of this species that had recently been caught on the ‘snapper
banks’’ off Cape Fear; the specimens were 11.5 and 12.5 inches long. The fish
is known as “‘snapper’’ in the Wilmington market and among the local fishermen,
and is caught in considerable quantities from May to October. The market fish
weigh from half a pound to 1.5 pounds, and bring the fishermen about 2.5
cents a pound.

Genus BATHYSTOMA Scudder. Tom-tates.

Similar to Hemulon and perhaps scarcely separable therefrom, but with the
dorsal spines definitely 13. Body rather elongate, back very little elevated,
mouth large and low, eye large, gill-rakers on first arch rather numerous (12 to
18 on lower limb), preopercle not serrate, inside of mouth red. Three known
species, with center of abundance in the West Indies, one found as far north as
Cape Hatteras. (Bathystoma, low mouth.)

257. BATHYSTOMA RIMATOR (Jordan & Swain).

“Grunt’’; Tom-tate; Red-mouthed Grunt.

Hemulon rimator Jordan & Swain, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, 1884, 308; Charleston, Key West,
and Pensacola. Jordan & Fesler, Review of the Sparoid Fishes of America and Europe, 477, 1893;
refers to specimens from North Carolina.

Diabasis chrysopterus, Earll, 1887, 493; black-fish banks off Wilmington.

Bathystoma rimator, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1308, pl. cevi, fig. 534.

DrAGnosis.—Form moderately elongate, back slightly elevated, depth about one-third
length; head about equal to depth; mouth large, maxillary extending to middle of eye, .5 length
of head; teeth in bands, rather weak; snout somewhat more than .33 length of head; eye large.

294 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

-25 length of head; vertical limb of preopercle straight, entire; gill-rakers short, about 11+16
on first arch; scales in lateral series about 50, in transverse series 7+13; scales above lateral
line in oblique rows, those below in horizontal series; top of head, opercles, and cheeks scaly;
dorsal fin notched, the rays x11,14, the longest spine (fourth) .5 length of head; anal rays 11,8,
the second spine but slightly longer than third and contained 2.6 times in head; caudal wide:y
forked, upper lobe longer; depth of caudal peduncle less than length of snout; pectorals .66
length of head; ventrals .8 length of pectorals. Color: generally silvery, back bluish; scales
with yellow edges, these spots forming longitudinal lines oblique above, horizontal below; a
narrow yellow stripe from a point over eye to posterior base of dorsal fin; another broader
yellow stripe from snout to base of caudal; a round black spot at base of caudal; head yellowish
above; mouth red inside; fins colorless or slightly yellow; young with a number of bronze longi-
tudinal stripes on sides and head, the caudal spot more distinct. (rimator, an inquirer.)

Fig. 131. Grunt; Tom-ratr. Bathystoma rimator.

The tom-tate or red-mouth grunt, which reaches a length of 1 foot, is
abundant at Charleston, South Carolina, and ranges thence through the West
Indies. It will doubtless prove to be common on the southern part of the North
Carolina coast, but as yet there are few definite records of its occurrence in this
state. A specimen said to have come from North Carolina was obtained by
Dr. 8. E. Meek in the New York market (Jordan & Fesler, |.c.) some years ago.
Mr. Earll, in his report on the North Carolina fisheries in 1880, notes that in the
summer line-fishing on the “black-fish”? banks off Wilmington, grunts of this
species are caught; and the State Museum at Raleigh contains an example 1
foot long obtained at Wilmington in 1884 by Mr. H. H. Brimley. One specimen
was collected for the Beaufort laboratory at Bird Shoal in the summer of 1902,
and in June, 1904, Mr. Barton A. Bean, of the National Museum, found the
young very common in the harbor. On the “black-fish’’ grounds lying off
Beaufort the steamer Fish-Hawk secured several specimens in September, 1902.

Family SPARIDAS. The Scups, Pin-fishes, and Sheepsheads.

The members of this family are mostly small or moderate sized shore fishes
of temperate and tropical waters, feeding chiefly on crabs, mollusks, and small
fish. The family, which is closely related to the grunts (Hamulide), has the

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 295

following characters: Body usually compressed and rather deep; head large,
with prominent ridges on skull; mouth small, terminal, and low, with strong
teeth in jaws, no teeth on vomer and palatines; maxillary short, overlapped
by abroad preorbital, no supplemental bone; gill-membranes not united, free
from isthmus; preopercle little if at all serrate; no spines on opercle; scales on
body large, adherent, head more or less scaly; lateral line prominent, concurrent
with back; dorsal fin long and continuous, spines strong and usually fitting
in a groove when flexed; anal fin about length of soft part of dorsal, with
3 spines; caudal fin forked or deeply concave; air bladder present. Of the
7 genera represented on the eastern coast of the United States, 6, with 7
species, are known from North Carolina. Two of the local sparids are among the
best known food-fishes of the Atlantic coast. The common porgy of southern
Europe (Pagrus pagrus), known also from Charleston, 8. C., to Uruguay, may
be looked for on the lower part of the North Carolina coast.

Key to the North Carolina genera of sparids.

z. Bone (interhemal) supporting second anal spine large, partly hollow, and receiving posterior
end of swim-bladder; teeth in front of jaws either narrow incisors or canines.
a. Front teeth very narrow incisors; first dorsal spine rudimentary and directed forward.
b. Anterior dorsal spines not noticeably long, the third one-half to two-thirds length of
eee eee hae eI nan a et iste ie epaioe are siara sea ta hav MG Gel lateve.e STENOTOMUS.
bb. Anterior dorsal spines very long and filamentous, the third longer than head. OTRYNTER.
aa. Front teeth canine; first dorsal spine not rudimentary and not directed forward.
CALAMUS.
wz. Bone supporting second anal spine normal; teeth in front of jaws broad incisors.
c. Body marked by dark cross bands.

d.uncisor teeth=deeply, notched: size small oo .e ec sis cele ene es ob wee aie LAGODON.
dd. Incisor teeth entire or slightly notched; size large.................. ARCHOSARGUS.
cc. No dark cross-bands; black blotch on caudal peduncle................... DIpPLopvus.

Genus STENOTOMUS Gill. Scuppaugs.

Small fishes of our Atlantic coast, very abundant and furnishing much food
in the New England and Middle States. The Indian name “scuppaug”’ has
been corrupted into ‘“‘scup” and “porgy”’, by which names these fishes are
generally known. Body rather deep; back elevated; head pointed; incisor
teeth long and flat; eye small and placed high; gill-rakers small, about 16 on
first arch; top of head, snout, and orbital region naked, opercle and cheek
scaly; dorsal spines 12, the first less than half length of second and the longest
much shorter than head; antrorse dorsal spine attached to interneural bone by
a long process. The 2 known species, both found in North Carolina, are very
similar but may be distinguished by following characters:

i. Body with about same depth from first to tenth dorsal spines; depth more than half length

of body; head .28 length of body; snout less than .5 length of head.......... chrysops.
it. Depth of body decreasing rapidly backward from anterior dorsal spines; depth less than
half length of body; head .33 length of body; snout .5 length of head........ aculeatus.

(Stenotomus, narrow cutting, in reference to the incisor teeth.)

296 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

258. STENOTOMUS OCHRYSOPS (Linnezus).
“Pin-fish’’; Scuppaug; Porgy (S. C.); Scup; Fair Maid (Va.).

Sparus chrysops Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 471, 1766; Charleston.

Stenotomus argyrops, Yarrow, 1877, 210; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 379; Beaufort.

Stenotomus chrysops, Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 90; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898,
1346, pl. cexi, fig. 544.

DiaGnosis.—Back arched, depth about .5 length; profile steep, nape convex, a depression
over eyes; head contained 3.5 times in total length; eye less than .25 length of head; snout 4
length of head; incisors very narrow, lateral teeth (molars) in two rows in upper jaw; scales
in lateral series 50, in transverse series 25; dorsal rays x11,12, first spine about equal to eye,
third spine longest and half length of head; anal rays m1,11, third spine longest; pectoral fin
1.5 times length of head; caudal fin forked. Color: sllvery, often with irregular dark brown
cross bands under certain conditions; the young with well defined blackish cross bands. (chry-
sops, golden-eyed.)

Fig. 132. Scup; Prn-FisH. Stenotomus chrysops.

This scup is found coastwise from Massachusetts to South Carolina and is
an abundant and important food fish in the northern part ofits range, but on the
North Carolina coast is not particularly numerous and has no economic value,
being “‘hardly noticed by the fishermen’’ and at Beaufort not distinguished from
the southern scup, Stenotomus aculeatus. The species is known as “pin-fish’’,
which seems to be the only local name. The maximum weight is about 4
pounds, but the usual weight is a pound or less. The scup feeds onshrimp, small
crabs, and other crustaceans, mollusks, worms and small fish. It bites readily
at the hook baited with fish or crab, and is often a nuisance when a fisherman is
seeking other fish. The flesh is of excellent flavor.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 297

259. STENOTOMUS ACULEATUS (Cuvier & Valenciennes).
“Pin-fish’’?; Southern Scup or Porgy.
Chrysophrys aculeatus Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, vi, 137, 1830; Charleston, S. C.

Stenotomus aculeatus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1347, pl. eexii. fig. 545; Cape Hatteras to Texas.

Draenosis.—Very similar to Stenotomus chrysops, the depth somewhat less than .5 length;
profile less steep than in the other species; head contained about 3.25 times in length; eye
larger, contained 3.75 to 4 times in head; snout long, .5 length of head; seales in lateral series
about 55, in transverse series 23; dorsal rays x11,12, the first spine shortest, the third longest;
anal rays 11,11. Color: dull silvery. (aculeatus, spiny.)

This species replaces the common scup southward, and is reported to be
common from Cape Hatteras to Texas. It is very similar to other species, and
is not distinguished therefrom by fishermen. There appear to be no definite
North Carolina records, but the species may undoubtedly be found at Cape
Fear, Beaufort, and other points.

bys
a Ni
se
Pes iio
Se

Fig. 133. Lona-sprnep Porey. Oérynter caprinus.

Genus OTRYNTER Jordan & Evermann. Long-spined Porgies.

Very similar to Stenotomus, but with differences in the structure of the
skull and dorsal spines. The antrorse dorsal spine is attached directly to the
interneural bone; the third, fourth, and fifth spines are long and filamentous,
the third being longer than head. One species. (Otrynter, one who whips, in
allusion to the long dorsal spines.)

298 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

260. OTRYNTER CAPRINUS (Bean).
Long-spined Porgy.
Stenotomus caprinus Bean, Proceedings U.S. National Museum, 1882, 426; snapper banks off Pensacola, Fla.

Otrynter caprinus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1345, pl. cexi, fig. 543.

DiaGnosis.—Body ovate, back elevated, depth more than .5 length; profile from mouth
to dorsal fin nearly straight; head .33 length; eye large, .33 head, .66 snout; mouth rather large,
maxillary longer than eye, incisor teeth in front of jaws small, in a compact group, molars in
2 rows; scales in lateral series 50, in transverse series 5+ 15; first row of scales on cheek enlarged;
a well-developed scaly sheath at base of soft dorsal and anal fins; dorsal rays x11,12, the first
2 spines very short, the third long and filamentous, the fourth and fifth similar; soft dorsal low;
anal rays 111,12, the spines large and strong; caudal slightly concave; pectorals long, pointed,
longer than head; ventrals long, reaching to anal fin. Color: back light green, sides and belly
silvery; body under certain conditions marked by irregular dark bars; young with indistinct,
narrow dark bars. (caprinus, goat-like.)

A rare species, hitherto known only from specimens taken from the stomachs
of snappers and groupers caught on the west coast of Florida. In the summer of
1904, 9 specimens, the largest 7 inches long, were taken in Beaufort Harbor, 2 in
a seine and 7 in a pound net. The larger fish are plainly colored, but a small
example is marked by irregular dark cross bands.

Genus CALAMUS Swainson. Porgies.

A numerous genus of small, well-flavored, American shore fishes, inhabiting
both coasts, only a single species as yet known from the Atlantic coast north
of Florida. The genus closely resembles Stenotomus, but the front teeth are
canine, the dorsal spines are lower, there is no antrorse spine on the first spine-
bearing interneural bone, the caudal fin is more deeply forked, etc. Body ovate
or oblong, back much elevated, head large and very deep, eye placed high on side
of head, snout long, mouth small or moderate, dorsal and anal fins low, pectoral
fin pointed and longer than head, second interhemal bone as in Stenotomus.
(Calamus, a reed or quill, in allusion to the quill-like interhemal bone.)

261. CALAMUS LEUCOSTEUS Jordan & Gilbert.
White-bone porgy.

Calamus leucosteus Jordan & Gilbert, in Jordan, Catalogue of Fishes of North America, 1885, 91; Charleston,
S.C. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1353.

DraGnosis.—Body short and deep, back elevated, depth a little less than .5 length; head
deeper than long, its length contained slightly more than 3 times in total length; profile straight
from snout to eyes, convex posteriorly; eyes large, about .28 length of head; maxillary .4
length of head; about 10 rather large canine teeth in each jaw; gill-rakers short, 12 to 14 on
first arch; scales in lateral series 50, in transverse series 7+15; scales on cheek in 5 rows;
dorsal rays x1,12, the highest spine less than half length of head; anal rays m1,10; caudal fin
well forked; pectorals very long, reaching as far back as base of third anal spine, and nearly
.4 total length; ventrals more than .5 as long as head. Color: dull silvery, with indefinite
dark cross-bars; dorsal and anal fins dark blotched. (lewcosteus, white-boned.)

The habitat of this porgy is quite circumscribed. It has heretofore been
recorded only from the Charleston (8. C.) market, where it is called “ white-bone

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 299

porgy”, a name of unknown application. The species is entitled to be listed in
the North Carolina fauna because of a specimen, 12 inches long, obtained by
Mr. H. H. Brimley at Wilmington in 1884 and now preserved in the State
Museum at Raleigh. This specimen was caught by a market fisherman off the
mouth of Cape Fear River, and the species may doubtless be looked for regu-
larly in that region. Like other members of the genus, it is a good food fish.

Genus LAGODON Holbrook. Sailor’s Choice.
This genus contains a single species, and is distinguished from related
genera chiefly by the form of the cranial bones; other characters are noted in the
key. (Lagodon, hare-tooth.)

262. LAGODON RHOMBOIDES (Linnezus).

“Robin”’; “Pin-fish’’; ‘'Thorny-back’’; Bream; Sailor’s Choice; Salt-water Bream
(S. C.); Fair Maid (Va.).

Sparus rhomboides Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 470, 1766; Charleston.

Lagodon rhomboides, Yarrow, 1877, 210; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 378; Beaufort. Goode, 1884,
393; Cape Hatteras, Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1358, pl. eexv, fig. 552. Linton, 1905, 380;
Beaufort. :

Diplodus rhomboides, Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887,90; Beaufort. Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort.

Fig. 134. Sartor’s Cuoice; Rosin. Lagodon rhomboides.

Diagenosis.—Form elliptical, the depth about .4 length; head rather pointed, profile not
steep, contained 3.25 times in total length; mouth small, maxillary not extending beyond
anterior margin of eye; 4 deeply notched incisors and 2 rows of molars in each jaw; eye less
than snout, .25 length of head, equal to interorbital space; gill-rakers 18 to 20; scales in lateral
series 65 to 70, in transverse series 28; dorsal rays x11,11, the first spine short and directed
forward, the longest spine about half length of head; anal rays 11,11, the second spine largest;
pectorals extending about to anal origin; caudal fin moderately forked. Life colors: dark
green above, silvery below; a round dark spot on shoulder about size of eye; 4 to 6 dark cross
bars about width: of eye; numerous golden longitudinal stripes; dorsal spines purplish or bluish
silvery, the membrane pale yellow, free edge of fin bright yellow; anal fin yellow, with a broad
light-blue margin; caudal and pectorals pale yellow; ventrals bluish white, with 2 middle mem-
branes pale yellow. (rhomboides, rhomb-like.)

300 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

This attractive little sparid abounds in the bays and estuaries from New
York to Cuba, and has on several occasions been taken in southern Massachu-
setts (at Woods Hole). Owing to an evident error in identification, Yarrow
listed this species as “not abundant’’, whereas it is an exceedingly abundant fish
at Beaufort and elsewhere on the North Carolina coast, where its local name are
“in-fish’? and “robin.” The name “pin-fish”’ refers to the dorsal spines,
which are exceedingly sharp and resemble ordinary pins in size and metallic color.
The name “thorny-back”’, applied to this fish in Topsail and Myrtle Grove
sounds, refers to the same thing.

The maximum length is about 10 inches and the usual length only 6 inches.
Fish of all sizes may be taken in Beaufort Harbor throughout the year, and in the
laboratory fine-meshed seines many thousands are caught yearly, in company
with spot, mullet, silversides, killi-fish, ete.

The food is quite varied, comprising small fish, worms, crustaceans, mollusks
and seaweed.

Fish opened at the laboratory in June and July (1899) had no obvious
reproductive organs, but ovarian eggs were noted on August 6 (1903). A large
male examined by Mr. Worth on November 20 (1903) was fully ripe, and it is
evident that the species breeds in winter.

Until very recently the species was not marketable in North Carolina and
when caught incidentally was thrown away; but it is now shipped from Beau-
fort and other points, ranking among the lowest grade of fishes, although it is by
many persons considered a superior pan fish. The principal catch is made in
New Hanover County, and in the Wilmington market the fish is regularly sold
from April to October, the fishermen receiving about 1 cent per pound. The
quantity sold in the entire state probably falls below 40,000 pounds yearly.

Genus ARCHOSARGUS Gill. Sheepsheads.

In this genus of American shore fishes, the body is stout, deep, compressed;
the rather small mouth has conspicuous, broad incisor teeth in front and strong
molars laterally; the posterior nostril is a mere slit in front of the eye; the
spinous dorsal is about twice length of soft part and the spines are strong, the first
spine being short and procumbent; the anal finis comparatively short; the caudal
is slightly forked or deeply concave; and in the North Carolina species the body
is marked by broad black transverse bands. Five species, the 1 represented in
local waters being the largest and most valuable of all. (Archosargus, chief
Sargus, the latter being an ancient name for fishes of this group.)

2638. ARCHOSARGUS PROBATOCEPHALUS (Walbaum).
“Sheepshead”’.

Sparus probatocephalus Walbaum, Artedi Genera Piscium, 295, 1792; New York.

Archosargus probatocephalus, Yarrow, 1877, 210; Cape Lookout and Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 379;
Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1361, pl. cexvi, fig. 554. Linton, 1905, 382; Beaufort.

Diplodus probatocephalus, Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 90; Beaufort.

N. C. GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY

PLATE

SHEEPSHEAD (ARCHOSARGUS PROBATOCEPHALUS)

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 301

DraGnosts.—Body very stout, deep, moderately compressed, the depth .4 to .5 length;
head large, heavy, deep, less than .33 length; bony area between eyes honeycombed; mouth hori-
zontal, maxillary .33 length of head; 3 broad incisors in upper jaw, 4 in lower jaw, these nearly
entire in adult bu: serrate in young; molar teeth in 3 rows in upper jaw and 2 series in lower
jaw; eye .20 to .25 length of head, less than interorbital space; gill-rakers 9 or 10; scales in
lateral series 45 to 50, in transverse series 22 to 24; dorsal rays x11,10 to xu1,12, the fifth spine
longest, the first equal to eye; anal rays 11,10 or m1,11, the second spine very strong and more
than twice length of first; caudal slightly forked; pectorals longer than head, extending beyond
origin of anal; ventrals large. Color: grayish, with 6 to 8 broad, black, nearly vertical bands
on body, these very distinct in young; dorsal fin dusky, anal and ventrals blackish, pectorals
dark at base. (probatocephalus, sheep-head.)

Fig. 135. SHerpsHeap. Archosargus probatocephalus.

The sheepshead is a well-known and valuable food fish, found from Massa-
chusetts to Texas. It reaches a weight of 20 pounds, and is often taken about
wharves, breakwaters, and sunken wrecks where food abounds. It feeds chiefly
on mollusks and crabs, which it is easily able to crush between its strong teeth.

The species occurs in all the bays and estuaries of the North Carolina
coast from spring to fall, but nowhere in great abundance. Writing about the
sheepshead at Beaufort about 35 years ago, Yarrow said:

Abundant in early spring; will not take the hook until later in season. In 1871, large
numbers were taken in the bight of Cape Lookout in nets. Size, 8 to 24 inches. A small
specimen was taken January 30, 1872, an early arrival.

At the spawning season, which is in spring, the sheepshead swim in schools,
and appear to prefer sandy shores. The eggs are about .03 inch in diameter, and
more than 1,500,000 are in a fluid quart. They float at the surface, and hatch
rapidly, only 40 hours being required in water of 76° or 77° F. The young are
active and hardy. At Beaufort young fish from 1.5 to 7 inches long are found in
the harbor in summer, and the variations in size suggest either a prolonged

302 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

spawning season or an irregular rate of growth; thus, during one year, in the
third week in August specimens only 1.5 inches long were seined, while in the
first week of the same month the young averaged 4 inches long, and in the last
week in July the average length was 5 inches. A specimens 2.75 inches over all
(2.25 inches to base of caudal), taken by the writer at Beaufort October 25,
1904, had the following colors in life: Body marked by 7 broad shining black cross
bands, separated by silvery spaces; dorsal dusky, the membrane of spinous part
with black edge; anal black; pectorals white; ventrals blue-black; tail white;
a round black humeral spot, larger than pupil, partly in second cross band and
partly in first interspace, on level with upper half of eye.

An old wrecked bark in the Beaufort Harbor was for a long time one of the
best places for hook and line fishing; this was blown up and removed by the
government in November, 1903. After the first explosion of dynamite 15 small
sheepshead 6 to 8 inches long were collected at the surface, and after the second
discharge 2 days later a number of others were found. Six days later, a small
trap at the laboratory wharf, which had been set a year and had caught no
sheepshead during that time, was found to contain 20 sheepshead of the same
size as those killed at the wreck; the following day, the 20 not having been
removed, the trap contained about 40.

The sheepshead is a much sought fish, and the comparatively small catch
indicates that it is not numerous at this time in North Carolina. It is taken for
market with lines, gill nets, seines, and pound nets, but the line catch is insig-
nificant except in Dare County. Carteret County ranks first in the amount of
the catch, followed by Dare, Beaufort, and Pamlico counties. The yield in 1890
was 146,345 pounds, valued at $5,981; in 1897 it was 271,205 pounds, valued at
$9,243; and in 1902 it was 154,930 pounds, valued at $7,303.

The sheepshead is deservedly regarded as one of the best of salt-water fishes.
The meat is white, flaky, juicy, and well flavored, and is usually prepared for the
table by boiling or baking.

Genus DIPLODUS Rafinesque. Sargoes, or Spot-tailed Pin-fishes.

This is essentially an old world genus, with a few American representatives.
Similar to Archosargus, but with bony interorbital region more cavernous; body
ovate, compressed, back elevated; incisor teeth broad, not notched; molar
teeth in several rows; gill-rakers short; dorsal spines about 12; color silvery,
with dark area on caudal peduncle. One species in local fauna. (Dzplodus,
double tooth.)

264. DIPLODUS HOLBROOKII (Bean).

“Spot-tailed Pin-fish’’; ‘‘Pin-fish’’; Ring-tailed Bream (S. C.); Salt-water Bream
(S. C.); Sailor’s Choice.

Sargus holdrookii Bean, Forest and Stream, June 13, 1878; Charleston, 8. C. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 379;
Beaufort.

Diplodus holbrookii, Goode, 1884, 386; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 90; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898,
1362, pl. cexvii, figs. 555 and 555a. Linton, 1905, 383; Beaufort.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 303

Dragnosis.—Dorsal and ventral outlines similar, depth .5 length; head short, a little less
than .25 length, longer and more pointed in young; 4 incisors in each jaw, directed obliquely
forward, 3 series of molars in upper jaw, 2 in lower jaw; eye .25 head, behind posterior end of
maxillary; gill-rakers on first arch about 20, very short, less than .25 diameter of eye; scales
in lateral series 55 to 57, in transverse series 20 to 22; dorsal rays x11,14, third to fifth spines
longest, less than half length of head; anal rays 111,13, second spine largest; caudal rather deeply
forked; pectorals pointed, reaching about as far as anal origin. Color: back dull blue, sides
and below silvery; a conspicuous black blotch or band on each side of anterior part of caudal
peduncle; opercular margin black; base of pectoral black; back and side of young with about
5 very narrow vertical dark stripes, with about same number of short intermediate stripes on
back. (Named for John Edwards Holbrook, author of Ichthyology of South Carolina.)

Fig. 136. Sport-rartep Prn-FisH. Dziplodus holbrookit.

This species is known from the coast between Cape Hatteras and Cedar
Keys. Jordan & Gilbert, writing of it in 1879, said:

Extremely abundant everywhere along the Beaufort shore. This species was first
described by Dr. Bean during the past year. That so strongly marked and so abundant a
species should have so long escaped notice is very remarkable. Its color is bright silvery, with
a large black blotch on the upper part of the caudal peduncle, which is very conspicuous while
the fish is in the water. It reaches but a small size, and is not at Beaufort used as food. The
fishermen call it pin-fish, and as such it is beneath their notice. Most of the fishermen, indeed,
did not distinguish it from Lagodon rhomboides.

The vernacular names for this fish in the Beaufort region and about Bogue
Inlet are “pin-fish” and “spot-tailed pin-fish’”. The maximum length of the
species is 10 about inches. In 1871 Dr. Coues collected at Beaufort a specimen
of this species now in the U. 8. National Museum, but failed to recognize it as
distinct from Stenotomus; and the species is not mentioned in Yarrow’s list.

304 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Family GERRID#. The Mojarras.

Small marine fishes, chiefly tropical, most readily distinguishable by their
small, very protractile mouth, which, when protruded, is turned downward.
Body more or less elongate, compressed, and covered with rather large scales;
a deep groove in top of head to receive premaxillary; no supplemental maxillary
bone; villiform teeth in jaws, no teeth on vomer or palatine bones; nostrils
round and double; gill-rakers short and broad; gill-membranes not united,
free from isthmus; lateral line continuous, more or less parallel with outline of
back; branchiostegals 6; air-bladder present; spinous and soft dorsal rays
united into one fin, with scaly sheath at base; dorsal spines 9 or 10; anal fin
with 2 or 3 spines and fewer soft rays than in dorsal; ventral fins thoracic, close
together. These fishes are carnivorous, and the larger ones are used as food,
but they have no economic value in the United States, although abundant in
Florida and other southern states. Four genera are represented in American
waters; of these only 1 is as yet known from North Carolina.

Genus EUCINOSTOMUS Baird & Girard. Mojarras, or Irish Pompanoes.

This genus embraces numerous small species, several of which are found
along the south Atlantic and Gulf coasts and in the West Indies. Body elongate;
dorsal fin deeply notched; anal spines 3; interhemal bone connected with
second anal spine expanded into a hollow cylinder into which the posterior end
of air-bladder is inserted. Two species found on North Carolina coast:

7. Premaxillary groove not scaled; anal rays 11,7; second anal spine contained 4.5 times in
length of head; depth of body contained 3.25 times in length .......... pseudogula.

it. Premaxillary groove scaled in front, the scales leaving a naked pit behind; anal rays 111,8;
second anal spine contained 3.33 times in length of head; depth of body contained 2.4
times in lem gb hiss. siete isd save svoleane le » Wk tcleveie weeiate ne eons chet cave eee eee gula.

(Eucinostomus, freely movable mouth.)

265. EUCINOSTOMUS PSEUDOGULA Poey.
Irish Pompano.

Eucinostomus pseudogula Poey, Enumeratio Piscium Cubensium, 53, pl.1,1875; Havana. Jordan & Evermann,
1898, 1368.

Diagenosis.—Body elliptical, not greatly compressed; head contained 3.25 to 3.50 times
in length; mouth small, maxillary extending a little beyond front of eye, its length contained
3.25 times in head; snout conical, contained 3.25 times in head; diameter of eye slightly
greater than length of snout; scales in lateral series 49, in transverse series 14; 3 rows of scales
on cheek; gill-rakers on lower arm of first arch 7; dorsal rays 1x,10 to 1x,12, the spines weak
and flexible; anal rays 11,6 or 11,7, the second spine stoutest, its length .22 head. Color:
greenish above, silvery below; snout and tips of spinous dorsal black; caudal reddish; other fins
pale. (pseudogula, false throat.)

This species, which has heretofore been known from Cuba, West Indies,
Bermuda, and Brazil, was taken at Beaufort in the summer of 1902, and several
additional specimens were taken there in September, 1905, which are preserved
in the laboratory collection. The maximum length of the species is about 7
inches.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 305

266. EUCINOSTOMUS GULA (Ouvier & Valenciennes.)
Silver Jenny; Irish Pompano.

Gerres gula Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, vi, 464, 1830; Martinique.
Eucinostomus argenteus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 378; Beaufort.

Gerres gula, Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887,91; Beaufort.

Eucinostomus gula, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1370. Linton, 1905, 383; Beaufort.

Diagenosis.—Body elliptical, back moderately elevated; length of head contained 3.33
times in total length; mouth small, maxillary reaching somewhat beyond front of eye; eye .33
length of head; snout .28 length of head; gill-rakers small, 7 below angle of first arch; scales in
lateral series 42, in transverse series 14; dorsal rays 1x,10, the longest spine .66 length of head;
anal rays 111,8, the second spine shorter and stouter than third, and contained 3.33 times in
length of head. Color: beautiful uniform silvery, the back dark greenish in certain lights;
upper margin of spinous dorsal black; soft dorsal and anal plain or dusky; other fins pale.
(gula, throat.)

The species ranges from North Carolina to Brazil, stragglers ascending the
coast in summer to New Jersey, New York, and southern Massachusetts. In
Beaufort Harbor the fish was abundant in 1902, more than a thousand specimens
1.5 to 2 inches long being seined incidentally; in the following year it was scarcer,
less than 100 being noticed. On October 24 and 25, 1905, the writer took
numerous specimens 2 to 4.25 inches long in Beaufort Harbor in company
with spots, silversides, and may-fish. The species is small (maximum length
5 inches) and no use is made of it. Examples examined at Beaufort in August
had been feeding chiefly on worms, but contained also crustaceans, diatoms, and
fragments of vegetable tissue.

Family KYPHOSIDA. The Rudder-fishes.

In this family the body is elongate or deep, compressed; mouth of moderate
size, with incisor teeth in front of each jaw, the vomer and palatines with or
without teeth; maxillary more or less sheathed by the preorbital; premaxillaries
moderately protractile; gill-membranes not united, free from isthmus; pseudo-
branchiz well developed; opercular margin entire; scales of varied size and
form; intestine long; air-bladder with 2 posterior horns; dorsal fin single or
divided, the spines strong, 10 to 15 in number, the soft part rather long and
either scaly or naked; anal fin with 3 spines and 10 to 19 soft rays; caudal
lunate or forked; ventrals with accessory scale at base. A rather numerous
family of shore fishes, which feed largely on green alge, some of them important
food species in Americaand Europe. Six American genera, only 1 represented on
the east coast of the United States.

Genus KYPHOSUS Lacépéde. Chubs or Chopas.

Body elongate-ovate, compressed; head short; snout blunt; mouth small,
horizontal, with a row of incisors in each jaw, a band of villiform teeth behind
them and small teeth on tongue, vomer, and palatines; gill-rakers long; scales
small, ctenoid, completely covering body, most of head, soft parts of vertical
fins and base of paired fins; lateral line continuous; pyloric cceca numerous;

306 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

dorsal fin continuous, a notch between the two parts; dorsal spines 11, depressible
in a scaly groove; anal similar to soft dorsal; caudal forked; pectorals small;
ventrals posterior to pectorals. Fivespeciesare American. (Kyphosus, humped.)

267. KYPHOSUS SECTATRIX (Linneus).
Rudder-fish; Chub.

Perca sectatrix Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 293, 1758; Carolina.

Pimelepterus bosci, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 379; Beaufort.

Kyphosus sectatrix, Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 90; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898,
1387, pl. eexix, fig. 559._ Linton, 1905, 383; Beaufort.

Draqnosis.—Body ovate, much compressed, depth slightly less than half length; length
of head contained 3.75 times in length of body; mouth quite small, maxillary barely extending
to eye; snout .25 head; eye equal to snout; interorbital area swollen; preopercle with weak
serrations; gill-rakers long, about 16 on long arm of first arch; scales in lateral series 55, in
transverse series 10+16; dorsal rays x1,12, the longest spine .2 depth of body; anal rays m1,11,
second spine longest; soft dorsal and anal very low; lower caudal lobe longer. Color: bluish
gray, edges of scales on back and sides brassy, this color forming faint longitudinal streaks; a
pale stripe below eye, with a yellow one above and below; ventrals and anal fins blackish; fins
otherwise grayish. (sectatriz, a follower.)

The rudder-fish is abundant in the West Indies, the Bermudas, and at Key
West, but is not common on our east coast and in Massachusetts occurs only as a
rare straggler. It is found occasionally in Beaufort Harbor, and is doubtless
uncommon outside. During 1906, 6 specimens were seined in the harbor, at
Bird Shoal and Town Marsh. On October 26, 1903, a Beaufort fisherman
caught one near Cape Lookout which was 14.5 inches long and weighed 1.75
pounds.

The rudder-fish, named from its habit of following vessels, has very marked
game qualities, and is an excellent food fish. Considerable numbers are caught
at Key West, and in the Bermudas it is one of the leading economic species.
The maximum length is 18 inches. Four specimens examined at Beaufort by
Prof. Edwin Linton in August, 1902, contained crabs, small bivalve shells,
vegetable debris, and sand.

Family SCIZNIDA. The Drums, Croakers, ete.

The drums are a numerous and important family found in temperate and
tropical waters in all parts of the world, and well represented in America by
many valuable food species. The name drum is strictly applicable only to
certain members which have the power of producing a loud drumming or croaking
sound, and only a few of these bear popular names which relate to this function.
The manner in which the drumming sound is made has been the subject of much
speculation, and is still not generally appreciated. From a recent discussion*
of this subject by the present writer, the following observations are extracted:

It is rather remarkable that so common a function as the drumming of fishes should have
remained so long misunderstood; that so much speculation should have been indulged in

* The drumming of the drum-fishes (Scienidz). Science, New York, Sept, 22, 1905, pp. 376-378.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 307

regarding a phenomenon so easily investigated in most parts of the world; and that a con-
spicuous specialized drumming muscle should have been either overlooked or ignored by
ichthyologists.

For several years, as opportunity was afforded, I have been studying the peculiar drum-
ming sounds made by those fishes in which this function is so strikingly developed that it has
determined the family name, the inquiries being in continuation of some observations and
experiments on the squeteague (Cynoscion regalis) carried on by Professor R. W. Tower, at
Woods Hole, in 1901 and 1902, and noted by me in the Report of the U. 8S. Fish Commissioner
for 1902 (page 137).

The drumming act has been more thoroughly studied in the squeteague than in any other
scienid species; and the facts regarding it, as determined by Professor Tower, may here be
repeated substantially as stated by me in 1902 (I. c.), but in somewhat greater detail:

1. There is in the squeteague a special drumming muscle, lying between the abdominal
muscles and the peritoneum and extending the entire length of the abdomen on either side of
the median line, the muscles of the two sides being united dorsally by a strong aponeurosis.
The muscle is of a decided red color, in sharp contrast to the pale muscles of the abdominal
parietes, and the fibers are very short, running at right angles to the long axis of the muscle.

2. Themuscle, with the aponeurosis, is in close relation with the large air-bladder, and by
its rapid contractions produces a drumming sound, with the aid of the tense air-bladder, which
acts as a resonator. Experimentally, the removal of the air-bladder or the section of the
nerves supplying the muscle abolishes the sound; if a removed air-bladder is restored to its
place the drumming is resumed; and the substitution for a removed air-bladder of any hollow,
thin-walled vessel of suitable size permits the resumption of drumming when the special
muscle is stimulated.

3. The muscle exists only in the males, and only the males are able to make a drumming
sound.

It is probable the drumming mechanism and function as existing in the squeteagues are
typical of a majority of the genera of Scienide; but there are some interesting variations in
the limited number of genera which I have been able to examine in the field and laboratory.
Thus in the croaker (Micropogon undulatus) the special drumming muscle is present in both
male and female, and both sexes make the drumming sound; while in the so-called king-fishes
or whitings (Menticirrhus) the drumming muscle and air-bladder are absent in both sexes and
no drumming sounds are made. The seven commonest genera of drum-fishes found along the
Atlantic coast may be thus classified with reference to the drumming function:

i. Drumming muscle present in both male and female, and drumming sound made by both
BERGE cold Sola nit GI Oe An OSD 0-0 lO FRESH 5.0 Bi cin Dip Onn CIO OIOC ice Ciena Ininer room Micropogon.

ii. Drumming muscle present only in male, and drumming sound produced only by the male.
Pogonias, Scienops, Cynoscion, Leiostomus, Bairdiella.

iii. Drumming muscle absent in both male and female, and no drumming sound produced_ by
CUTTEP GES os Go bao oo pO CONS Abo ae DUG Nd ob BOM OUD coum too Daniada Otc Menticirrhus.

The fishes of this family in North Carolina are in the aggregate more valuable
than all the other salt-water fishes combined. The annual catch exceeds
7,000,000 pounds and is worth over $225,000.

The most important anatomical characters of this family are as follows:
Body elongate, variously compressed, covered with scales which are usually
thin ctenoid; head large, scaly, bones cavernous; mouth large or small, teeth in
one or more series on jaws, no teeth on vomer, palatals, pterygoids or tongue;
barbels sometimes present on chin; maxillary bone without supplemental bone,
slipping under edge of usually broad preorbital; premaxillaries protractile;
gill-membranes not united; and free from isthmus, branchiostegals 7.; pseudo-
branchiz usually present and large; posterior margin of opercle with 2 flat

308 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

points; lateral line continuous, curved, and extending on caudal fin; dorsal fins
continuous or separate, the soft portion longer; anal fin with 1 or 2 spines and
comparatively few soft rays; caudal fin usually square or emarginate; ear bones
or otoliths (“lucky stones’’) large; air-bladder (absent in 1 genus) usually large.
Of 28 genera and about 110 species found in American waters, 10 genera and 14
species are represented in the North Carolina fauna.

Key to North Carolina genera of Scienide.

7. Dorsal spines well separated; dorsal rays 17 to 32.
a. No barbels on lower jaw.
b. Body elongate, fusiform; back not elevated; mouth large, lower jaw projecting; 2
canine teeth at tip of upper jaw; none at tip of lower jaw............. CYNOSCION.
bb. Body less elongate, compressed, back elevated; no canine teeth in jaws.
c. Teeth well developed, permanent in both jaws.
d. Gill-rakers long and slender; no black spot at base of tail.
e. Head not very broad, interorbital space not spongy or cavernous; lower jaw
projecting.
j. Snout very short, less than diameter of eye; mouth large, very oblique;
no bony ‘teeth on margin’ of preopercle 5 .2.4..56. see oe LARIMUS.
jf. Snout moderate, equal to or greater than diameter of eye; mouth moderate,
slightly oblique; margin of preopercle serrate ............ BAIRDIELLA.
ee. Head very broad above, the interorbital space flat, cavernous, the septa very
thin; lower jaw equal to or shorter than upper.......... STELLIFER.
dd. Gill-rakers short and thick; one (sometimes several) black spot at base of tail.
ScraNOPS.
cc. Teeth very small, those in lower Jaw wanting or deciduous; mouth small, inferior.
LEIOSTOMUS.
aa. Barbels on lower jaw.
g. A row of minute barbels on each side of lower jaw; air bladder with long horns.

MiIcrOpoGon.

gg. A single thick barbel at tip of lower jaw; air-bladder absent...... MENTICIRRAUS.
ggg. Numerous large barbels along inner edge of each side of lower jaw; air-bladder very
large, thick, and withiringed appendages..o. -...st--- sss seine seein PoGoONIAS.

1. Dorsal:spines ‘close together; dorsal rays’36'tO 00-. .<. cc). ose be ceiaet sae sue eele EQUEs.

Genus CYNOSCION Gill. Squeteagues or “Sea Trouts’’.

Large coastal fishes, some of them of great economic importance, found on
both coasts of America and also in the old world. Body long, graceful, very
slightly compressed; head pointed; mouth large, terminal, maxillary broad;
teeth in narrow bands, 2 canines at tip of upper jaw (1 sometimes obsolete);
gill-rakers long and rather stout; pseudobranchiz present; dorsal fins very close
together, the spines slender, soft dorsal long and low; anal spines 1 or 2, feeble,
soft rays 7 to 13; caudal fin slightly concave or slightly rounded; air-bladder
large, 2-horned. Of the 20 or more American species, the following 3 occur
regularly on the east coast of the United States.

7. Soft rays of dorsal and anal fins more or less closely sealed; gill-rakers long and slender, 9 to
12 on lower arm of first arch.

a. Coloration nearly uniform silvery. ia secs. ci sto piers ed oe ays Be oe a a cee nothus.

aa. Body marked by numerous irregular dark blotches, some of which form wavy oblique

lines running forward and downward ............ “av ae-fonaite leet sah ores tecac tena eer nee regalis.

wi. Soft rays of dorsal and anal fins scaleless; gill-rakers comparatively short and thick, 6 to 8

on lower arm of first arch; body covered with round black spots............ nebulosus.

The catch of squeteagues or “sea trouts” in this state during the past 25
years has ranged from 1,000,000 to 4,000,000 pounds annually, and in that time
has aggregated over 60,000,000 pounds, valued at not less than $1,800,000. The

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 309

quantity taken and sold in each of 4 widely separated years beginning in 1880
was as follows:.

YEAR. PounpDs. VALUE.
1S () ENS eh re NTS ee tele a Ns cede coal tale shale iehave Miele fe 1,120,000 $25,550
LSS) () eee ieee Te MP Ie cer se ocx sieyrods ho. due te) orm wilelisi ela Gasuevonerers 1,885,680 48,856
IS Qieemnrnem ent aia, ccs ce clic) ec cuen acer avarisy on Sue leieTn end, cuate eel elds SenehsLe lo euecae! w 3,090,255 95,219
HS) Da NTT Sore ie ss ore EI seat Sn chee eA cha elena tee ib a,e Gs alle bi 3,781,455 156,247

(Cynoscion, dog drum.)

268. CYNOSCION NOTHUS (Holbrook).
Silver Squeteague; Bastard Trout (S. C.).

Otolithus nothus Holbrook, Ichthyology of South Carolina, 134, pl. 19, fig. 1, 1860; South Carolina,
Cynoscion nothus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1406, pl. cexx, fig. 561.

Draenosis.—Body rather deep and more compressed. than in other species; head con-
tained 3.5 times in total length; mouth rather small, maxillary extending to posterior margin
of pupil; snout short, contained 4.5 times in length of head; eye large, .25 length of head; gill-
rakers about 13, 9 being on lower arm of arch, the longest .5 diameter of eye; scales in lateral
series 58 to 62, in transverse series 13; lateral line curved anteriorly, straight posteriorly to
7th dorsal spine; dorsal rays x+1,27 (to 29), the soft dorsal scaled throughout; anal rays 11,9
or 11,10; caudal fin well rounded. Color: silvery gray above, very finely spotted on back
and on sides to level of pectorals, silvery below; snout and tip of lower jaw blackish; inside of
mouth white; upper fins dusky, lower fins white. (nothus, bastard.)

Zo.

ES
we
Saye

sheRA Wwe i
. aR
ae

Sabina

Fig. 137. SinveR SQUETEAGUE. Cynoscion nothus.

This is the least abundant and least known of the squeteagues of the east
coast of the United States. It has been found in Chesapeake Bay, South
Carolina, and Florida, but has not heretofore been recorded from North Carolina.
On September 1, 1899, a small specimen, now in the Beaufort laboratory, was
taken ina beam trawl, in 9 fathoms of water, 2 miles southeast of Beaufort
Inlet.

310 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

269. CYNOSCION REGALIS (Bloch & Schneider).

“Trout’’; “Sea Trout’’; ‘Gray Trout’’; ‘Summer Trout’’; Weak-fish; Squeteague;
Yellow-finned Trout (S. C.); Shad Trout; Sun Trout.

Johnius regalis Bloch & Schneider, Systema Ichthyologize, 75, 1801; New York.

Cynoscion regalis, Yarrow, 1877, 209; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 377; Beaufort. TEarll, 1887, 493;

coast near Wilmington. Jenkins, 1887, 91; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1407, pl. cexx, fig.
562. Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort. Linton, 1905, 384; Beaufort.

DiaGnosis.—Body elongate, very slightly compressed, depth contained 4 to 4.25 times
in total length; head large, contained 3.33 times in length; mouth large, maxillary extending
beyond pupil and contained 2.16 times in length of head; teeth sharp, canines large; snout
contained 4 to 4.33 times in head; eye .14 to .20 head, .75 snout; gill-rakers long and sharp, 16
in number, 11 on lower arm of arch; scales in lateral series about 56, in transverse series about
17; dorsal rays x+1,26 (to 29); anal rays 11,11 to 11,13; caudal very slightly concave; pectorals
short, .6 head. Color: silvery purple and other reflections; head, back and sides marked by
numerous small irregular blackish blotches, mostly arranged in wavy oblique lines; dorsal and
caudal fins dusky; ventral, anal, and lower margin of caudal yellow. (regalis, royal.)

Fig. 138. SqupTeaguE; WEAK-FISH. Cynoscion regalis.

This species is found along our coast from southern New England to the Gulf
States, and is very abundant from North Carolina northward, being caught for
market in large quantities and being the most valuable member of the drum
family in United States waters. It goes in schools, which may contain many
thousands of individuals, and the fish composing a given school are ordinarily
of thesame size. The usual weight is about 2 pounds, but many fish weigh 4 to 6
pounds, and examples weighing 10 to 12 pounds are occasionally met with, the
maximum known weight being 30 pounds.

The common names of this species are numerous, and some of them are very
improper. Weak-fish and squeteague are those most frequently employed on
the northern part of the east coast; but in the Southern States “trout” and its
compounds are in general use. The names applied in North Carolina are “trout”’,
“sea trout”, “summer trout’’, and “gray trout’’.

In North Carolina this species is much less abundant than the “spotted
trout”’, although it is-by no means uncommon, Like the other species, it is
present almost throughout the year. Itistaken in “sink nets” in winter, and with
drag nets, drift nets, and hook and line in spring and fall. The catch is smaller
than formerly, and the market value of the fish is less than that of the ‘“‘spotted
trout”’.

GEOLOGICAL

AND ECONOMIC SURVEY

PLATE

15

A HOEN& CO

WEAKFISH (CYNOSCION REGALIS)

’

SQUETEAGUE

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 311

Mr. 8. G. Worth reports that a “trout numb” occurred at Beaufort during
the last week in November, 1903; on the 27th the weather became cold very
suddenly, and on the 28th many gray trout were picked up by numerous fisher-
men, the fish floating or on the shores and just able to move their fins. One
boat with 2 men secured 900 pounds.

Menhaden and small school fishes generally are preyed on by the weak-fish,
which is an extremely voracious species. Crabs, shrimps, annelids, and various
other invertebrates are also eaten.

The spawning season is in late spring or early summer. The eggs are
buoyant, very numerous, and about .036 inch in diameter, and hatch in 2 days
in water of 60° F,

270. CYNOSCION NEBULOSUS (Cuvier & Valenciennes).

“Trout”; “Speckled Trout”; “Sea Trout’’; “Salmon Trout’’; ‘‘Black Trout’:
“‘Salmon”’; Spotted Weak-fish; Spotted Squeteague; Southern Squeteague.

Otolithus nebulosus Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, v, 79, 1830.

Cynoscion carolinensis, Yarrow, 1877, 309; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 377; Beaufort.

Cynoscion maculatum, Goode, 1884, 365: North Carolina. Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. TEarll, 1887, 486, 493;
Beaufort, Morehead, and coast near Wilmington. Jenkins, 1887, 91; Beaufort. Wilson, 1900, 355;
Beaufort.

Cynoscion nebulosus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1409, pl. eexxi, fig. 563. Linton, 1905, 385; Beaufort.

ce
Ny. ath as

SPR Rye

yy A eaneanhenty
Renu Nh Bay

sees

Ree et

Fig. 139. Sporrep SQUETEAGUE; SOUTHERN SQUETEAGUE. Cynoscion nebulosus.

Diacnosis.—Body elongate, somewhat compressed, depth contained 4.5 times in length;
head large, contained 3.5 times in length; maxillary extending to posterior border of orbit;
snout long, sharp, contained 3.75 times in head; eye .14 to .16 head; gill-rakers short and
thick, longest not longer than pupil, 11 in number, 7 on arm of arch; scales in lateral series
70 to 75, in transverse series 20; dorsal rays x+1,25 (to 27), longest spines less than .5 head;
caudal slightly concave. Color: silvery, back darker and marked posteriorly by numerous
round black spots; caudal and dorsal fins similarly spotted. (nebulosus, clouded.)

While the spotted weak-fish is found from New York to Texas, it is rare
north of Chesapeake Bay, from which region southward it begins to replace the
other species, Cynoscion regalis. It swims in schools, and preys on all kinds of
small fishes, and is itself eaten by blue-fish, drum, and northern squeteague.
The average weight is 3 to 4 pounds, but larger fish are common and a weight

312 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

of 10 pounds is not infrequently attained. One of the largest examples of the
spotted squeteague ever caught and possibly the largest ever recorded was
taken in Neuse River in the winter of 1903-4 and exhibited in New Bern by
Mr. George N. Ives, who reports that the fish weighed 16.5 pounds.

The local names applied to the species are indefensible, but will probably
never be supplanted by appropriate ones. Besides “trout”? and “sea trout’’,
which are shared by its congener, the northern squeteague, it is known as the
“speckled trout’, “salmon trout”, and “salmon”. Mr. W. H. Yopp reports
the name “black trout” as in use among the Wilmington fishermen, by whom
the other species is called “summer trout”. Spotted weak-fish and spotted
squeteague are the best names, and their use should be encouraged.

The fish is very abundant in North Carolina, and it is the principal member of
the drum family in that state from the economic standpoint. Yarrow’s notes
on the fish as observed at Beaufort in 1871-2 are interesting because of the
changes that have occurred; he wrote:

Very abundant from February to June, April being considered the best month; are taken
at this time in nets only as they will not take the hook until September, upon their return from
the northward. The roe in female specimens was found to be quite large in April. Size from
6 to 36 inches; one specimen, taken in September, 1871, with hook, measured 24 inches in length
and weighed 3? pounds, In 1872 the species first appeared January 9, which was considered
unusually early.

The susceptibility of the squeteagues to cold, as was illustrated in the case
of the preceding species, is shown also for the spotted squeteague in the following
account of N. E. Armstrong, of Onslow County:

When we have extremely cold and cloudy weather, and I believe also windy weather for
three or four days, the trout at the mouth of New River are benumbed, and on the first sunny
day, rise to the surface, and after a day or two die and sink to the bottom or are washed ashore.
As soon as they rise, there are generally hundreds of men ready with nets, dip nets, gigs, and
in some instances nothing but their hands and boats, to pick them up. They are sometimes
washed ashore in long heaps, two and three feet deep, for a considerable distance. When
these ‘“numbs” occur it is generally known throughout this and adjoining counties, and carts
and wagons come for the fish by hundreds, sometimes from a distance of fifty or sixty miles.
There was a “numb” in January, 1877, and another in the winter of 1879, about the same
time, but they do not occur frequently.*

It is interesting to observe that in the note on this species in Lawson’s
work (1709) reference is made to the same phenomenon:

Trouts of the salt water are exactly shaped like the trouts in Europe, having blackish, not
red spots. They are in the Salts, and are not red within, but white, yet a very good fish. They
are so tender that if they are in or near fresh water, and a sudden frost come, they are benum’d
and float on the surface of the water, as if dead; and then they take up canoe-loads of
them. If you put them into warm water, they perfectly recover.

The egg of this species is somewhat smaller than that of the northern
squeteague, and hatches in 40 hours in water of 77°F. The spawning grounds
are the bays and sounds.

*American Fishes.. By G. Brown Goode. New York, 1888. P. 119.

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No recent statistics have been gathered to show the relative catch of
“spotted trout” and “gray trout” in this state. In 1880 the yield of the former
was 950,000 pounds as against only 170,000 pounds of the latter. Dr. Coker
contributes the following data pertaining to the year 1903 and the seasons imme-
diately preceding in the Beaufort region:

The spotted trout is taken now in spring and fall as it was formerly, but not in such
quantities as in winter. The special value of this fish to the fisherman at present is that it is
caught during the winter when other fish are scarce. The winter fishing is of recent develop-
ment, and large schools of spotted trout are now found. It is hardly to be supposed that
fishermen who sail up and down the sounds and bays, and whose daily experience trains their
eyes to detect schools of fish, have for years overlooked such schools as now appear in frequented
or easily accessible places. Presumably, the presence of these schools in winter presents
something new and unexplained. Possibly the explanation could be found in changed condi-
tions at some other originally frequented place. Sometimes a school of trout is found in
some creek where it is possible to hem them in and hold them. Then by some device the law
against placing an obstruction entirely across such creeks is evaded or disregarded, and the
entire school of possibly ten or fifteen thousand pounds is taken out at once, or in installments.
Two years ago an immense catch was made in this way; the figures cannot be given, but one
dealer states that he received 60,000 pounds from this one school and estimates that it con-
tained over 100,000 pounds.

Spotted trout, formerly classed with the gray trout, are now in better and growing demand
and are regarded as less deserving of the name weak-fish, as the flesh is firmer and keeps better.
To the fishermen they are worth 2 cents a pound more than the squeteague, which means about
double the price of the latter. Formerly there was a good demand for the sounds of trout,
the price ranging from 75 cents to $1.25 per pound. A unique instrument was devised by
means of which the sounds could be extracted through the throat and gill cleft, without other
injury to the fish, which were afterwards strung or boxed and sold. The essential part of
this instrument was the ‘‘hook’’, a piece of stiff wire hooked at the end and filed sharp. The
hook might or might not have a “‘gouger” of wood attached. Now only one dealer ships the
sounds, receiving 25 to 30 cents per pound.

In the Cape Fear region this fish is caught mostly from September to May;
it weighs 2 to 10 pounds and brings twice as much per pound as the “ gray trout”’.

Genus LARIMUS Cuvier & Valenciennes.

Small American shore fishes, with elongate, compressed body; large,
terminal mouth, which is vertical or very oblique; short snout; projecting lower
jaw; very small teeth; no bony teeth on preopercle; well developed pseudo-
branchie; long and slender gill-rakers. Six known species, 1 found on coast of
United States. (Larimus, a name whose significance has not been stated.)

271. LARIMUS FASCIATUS Holbrook.
Bullhead (S. C.); Chub (S. C.); Banded Drum.

Larimus fasciatus Holbrook, Ichthyology of South Carolina, 153, pl. 22, fig. 1, 1860; Charleston. Jordan &
Evermann, 1898, 1424.

DraGnosis.—Body much compressed, back elevated, depth .33 length; head contained

3.5 times in total length; length of snout contained 5.5 times in head; maxillary .5 length of

head, extending as far as posterior third of eye; teeth small, in single series in each jaw; eye

.25 head; minute cilia on preopercle; gill-rakers as long as eye, 36 in number, 24 being below

314 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

angle; scales large, ctenoid, about 50 in lateral series, 14 to 16 in transverse series; dorsal rays
x +1,24 to 26, third and fourth spines contained 2} times in head; anal rays 1,5 or 01,6, second
spine .33 length of head. Color: grayish olive above, silvery white below; 7 to 9 dark. vertical
bars extending from back to middle of sides; anal, ventrals, and lower rays of caudal yellow;
cheeks, opercles, inside of mouth, and gill-eavity light yellow. (fasciatus, banded.)

The regular range of this species is Chesapeake Bay to Texas, but stragglers
have been found as far north as Massachusetts (Woods Hole). It is not common
anywhere, and has not heretofore been recorded from North Carolina. Within
the past few years several specimens have been collected at Beaufort, and 3
about 3 inches long, obtained in 1902, are now in the laboratory at that place.
The species probably does not exceed 1 foot in length.

Genus BAIRDIELLA Gill. Mademoiselles.

Sniall American shore fishes, mostly of a plain silvery color, with moder-
ately elongate, compressed body; elevated back; somewhat oblique mouth,
with small teeth in several rows; slender gill-rakers; toothed margin of preoper-
cle; and continuous dorsal fin. The species are mostly subtropical, only 1 being
known from the United States. (Named for Spencer Fullerton Baird, late U. 8.
Commissioner of Fisheries and Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.)

272. BAIRDIELLA CHRYSURA (Lacépéde).

“Perch’’; “White Perch”’; ‘Sand Perch”’; “Yellow-finned Perch’’; “Silver Perch”’;”
Yellow-tail.

Dipterodon chrysurus Lacépéde, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, iii, 64, 1802; South Carolina.

Bairdiella punctata, Yarrow, 1877, 210; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 377; Beaufort.

Sciena chrysura, Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 90; Beaufort,

Bairdiella chrysura, Goode, 1884, 375; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1433, pl. cexxii, fig. 566. Linton,
1905, 387; Beaufort.

Fig. 140. Yretirow-tain. Bairdiella chrysura.

Draenosis.—Body oblong, compressed, the depth .33 total length; head contained 3.33
to 3.50 times in length; snout short and blunt, as long as eye; maxillary extending beyond

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 315

pupil; teeth in lower jaw in a close-set series, with a few smaller teeth in front, teeth in upper
jaw in a villiform band, with a series of small canines outside; preopercle serrate; gill-rakers
long and slender, 24 in number, 16 on lower arm; scales in lateral series about 50, in transverse
series 20; dorsal rays x1+1,22; anal rays 0,10; caudal, double truncate; soft dorsal and anal
scaled for about half their height. Color: dull greenish above, silvery below; upper parts with
minute dark specks which form streaks along sides; fins mostly yellow; peritoneum white.
(chrysura, golden-tailed. )

The yellow-tail, which is known as “perch”, “silver perch”’, “white perch”’,
“Yellow finned perch’’, and “sand perch” in North Carolina, frequents the shore
of the Middle Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Gu'f States. It abounds in the
North Carolina sounds, estuaries, and salt waters generally from early spring
to late fall, and may be present in winter on the southern part of the coast.
Its maximum length is only about 8 inches, and it is therefore tov small to be
of great economic value, but it is an excellent pan fish, comparable with the
spot. The male yellow-tails make a faint drumming sound, which usually lasts
5 to 10 seconds; while the sound -continues the abdomen is flattened and the
sides rise slightly. The air-bladder is similar to that of the squeteagues, con-
sisting of a long cylindrical body, a head, and two short horns. The drum-
ming muscles are connected by a stout tendon or aponeurosis.

Spawning of the yellow-tails at Beaufort occurs during late April and early
May. By June the young of the year are about an inch long, and during summer
specimens of all sizes from 1 to 7 inches long are observed.

Genus STELLIFER Oken.

Small American fishes, allied to Bairdiella, chiefly distinguished by the
spongy and cavernous structure of the skull, which is broad and flattened
between the eyes. Of the numerous species, only 1 is known from the United
States coasts. (Stellijer, star-bearing, in allusion to the radiating lines on the

suborbital.)
273. STELLIFER LANCEOLATUS (Holbrook).
Homoprion lanceolatus Holbrook, Ichthyology of South Carolina, ed. i, 168, pl. 23, 1856: Port Royal Sound,
Beaufort, 8. C.
Stellifer lanceolatus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1443.

DiaGnosis.—Body elongate, compressed, depth contained about 3.33 times in length;
head short, deep, equal to depth; mouth moderate, maxillary extending to pupil; snout short,
about .25 length of head; eye .2 length of head; 6 to 8 spines on preopercle; teeth in upper
jaw in broad bands; interorbital space .33 length of head; gill-rakers .75 diameter of eye, 35
in number, 22 on lower arm of first arch; scales in lateral series 47 to 50, in transverse series
13; dorsal fins continuous; dorsal rays x1+1,20 (to 23), the spines slender, the soft rayslow and
of uniform length; anal rays 01,7 or 11,8; caudal fin with its central rays longest; first ventral
ray filiform. Color: bluish gray above, silvery white below; a series of small black spots at base
of dorsal fin; fins more or less yellow. (lanceolatus, lanceolate, in allusion to the shape of the
caudal.)

This small, rare drum, heretofore known from South Carolina to Texas in
rather deep water, was found at Beaufort in the summer of 1903, and 2 specimens
about 3 inches long are now in the laboratory museum. The maximum length
appears to be only 6 inches.

316 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Genus LEIOSTOMUS Lac€péde. Spots.

This genus, which contains only 1 known species, is characterized by a
comparatively short, elevated, compressed body, with short, obtuse head, small
mouth, rounded snout, toothless lower jaw, entire preopercular margin, cor-
tinuous dorsal fins, the anterior high and with 10 spines, and short gill-rakers.
(Leiostomus, smooth mouth.)

274. LEIOSTOMUS XANTHURUS Lacépéde.
“Spot”; ‘‘Jimmy’’; Chub (S. O.); Roach (Va.); Goody; Lafayette.

Leiostomus xanthurus Lacépéde, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, iv, 439, pl. 10, fig. 1, 1802; Carolina. Yarrow,
1877, 210; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 377; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. TEarll, 1887,
486, 493; Beaufort region and coast near Wilmington Jenkins, 1887, 90; Beaufort. Jordan & Ever-
mann, 1898, 1458, pl. cexxiii, fig. 569. Linton, 1905, 391; Beaufort.

Leiostomus obliquus, Yarrow, 1877, 210; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 377; Beaufort.

Fig. 141. Spor. Leiostomus xanthurus.

DiaGnosis.—Back elevated, much compressed in front of dorsal, depth .33 length; head
contained about 3.5 times in total length; snout blunt, contained about 3.5 times in head;
mouth small, horizontal, slightly inferior, maxillary extending to pupil; eye shorter than snout,
about .25 length of head; gill-rakers short and slender, about 30 in number, 22 below angle;
scales strongly ctenoid, number in lateral series 60 to 70, in transverse series about 20; dorsal
rays X+ 1,30 (to 32), the longest spine (third) .66 length of head; soft dorsal with a sheath of
scales along its base; anal rays 11,12; pectorals as long as head; ventrals .33 shorter; caudal
slightly forked. Color: bluish gray above, silvery below; back and sides with 12 to 15 narrow
bronze or yellow bands extending obliquely downward and forward; a round bronze or yellow
spot on shoulder; fins pale yellow, the soft dorsal with a row of pale blue spots involving only-
the membranes, the caudal margin black. (xanthurus, yellow-tailed.)

The spot, which gets its name from the round mark on its shoulder, inhabits
the east coast of the United States from Massachusetts to Texas, and is one of
the most abundant and best known of our food fishes. It abounds in the
sounds and other coastal waters of North Carolina, and often enters water that
is perfectly fresh. In spring, during the shad fishery, it is found throughout

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SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 317

Albemarle Sound, being frequently taken in the shad seines and pound nets of
the Avoca section. In the Beaufort region the spot is exceedingly abundant,
being exceeded in numbers only by mullet among the staple food fishes. The
fish is known almost everywhere in the state as “spot”’, but the name “jimmy”
is also in quite general use.

The species seldom exceeds 10 inches in length and averages only 6 or 7
inches. One of the largest specimens of which a record has been made was
collected by Mr. Worth at Cape Lookout in November, 1903; it was a ripe male
13 inches long over all, 11 inches to base of tail, and 4 inches deep.

The mouth of the spot is small and weak, and the foot consists chiefly of
little invertebrates (mollusks, crustaceans, annelids, sea-urchins, ete.) and
young or small fishes. Sea-weeds are not infrequently found in the stomach,
but whether they are taken intentionally is not known.

The male spots makes a drumming sound which is not nearly so loud as
that produced by the croaker, the air-bladder being very thin and the special
drumming muscle only slightly developed.

Spawning occurs in North Carolina in late fall or early winter in the salt-
water sounds and inlets, but no special observations on the eggs have been
made. The very young may be found in great abundance at Beaufort in late
winter, and from that time until maturity the growth of the fish may be observed
in all the local waters south of Cape Hatteras. In the early part of March the
young are about 1 inch long, but some examples only .5 inch long are noted at
Beaufort as late as April 1. By the middle of April they have attained a length
of 1.6 to 1.75 inches, and by the middle of May they average 2 to 2.25 inches.
By June 15 fish 3 to 3.5 inches long are met with, and by the end of that month
specimens 4 inches long may be taken. Through the summer the growth
continues rapid, and it would seem that spawning size may be reached within
a year after hatching. The very young are marked with vague oblique bars,
but the characteristic color pattern and the shoulder spot do not appear till the
fish are about 2 inches long.

The spot does not support a special fishery in this state, but is taken inci-
dently in seines, gill nets, and pound nets in all the coastal counties, the bulk of
the catch being credited to Dare, Carteret, Hyde, and New Hanover counties
in the order given. In 1890 the quantity sold was 408,260 pounds, worth
$10,862. By 1897 the product had increased to 849,980 pounds, valued at
$14,197. The yield in 1902 was 872,695 pounds, for which the fishermen
received $20,116; of this quantity 208,800 pounds, worth $7,384, were salted.

In North Carolina, as elsewhere, the spot ranks high as a food and is by
many persons regarded as the best of the salt-water pan fishes. There is a
good demand for North Carolina spots in Baltimore, Washington, and other mar-
kets of the Chesapeake region, and the fish is also rated high as a salt fish for local
consumption.

318 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Genus MICROPOGON Cuvier & Valenciennes. Croakers.

Moderate sized American shore fishes, with somewhat elongate body; large
rounded snout; strongly serrate preopercle; teeth in villiform bands; a row of
short, slender barbels on each side of chin; short gill-rakers; bitruncate caudal
fin; and air-bladder with long, slender lateral horns. Of the 5 or 6 known species,
only 1 inhabits the waters of the United States. (Micropogon, small beard.)

275. MICROPOGON UNDULATUS (Linnezus).
““Croaker’’; ‘‘Orocus’’; ‘‘Hard-head’’.

Perca undulata Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 483, 1766; South Carolina.

Micropogon undulatus, Yarrow, 1877, 210; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 378; Beaufort. Goode, 1884,
378; Beaufort. Earll, 1887, 493; coast near Wilmington. Jenkins, 1887, 90; Beaufort. Jordan &
Evermann, 1898, 1461, pl. cexxiv, fig. 570. Linton, 1905, 394; Beaufort.

DiaGnosis.—Form stout, back moderately elevated and compressed, depth contained 3.3
times in total length; head large, equal to depth, snout prominent, twice length of eye; mouth
small, horizontal, the maxillary barely reaching front of eye; eye .2 length of head or less; gill-
rakers about 23, 16 below angle; scales in lateral series about 55, in transverse series 28; dorsal
rays X+ 1,28 (or 29), the spinous part high, the longest spine a little less than .5 length of head;
anal rays 11,7, the longest ray equal to longest dorsal spine; pectorals pointed, .6 head. Color:
brassy or grayish silvery above, silvery white below; back profusely spotted with dark brown,
the spots smaller than scales and irregularly arranged; sides marked with numerous wavy, dark
brown oblique stripes, longest anteriorly and becoming very short under posterior end of soft
dorsal fin where they terminate; both dorsal fins with numerous small dark spots; caudal dusky
greenish; other fins pale yellow. (undulatus, wavy.)

Fig. 142. CroaKxer. Micropogon undulatus.

This fish, known as croaker throughout its range, is one of the commonest
food fishes on the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts. While it is occasionally taken
as far north as Massachusetts, it is not ordinarily numerous north of Chesa-
peake Bay. It is one of the most abundant food fishes of the North Carolina
coast, being found in the sounds, estuaries, and inlets, and on the outer shores
from early spring; and in Beaufort Harbor is said to be exceeded in abundance
only by the mullet and the spot among the staple market fishes.

The croaker gets its name from the peculiar grunting or croaking noise it

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SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 319

emits, through the joint action of a tense air-bladder and a rapidly contracting
pair of special muscles. This sound may be heard for a considerable distance
below the surface when a fish is caught on the hook, and is also produced after
the fish is landed. Both sexes croak, in which respect this species differs from
all other local sciznids. The croaker’s air-bladder is of a very peculiar shape.
The body is oblong; from each side arises a slender process or horn which extends
forward beyond the anterior end of the bladder and then curves backward, the
two horns approaching close together near the anterior pole; extending backward
from the posterior end of the bladder is a slender tail-like appendage.

On parts of Pamlico Sound this fish is known as “‘hard-head’’, and “‘crocus”’
isinquitegeneraluse. Thelatter name, which has by some persons been regarded
as a modern corruption of croaker, was applied to the fish in North Carolina at
least as early as 1709, when John Lawson wrote:

The crocus is a fish, in shape like a pearch, and in taste like a whiting. They croke and
make a noise in your hand, when taken with hook or net. They are very good.

The croaker does not usually exceed 10 or 12 inches in length but may reach
18 inches. It feeds largely on crustaceans, and bites readily at crab bait, but
it also eats fish. The stomach contents of 17 adults examined by Dr. Coker at
Beaufort in June and July consisted chiefly of razor clams, annelids, and amphi-
pods. Twelve young croakers, 2 to 3.5 inches long, contained large numbers of
young and adult copepods and amphipods, young barnacles (cypris stage),
ostracods, and nematode worms.

The spawning time of the croaker is late fall or early winter, and the spawn-
ing grounds are the sounds, estuaries, and inside waters generally. By the first
of August the young have attained an average length of 5 inches in Beaufort
Harbor, and by the time the spawning period arrives the largest yearlings may
be 7 or 8 inches long.

Among the salt-water fishes of the state the croaker is exceeded in impor-
tance by only the mullets and squeteagues. At Beaufort and other points it was
for a long time regarded with little favor and often discarded, but it has now
become a very salable species, being a good pan fish and keeping well when
shipped to the markets. It is caught along the entire coast in seines, gill nets,
and pound nets, and is taken also in considerable quantities with hand lines,
especially in Craven County. From 285,775 pounds, worth $7,172, marketed in
1889 the yield arose to 1,279,000 pounds, worth $18,936, in 1897, and by 1902
the catch had increased to 1,928,635 pounds, valued at $38,320. A small pro-
portion of the product is salted.

Genus SCLENOPS Gill. Red Drums.

This genus includes a single species, and is distinguished by a rather elongate,
slightly compressed body; arched back; well developed teeth in jaws; short,
thick gill-rakers; serrations on preopercle disappearing with age; absence of
scales on soft dorsal fin, and other characters indicated in the foregoing key.
(Scienops, having the appearance of Scizna, an ancient name of one of the
Mediterranean drums.)

320 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

276. SCIANOPS OCELLATUS (Linnezus).

“Drum”’; “Red Drum’’; “Puppy Drum” (young); “Spotted Bass’’; Channel Bass;
Red-fish; Branded Drum (S. C.).

Perca ocellata Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 483, 1766; South Carolina.

Scienops ocellatus, Yarrow, 1877, 210; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 378; Beaufort. Jordan & Ever-
mann, 1898, 1453, pl. cexxii, fig. 567. Linton, 1905, 390; Beaufort.

Sciena ocellata, Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887,90; Beaufort. Earll, 1887, 486; Beaufort.

Draenosis.—Form rather robust, depth contained 3.5 times in length; head long, equal
to depth, profile rather steep; snout blunt, .25 length of head; eye .14 length of head; mouth
large, horizontal, maxillary extending nearly to posterior edge of eye; jaw teeth in villiform
bands, the outer teeth in upper jaw enlarged; gill-rakers very short, less than diameter of pupil,
12 in number, of which 7 are below angle; scales in lateral series 45 to 50, in transverse series
16, those on breast deeply imbedded; dorsal fins scarcely separate, rays x +1,24; anal fin long,
rays 11,8; caudal margin square or slightly concave. Color: silvery red; each scale with a
dark center, these marks forming obscure lateral stripes; a jet black spot at base of caudal fin
above; sometimes several such spots, and occasionally a line of them along the sides. (ocel-
latus, having eye-like spots.)

Fig. 143. Rep Drum; Rep-FisH. Scienops ocellatus.

The red drum is one of the largest and most valuable fishes of the South
Atlantic and Gulf coasts; it occurs as a straggler as far north as Massachusetts,
but is not regularly taken in any numbers north of Chesapeake Bay. It
reaches a length of 5 feet and a weight of 75 pounds; the average weight,
however, is about 10 pounds. The food consists of small fish and crustaceans.

In North Carolina, where this fish is called “drum”, “red drum’’, and
“spotted bass”’, it is abundant and is a food fish of moderate importance, being
caught with nets and lines in the spring, fall and winter. The fishery is most
extensive in Carteret County. In the Cape Fear region the fish is taken chiefly
from September to March. Mr. George N. Ives states that it is found in Neuse
River throughout the year. It is abundant about Roanoke Island in spring,
especially in May, going in large schools. There is a record of a 59-pound fish
caught with a line at Manteo.

The value of the red drum varies much in accordance with the size. At
Beaufort four grades are recognized by fishermen and dealers: “ Puppy drums’’,

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SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 321

“yearling drums”, “two-foot drums’’, and “old drums”. The most valued
is the yearling, but the two-foot drum is of nearly the same value; these are
shipped to the northern markets. The puppy drums are shipped only in boxes
of assorted fish. The old drums, while highly prized as game fish, are of little
value as food when eaten fresh, but are very acceptable when salted and dried,
the viscera being removed, the back-bone taken out, and the sides cut off, salted,
and laid out to dry, often on the roof of the fisherman’s house. The dried fish
are rather coarse, but with proper cooking are reported to be very good. The
catch of this species in North Carolina in 1902 was abcut 200,000 pounds, valued
at about $3,000.

The characteristic caudal spot normally lies between the lateral line and the
upper edge of the tail, and is about the size of the eve. Supernumerary spots
are often met with, these being in advance of the other spot above, on, or below
the lateral line or occasionally immediately below the regular mark; the extra
spots are nearly always smaller, and usually absent from one side.

Genus MENTICIRRHUS Gill. Whitings.

Small American shore fishes, most frequently found on sandy bottom; char-
acterized by elongate, little compressed body; long conical head with overhang-
ing snout; small, horizontal mouth, with teeth in bands in both jaws; a single
barbel on chin; short gill-rakers; 10 or 11 rather high, slender dorsal spines; anal
fin with a single sharp spine; asymmetrical caudal fin, the upper lobe sharp, the
lower rounded; and absent air-bladder. Three of the 9 or 10 known species are
found on the North Carolina coast, and are not often distinguished, all being
known there as “‘sea mullet’’.

Key to the North Carolina species of Menticirrhus.

i. Gill-rakers on first arch mere tubercular projections, covered with teeth; scales on breast
large; some of outer teeth in upper jaw enlarged; body with more or less distinct dark
markings.

a. Soft rays of dorsal fin 25 or 26; spinous dorsal little elevated, the longest spine not reach-
ing soft dorsal when flexed; color silvery gray with obscure dusky bars on back and

Righes SCC LORDS We OMS be nisicrs <ainaioie mises) eva lsd a Ste ein. ales see oye ayers Sie oie americanus.

aa. Soft rays of dorsal fin 26 or 27; spinous dorsal elevated, the longest spine reaching beyond
front of soft dorsal when flexed; color dusky gray, with well defined black irregular bars

on back and sides; color sometimes almost entirely black; pectorals dark...... sazxatilis.
ii. Gill-rakers on first arch short and slender; scales on breast small; outer teeth in upper jaw
scarcely enlarged; body silvery, without any dark markings whatever......... littoralis.

(Menticirrhus, chin barbel.)

277. MENTICIRRHUS AMERICANUS (Linneus).

“Sea Mullet’’; ‘‘Whiting’’; ‘‘Round-head”’; ‘‘Sea-mink’’; ‘“‘King-fish”’; ‘‘ Virginia
Mullet’”’; Carolina Whiting.

Cyprinus americanus Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 321, 1758; Carolina.

Menticirrus alburnus, Yarrow, 1877, 210; Beaufort. Goode, 1884, 376; Cape Fear River, N. C., to Rio Grande,
Texas. LEarll, 1887, 486; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887,90; Beaufort. Kendall & Smith, 1894, 24; Hat-
teras Inlet.

Menticirrhus americanus, Jordan & Evermann. 1898, 1474, pl. eexxv, fig. 572. Linton, 1905, 398; Beaufort.

Diacnosis.—Depth .20 to .25 length; head .28 length; maxillary reaching as far as pupil;
outer teeth in upper jaw much enlarged; eye small, .14 length of head, .5 length of snout; scales

Bae FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

in lateral series 55; dorsal rays x1+ 1,24 (or 25): anal rays 1,7; lower caudal lobe longer than
upper. Color: silvery gray, with obscure dusky bars on back and sides; a dark bar at nape;
pectoral fins yellow, with dusky tip.

This is a common species from Chesapeake Bay to Texas on sandy shores,
and is the principal member of the genus at Beaufort and other points on the
North Carolina coast. The prevailing local name is “sea mink,” but ‘‘whiting”’
is also in use, and of late the name “‘king-fish”’ has come into vogue through trans-
fer from the New York market. Another name that is quite local is ‘‘Virginia
mullet”’, which is heard from Beaufort to Wilmington.

About Roanoke Island, where this fish is known as “king-fish’’, “sea mullet’’,
and “round-head’’, it is abundant and bites freely at the hook from May to Sep-
tember; the average weight of line-caught fish in that section is reported to be
1.5 pounds, but some fish are said to weigh 3 pounds. In Pamlico Sound, during
the winter of 1901-2, 2 kingfishes each 7 inches long, and laterally connected so
as to constitute twins, were caught with hook and line by Joseph H. Kemp, of
Baltimore, Maryland.

Fig. 144. Kina-risn; Carotina Wuitina. Menticirrhus americanus.

In the Cape Lookout fisheries, the “‘sea mullet” is common; it there usually
runs .5 pound, but examples weighing 1 pound or more areoften taken. Accord-
ing to Mr. W. H. Yopp, this fish is supplied to the Wilmington market from July
to December, being known there as ‘Virginia mullet’’; it weighs from .5 pound to
1.5 pounds, and brings the fishermen 3.5 cents a pound on an average.

In the Beaufort region the laboratory seines take this species everywhere,
but not in great numbers at any one time, and no large specimens have been
obtained in this way. The species is most abundant in spring, but is also present
in numbers in fall, when it is found in schools on the outer beaches. During
summer the fish is almost entirely absent from the Beaufort waters.

The species is a bottom feeder, and subsists chiefly on small mollusks and
crustaceans, although it will sometimes bite readily at a hook baited with
fish. The spawning season is early June, and ripe fish of both sexes have been
noted at Beaufort during the first week of that month.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 323

The whiting is of exceptionally good quality. In New York there is steady
but limited demand for it, and only there does it command a fancy price; but
while it has been known to bring 75 cents a pound, the market is easily over-
stocked, and frequently only 3 cents a pound is obtained. It is not uncommon
for the price to drop from 30 cents a pound one day to 5 cents a pound the next.
Dr. Coker gives this account of the whiting fishery at Beaufort:

King-fish are caught in small numbers when fishing with hook and line for gray trout, and
are taken more abundantly in the drag nets; but the most remunerative method is with the
sink net, employed near Cape Lookout. A gill net of 1.37-inch bar and 75 to 100 yards in
length, or shorter, is weighted and lowered to the bottom with its ends buoyed. The next
morning the net is taken up, sometimes with a king-fish seemingly in every mesh. It is
remarkable that thousands of king-fish may be caught, and not a single other fish; but some-
times, instead, gray trout are taken or immense hauls of croakers. Occasionally the weight
of the fish taken is so great that it is necessary to cut the net in pieces to get it in. It is stated
that in the last few years this fishery has not been so successful. :

278. MENTICIRRHUS SAXATILIS (Bloch & Schneider).
““Sea Mullet’’; Sea-mink’’; ‘‘King-fish”’; ‘‘Whiting’”’; Barb; Hake

Johnius sazxatilis Bloch & Schneider, Systema Ichthyologize, 75, 1801; New York.
Menticirrus nebulosus, Yarrow, 1877, 210; Beaufort. Goode, 1884, 375; North Carolina.
Menticirrhus saxatilis, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1475.

Diagnosis.—Depth contained about 4.5 times in length; head contained 3.75 to 4 times
in length; mouth large, maxillary extending to pupil; snout long, more than .25 length of head;
~ eye small, .14 length of head and .4 length of snout; scales in lateral series 53; dorsal rays
x+ 1,26 (or 27); anal rays1,8. Color: dusky above, with distinct, irregular, oblique, blackish
bands extending downward and forward on back and sides; pale below, bounded by a dark
lateral streak extending to lower caudal lobe; pectorals dark; entire body except abdomen
sometimes black. (sazatilis, pertaining to rocks.)

Although this fish ranges from Massachusetts as far south as western Florida,
it is most common north of Chesapeake Bay. This is the species to which the
name ‘“‘king-fish” properly belongs. In North Carolina it is not usually dis-
tinguished from Menticirrhus americanus and bears the same names, and, accord-
ing to Goode, it is also called ‘“‘sea mink” there. A weight of 2 pounds is attained.
Spawning takes place in June in southern Massachusetts; by October, when they
have withdrawn from those waters, the young have attained a length of 4 or 5
inches; many of the young and half-grown fish are almost jet black, while others
exhibit the normal markings of the adult.

The king-fish is one of the choicest food fishes of our east coast, and is espe-
cially esteemed in New York and New Jersey. In North Carolina it is sent to
market with the preceding species, and the two, as has been stated, bring a good
price.

279. MENTICIRRHUS LITTORALIS (Holbrook).
‘‘Sea Mullet”’; ‘‘Whiting’’; Surf Whiting; Silver Whiting.

Umbrina littoralis Holbrook, Ichthyology of South Carolina, 1st. ed., 142, pl. 20, fig. 1, 1856; South Carolina.
Menticirrus littoralis, Yarrow, 1877, 210; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 378; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887,
90; Beaufort.’ Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1477; North Carolina to Texas. °

324 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

DiaGnosis.—Depth contained about 45 times in length; head contained 3.5 times in
length; snout overhanging, .28 length of head; maxillary extending about to pupil; eye con-
tained 6.5 times in head; scales in lateral series 53; dorsal rays x+ 1,23 (to 25); anal rays 1,7;
caudal fin with concave margin, upper lobe not longer than lower. Color: above silvery gray
without markings, below white; dorsal fins hght brown, spinous part with black tip; caudal paie,
with black tip. (littoralis, pertaining to the shores.)

Fig. 145. Surr Wuitine. Menticirrhus littoralis.

The surf whiting or silver whiting abounds on the South Atlantic and Gulf
coasts, rarely if ever straying north of North Carolina. In size and habits it is
like the other species, from which it is not always distinguished by fishermen.
Jordan & Gilbert reported the fish as rather common at Beaufort in summer, and
found the young abundant in the surf on the outer beach, in company with pom-
pano. At Cape Lookout spawning fish were found by the writer in June, and
at Beaufort ripe eggs have been taken on several occasions between June 1 and
10.

Genus POGONIAS Lacépéde. Black Drums.

Large marine drums, with rather short, deep, elevated body; moderate
sized mouth with teeth in bands in both jaws; numerous barbels on lower jaw;
entire preopercular margin; short and blunt gill-rakers; large pesudobranchia;
large, thick, complicated air-bladder; continuous dorsal fins, the anterior high
and with slender spines; caudal fin square; and greatly enlarged second anal
spine. One species South American, 1 North American. (Pogonias, bearded.)

280. POGONIAS CROMIS (Linneus).

“Black Drum”’; ‘‘Sea Drum’’.

Labrus cromis Linneus. Systema Nature, ed. xii, 479, 1766; Carolina.
Pogonias cromis, Yarrow, 1877, 209; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 377; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 90;
Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1482, pl. eexxvy, fig. 573.

Diaenosis.—Form robust, back much elevated, ventral outline straight, depth .37 to
.40 total length; head contained 3.3 times in length; lower jaw shorter than upper, with numer-
ous short barbels mostly on chin; maxillary not extending as far as pupil; snout blunt, longer
than eye; eye .20 to .25 head; gill-rakers 16, 12 below angle of first arch; scales large, 47 in
lateral series, 16 in transverse series; dorsal rays x+ 1,20; anal rays 11,5 or 11,6, the second spine
very broad and .4 to .6 length of head; caudal fin long and truncate; pectorals long, reaching
fourth ray of soft dorsal. Color: silvery gray; young with 4 or 5 broad vertical dark bands,

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 325

3 of which extend on dorsal fins, these bands disappearing in adult; fins dark. (cromis, an
ancient name for some similar fish, meaning a croaker or grunter.)

The black drum is found on the coasts of the Middle Atlantic, South Atlan-
tic, and Gulf States, and is a common species, well known on account of its large
size, which probably exceeds that of any other drum. The largest specimen
known, taken in Florida, weighed 146 pounds. Examples weighing 40 to 60
pounds are common.

The drum is a bottom feeder, and is aided in its feeding by the sensitive fila-
ments which depend from the chin. It consumes all kinds of crustaceans and
mollusks; and its teeth are so strong and its Jaws so powerful that oysters and
other thick-shelled mollusks are easily crushed. Schools of drum sometimes
do great damage to oyster beds, and have been known to destroy in a single night
practically every oyster on a planted ground.

Fig. 146. Bruack Drum. Pogonias cromis. Adult.

At Beaufort the black drum is found along with the red drum, but is less
abundant. Writing of the species at Beaufort in 1871, Yarrow said:

Exceedingly abundant, resident, and is taken both within and outside of the inlet. This
species runs in schools in early spring, but in the fall is generally found alone, and will take the
hook. Size 10 inches to 5 feet.

The black drum is now less abundant at Beaufort than the red drum (which
Yarrow reported as not abundant), and is much less valuable, the flesh being
coarse and stringy; and, according to the fishermen, it is a very wormy fish, being
infested with parasites. It is never shipped, but is eaten locally by some people.

Genus EQUES Bloch. Ribbon-fishes.

Small fishes of striking form and coloration, with elongate body tapering
rapidly backward from the anterior dorsal fin; rather small mouth; included
lower jaw; teeth in broad bands; fringed preopercular margin without bony
teeth; short, slender gill-rakers; anterior dorsal fin placed far forward, very high,

326 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

composed of weak, close-set spines; posterior dorsal low, with numerous soft
rays. About 5 American species, 3 of which are found on our southern coast.
(Eques, a horseman.)

281. EQUES ACUMINATUS (Bloch & Schneider).
Ribbon-fish.

Grammistes acuminatus Bloch & Schneider, Systema Ichthyologie, 184, 1801; no locality given.
Eques acuminatus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1487.

DiaGnosis.—Form elongate, compressed, with steep profile, the greatest depth contained
2.6 times in length; maxillary extending beyond center of pupil and contained 3 times in length
of head; eye less than snout, .25 head; interorbital space less than eye; gill-rakers short and
slender, 6+ 9 on first arch; scales rather large, about 50 in lateral series; dorsal rays x+ 1,38
(to 40), the spines not much elevated, the longest .22 length of body and .62 head; anal rays
11,7, the second spine .42 head; caudal margin straight; pectorals .63 head. Color: adults dark
brown, with about 7 lengthwise whitish stripes on body and head; fins dusky. (acuminatus,
ending in a sharp point.)

The recorded range of this species is from Charleston, through the West
Indies, to Brazil. It has not heretofore been noted from North Carolina, and
may occur there only as a straggler, although more likely it occurs regularly
south of Cape Hatteras in suitable haunts. One specimen was taken in Beau-
fort Harbor in September, 1903; another was caught in a trap at the laboratory
wharf in October of the same year; a third specimen was brought to notice by
the explosion of a charge of dynamite in a wrecked bark in Beaufort Harbor on
Nov. 23, 1903; and another was obtained sometime during the summer of that
year. In the summer of 1904 still another specimen was collected at Beaufort
by Dr. E. W. Gudger. These specimens were from 8 to 5 inches long, and all
were of a light color, with about 7 dark brown lengthwise stripes. Apparently,
as the fish grows the width of the dark stripes increases and encroaches on the
original light ground-color, so that finally the general color becomes dark brown,
with pale longitudinal stripes (so-called variety wmbrosus).

Family LABRID. The Labrids, or Lipped Fishes.

A very numerous and important family, found mostly in tropical waters
but also represented in temperate regions. The family takes its name from the
presence of conspicuous thick, longitudinally-folded lips in each jaw, which char-
acter, together with protractile premaxillaries, maxillaries without supplemental
bone, and strong, prominent jaw teeth, gives to the mouth a peculiar appearance.
Body moderately elongate, in some species greatly compressed, and covered
with persistent cycloid scales; mouth terminal and usually of small or moderate
size, with no vomerine or palatine teeth; jaw teeth separate or else fused at their
base; lower pharyngeal bones firmly united and surmounted with conical or
tubercular teeth; nostrils round, without flaps, and double on each side; branchi-
ostegals 5 or 6, pseudobranchize well developed, and gill-arches 3.5; pyloric
coeca absent; air-bladder present; dorsal fin continuous and usually long, the

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. Sa

spines varying from 3 to 20; anal fin with 2 to 6 spines and similar to soft dorsal;
ventrals thoracic, with 1 weak spine and 5 soft rays. About 20 American gen-
era, of which the following 5 are now known from the coast of North Carolina:

Key to the North Carolina genera of labrids.

i. Dorsal spines 16; caudal fin truncate; lateral line complete; jaw teeth in two series in each

Faweibhe4 anterior canines, Vertebne SOc 5. e. bos meee as ok wacile pe se eees TAUTOGA.

ii. Dorsal spines 9 to 14; caudal fin either forked or rounded; lateral line interrupted or com-
plete; jaw teeth in a single series in each jaw; vertebra 22 to 29.

a. Dorsal spines 14; the anterior spines greatly elongated; scales in lateral series 40; caudal

{LTO RCES PD lava OLIC Clogs wien ert eL siete rete users foteie eer ey leit. edovenel otto ere co sllend e LACHNOLAIMUS.

aa. Dorsal spines 9, none greatly elongated; scales in lateral series 30 or less; caudal fin rounded.

b. Lateral line complete, uninterrupted; cheeks and opercles naked; anterior canines 2

AUIS UOC AL Weel ata MONTEL tira pete cena) ee necks Rie le ye ohesieuve 2) ¥ ole ie GW oie S one ol arse Trivi0.

bb. Lateral line interrupted posteriorly; cheeks and opercles scaly; anterior canines 2 in
each jaw.

c. Posterior canines present; 3 anterior dorsal spines with a filamentous appendage;

CHEekKspan CUOMELCIES GS Calves cies eeebeyereioneioievolte: oe reveleus. close ele) oueyoe DoRATONOTUS.

cc. Posterior canines absent; no dorsal spines filamentous; head naked except a few

SCHIESIDELOW GyO es cit cis cad aka 's widletle cts kom del cious suodbeb elt eels « XYRICHTHYS.

Genus TAUTOGA Mitchill. Tautogs.

This genus, which contains a single species, has the following characters:
Body oblong, robust, not greatly compressed; head large, superior profile rather
strongly but evenly convex; caudal peduncle deep; mouth small, but jaws power-
ful and teeth strong; teeth conical, in two series in each jaw, the anterior teeth
larger and canine; gill-membranes free from isthmus; gill-rakers short and weak;
body fully covered with small scales; head unscaled, except a small space pos-
terior to and below eye, and another on upper part of opercle; vertical fins scaly;
lateral line complete; dorsal fin very long but not high, the spinous part much
longer than the soft, the 16 spines nearly equal and each with a soft appendage
at tip; anal similar to but larger than soft dorsal; caudal short, square, with
rounded tips; pectorals broad and short; ventrals placed well behind pectorals.
The generic name has been formed from the most appropriate of the common
names of the fish, which, in turn, was the name applied to the species by the
Mohegan or Narragansett Indians.

282. TAUTOGA ONITIS (Linnezus).
“‘Oyster-fish’’; Tautog.

Labrus onitis Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 286, 1758.

Labrus hiatula Linnzeus, Systema Nature. ed. xii, 475, 1766; Carolina.

Tautoga onitis, Yarrow, 1877, 207; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 374; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann,
1898, 1578, pl. eexxxvii, fig. 596.

Hiatula onitis, Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 91; Beaufort.

DraGnosis.—Depth contained 2.6 to 3 times in length; caudal peduncle .5 depth of body;
head contained 3.25 to 3.5 times in length; mouth small, the maxillary extending not nearly to
anterior margin of eye; jaws equal; snout blunt, .33 length of head; eye small, about .5 length
of snout; gill-rakers on first arch 3+ 6, all short and blunt; scales in lateral series about 60, in
transverse series about 14+ 25; 5 or 6 rows of minute scales on cheeks; lateral line arched ante-
riorly, straight on caudal peduncle; dorsal rays xv1,10, the soft rays somewhat higher than the
spinous; the longest spine .33 length of head; anal rays 111,8, the third spine longest; caudal very

328 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

short and broad; pectorals .75 length of head; ventrals .5 length of head. Color: dull blackish,
blackish green, or blackish blue, often with irregular darker blotches or bands; lips, chin, throat,
and belly lighter, sometimes white; eye green; young green or brown, more or less mottled with
darker, or with dark, connected cross bands. (onitis, a kind of plant; application of name not
known.)

The tautog or “oyster-fish”’ reaches the southern limit of its range about
Charleston, 8S. C., whence it is found as far north as New Brunswick; in the
southern New England and Middle States it is abundant, and is a food fish of
considerable importance, being caught mostly with hand lines. It is strictly
a bottom species, preferring rocky or broken shores, where, sheltered in a crevice
or by an overhanging rock, it often lies on its side or with its head or tail turned
upward. The eyes are very movable, and the fish keeps a sharp lookout for
food or enemies, rotating its eyes in a peculiar manner. Its strong teeth enable
it to crush crustaceans and mollusks, which constitute its chief food; in New. Eng-
land it is especially fond of lobsters and crabs, which it attacks and dispatches
very skilfully.

Fig. 147. Tautoa. Tautoga onitis.

The flesh is white, flaky, and well flavored. The maximum length is 3
feet, but the average is 12 to 15 inches and fish 2 feet long are not common.
Spawning occurs in early summer. The eggs are numerous; a fish weighing less
than 10 pounds has been known to yield more than 1,000,000 eggs. The eggs
are buoyant, Imm. in diameter, float at the surface, and hatch in 2 or 3 days
when the water temperature is 70° F.

In North Carolina, where the species is called ‘‘oyster-fish”, it is not abun-
dant and supports no special fishery. The fish referred to by Lawson (1709) as
the ‘‘sea tench’’ isidentified by Dr. Gill (1903) as the tautog. At Beaufort it is
not uncommon, and the young have at times been reported as ‘‘abundant about
the wharves”. On March 27, 1906, a specimen was caught with hook and line
from the pier on Pivers Island in Beaufort Harbor. In 1897 a catch of 14,125
pounds of tautog was reported, but in 1902 the quantity taken was only 2,650

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 329

pounds, all in Carteret County. The average price received by the fishermen
is 2 cents a pound.

Genus LACHNOLAIMUS Cuvier & Valenciennes. Hog-fishes.

Body much compressed; back elevated and compressed to a sharp edge;
snout sharp; profile steep; mouth terminal, horizontal, and low; premaxillary
mostly concealed by broad preorbital; jaw teeth prominent, canine, in a single
row; scales of moderate size; cheeks and opercles partly scaled; lateral line com-
plete; dorsal fins continuous but distinct, the first with 14 spines of which the 3
anterior are very long and curved backward over the other spines; soft dorsal
elongate; anal larger than soft dorsal, with 3 spines; caudal deeply concave, the
lobes filamentous; pectorals and ventrals short. The genus contains a single
species. (Lachnolaimus, velvet throat.)

285. LACHNOLAIMUS MAXIMUS (Walbaum).
Hog-fish; Capitaine.
Labrus maximus Walbaum, Artedi Genera Piscium, 261, 1792; Bahamas (after Catesby).

Lachnolaimus maximus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1579, pl. cexxxvii, fig. 597.

Dracnosis.—Back elevated, greatest body depth about .4 total length; head .33 length;
mouth large, the gape wider in male, maxillary extending to a point under middle of eye; 4 prom-
inent canine teeth in front of upper jaw, 2 in lower jaw with 2 small conical teeth between and
a row of blunt teeth on sides of each jaw; snout .4 head; eye .20 head; scales in lateral series 36
to 39, in transverse series 21 to 25, 6 rows of scales on cheeks, 5 rows on opercles; dorsal rays,
xiv,l1 or 12, the longest spines much longer than head, the longest soft rays about equal to
head; anal rays 11,11, the third spine longest. Color: varying from dull red to orange red,
lighter below; cheeks greenish; a wavy blue line below eye; a black bar from snout to back of
head; a large black spot at base of soft dorsal; dorsal greenish at base, with reddish edge; anal
and caudal with rows of green spots; pectorals orange; ventrals reddish; in adult males the
vertical fins usually black at base. (maximus, largest.)

This hog-fish should not be confounded with the hog-fish or pig-fish, Ortho-
pristis, which is abundant on this coast, whereas Lachnolaimus is an exceedingly
rare straggler. It is a well known and abundant species in the West Indies,
southern Florida, and Bermuda, but does not appear to have been previously
noted at any point on our Atlantic coast north of Florida, and the present record
is based on a single young specimen 3.75 inches long seined at Beaufort in the
summer of 1902. The fish reaches a weight of 20 pounds and is highly esteemed

as food.
Genus IRIDIO Jordan & Evermann. Slippery Dicks; Doncellas.

A rather numerous genus of highly colored American fishes, usually found
among the kelp in tropical waters. Form elongate, compressed; head conic;
mouth small, terminal, with 2 enlarged canine teeth in front of upper jaw and 4
in front of lower jaw, together with a large canine tooth on each side of upper
jaw near angle of mouth and small intervening teeth; gill-membranes attached to
isthmus; gill-rakers short; preopercular margin entire; scales rather large on
body, none on head; lateral line abruptly decurved posteriorly; dorsal fins low,

330 _ FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

continuous, spines 9; anal similar to soft dorsal, with 3 spines; caudal slightly
rounded; pectorals and ventrals small, the latter attached under base of former.
One species certainly and another possibly are known from the North Carolina
coast; these may be thus distinguished:

7. Depth of body .25 length; a black spot on opercle; a dark band extending from snout
through eye to base of caudal, with a narrower band below; spinous dorsal plain or with
small black spot between fifth and seventh spines..............0...eeeee: bivittatus.

wz. Depth of body rather more than .25 length; no black spot on opercle; a dark band extending

from snout through eye to body, and thence nearly to tip of caudal, without another band
below; a prominent black spot on spinous dorsal between fifth and seventh spines.

; maculipinna.

(Iridio, from iris, the rainbow.)

284. IRIDIO BIVITTATUS (Bloch).
Slippery Dick.

Labrus bivittatus Bloch, Ichthyologie, pl. 284, fig. 1, 1792; Martinique.

Cherojulis grandisquamis Gill, Proceedings Academy Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 1863, 206; Beaufort.
Gill, Catalogue of Fishes of East Coast of North America, 1873, 23; North Carolina. Yarrow, 1877,
207; Beaufort.

Pusa grandisjuamis, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 374; Beaufort.

Platyglossus bivittatus, Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort.

Tridio bivittatus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1595, pl. eexxxix, figs. 600, 601; north to Charleston and Beaufort,
NEG:

Fig. 148. Siippery Dick. Iridio bivittatus.

Diacnosis.—Form slender, the depth .25 total length; head small, its length slightly
greater than body depth; maxillary extending half-way from end of snout to pupil; snout .3
length of head; eye small, .16 to .20 length of head; scales in lateral series 27 or 28, in transverse
series 2+8 or 9; dorsal rays 1x,11; anal rays m11,11 or 12; caudal fin very slightly convex poste-
riorly; pectorals and ventrals short. Color: pale greenish above, purplish on sides; a dark brown
lateral stripe from snout, through eye, to base of caudal fin and a similar fainter band from pec-
toral base backward, these two becoming fainter with age and sometimes fading completely;
many of the body scales with a dark blue spot; head variously marked with bands or stripes of
red, green, blue, and violet; a dark spot on opercle; dorsal and anal fins marked, from base
outward, with blue, red, yellow, red, and pale; caudal red, with oblique yellow and blue lines;
pectorals plain; ventrals red; in young a small jet-black spot on back at base of last dorsal ray.
(bivittatus, two-banded.)

The range of this abundant species extends from Brazil to North Carolina.
Its length is only 6 inches, but it is well known on the shores of Florida and the
West Indies, and is caught often by youthful anglers. A specimen 6 inches long

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 301

collected at Beaufort July 11, 1860, and sent to the National Museum (no. 4318)
by Sergeant Wm. Alexander, U. 8S. Army, was described by Dr. Theodore Gill
in 1863 as a new species under the name of Cherojulis grandisquamis. Another
specimen was obtained there by Dr. Yarrow in 1870; but later collectors did not
find the fish, and it was not until 1902 that the species was again recorded. In
that year, on September 12, the steamer Fish-Hawk dredged 8 or 10 specimens
1 to 3.5 inches long off Beaufort (at station 7344), at adepth of 13 fathoms. All
of these show a distinct dark lateral stripe from snout to base of caudal and a
paler stripe below, a black spot at base of last dorsal ray, and a round dark spot
at base of caudal rays; the two largest specimens have a black spot on opercle,
and the larger of them has a black triangular spot on the tip of each caudal lobe;
while in the smallest specimens (1 to 2.67 inches long) there is a very distinct
black spot on dorsal fin between fifth and seventh spines, and the terminal caudal
spots are faint or absent.

285. IRIDIO MACULIPINNA (Miiller & Troschel).
Spotted-finned Doncella.

Julis maculipinna Miiller & Troschei, in Schomburgk, History of Barbados, 674, 1848; Barbados.
Pusa (?) radiata, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 374; Beaufort.

Platyglossus maculipinna, Jordan, 1886, 38; Beaufort. Yarrow, 1887, 91; Beaufort.

Tridio maculipinna, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1594, north to Beaufort, N. C.

DiaGnosis.—Very similar to Iridio bivittatus, but the depth a little greater, eye larger
(contained 4.5 times in head), and snout shorter (3.5 times in head). Color: a dark lateral
band extending from snout nearly to tip of tail; no second band below this; no dark spot on
opercle; a small black spot in axil of pectorals; a large black spot on dorsal fin, usually between
fifth and seventh spines but often extending further forward. (maculipinna, spotted-finned.)

The claims of this West Indian species to a place in the North Carolina
fauna rest on a specimen 1.5 inches long taken at Beaufort in 1878 by Jordan &
Gilbert. The specimen was lost before a final identification was made, and it
is possible that the little fish was Iridio bivittatus. The principal mark of dis-
tinction is the black spot on the spinous dorsal fin, but, as has been shown, this
is sometimes present on small, deep-water examples of bivittatus.

Genus DORATONOTUS Giinther.

Small fishes of beautiful coloration peculiar to the West Indies and the
South Atlantic coast. Form compressed, head not sharp anteriorly, the pro-
file straight or concave; mouth wide; jaw teeth in a single series, with 2 enlarged
canines in front of each jaw and a posterior canine present on each side of upper
jaw; lateral line interrupted posteriorly; scales large; opercles and cheeks scaly;
gill-membranes connected, not attached to isthmus; dorsal spines strong, 9 in
number, anterior ones elevated; soft part of dorsal similar to anal. Two known
species, 1 recently described from Porto Rico, and the following. (Doratonotus,
spear back.)

332 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

286. DORATONOTUS MEGALEPIS Giinther.

Doratonotus megalepis Giinther, Catalogue of Fishes in British Museum, iv, 1862; St. Kitts. - Jordan & Ever-
mann, 1898, 1611.

Diaqnosis.—Body much compressed, rather deep, depth .37 length; caudal peduncle
short and deep; length of head a little less than depth; top of head depressed; mouth wide,
maxillary .25 length of head; snout long, slender, compressed, .3 length of head; eye .2 length
of head; gill-membranes broadly united; lateral line following line of back to beyond dorsal
fin, there broken and continues horizontally on peduncle; scales in lateral series 20; a single
row of 4 large scales on cheeks, 5 or 6 similar scales on opercles; dorsal rays 1x,10, the first 3
spines with filamentous appendages; anal rays 11, 9; caudal rounded; pectorals extending beyond
ventrals; ventrals short, .5 head. Color: uniformly bright grass-green, head a little lighter;
the green of the dorsal, anal, caudal, and ventral fins mottled with orange; pectorals light yel-
low. (megalepis, large-scaled.) ;

An example of this rare and beautiful species, of which 6 specimens are
known, from the West Indies and Florida, was taken by the steamer Fish-Hawk
(station 7344) off Cape Lookout, at a depth of 13 fathoms, September 12, 1902.

The fish was 1.75 inches long. The maximum size attained by the species is
2.75 or 3 inches.

\7;

By Gees cane

Sar LX NUANY oh ye p
DVM INAA A
intel f ‘1 oe VAI LINEN
NEN LNG NANA j
. eu

Fig. 149. Razor-Fisu. Xyrichthys psittacus.

Genus XYRICHTHYS Cuvier. Razor-fishes.

The razor-fishes are brilliantly colored tropical species, so named because
of their extremely compressed oblong bodies, the upper and anterior edges being
sharp. Body deepest immediately behind head, whence it tapers gradually to
the rather broad caudal peduncle; head very short, deeper than long; profile from
eye to mouth nearly vertical; eyes small, near top of head; mouth small, low,
terminal, with 2 anterior canines in each jaw; scales rather large, head practically
naked; lateral line high, interrupted posteriorly and beginning again on a lower
row of scales; dorsal fin beginning close behind eye, long, low, and continuous,
with 9 spines. Several American species. (Xyrichthys, razor-fish.)

287. XYRICHTHYS PSITTACUS (Linneus).
Razor-fish.

Coryphena psittacus Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 448, 1766; Charleston, S. C
Xyrichthys psittacus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1618, pl. cexlii, fig. 607.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 333

Draqnosis.—Body strongly compressed, the depth a little less than .33 length; head .25
length; eye placed high, near superior profile, .16 length of head and about .5 length of maxillary;
scales in lateral series 26 or 27, in transverse series 2+ 8; lateral line on second row of scales,
dropping to fourth row on peduncle; dorsal rays 1x,12, the longest spine 2 times diameter of
eye, the posterior rays slightly produced; anal rays 111,11, the soft rays longer than in dorsal;
caudal rounded, shorter than head; pectorals shorter and ventrals slightly longer than caudal,
the first ventral ray produced. Color: reddish, each scale with a vertical blue streak; similar
streaks on head; a silvery area behind and below pectorals; a dark red shade across pectorals in
male; dorsal plain; anal streaked obliquely with green; caudal with 6 to 8 dark vertical lines.
(psittacus, a parrot.)

The range heretofore ascribed to the razor-fish has been from the West
Indies to Pensacola and Charleston. It is now recorded for the first time from
the North Carolina coast. Three specimens 4.25 inches long were collected by
the steamer Fish-Hawk off Beaufort in August, 1902, and another specimen is
reported to have been taken at the Mullet Pond on Shackleford Bank during the
same summer. An example 7 inches long now in the State Museum was obtained
in the Wilmington market in the summer of 1884. The species reaches a length
of 15 inches.

Family SCARID, The Parrot-fishes.

Several hundred parrot-fishes are known from the warmer waters of the
world; they are for the most part gaily-colored, large scaled, herbivorous fishes,
particularly numerous among coral reefs, and having but little food value, the
flesh being soft. The shape of the head, the size and position of the eye, the
character of the teeth, and the coloration strongly suggest the parrots. Body
more or less elongate, rather stout; mouth terminal, of rather small size, the jaw
teeth fused so as to form a strong beak, the lower pharyngeal teeth arranged in a
mosaic; scales cycloid, completely covering body and part of head; lateral line
present; dorsal fins continuous, with about 9 spines and 10 soft rays; anal fin
similar to soft dorsal, preceded by 2 spines. Only 1 species has as yet been
recorded from the waters of the state, but representatives of several other genera
occur as stragglers on the Middle Atlantic and Southern New England coast, and
1 appears to range regularly as far north as Charleston, so others may in time be
met with in North Carolina.

Genus SPARISOMA Swainson. Oldwives.

A numerous genus of small fishes, practically confined to American waters, ©
distinguished by having the gill-membranes broadly united to isthmus; the Jaw
teeth for the most coalesced in adult, with a median suture, sometimes a supple-
mentary row of canine teeth in upper jaw; lower pharyngeal bones broader than
long; few scales on head, a single row on cheeks; a continuous lateral line, with
tubes much branched; sharp dorsal spines; and color plain or showy. (Spari-
soma, having the body of Sparus, which is an ancient name for some sparoid
fish.)

334 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

288. SPARISOMA NIPHOBLES Jordan & Bollman.
White-spotted Parrot-fish.

Sparisoma niphobles Jordan & Bollman, Proceedings U. 8S. National Museum, 1888, 551; Bahama Islands.
Jordan and Evermann, 1898, 1633.

DriaGnosis.—Body oblong, depth .33 length; length of head somewhat greater than depth
of body; eye contained 4.5 times in head; snout obtuse, contained 2.8 times in head; upper lip
large, covering most of jaw; 2 canine teeth in front of upper jaw, and 1 on each near angle of
mouth; scales in lateral series 24, in crosswise series 2+ 6; a row of 5 large scales on cheek; 4
median scales anterior to dorsal fin; tubes of lateral line with 3 to 5 branches; dorsal rays rx,10;
anal rays 11,11; caudal fin truneate. Color: brownish green, thickly covered with white specks
and mottlings; head speckled with blue and black; chin with silvery spots; 5 bluish white
lengthwise stripes along row of scales; a black spot on shoulder; spinous dorsal with dark
mottlings; soft dorsal with rows of brown spots; anal similar to soft dorsal; caudal marked by
4 or 5 wavy, white vertical bars; pectorals yellowish; ventrals with indistinct white spots.
(ntphobles, snowed upon.)

Two specimens about 3.5 inches long taken at Beaufort in the summer of

1902 are referable to this species, which has heretofore been known from Florida,
Porto Rico, and the Bahamas. The maximum length is about 6 inches.

Family EPHIPPIDA. The Spade-fishes.

Body much compressed, very deep, back strongly arched, ventral outline
less so; mouth small, terminal; bands of slender, sharp, movable teeth in jaws;
maxillary short, with no supplemental bone; premaxillary slightly protractile;
nostril double; gill-rakers short; gill-membranes broadly united to isthmus;
branchiostegals 6 or 7; pseudobranchiz present; preopercle either finely serrated
or entire; scales ctenoid, of small or moderate size; lateral line present, strongly
arched; pyloric cceca few; air-bladder present; dorsal fins 2, anterior with 8 to 11
spines depressible in a groove, posterior much larger, with anterior rays elongated;
anal spines 3 or 4, the soft rays similar to posterior dorsal, both with fleshy
scaled base; caudal broad, with posterior margin square or concave; pectorals
short, the rays branched; ventrals thoracic. A rather small family, with a single
representative on the east coast of the United States.

Genus CHAXTODIPTERUS Lacépéde. Spade-fishes.

In this genus the much compressed body is nearly as deep as long; vomer
and palatines toothless; preopercle finely serrate; branchiostegals 6; scales small,
60 to 70 in lateral series; lateral line concurrent with back; pyloric cceca 4 to 6;
dorsal fins disconnected, the first with 8 spines, the third longest; anal spines 3,
the second longest; a large accessory scale at base of ventrals. ‘Two American
species, 1 on the Pacific coast, and the following. (Chetodipterus, two-finned
cheetodon, in allusion to the divided dorsal.)

289. CHAXATODIPTERUS FABER (Broussonet).
‘“Porgee”’; ‘‘Pogy’’; Angel-fish (S. C.); Spade-fish; Moon-fish.

Chetodon faber Broussonet, Ichthyologia, 1782; Jamaica and Carolina.

Parephippus faber, Yarrow, 1877, 211; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 380; Beaufort.

Chetodipterus faber, Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Goode, 1884, 445; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 91; Beaufort.
Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1668, pl. cexlvii, fig. 619. Linton, 1905, 400; Beaufort.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. Soo

DraGnosis.—Body short and deep, the depth contained 1 to 1.5 times in length, depend-
ing on age; head contained 3 to 3.5 times in length, the anterior profile very steep; mouth small,
maxillary extending barely as far as anterior margin of eye; snout .4 length of head; eye .3
length of head; scales in lateral series about 60; cheeks and opercles densely scaled; lateral
line arched like back, straight on the short caudal peduncle; vertical fins high and falcate;
dorsal rays vi1t+ 1,20, the third spine more than .5 length of head; anal rays 11,18, the second
spine longest; caudal deeply concave; pectorals less than twice diameter of eye; ventrals much
longer than pectorals, with first soft ray produced as a filament; young with vertical fins lower.
Color: gray, with 5 dark vertical bands of different widths on head and body, becoming obscure
in old specimens; ventrals black. (faber, a blacksmith.)

S.
=

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Fig. 150. Spapn-risH; Poraer. Chetodipterus jaber.

Under the name of “‘porgee” or “‘pogy” the North Carolina fishermen recog-
nize this well-marked fish, which is known in South Carolina as angel-fish, and
elsewhere as moon-fish and spade-fish. Its range extends from Massachusetts
to South America, and it is particularly abundant on the southeastern coast of
the United States.

The fish sometimes reaches a length of 3 feet, but does not average to exceed
afoot. It frequents rocky patches, wrecks, and piling in search of food, which
consists of small crustaceans, worms, etc. It is found on the North Carolina
coast only in summer, leaving as soon as the weather becomes cool. At Beau-
fort, ripe male and female fish have been found early in June. The eggs are
quite small, being less than 1 mm. in diameter. In the latter part of August
fish about 3 inches long, the young of the year, may be seined in Beaufort Harbor.

336 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

The spade-fish is of excellent quality as food, and in the New York and
Washington markets is highly regarded. In Pamlico Sound it issometimes taken
abundantly in pound nets, and on other parts of the coast it is caught incident-
ally in seines and other appliances. Of late it has not been numerous in the
Beaufort region. The quantity taken and sold in 1897 was 39,910 pounds, valued
at $472, andin 1902 was 16,890 pounds, valued at $269. The bulk of the catch
comes from Craven, Dare, and Pamlico counties.

Family CHAXTODONTIDA. The Butterfly-fishes.

A rather numerous family of mostly small, active, highly colored fishes of
tropical waters in all parts of the world. Form short, deep, and greatly com-
pressed; mouth small, terminal, and projecting; teeth long, fine, in dense narrow
bands in jaws, no teeth on vomer or palatines; eye lateral, of moderate size; gill-
membranes connected with isthmus; gill-rakers minute; branchiostegals 6 or 7;
pseudobranchie large; preopercle either unarmed or with a strong spine; scales
ciliated or smooth, moderate or rather small, covering body, more or less of head,
and soft parts of vertical fins; lateral line present; air-bladder present; dorsal fin
single with rather numerous spines and soft rays; anal fin similar to soft dorsal,
with 3 or 4 spines; caudal rounded or truncate; ventrals thoracic, with rays 1,5.
There are about 6 American genera, but only 1 is represented on the North Caro-
lina coast. |

Genus CHATODON Linnezus. Butterfly-fishes.

This, the most numerous genus of the family, contains many strikingly
beautiful little fishes, with short, deep body much compressed, especially above;
short, pointed, scaly head; small mouth, with numerous long, flexible teeth in
bands; preopercle without spine; narrow gill-openings; ctenoid, moderate-sized
scales; lateral line strongly arched; about 13 spines in dorsal fin, the spinous part
longer than the soft; 3 stout anal spines; caudal margin straight or rounded; ven-
tral spine strong. Of the 8 or 10 American species, only 1 has yet been noted in
North Carolina. (Chetodon, bristle tooth.)

290. CHAATODON OOELLATUS Bloch.

Butterfly-fish.
Chetodon ocellatus Bloch, Ichthyologie, pl. 211, fig. 2,1787. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1674, pl. cexlix, fig. 621.

DiaGNosis.—Depth equals length of body posterior to head or about .7 total length;
head .4 length of body; snout produced, about length of eye, and somewhat less than .33 head;
scales in lateral series about 34, in transverse series 21; lateral line terminating near end of
dorsal fin; dorsal rays x11,20, the longest spines (third and fourth) twice length of eye; anal rays
111,16; ventrals more than .8 length of head. Color: yellowish gray; a black band extends
from front of dorsal fin through eye and thence downward to throat; a black spot on opercle;
a large black spot on soft dorsal; a black vertical band from this spot to base of anal. (ocel-
latus, having eye-like spot.)

A common West Indian species, occurring as a straggler along the Atlantic
coast as far as New England; sometimes, however, taken in large numbers as far

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. SB

north as Massachusetts.* This species was not heretofore recorded from North
Carolina, but has recently been taken on several occasions at Beaufort, as follows:
In the summer of 1902 one 1.5 inches long at Bird Shoal; in 1903 one 1.75 inches
long near the laboratory; and on July 21, 1904, two 2.25 inches long in the harbor.
The species rarely exceeds 3 inches in length.

Family HEPATIDA. The Surgeon-fishes or Tangs.

The fishes of this family may easily be recognized by the presence of 1 or
2 spinous processes on each side of the narrow caudal peduncle, together with an
oblong, much compressed body, with elevated back; short head; small, low,
terminal mouth, armed with a single row of narrow teeth in jaws; short maxillary
closely united with premaxillary; small, high eye; double nostrils; 4 gill-arches,
with rudimentary rakers; gill-membranes attached to isthmus; large pseudo-
branchie; small scales completely covering body and head; complete lateral
line; long, narrow, connected pelvic bones; few pyloric cceca; large air-bladder; a
single greatly elongated dorsal fin, with spinous part shorter than soft part; anal
fin similar to but shorter than dorsal; broad caudal fin with concave margin;
and thoracic ventrals with about 5 soft rays preceded by a spine. The family
has about 100 members in the warmer regions of the world, most of them belong-
ing in the only genus found on the eastern coast of North America.

Genus HEPATUS Gronow. Surgeon-fishes; Tangs.

In this genus the armature of the caudal peduncle consists of a single sharp,
movable spine on each side which fits in a groove and is capable of being extended
like the blade of a lancet, whence the various common names of these fishes; as
the species are herbivorous, it is evident the spines, which can inflict a painful
wound, are employed only for protection. Lateral line arched; scales very fine
and numerous; dorsal spines 9, anal spines 3; teeth strong and immovable.
About 6 species known from American waters. Of the 3 species found regularly
in Florida and as stragglers as far north as Massachusetts, 2 were recently
detected in North Carolina waters which may thus be distinguished:

?. Caudal fin slightly concave behind; caudal lobes about equal; about 12 dark vertical bars

OTUEIC ES EPIC Te UA cate aN vee rein arin eis el asst oe el sara dlatec havo. eaNe wip ier ace. eis eoe ... -hepatus.
a. Caudal fin deeply concave behind; upper caudal lobe terminating in a produced filament; no
WER CADALSOMBIGCS atic: Ct as nek ee ea SAC cc Gke ies oo sma om ea Seie ews a a bahianus.

(Hepatus, an old name for some European fish.)

291. HEPATUS HEPATUS (Linneus).
Surgeon-fish; Tang; Lancet-fish; Doctor-Fish.
Teuthis hepatus Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 507, 1766; Carolina. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1691.
Diacnosis.—Body ovate, the depth .4 to .5 length; head contained 3.5 times in total
length; superior profile very steep, making an angle of 45° with long axis of body; snout about

.6 head; eye .5 snout; dorsal fin of nearly uniform height throughout, the rays rx,25 or 26; anal
rays 11, 22 to 24; caudal somewhat Shorter than head, the lobes of nearly equal length. Color:

; Fann In a small bay on Marthas Vineyard more than 100 were collected by the writer in the summer and fall
° ;

338 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

dark greenish brown, paler on sides; about 12 narrow, vertical blackish bars on sides; fins gen-
erally dark; dorsal with brown stripe at base, spinous part with blue and green stripes, soft
rays bluish anteriorly.

Up to this time only 2 specimens of this fish have been recorded from North
Carolina waters. The first, 6 inches long, was captured in a mullet net near
Beaufort Inlet in the fall of 1904 and presented to the Bureau of Fisheries by
Mr. Joseph Lewis, of the Mullet Pond Fishery, who states that during his 30
years’ fishing experience near Beaufort he has seen only 1 other fish of this kind.
The second specimen was obtained near Pivers Island, Beaufort Harbor, July 15,
1905, by Prof. Howard E. Enders, and is now in the laboratory collection. The
species is abundant in Florida and the West Indies, and is eaten in considerable
quantities. The maximum length is about 1 foot.

292. HEPATUS BAHIANUS (Castelnau).
Surgeon-fish; Tang; Lancet-fish; Doctor-fish; Barber.

Acanthurus bahianus Castelnau, Animaux Nouvelles ou Rares de l’Amerique du Sud, p. 24, pl. 11, fig. 1, 1855;
y Bahia.
Teuthis bahianus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1693, pls. eclvi and celvii, figs. 629, 630.

DraGnosis.—Form as in Hepatus hepatus; dorsal rays 1x,24, longest less than .5 length of
head; anal rays 111,22; caudal deeply incised, the upper lobe longer and often filamentous.
Color: dark brown, with paler blotches below; sides with brown wavy lengthwise streaks;
dorsal fin with 8 dark longitudinal lines and a black’ edge; caudal with light blue or whitish
margin. (bahianus, relating to Bahia.)

Fig. 151. Sure@non-FisH; Tane. Hepatus bahianus.

This surgeon-fish is common at Key West and thence throughout the West
Indies. It is now recorded for the first time from North Carolina. On October
11, 1905, Mr. 8S. G. Worth obtained from a local fisherman at Beaufort a speci-
men 5.5 inches long which is now in the laboratory at that place. This species
reaches somewhat over a foot in length, and in Florida, Porto Rico, and the
Danish West Indies is of considerable importance as food.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 309

Family BALISTID. The Trigger-fishes.

Rather large-sized shore fishes of tropical waters, feeding on small animals
or on alge; protected by their tough, rough skin; rarely eaten by man, the flesh
of some reputed to be exceedingly poisonous. Body ovate or elongate, consider-
ably compressed; mouth very small, terminal; jaws short but strong, a single row
of incisor teeth in each; premaxillaries fused with maxillaries; eye small, high;
preorbital region very wide; gill-openings short slits at base of pectorals; oper-
cular bones not evident externally; head and body covered with rough scales
or plates; lateral line absent or rudimentary; air-bladder present; vertebre few
in number (17); 2 dorsal fins, the anterior with 2 or 3 spines, the first spine
largest, the second firmly locking it when extended, whence the name trigger-
fishes, applied to the family; posterior dorsal with numerous soft rays; anal
similar to second dorsal; caudal rounded, forked, or concave; pectorals short and
broad; ventrals represented by a stout spine at the end of a long pelvic bone.
About 6 American genera, only 1 regularly represented on our Atlantic coast.

Genus BALISTES Linnzus. Trigger-fishes.

This genus contains the typical trigger-fishes, with 3 dorsal spines, of which
the first is much the largest, the second in close relation thereto, the third remote;
by depressing the second spine the firmly locked first spine may be bent back-
ward. Body compressed, rather deep; irregular teeth in each jaw; scales rather
small, rough, implanted in a tough, leathery skin; lateral line very small and
exceedingly irregular, extending on cheeks, sometimes incomplete; a groove in
front of eye below nostrils; enlarged bony plates behind gill-openings; pelvic
flap large, movable, with numerous sharp spines; anal and second dorsal fins
long, falcate or filamentous in adult; caudal lobes produced in old specimens;
colors often brilliant and in remarkable patterns. Two species occur on our east
coast, straggling as far north as Massachusetts; only 1 of these thus far recorded
from North Carolina, but the other likely to be found any season. These 2
may be thus distinguished:

i. Lateral line complete, extending from cheek upward to near dorsal, thence abruptly down-
ward to near anal, again upward, and then straight along caudal peduncle; color olive gray,
with a dark cross-bar under anterior part of soft dorsal and violet or blue spots on back,

NCAC MATL Mans saree eter rgt ee ee teey gi, ere mun eats be) taitah sels coe aiita febetess carolinensis.
it. Lateral line incomplete, only on cheeks, nape, and peduncle; color brownish yellow, with
bright. blue streaks on head, fins, and peduncle................ceescscenenees vetula.

(Balistes, cross-bow. )

293. BALISTES CAROLINENSIS Gmelin.
Leather-jacket; Trigger-fish.

Balistes carolinensis Gmelin, Systema Nature, i, 1468, 1788; Carolina. . Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1701, pl.
eclviii, fig. 632.

Dracnosis.—Depth .5 total length to end of tail; peduncle narrow, about .16 depth of
body; head .25 total length to end of tail; snout very long, .8 length of head; eye very small,
less than .25 snout; scales in lateral series 55 to 65; lateral line undulating, very irregular (as

340 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

described in key), the lines of two sides united by a branch over nape; dorsal rays 111+ 27, the
anterior soft rays elongated but not so long as head; anal rays 25; caudal lobes produced in
adult. Color: in general grayish olive; 2 dark cross-bars under soft dorsal fin; small purplish
spots on back and purplish marks on snout; eye surrounded by a ring of blue spots and green
streaks; first dorsal with blue spots; second dorsal and anal yellow, with rows of light blue spots
and a green network; pectorals green, with blue base and green spots. (carolinensis, inhabiting
Carolina.)

Fig. 152. Triaeer-FisH. Balistes carolinensis.

A widely distributed species, very common in the West Indies and the Medi-
terranean Sea, sometimes carried northward in the Gulf Stream to New York
and Massachusetts. It attains a length of more than a foot, and at Key West,
where it is called turbot, it is extensively eaten. There are no published records
of the fish’s occurrence in North Carolina, but it must have been observed on
many occasions and at various points. The only specimens known from state
waters have been taken at Beaufort—1 in the summer of 1903; another caught
on a hook in August, 1905; and a third obtained at Pivers Island on October 9,
1905.

Family MONACANTHIDA, The File-fishes.

Shore fishes of warmer regions, feeding chiefly on algw; species mostly small,
of no food value, the flesh bitter; similar to the trigger-fishes but having only a
single dorsal spine. Body much compressed, rather deep; mouth small, termi-
nal; incisor teeth in upper jaw in a double series; in lower jaw in a single series;
gill-openings mere slits; lateral line absent; scales small, spine-bearing; dorsal
spine barbed or smooth, sometimes a rudimentary spine behind; second dorsal
long, widely separated from the spine; anal similar; caudal peduncle long or
short, the fin broad or elongate; pectorals very short; ventrals either absent or
represented by a long spine surmounting the pelvic bone. Four American gen-
era, 2 represented in the local fauna.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 341

z. Dorsal spine comparatively stout, its posterior surface with retrorse barbs; pelvic bone sur-
mounted with a spine projecting through skin of abdomen; gill-openings short, and more

Onlesssvertical-scaucaletim proadua.sceeseses ccs ancee. scr eec cece nesee MONACANTHUS.
i. Dorsal spine rather slender, without barbs; no spine on pelvic bone; gill-openings long and
Weny Oblique caudal nMClOR CALE. ccc. si .cles oieveises ct eevesses vans CERATACANTHUS.

Genus MONACANTHUS Cuvier. File-fishes.

A very numerous genus of small fishes with short, deep, much compressed
body; very small mouth; about 6 teeth in outer row and 4 in inner row in upper
jaw, and about 6 in lower jaw; gill-slit shorter than eye, slightly oblique, and
under posterior part of eye; minute scales, individually rough, but giving to the
skin a velvety feel; ventral flap and sometimes caudal peduncle spinous; large
dorsal spine, with 2 series of retrorse spines; second dorsal and anal fins with
25 or more rays; broad, rounded caudal; blunt, movable ventral spine; pelvic
bone united with abdomen by a broad flap of skin. Several American species,
1 common along our Atlantic coast. (Monacanthus, one spine.)

294. MONACANTHUS HISPIDUS (Linnzus).
‘‘Fool-fish’’; File-fish.

Balistes hispidus Linneus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 405, 1766; Carolina. ©

Stephanolepis setifer, Yarrow, 1877, 204; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 367; Beaufort.

Monacanthus hispidus, Jordan, 1886, 30; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 93; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898,
1715, pl. cclix, fig. 635. Linton, 1905, 401; Beaufort.

Fig. 153. Frive-risn. Monacanthus hispidus.

Dr1aGnosis.—Depth contained 1.75 times in length in adults; head about .5 depth; pro-
file from dorsal spine to end of snout nearly straight; snout very long, about 3 times diameter
of eye; gill-slits length of eye; margin of abdominal flap not extending beyond ventral spine;
body completely scaly, each scale with 3 prickles; dorsal spine straight, above posterior part
of eye, shorter than snout, posterior surface with 2 rows of barbs; dorsal soft rays about 32, the
first ray often filamentous, the others becoming gradually shorter from before backward; anal

342 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

rays about 32; caudal fan-shaped, the margin rounded; pectorals less than twice diameter of
eye. Color: nearly uniform green, the shade varying from grass green to olive; irregular faint
whitish spots on back and sides; fins transparent greenish. (hispidus, bristly.)

This species is found from southern Massachusetts to Brazil, and is com-
mon throughout its range. It is extremely abundant on the North Carolina
coast, where it is known as ‘‘fool-fish”. In July, 1903, during a period of 5 days,
over 600 were seined in Beaufort Harbor, mostly on Bird Shoal; these were 1
to 3 inches long. A series of young collected in sargassum-weed in the Gulf
Stream off Beaufort July 27, 1901, had individuals .38 to 1.75 inches long. The
maximum length of the species is 10 inches. Numerous specimens examined
at Beaufort by Professor Linton were found to have eaten bryozoans, small
crustaceans and mollusks, gastropod eggs, annelids, small sea-urchins, and alge.

Genus CERATACANTHUS Gill. File-fishes ; Fool-fishes.

Moderate-sized shore fishes, with somewhat elongate, strongly compressed
body; projecting lower jaw; very oblique gill-openings much longer than eye and
extending in advance of eye; a long, curved pelvic bone without a spinous extrem-
ity; single small, slender, barbless dorsal spine inserted over middle of eye; soft
dorsal widely separated from the spine, its rays numerous (85 to 50); anal fin
similar to soft dorsal; caudal fin more or less elongate; pectoral fins very small.
Numerous species, in all warmer parts of the world; 4 American species, 2 of
which are here noted.*

7. Color variable—dusky olive, orange yellow, or whitish—without definite spots; anterior pro-

file:convex; depth of body, in adultbilencthin. 215. o.oo ieee ines ele schepfit.
ii. Color light brown, with numerous dark brown round spots half diameter of pupil; anterior
profile concave; depth of body in adult .4 length... 2. 5. 2.40.2. 5.00-.+ se punctatus.

(Ceratacanthus, horn spine.)

295. CERATACANTHUS SCH@PFII (Walbaum).
File-fish; Fool-fish; Devil-fish.

Balistes schepfii Walbaum, Artedi Genera Piscium, 461, 1792; Long Island, N. Y.

Alutera cuspicauda, Yarrow, 1877, 204; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 367; Beaufort.

Ceratacanthus aurantiacus, Yarrow, 1877, 204; Beaufort.

Alutera aurantiaca, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 367; Beaufort.

Alutera schepfii, Jordan, 1886, 30; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1718, pl. xxlx, fig. 636. Linton,
1905, 401; Beaufort.

Ceratacanthus schepfii, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2860.

DraGcnosis.—Depth about .5 length in adult, less in young; caudal peduncle slender, 2
times diameter of eye; head .33 length; profile from mouth to dorsal spine slightly convex;
lower jaw somewhat the longer, chin projecting; snout nearly as long as head and 4 times diam-
eter of eye; eye under dorsal spine and over posterior part of gill opening; gill-opening twice
diameter of eye; scales minute, rough, completely covering body and head; dorsal spine slender,
its length varying with age, about 2 times length of eye in adults; soft dorsal rays about 36,
anal rays 38, the fins low; caudal long, slender, becoming shorter in old specimens; pectorals
short, about twice diameter of eye. Color: adults dirty gray, orange, or whitish; young dirty
white, mottled or blotched with reddish brown or sometimes showing dark and light longitu-

* A third species, Ceratacanthus scriptus, has occasionally been taken as far north as South Carolina.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 343

dinal bands; caudal usually yellowish. (Named for Dr. Schépf, a surgeon with the Hessian
troops on Long Island during American Revolution.)

Along the coast of the United States from Massachusetts to Texas, the fool-
fish or file-fish is well known, being caught in the nets of the commercial fisher-
men. It is called fool-fish because of its peculiar appearance and the general
stupidity shown in captivity; it will often remain in a pound net or other trap
when every other fish will have escaped through a rent in the netting. Its
rough, sandpaper-like skin has given rise to its other common name.

The fish attains a length of 2 feet, and older examples exhibit 3 distinct color
phases: a dull, dirty, greenish-gray, a rich orange-yellow, and a milky white,
the yellow and white often being partly replaced by irregular areas of blackish-
gray. These colors appear to be independent of sex or environment, and fishes
representing each, as well as intermediate phases, may be taken together.

Fig. 154. Frive-risH; Foot-riso. Ceratacanthus schepfit.

When the fish is swimming the head is lower than the tail, and the move-
ments and appearance are singularly awkward. In captivity the fish eat suc-
culent algz, the branches of which are bitten off and swallowed rapidly.

The species is common on the shores of North Carolina. Specimens have
been taken for the Beaufort laboratory. Small examples examined by Professor
Linton at Beaufort in July and August contained bryozoans, shrimp, amphipods,
and sea lettuce.

296. CERATACANTHUS PUNCTATUS (Agassiz).
Spotted File-fish; Long Mingo.

Alutera punctata Agassiz, Pisces Brasilienses, 137, pl. 76, 1829; Brazil. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1719.
Ceratacanthus punctatus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2860.

Diaenosis (based on North Carolina specimens).—Depth slightly less than .5 length;
width of peduncle 1.5 times diameter of eye; head contained 3.12 times in length; profile con-
cave; lower jaw projecting; teeth in a single series in each jaw; eye .25 length of snout and some-
what less than supraorbital space; gill-slit .33 length of head, its posterior end under pupil and
over base of pectoral; dorsal spine over posterior third of eye, short, slender, its length 2.5

344 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

times diameter of eye; rays in soft dorsal 36. origin of the fin same distance from pupil as pupil
is from tip of lower jaw; anal rays 38; caudal long, posterior margin rounded; pectorals short,
1.5 times diameter of eye. Color: grayish brown, with numerous small, round dark brown
spots; back and snout dark; caudal black. (punctatus, spotted.)

The spotted file-fish, which ranges from the West Indies to Brazil, is now
recorded for the first time from the east coast of the United States on the strength
of 2 specimens taken at Bird Shoal, Beaufort Harbor, in the summer of 1902.
The fish, 6.75 inches long over all, were profusely marked with discreet, round,
brown spots somewhat smaller than the pupil; the dorsal, anal, and pectoral fins
were plain; and the caudal was black.

Family OSTRACIIDA. The Trunk-fishes.

The trunk-fishes are among the most curious fishes in our waters, and are
at once recognizable by the hard 3-, 4-, or 5-angled shell or box in which the body
is encased. Body rather short and deep; caudal peduncle rather long and nar-
row; shell formed of numerous large, more or less regular, polygonal bony plates
which are deficient only about jaws, at bases of fins, and on caudal peduncle;
mouth small, terminal, with a single row of slender teeth in each jaw; maxillary
and premaxillary closely united; eye large, high, protruding; gill-opening a short
narrow, nearly vertical slit below and posterior to eye; vertebra 14; dorsal fin
inserted far backward, single, short, composed wholly of soft rays; anal fin sim-
ilar to and opposite dorsal; caudal fin of 10 rays, the posterior margin square or
rounded; pectoral fins short, inserted close to lower end of gill-openings; ventral
fins absent. There are 25 or 30 known species, representing several genera,
inhabiting tropical waters; all the American species fall into 1 genus.

Genus LACTOPHRYS Swainson. Three-angled Trunk-fishes.

In this genus the shell or box present 3 well-marked angles, the ventral
surface being broad and either flat or convex, and the sides inclining inward to
make a more or less acute angle at the back; the shell is continuous across the
median line behind the anal fin; the characters by which the species are sepa-
rated are the presence or absence of horns on the frontal and ventral regions,
the existence of a complete or imperfect shell posterior to dorsal fin, and the
coloration. Four American species, 2 known from North Carolina.* The trunk-
fishes are sometimes baked in the shell and regarded with favor in Florida and
the West Indies. Owing to the ease with which they may be preserved, all the
American species became known in Europe upwards of 200 years ago; and as a
matter of local interest it may be mentioned that Peter Artedi, the ‘father of
ichthyology’’, in his notes on this group of fishes published in 1738, mentions
his having seen several of our species at “The Nagg’s Head” tavern in London.

* Another species of trunk-fish, Lactophrys tricornis, common on the South Atlantic coast and throughout
the West Indies, is known from Charleston, S. C., and Chesapeake Bay, and will no doubt in time be

detected on the North Carolina coast. It reaches a length of 18 inches, and may easily be distinguished by a
projecting horizontal horn in front of each eye.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 345

i. Shell or carapace with a large spine at end of each ventral ridge; carapace deficient behind
dorsal fin; color olive gray, nearly every plate with a small pale blue spot at its center.

trigonus.
ii. Shell or carapace without spines; carapace continuous behind dorsal fin; color dark brown,
Withenumenrouse small circular .avyellow-whitewspotss..-.-.-2.5.5+5-.-\--4-- triqueter.

(Lactophrys, milk-cow eyebrow, in allusion to the horns in one species.)

297. LACTOPHRYS TRIGONUS (Linnzus).
Camel-fish; Box-fish; Trunk-fish; Shell-fish.

Ostracium trigonus Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 330, 1758; ‘‘ India’’,

Ostracion trigonum, Jordan, 1886, 30; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 93; Beaufort.

Lactophrys trigonus, Yarrow, 1877, 204; Fort Macon. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 367; Beaufort. Jordan & Ever-
mann, 1898, 1723, pl. cclxiii, fig. 641.

Diaenosis.—Body sharply 3-angled, the back elevated into a well marked, strongly com-
pressed hump; depth .5 length; head .25 length, the profile straight; peduncle long and slender,
its depth less than diameter of eye; each ventral ridge terminating in a long spine which extends
beyond origin of anal fin; shell open behind dorsal fin; a conspicuous ridge over each eye; dor-
sal rays 10; anal rays 10; caudal with rounded corners. Color: olive gray above, light green on
ventral surface; most of the side plates with-a light blue spot in the center; outlines of upper
plates black, of lower ones blue; several dusky areas on side; fins pale green; vent, iris, nostrils,
and base of pectorals yellow. (trigonus, three-angled.)

Fig. 155. Camet-FrisH; TrunxK-FisH. Lactophrys trigonus.

A common West Indian species, well known in Florida and sometimes found
as far north as Massachusetts.* It has occasionally been reported from Beaufort,
N.C. Yarrow recorded 2 specimens from the beach at Fort Macon; a specimen
in the State Museum at Raleigh came from Beaufort; and Jenkins states, on the
authority of Prof. W. K. Brooks, that small examples are often taken in tow nets
outside Beaufort Inlet. There appear to have been no recent captures at
Beaufort. Maximum length about 1 foot.

* At Woods Hole the writer has found the very young not uncommon in summer; and on quiet days they

have been seen, singly or in small bunches, in eel grass about the wharves. Several dozen have been taken at
one haul of a small seine.

346 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

298. LAOTOPHRYS TRIQUETER (Linnaus).
Trunk-fish. ;

Ostracion triqueter Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 330, 1758; India.
Lactophrys triqueter, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1722, pl. cclxi, fig. 638.

DiaGcnosis.—Form ovate, back evenly arched, depth .5 length; sides making an angle of
about 30 degrees at back; ventral surface convex; depth of caudal peduncle greater than diam-
eter of eye; head .25 length; profile concave; eye about .33 length of head and .8 length of gill-
slit; shell without spines, continuous behind dorsal fin; 9 plates along median line posterior
to eye; dorsal rays 10; anal rays 10; caudal fin rounded. Color: dark brown above, lighter on
belly; each scale except on ventral surface with 1 or more round whitish spots somewhat smaller
than pupil; lips, bases of fins, and tip of caudal dark brown or blackish; caudal peduncle marked
like sides; caudal margin black, other fins plain; young light green, with numerous round dark
greenish blue spots on sides and below. (¢riqueter, three-angled.)

The occurrence of this trunk-fish on the United States coast north of Florida
does not appear to have been previously noted. There are 3 North Carolina
records. In July, 1900, several young examples were taken in Beaufort Harbor,
and in July, 1904, a number of others were obtained in the same locality. The
only adult specimen was collected at Perry Island, Beaufort Harbor, in the
summer of 1902.

Family TETRAODONTIDA. The Swell-fishes.

The fishes of this family have the faculty of inflating themselves with air or
water, which is pumped into a special sac, lying external to the peritoneal cavity,
its duct opening into the mouth or esophagus. The amount of the inflation is
extreme in some genera, the fishes being converted into veritable balloons.
Body oblong or elongate, little if at all compressed; mouth small, terminal, the
teeth in each jaw fused into a kind of beak with a median suture; lips conspic-
uous; gill-slits small, situated immediately in front of pectorals; scales absent,
the skin usually covered with small, weak, movable prickles or spines; lateral
line conspicuous or not; air-bladder present; vertebrz few (16 to 21); spinous
dorsal and ventral fins absent; dorsal fin placed near the caudal, composed of a
few soft rays; anal fin similar to and opposite dorsal; caudal fin well developed,
of various shapes; pectoral fins short and broad, the upper rays longest. ‘These
fishes are for the most part found in warmer coastal waters, and have only feeble
swimming powers. While some of them attain a considerable size, none are
food fishes, the flesh being rank and sometimes poisonous. About 10 genera and
60 species; 4 genera American, 2 represented in North Carolina fauna.

i. Body oblong; skin prickly or with soft appendages above and below, sometimes smooth;
dorsal and anal fins short, with 6 to 8 rays; caudal more or less rounded; lower surface of
body without a prominent longitudinal fold or keel; size moderate or small... .SPHEROIDES.

vi. Body elongate; skin of abdomen very prickly, back and sides smooth; dorsal and anal fins

faleate, with 12 to 15 rays; caudal fin strongly concave behind; a prominent longitudinal
fold or keel on each side of belly and pedunele; size large.............-. LAGOCEPHALUS.

Genus SPHEROIDES Duméril. Puffers; Swell-fishes.

Typical puffers, with oblong, plump body; short nasal canal on each side,
with 2 openings near its tip; skin either smooth, prickly, or with cirri (prickly

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 347

in local species) ; mucous canals inconspicuous; dorsal and anal fins small, of 6
to 8 rays; caudal fin rather short, broad, its posterior margin rounded or nearly
square; abdomen exceedingly dilatable with either air or water. Numerous.
species, most of them American, 4 known from east coast of United States, but
only 2 as yet recorded from North Carolina.

i. Head and body prickly, the prickles small, stiff, 3-rooted; no cirri present; about 12 irregular
blacks blotchestonubacks andtsides tym mis stro e sicieas close nc vistcvee ese os oes maculatus.
zi. Sides of head and of body smooth, except an area behind pectorals, the prickles on back and
belly larger and wider apart than in maculatus 2nd sometimes lacking; small cirri or flaps
on sides; numerous small black spots above, and a single series of 12’to 16 small, round
black spots along junction of sides and abdomen, these most distinct in young.. .spenglert.

299. SPHEROIDES MACULATUS (Bloch & Schneider).
“‘Swell-toad’”’; Puffer; Swell-fish; Balloon-fish.

Tetrodon hispidus, var. maculatus Bloch & Schneider, Systema Ichthyologie, 504, 1801; Long Island, N. Y.
Chilichthys turgidus, Yarrow, 1877, 204; Beaufort.

Cirrisomus turgidus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 366; Beaufort.

Tetrodon turgidus, Jordan, 1886, 30; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887,93; Beaufort. Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort.
Spheroides maculatus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1733, pl. celxiv, fig. 645. Linton, 1905, 402; Beaufort.

Draenosis.—Depth (uninflated) about equal to width, .33 total length; length of head
greater than depth of body; snout more than .5 head; eye small, .25 snout; interorbital space
2.6 times diameter of eye; skin prickles Peal 3-rooted, stiff, and of uniform size;

concav
prickl absent posterior to dorsal fin and vent; fins small; dorsal rays 7, the longest one- Sud
head; anal rays 6, of same size as dorsal; caudal margin slightly convex, the central rays .4

length of head: pectorals rather broad. Cate upper parts rich dark green with black mot-

tlings; below white or pale yellow; sides marked with about 12 short black bars, of unequal size
and mostly oblique, the 2 or 3 immediately behind pectorals most distinct; fins plain, caudal
dark-edged. (maculatus, spotted.)

Fig. 156. Purrer; SwELL-FISH. Spheroides maculatus.

“Swell-toad ” is the name applied to this and the related species by the
North Carolina fishermen. The fish is common as far north as Cape Ann, and
is abundant during the warmer months on the coast and in the bays and sounds
of this state. Its maximum length is about 10 inches. Specimens examined at
Beaufort in July and August by Professor Linton were found to contain a very
great variety of animal food, including fragments of oysters, scallops, mussels,
razor-clams, gastropods, barnacles, crabs, shrimp, sea-urchins, worms, ascidians,

348 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

bryozoans, together with seaweeds and watermelon seed. The fish is often
caught in nets, and will also take the hook, but has no food value and is regarded

as useless.
300. SPHEROIDES SPENGLERI (Bloch).

‘‘Swell-toad’’; Puffer; Balloon-fish; Swell-fish.

Tetrodon spengleri Bloch, Ichthyologie, i, 135, pl. 144, 1782; West Indies.
Spheroides spengleri, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1732, pl. cclxiv, fig. 644. :

DraGgnosis.—Shape as in Spheroides maculatus; head contained 2.4 times in length; eye
rather large, .5 snout and nearly .25 head; interorbital space narrow, slightly concave or flat;
skin of body prickly, sometimes smooth; usually a patch of small prickles on middle of back;
belly spinous from anterior to vent to chin; head, sides, and tail mostly smooth; small dermal
flaps or cirri on sides; young more prickly and with more conspicuous flaps than adult; dorsal
rays 7, short, less than twice diameter of eye; anal rays 6, similar to dorsal; caudal less than
.5 length of head, the margin rounded. Color: above greenish brown, thickly marked with
small light green spots; small black spots on back, and a row of 12 to 16 along middle of side
from chin to caudal, these becoming less distinct in adult; belly flesh color; caudal with two
dark bars; pectorals yellow. (Named for a Mr. Spengler, who sent the type specimen to Bloch.)

A very widely distributed species, known from the West Indies, Brazil,
Canary and Madeira Islands, the Gulf coast of the United States, and recently
recorded by the writer from Massachusetts, where it occurs as a straggler in
summer. The fish is now reported from North Carolina for the first time, a
small specimen having been taken at Beaufort in the summer of 1900. A
length of 1 foot is attained by the species.

Genus LAGOCEPHALUS Swainson. Rabbit-fishes, or Puffers.

Similar to Spheroides, but the dorsal and anal fins longer and falcate, each
with 12 to 15 rays; the caudal concave behind; the skin prickles in American
species confined to the inflatable abdomen, the skin otherwise smooth and tense;
the under side of caudal peduncle with a fold. Size rather large. Two American
species. The rabbit-fishes are so called from the resemblance of the snout, mouth,
and teeth to those of arabbit. (Lagocephalus, hare head.)

301. LAGOCEPHALUS LAVIGATUS (Linnzus).

Puffer; Rabbit-fish.

Tetrodon levigatus Linneus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 411, 1766; Charleston, S. C. Yarrow, 1877, 204; Beau-
fort.
Lagocephalus levigatus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 366; Beaufort (after Yarrow). Jordan & Evermann, 1898,
1728, pl. eclxiii, fig. 642; ‘‘rare north of Cape Hatteras”. Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort.
Diaqnosis.—Body elongate, greatest depth .25 length; caudal peduncle slender, its least
depth equal to diameter of eye; head contained 3.7 times in length; eye rather large, contained
5.5 times in head, 3 times in snout, and 2.5 times in interorbital space; mouth very small; gill-
openings somewhat wider than base of pectorals; skin of belly beset with large, sharp, 3-rooted
spines, skin elsewhere very smooth; dorsal rays 13, the anterior much longer than posterior, so
that fin is pointed or falcate, its height contained 1.5 times in head, origin of fin midway pos-
terior between edge of eye and base of central caudal rays; anal fin opposite and similar to dor-
sal, its rays 12, the longest contained 1.75 times in head; caudal fin with deeply concave margin,
the longest rays nearly .7 length of head; pectorals broad, .5 length of head. Color: above
blackish green, sides and belly silvery white. (lavigatus, smoothed.)

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 349

This, the largest of the American puffers or swell-fishes, occurs coastwise
from Massachusetts to Brazil, but is not common north of Cape Hatteras. The
type came from Charleston. There are but few records of the fish in North
Carolina waters, owing chiefly to the fact that it has no economic value.
Yarrow’s note on the species in the Beaufort region in 1871 was as follows:

Found in small streams running through salt marshes; but few seen. Found in nets, and
is taken with the hook. Never eaten, being considered poisonous. Size, from 3 to 6 inches.

SSS

Fig. 157. Purrer; Rassit-risH. Lagocephalus levigatus.

Subsequent collectors recorded the species from that locality only on the
authority of Yarrow until 1899, when a specimen 16 inches long was taken in
June on Bird Shoal. Another specimen, representing the maximum length
attained by the species, was caught on Bird Shoal October 31, 1904, and is nowin
the Beaufort laboratory; its length is 25.75 inches over all, 21.25 inches long to
base of caudal, head 5.75 inches, depth 5.37 inches. The foregoing diagnosis
is based on this example. Recently a specimen only 2.25 inches long has been
added to the laboratory collection.

Family DIODONTIDA. The Porcupine-fishes and Bur-fishes.

Similar to the puffers (Tetraodontid), but with the scaleless body thickly
beset with conspicuous spines and with the teeth represented by a single bony,
beak-like plate in each jaw. Body short, rounded; abdomen inflatable with
air or water, but to a less degree than in the puffers; mouth small, terminal, the
jaws strong; nostrils tubular, each with 2 openings; gill-opening restricted;
spinous processes with 2 or 3 roots, inserted on all parts of the body except
about mouth and caudal peduncle; fins small, the pectorals largest; a single
dorsal fin, placed posteriorly, opposite anal; caudal rounded; ventrals absent.
A rather small family, with weak swimming powers, living mostly on the bottom
in warmer seas; of no food value, but often sold as curiosities, the dried distended
skins being met with in all parts of the world. Three American genera, 2 with
members in North Carolina.

i. Skin prickles long, slender, erectile, and mostly 2-rooted...............-.2 eee eue DIopon.
ai. Skin prickles short, blunt, immovable, and mostly 3-rooted ............ CHILOMYCTERUS.

350 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Genus DIODON Linnzus. Porcupine-fishes.

These are the porcupine-fishes proper, the dermal spines being long, slender,
and capable of being erected like those of a porcupine. Form stout; caudal
peduncle rather long and slender; nasal tube simple, with 2 lateral openings:
pectorals short, very broad, upper lobe longer. Probably only 1 American
species, occurring on both coasts. (Diodon, double tooth.)

302. DIODON HYSTRIX Linneus.
Porcupine-fish.

Diodon hystrix Linneus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 335, 1758. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1745, pl. celxvi, fig. 648.

DraGnosis.—Depth about .4 length; head contained 3 times in length; eye rather small,
about .16 length of head; lips thick; skin thickly beset with strong, sharp spines, longest on top
of head, back, and sides; the spines posterior to pectorals longest; spines on back anteriorly and
on peduncle 3-rooted and immovable, other spines 2-rooted and capable of being depressed and
elevated; dorsal rays 13 to 15, height o: fin .5 length of head; anal rays 13 to 15; caudal short,
rounded; pectorals very broad, rather less than .5 length of head. Color: dusky above, white
below, entire body and fins marked by small round black spots. (hystrix, the porcupine.)

Fig. 158. Porcupine-FisH. Diodon hystrix.

Although the porcupine-fish has been taken at various points on the east
coast of the United States as far north as Massachusetts, it occurs only as a
straggler north of Florida. The fish has doubtless been found from time to
time by the coast fishermen of North Carolina, but the only specimen known
from that state is one 2.5 inches long obtained at Beaufort in the summer of 1902
and now in the fishery laboratory at that place. The species attains a length of 3
feet.

Genus CHILOMYCTERUS Bibron. Bur-fishes.

Small marine fishes, with broad, slightly depressed body, covered with short,
firmly fixed, 3-rooted spines; short caudal peduncle; 2 nasal tentacles each with
2 lateral openings; small fins, as in Diodon; a few cirri variously placed on
head and body. About 6 American species, 2 represented in the local fauna:

i. Back marked with parallel longitudinal black stripes; under parts pale (sometimes black in
VOMIIG,) c's: erate reicinucione.t ogogenepoksl eee ereic, stele goer stenenen oo atclic et Sore Peo Loe Neal wen eee ea spinosus.
ii. Entire body marked with black stripes which form hexagonal reticulations, the stripes
broader onthe under parte: 2. Gk <c «(2 csr ieusteisyec «alets= oieteie a sicletat sem aaa ate antillarum:

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 351

303. CHILOMYCTERUS SPINOSUS (Linnzus).
““Swell-toad’’; ‘‘Lemon-toad’”’; ‘‘Spiny Toad-fish’’; Bur-fish.

Diodon spinosus Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 335, 1758; India.*

Diodon schepfi Walbaum, Artedi Genera Piscium, 601, 1792; Long Island, N. Y.

Chilomycterus geometricus, Yarrow, 1877, 203; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 366; Beaufort. Jenkins,
1877, 93; Beaufort. Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort.

Chilomycterus schepfi Jordan, 1886, 30; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1748, pl. cclxvi, fig. 649. Linton,
1905, 403; Beaufort.

Dracnosis.—Body short and broad, the depth somewhat less than breadth and .33 total
length; depth of caudal peduncle at junction with fin equal to diameter of eye; head less than
depth; nasal tentacle as long as pupil; eye large, lateral, about equal to snout; interorbital space
concave; gill-slit equal to diameter of eye, opposite upper half of pectoral base; dermal spines
broad-based, far apart, and short, their height averaging diameter of pupil; a series of about 9
spines between eye and caudal; 2 supraorbital spines, 1 spine on middle of forehead; spines on
abdomen smallest and partly imbedded; a short cirrus above each eye; a fleshy tip on some of
the posterior spines; cirri on chin; dorsal rays 12, their tips reaching caudal; anal rays 10; cau-
dal small, lanceolate; pectorals much broader than long, the upper rays longer. Color: green-
ish above, whitish or pale yellow below (sometimes black in young); back and sides with 10 to
16 black longitudinal stripes about width of interspaces, those on sides becoming oblique; simi-
lar narrower stripes on head extending crosswise; a black ocellated spot about size of eye above
each pectoral, a larger black spot behind each pectoral, another black spot on each side of back
at base of dorsal, and a smaller black spot below it; a narrow dark bar across dorsal fin near its
base; fins otherwise plain; iris blue. (spinosus, full of spines.)

The fishermen of North Carolina know this species under the names “swell-
toad”’, “lemon-toad”’, “spiny toad-fish’’, ete. The fish occurs in the West
Indies and along the entire Atlantic coast as far north as Massachusetts, reaching
its greatest abundance from Chesapeake Bay to Florida. It is more or less
abundant on the shores of North Carolina in summer, and at Beaufort examples
are then taken varying in size from 1.5 to 6 inches. The fish reaches Beaufort
early in April and remains at least as late as the latter part of October, and
probably does not withdraw from the shoal coast waters until the advent of cold
weather. A length of 10 inches is sometimes attained. The strong, bony beak
enables the fish to crush and eat mollusks and crustaceans, which are its principal
food.

* It is more than probable that the bur-fish thus designated By Linnzeus is identical with the one called
schepfi by Walbaum 34. years later, as suggested by Jordan & Evermann (1898). Linnus’ species is said to
differ from Walbaum’s only in the absence of lines on the back—a character of too uncertain valueina preserved
specimen.

352 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

3804. CHILOMYOTERUS ANTILLARUM Jordan & Rutter.
Chilomycterus antillarum Jordan & Rutter, Proceedings Academy Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 1897, 131;
Jamaica. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1749.

DiaGNnosis.—Form similar to spinosus; a transverse row of short cirri on chin; cirri on
nearly all the spines along margin of belly, no cirri above eyes; a spine below and in front of each
eye. Color: brown above, yellow below, entire body marked with small hexagonal areas formed
by black lines, the lines on abdomen wider; black spots as in spinosus, together with black
blotches on chin in front of and at each end of the row of cirri. (antillarum, of the Antilles.)

A straggler from the West Indies to the east coast of the United States,
where it has been observed only at Woods Hole, Mass., and Beaufort, N. C.
From the former place the writer recorded 1 specimen in 1898; at Beaufort 1
was taken in a trawl net in the harbor in the summer of 1902, according to Dr.
R. E. Coker, and another was caught in the summer of 1904, according to Dr.
EK. W. Gudger.

Family MOLIDAi. The Head-fishes.

Large fishes of remarkable appearance, with feeble swimming powers,
inhabiting the open sea but frequently seen along the coasts or stranded on the
shores. The compressed ovate body is covered with a very thick leathery skin; the
posterior part of the body is truncate; the small terminal mouth is armed with
a single bony plate in each jaw; the single high dorsal fin is placed far back, and
the anal fin is similar to it in shape and position, the caudal fin extending between
their posterior margins; the pectoral fins are small and are placed immediately
posterior to the very short branchial opening; ventral fins are lacking; and the
air-bladder is absent. The young differ much from the adults in form, and have
frequently been described under other names. There are several genera and
half a dozen known species, but only 1 is recorded from the coasts of the United
States.

Genus MOLA Cuvier. Ocean Sun-fishes.

Very large fishes with ovate body and compressed sides; tough, leathery
skin without scales; a projecting nose; dorsal and anal fins high, with short
base; pectorals short. (Mola, a millstone.)

305. MOLA MOLA (Linneus).
Sun-fish; Head-fish; Moon-fish; Mola.

Tetrodon mola Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 334, 1758; Mediterranean.
Mola mola, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1753, pl. eclxviii, fig. 651.

DraGnosis.—Head in adult about .25 total length , depth more than .5 length, the body
becoming longer in older examples; eye small, about .16 head; gill-opening about diameter of
eye; dorsal and anal fins more than .5 length of body, the rays 16 or 17 in each; caudal fin short
and wavy. Color: dark gray or slaty, sides and belly lighter; a more or less distinct dark band
extending along bases of posterior fins.

The ocean sunfish is a lazy, clumsy species, with limited swimming powers,
and seems content to be borne about listlessly by currents and tides. It occurs

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 353

regularly as far north as Massachusetts and on the Pacific coast to San Francisco.
It also inhabits the Mediterranean, and along the shores of western Europe is
not uncommon, the writer having seen stranded specimens in Norway beyond
the Arctic Circle. The species is usually seen floating or swimming at the surface
with the dorsal fin out of the water; and it may be easily approached and
harpooned. The fish is probably more common off the east coast of Florida than
elsewhere, but is not rare in southern Massachusetts; in Vineyard Sound § or 10
large ones have sometimes been observed in a single summer.

Fig. 160. SuN-FISH. Mola mola.

The North Carolina records are few, as follows: A specimen now in the
National Museum (no. 41002) was taken at Cape Lookout in 1889 by William H.
Gaskill, of the life-saving station at that place. Another specimen, 24 inches
long and 15 inches wide, was found dead on the beach at Cape Lookout about
March 15, 1904, by James Willis and was presented by him to the laboratory at
Beaufort. The third example likewise was taken at Cape Lookout, and was one
of the largest recorded; it was harpooned by fishermen in May, 1904, and taken
ashore in the “bight” of the cape; it was 8 feet long, and was estimated by the ©
fishermen to weigh 1,000 pounds.

354 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

The sun-fish attains a weight of 1,500 pounds, and one is recorded from the
California coast which is reported to have weighed 1,800 pounds. The powerful
turtle-like jaws suggest that the species feeds on hard-shelled creatures, but as a
matter of fact jellyfish have proved to be the only food found in a number of
specimens examined at Woods Hole, Mass. The fish has no economic value at
the present time, although it has been suggested that glue may be made from the
abundant subdermal elastic tissue.

Family SCORPASNIDA. The Scorpion-fishes and Rock-fishes.

A numerous and important marine family represented in all parts of the
world, but most abundant in the temperate portions of the Pacific Ocean; most
of the American species occur on the Pacific coast, where they enter largely into
the fisheries. These fishes are of small to moderate size, inhabit rocky bottom,
and many produce their young alive. The leading family characters are an
oblong, compressed body; a large head with more or less prominent bony ridges
terminating in spines; a large terminal mouth with small teeth on jaws and
vomer; protractile premaxillary; broad maxillary; wide gill-slits; gill-membranes
not united and free from the isthmus; large pseudobranchis; opercle and pre-
opercle usually spinous; small, usually ctenoid scales completely covering body;
a simple lateral line; rather few pyloric cceca; air-bladder present or absent; 2 con-
tinuous dorsal fins, the anterior with 8 to 16 spines and longer than soft portion;
short anal with 3 spines; caudal well developed, of various shapes; broad pec-
torals; thoracic ventrals with the rays 1,5. There are about 8 American genera,
5 represented on the Atlantic coast but only 2 in shoal water. Only 1 genus as
yet detected in North Carolina waters, but fishes belonging in several other
genera occur off that coast.*

Genus SCORPAENA Linnzus. Scorpion-fishes.

A numerous genus of warm-water fishes with rather elongate, somewhat
compressed body; large, rough head; large mouth, with bands of villiform teeth
on jaws, vomer, and palatines; 2 pairs of spines on occiput, 2 spines on opercle,
and 4 or 5 on preopercle; gill-rakers few in number; ctenoid scales, the top of
head more or less naked; body and head more or less thickly beset with short
dermal flaps or filaments; air-bladder absent; 12 dorsal spines; rounded caudal;
large, broad pectorals, usually with procurrent base; and ventrals arising pos-
terior to pectorals. Rather small fishes of peculiar form and variegated colora-
tion, having little food value; about a dozen American species, some of which
stray northward along the Atlantic coast of the United States. The strong dor-
sal spines can inflict a painful wound, which fact, together with the repulsive
appearance, makes these fishes unpopular or even dreaded among fishermen.
Besides the 2 following species, several others may be looked for as stragglers:

* Pontinus rathbuni is known only from off Cape Hatteras in 80 fathoms; Setarches parmatus has been
taken in the Gulf Stream off North Carolina and other states; and Helicolenws maderensis occurs offshore from
Cape Hatteras to New York.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 355

i. Lower jaw included; cranial spines and ridgesmore prominent; a deep pit under anterior
margin of orbit; axil jet black, with large white spots; general body color pale, often
Remicnm CASS Wil SOUCI BOGS. csc eSt)8 ss c08 oie wes ea dale oie an Wsnae gee eit plumiert.

a. Jaws equal; cranial spines and ridges less prominent; no pit under anterior edge of orbit;
axil pale, with a few black spots; general color greenish or brownish, the body and fins
HEN AEN IEG see) Sa eae eR i a ea brasiliensis.

(Scorpena, a scorpion, in allusion to the sting-like wound inflicted by the spines.)

306. SCORPA NA PLUMIERI Bloch.
Scorpion-fish.

Scorpena plumieri Bloch, Kongliga svenska vetenskaps akademien, nya handlingar, Stockholm, x, 234, 1789;
Martinique. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1848.

Draenosis.—Body short, the depth contained 3 times in total length; head .4 total length,
the surface very irregular, with strong spines and many grooves and pits; a conspicuous pit
below eye; lower jaw included; maxillary extending beyond eye, .5 length of head; eye .2
head; gill-rakers very short and broad; scales in lateral line about 40, a few scales on opercle
and preopercle but none on other parts of head; numerous fleshy flaps on body and head, a
large one over eye and on other parts of head; dorsal rays x11,10, the longest spine but little
more than .33 head; anal rays 111,5, the second spine very robust and longer than third; pec-
torals broad, procurrent, reaching as far as anal origin, the lower 10 or 11 rays simple and
exserted. Color: variable; usually sand color or bright red above, purplish below; the body
and head marked by several broad black bands; back covered with light specks and white
filaments; axil jet black, with large round, white spots; lower part of head finely spotted with
blue; angles of mcuth yellow; radiating dark spots about eye; fins variegated like body; the
dorsal. with white spots, the anal and ventrals white with red and black shades, the caudal
with 3 black and 3 light vertical bars, the pectorals with tip scarlet and inner surface yellow,
black, and red. (Named for Plumier, a priest who collected fishes in Martinique.)

A common species from Florida to Brazil, straggling as far north as Massa-
chusetts, where it has been found by the writer. Six specimens, all abeut 2
inches long, in the collection of the Beaufort laboratory, were obtained in July
and August, 1908, on Bird Shoal and Uncle Israel Shoal.

307. SCORPZ NA BRASILIENSIS Cuvier & Valenciennes.
Scorpion-fish.

Scorpena brasiliensis Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, iv, 305, 1829: Brazil. Jordan
& Evermann, 1898, 1842, pl. eclxxvii, fig. 670.

Draagnosts.—Body short, the depth .4 length; head compressed, its length equal to
greatest depth of body; jaws equal; maxillary extending opposite posterior edge of eye,
rather less than .5 head; eye large, equal to snout and more than .25 in head; interorbital
space deep, .5 diameter of eye; 2 sharp spines on preorbital, 2 or 3 on suborbital stay, upper
preopercular spine long, opercular spines small; scales in lateral line about 55, a few scales on
opercles, preopercles, and cheeks; small dermal flaps present on many scales of body, on
cheeks, before eyes, at bases of cranial spines, on membrane of spinous dorsal, etc.; a long
and slender flap above eye; dorsal rays x11,10, a deep notch between the two parts; anal rays
11,6; caudal rounded; pectorals long, about length of head, extending beyond first anal spine;
ventrals .5 length of head, reaching to vent, the last ray attached to abdomen by a membrane.
Color: grayish brown, with regular and obscure blackish blotches, one across base of peduncle;
white below, axil of pectorals pale, with a few round black spots, similar spots also on sides

306 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

of body; a fringed white flap on anterior nostril; dorsal and anal fins irregularly marbled;
caudal white, with a broad median and a narrow terminal vertical black bar; pectorals
obscurely barred; ventrals blackish blue. (brasiliensis, inhabiting Brazil.)

Fig. 161. Scorpron-FisH. Scorpena brasiliensis.

The foregoing description is based on several specimens, under 2 inches long,
taken on Uncle Israel Shoal, Beaufort Harbor, July 20, 1904. The species
ranges from Brazil northward, probably occurring regularly as far as Cape Hat-
teras, although not previously recorded north of South Carolina.

Family COTTIDA. The Sculpins.

The sculpins constitute an exceedingly numerous and varied family, found
chiefly along the shores of northern regions; some, however, occur at great depths
and some are confined to streams and lakes. The principal characters of the
family are a usually broad and depressed head, from which the elongate fusiform
or compressed trunk tapers backward to a rather slender peduncle; head either
smooth or spiniferous; large mouth, with teeth in bands on jaws; protractile pre-
maxillaries; large eyes, placed high on the head and usually separated by a
narrow space; spinous processes usually present on preopercle; suborbital con-
nected with preopercle by a bony stay; united gill-membranes, which are joined
to or free from isthmus; 3.5 or 4 gill-arches with short or rudimentary gill-rakers;
body naked, partly sealed, or partly covered with prickles or plates; lateral line
present; air-bladder usually lacking; pyloric cceca few; dorsal fins either separate
or connected, with 6 to 18 usually weak spines and rather numerous soft rays;
anal fin without spines; caudal fin truncate or rounded; large pectoral fins with
broad base; thoracic ventral fins (rarely absent), with 1 spine and 3 to 5 soft rays.
The sculpins have little value as food, but are sometimes eaten and also used as
bait; they must, however, be of considerable importance, owing to their wide
distribution, and some of them are known to be very destructive to fish eggs.
Of the 50 or more American genera only 1 is represented in the state.

eS)
Or
~I

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES.

Genus COTTUS Linnzeus. Fresh-water Sculpins; Miller’s Thumbs; Blobs.

Small, numerous, and variable sculpins of the colder fresh waters of North
America, Asia, and Europe; often abundant in trout streams and feeding largely
on trout eggs in season. Form elongate, little if at all compressed, head with
few spines; teeth on jaws, vomer, and (sometimes) palatines; isthmus very wide,
the gill-membranes not passing across it; a simple spine at angle of preopercle,
usually several spines below and a single concave spine on subopercle; skin smooth,
sometimes with feeble prickles; lateral line sometimes deficient; pyloric cceca
about 4; dorsal fins separated or joined, the spines slender, 6 to 9 in number;
ventrals with 4 soft rays and a concealed spine. Of the numerous American
species, only 1 is recognized as inhabiting any of the waters of North Carolina.
(Cottus, an old name for the miller’s thumb of Europe.)

308. COTTUS ICTALOPS (Rafinesque).
Blob; Miller’s Thumb; Mull-head (Va.).

Pegedictis ictalops Rafinesque, Ichthyologia Ohiensis, 85, 1820; Kentucky.

Potamocottus caroline Gill, Proceedings Boston Society of Natural History, 1861, 40; Carolina.

Cottus ictalops, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1950. Bean, 1903, 914; Bollings Creek, N.C.

Cottus bairdi, Jordan, 1889b, 154; South Fork of Swannanoa River and Spring Creek at Hot Springs, N. C.
Uranidea caroline, Cope, 1870b, 455; French Broad River, Madison County, N. C.

Diaenosis.—Form robust; depth about .25 length; head .33 length; palatine teeth well
developed; isthmus very broad; skin smooth, no axillary prickles; lateral line continuous or
interrupted; dorsal rays v1,16 to vi11,17, the spinous rays low and weak; anal rays 12; pectorals
large, nearly as long as head, and reaching to or beyond origin of soft dorsal. Color: oliva-
ceous, with dark bars and spots; fins dark barred or mottled. (ictalops, having an eye like a
cat-fish.)

A species of wide distribution and great variability; ranging from New York
to the Dakotas and along the Alleghanies to Alabama. Known only from tribu-
taries of the French Broad River in North Carolina, but doubtless occurring also
in the headwaters of the Holston and other streams on the western slope of the
mountains. Reaches a length of 6 inches, and is a very undesirable inhabitant
of the trout streams.

Family TRIGLIDA. The Sea-robins or Gurnards.

The sea-robins are found in the tropical and temperate regions of both
hemispheres, and some forms occur in great abundance in America, Europe, and
Asia. The most striking family features are the head completely enclosed in
strong bony plates, the wing-like pectoral fins, and the conversion of the 3 lower-
most pectoral rays into long, slender, detached feelers. Body elongate, fusiform,
deepest at junction with head; head large and more or less spiny; mouth large,
mostly terminal, with bands of small teeth on jaws and sometimes on vomer
and palatines; premaxillaries protractile; maxillary slipping under preorbital;
nosupplementary maxillary; gill-arches 4, gill-rakers various, gill-membranes not
attached to isthmus; lateral line present; body covered with scales or bony
plates; air-bladder and usually pyloric cceca present; 2 dorsal fins, the spinous

358 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

short and beginning far forward; anal fin without spines, similar to second dorsal;
caudal rather long; ventral fins thoracic, wide apart, theirrays1,5. The genera
are few, and only 1 genus is represented on the shores of the United States.

-

Genus PRIONOTUS Lacépéde. Sea-robins; American Gurnards.

The sea-robins are among the most numerous and best known of the shore
fishes of the east coast. Their principal anatomical characters are: Body more
or less round in section, tapering regularly backward from shoulder to slender
caudal peduncle; head entirely covered with bony plates, which have granula-
tions, ridges, and spines; snout broad, depressed, and much longer than eye;
mouth broad, terminal, with bands of small teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatines;
the spines on head definitely placed, 1 on operc'e, 1 or 2 at angle of preopercle, 2
on nape, and 1 on shoulder girdle; gill-membranes free from isthmus; gill-rakers
rather long and numerous; lateral line continuous; small, regularly arranged
rough scales completely covering body, only a few on head; pyloric cceca
present in moderate number; air-bladder rather large, with a specialized muscle
attached to its external surface; vertebre about 25; dorsal fins separate, the
first with 8 to 10 strong spines, the second longer and similar to anal; caudal
rather long; pectorals broad, wing-like, the 3 anterior rays separated from others,
long, thickened, free from each other, and developed as flexible tactile organs.

The species are of small size, rarely exceeding a foot in length. They live
mostly on the bottom, using their finger-like pectoral rays very dexterously in
finding food. They are able to make a grunting sound by the action of the air-
bladder, and are hence called pig-fish in some localities.

The flesh is white and of good flavor, but these fishes are rarely eaten,
although the closely related gurnards of Europe (Trigla) are food fishes of some
importance. Immense quantities of sea-robins are caught in pound nets, seines,
and other nets along the entire Atlantic coast from Massachusetts southward,
but no use is made of them except as compost. More than 20 species are known
from our coasts; 9 from the eastern seaboard of the United States; and 4 from
North Carolina, all the local species being known as “flying-fish” or “ flying-
toad”’ among the fishermen.

Key to the North Carolina species of sea-robins.

i. Head large, more than .3 total length; mouth relatively large, the maxillary at least .4 length
head; pectoral at least .5 length of body; free rays of pectoral tapering, not expanded at tip.

a. No distinct spine on cheek bone at center of radiation nor on edge of preorbital; head of
moderate width, the spines except those on nape not prominent; gill-rakers long and
slender, 18 to 20 developed on lower arm of first arch; depth of body more than .2
total ‘length; pectorals dark= ereem se ciccjemie). ats wile cicero Oe steel eee eae evolans.

aa. A distinct spine on cheek bone at center of radiation, and a preorbital spine with a smaller

one at base; head very broad, with high, knife-like spines; gill-rakers shorter and

thicker, about 10 developed on lower arm of first arch; depth of body .2 total length;

pectorals: hoht “oreenis). 37 .:ras. caret yepie s sae re) ni eaten oi etek pee tribulus.

ii. Head smaller, its length less than .3 total length; mouth relatively small, the maxillary

less than .4 length of head; pectoral less than .5 total length of body; free rays of pec-
toral expanded.

b. Body very slender, the depth about .16 total length; dorsal spines high, the third con-
tained 1.6 times in head; caudal fin square behind; general color olive, with numerous
round bronze or reddish spots on back and sides, a black spot on spinous dorsal, soft
dorsal and caudal sometimes black or dark brown.....................: scitulus.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. ; 359

bb. Body less slender, the depth about .22 total length; dorsal spines low, the third less than
.5 length of head; caudal fin moderately forked; general color dark olive, without well
defined spots, some dark mottling on back and 4 obscure dark blotches, the fins plain
except for a black spot on first dorsal, pectorals reddish................ carolinus.

(Prionotus, saw back.)

309. PRIONOTUS EVOLANS (Linnzus).
‘‘Flying-fish’’; ‘‘Flying-toad’’; ‘‘Striped Flying-toad”: Sea-robin.

. Trigla evolans Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 498, 1766; Carolina.
Prionotus evolans, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 373; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 91;
Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2168, pl. ecexx, fig. 772; North and South Carolina.

Draanosis.—Depth of body contained about 4.5 to 4.75 times in total length; narrowest
part of caudal peduncle less than diameter of eye; head contained 2.6 times in total length;
maxillary .4 length of head; eye large, rather less than .5 snout; interorbital space less than
diameter of eye; pores in lateral line about 53; scales in transverse series from last dorsal
spine to vent about 30; dorsal rays x+12, the first spine only weakly serrate, the longest
spines and soft rays about equal and same length as maxillary; anal rays 11; caudal .5 length
of head; the posterior margin nearly straight; pectorals more than .5 total length of body
(occasionally in North Carolina specimens nearly .66 total length). Color: back greenish
brown, sides light green, usually with small irregular whitish spots; back with 3 brownish
crossbars, the third extending to base of posterior soft rays; sides and head marked by narrow
lengthwise brown stripes along lateral line, from shoulder spine to opposite end of anal fin, with
a fainter one above, and from angle of mouth to preopercular spine; belly white; branchioste-
gal membrane yellow; opercle brown; anterior dorsal dusky, with a black spot between fourth
and sixth spines; anal reddish; caudal mostly orange, with transverse lines of white and brown
toward base; pectorals lustrous green on inner surface with upper rays white and lower red,
olive on outer surface with a narrow blue edge; ventrals pale red. (evolans, flying out.)

Fig. 162. Srripep Sea-rosin. Prionotus evolans.

Known only from the coast of North and South Carolina, where it is abun-
dant in places. For the Beaufort region it was not listed by Yarrow, was
recorded as abundant by Jordan and Gilbert and common by Jenkins, but has
not recently been reported and no specimens appear to have reached the Beau-
fort laboratory.

360 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

310. PRIONOTUS TRIBULUS (Cuvier).
“‘Flying-fish”’; ‘‘Flying-toad’’; Big-headed Gurnard; Sea-robin.

Trigla tribulus Cuvier, Regne Animal, ed. 2, vol, 2, 161, 1829; America.

Prionotus tribulus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 373; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 91;
Beaufort. Kendall & Smith, 1894, 21; Hatteras Inlet. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2171; Beaufort,
etc. Linton, 1905, 404; Beaufort.

DraGcnosis.—Depth .2 total length of body; head broad, .4 total length; spines and
striations on head very strong; maxillary rather less than .5 length of head; pores on lateral
line about 50; dorsal rays rx or x + 12 or 13; anal rays 11; pectorals .5 length of body, shorter
in young. Color: back light green with dark green reticulations; sides with a bright orange
lateral band; under parts white; 2 dark bands below spinous dorsal; anterior dorsal with
obscure dark bars and a large black spot between fifth and sixth spines; posterior dorsal dull
reddish, with dark spots; anal similar to soft dorsal; caudal reddish brown, with 3 dark cross-
bars; inner surface of pectorals grayish, outer surface light green, with 4 or 5 dark crossbands;
free pectorals rays red, barred with dark; ventrals light red. (¢ribulus, scraping.)

The big-headed gurnard ranges from New York to Texas, and is common at
Beaufort and on other parts of the North Carolina coast. It is distinguishable
from the other local species by the very broad and spinous head, the spines being
longer and sharper in the young. ‘The diet is varied, and embraces all kinds of
living animals of suitable size; examples examined by Professor Linton at Beau-
fort in July and August had eaten fish, worms, crabs, fiddler crabs, shrimp, am-
phip ods, copepods, horse-shoe crabs, bivalve mollusks, and sea urchins.

311, PRIONOTUS SCITULUS Jordan & Gilbert.
“‘Flying-fish”; ‘‘Flying-toad”; ‘‘Slim Flying-toad’’; Sea-robin.

Prionotus scitulus Jordan & Gilbert, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, 1882, 288; Beaufort, N.C. Jordan,
1886, 28; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2157, pl. ceexix, fig. 769; Beaufort to St. Augustine,
Linton, 1905, 404; Beaufort.

Prionotus punctatus, Yarrow, 1877, 207; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 373; Beaufort.

Fig. 163. SLENDER SeA-RoBIN. Prionotus scitulus.

D1aGnosis.—Form very slender, the depth much less than .2 total length; caudal peduncle
much wider than eye; head small, contained 2.75 to 3.6 in total length; mouth small, maxillary
short, less than .3 length of head; snout long, .5 head; eye small, .38 snout; interorbital area
concave, narrower than eye; spines on top of head short, sharp; gill-rakers long, slender; pores
in lateral line 52; dorsal rays x + 13, the spines high, the longest (third) equal to distance from
pupil to end of snout, the soft rays low and of uniform length; anal rays 12; caudal square

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 361

behind; pectorals in male .4 to .5 length of body, in female .33, Color: Male—above light
greenish brown, with 4 dark blotches on back; sides spotted with reddish brown; opercle
reddish brown, branchiostegal membrane black; dorsal fins greenish brown, a black spot on
membrane between fourth and fifth spines, both fins with translucent streaks; anal dark, the
base and edge white; caudal reddish, with narrow white longitudinal streaks; pectorals dark
brown, with irregular light brown and green markings; free rays of pectorals and ventrals
orange-tinged. Female—above dark green, back and sides thickly spotted with bronze;
branchiostegal membranes pink; spinous dorsal dusky with light streaks, a black ocellated
spot between fourth and fifth spines, a similar spot on upper part of first spine and membrane;
second dorsal and caudal spotted with black; anal black; ventrals pale. (scitulus, slender.)

This small species, although reported as tolerably abundant at Beaufort by
Yarrow, was represented by only 2 specimens in the collections of Jordan and
Jenkins. Recently it has been found in great abundance in the Beaufort region
in summer. Upwards of a dozen fish examined by Professor Linton in August
(1901 and 1902) contained fish, crustaceans, and bivalve and univalve mollusks.
The species attains a length of only 6 inches, and is the smallest of the local sea-
robins. Jordan & Gilbert record the local vernacular name of “slim flying-toad”’
in allusion to its very slender form.

312. PRIONOTUS CAROLINUS (Linnezus).
“‘Flying-fish”’; ‘‘Flying-toad’’; Sea-robin,

Trigla carolina Linnzus, Mantissa Plantarum, ii, 528, 1771; Carolina.
Prionotus carolinus, Yarrow, 1877, 207; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2155, pl. ecexviii, fig. 768;

Maine to South Carolina.

Fig. 164. CaroLiIna SEA-ROBIN. Prionotus carolinus.

Draqnosts.—Form slender, but much less so than in Prionotus scitulus, the depth less than
.2 total length; depth of caudal peduncle equal to eye; bones of head comparatively smooth,
the spines low; head contained 3 times in total length; mouth small, maxillary less than .33
length of head; snout .5 head; eye rather large, .4 snout; gill-rakers of moderate length, about
10 on lower arm of first arch; pores in lateral line about 58; dorsal rays x+ 13, the spines low,
the longest (third) not .5 length of head; anal rays 12; caudal slightly forked; pectorals short,
rounded, not as much as .5 length of body. Color: brownish above, with dark mottlings and
about 4 obscure dark crossbars; white below; throat and branchiostegal membranes blackish;
a black ocellus between fourth and fifth dorsal spines, and several pale streaks below the spot;
whitish oblique streaks on second dorsal; pectorals reddish brown.

362 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Jordan & Gilbert (1879) regarded the species called Prionotus carolinus by
Yarrow as probably not that species but Prionotus tribulus; they, as well as Jen-
kins, failed to find the fish at Beaufort. In the summer of 1903 about 25 speci- *
mens were taken on Bird Shoal and elsewhere in Beaufort Harbor, and in Bogue
Sound; and in 1904 the fish was frequently taken in June, July, and August in the
vicinity of the laboratory. One foot is about the maximum length of the species;
but the Beaufort specimens have not averaged nearly so large. The spawning
season is spring, and the eggs are bright orange in color. The young are abun-
dant in summer.

Family CEPHALACANTHIDA. The Flying Gurnards.

This family is related to the Triglide, differing in the shape of the pectoral
fin, the absence of ‘feelers’, the broad union of the gill-membranes with the
isthmus, the closeness together of the ventral fins, the ventral rays being 1,4, as
well as in numerous bony characters. Body elongate, rather broad, sides flat-
tened; head blunt, quadrangular, nearly the entire surface bony; mouth small,
lower jaw included, granular teeth in jaws, no teeth on roof of mouth; bones
about eye united into a shield; a long bony process ending in a sharp spine
extending backward from the nape on each side beyond origin of dorsal fin; pre-
orbital projecting beyond the jaws; preopercle extending backward as a long,
round spine beyond ventrals; opercle small; gill-slits narrow, gill-rakers small,
pseudobranchiz large; body covered with small, keeled, bony scales, which occur
also on opercles and cheeks; 2 serrated spines at base of tail; pyloric cceca
numerous; air-bladder divided into 2 lateral halves; dorsal fins separated, the
_ anterior with 7 flexible spines, the posterior and anal with a few slender rays;
caudal rather broad; pectorals large, divided into 2 lengthwise sections, the
posterior part much the longer; ventrals long and pointed. The family contains
1 genus, with a single representative in American waters.

Genus CEPHALACANTHUS Lacépide. Flying Gurnards.

The generic characters are indicated in the family diagnosis. In the adults
the pectoral fins are much longer than in the young, and reach nearly to base of
caudal; the anterior part of the fin contains a few closely connected rays as long
as head; the posterior part is made up of numerous slender, unbranched rays.
The flying gurnards possess the power of flight like the true flying-fishes, but to a
much less degree. (Cephalacanthus, head spine.)

318 CEPHALACANTHUS VOLITANS (Linnezus).
““Flying-fish”; Flying-robin.

Trigla volitans Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed, x. 1, 302, 1753; Mediterranean Sea and ocean within the tropics.

Dactylopterus volitans, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 372; Beaufort Harbor.

Cephalacanthus volitans, Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 91; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann,
1898, 2183, pl. ccexxiii, fig. 778.

DiaGnosis.—Depth somewhat less than .2 total length; caudal peduncle slender, its
depth less than diameter of eye; head short, contained about 4.5 in total length, the profile

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 363

steep and straight; maxillary extending as far as anterior margin of orbit; eye large, about .75
snout; preopercular spine nearly as long as head, not reaching beyond nuchal spine; dorsal
rays vi1+8, the 2 anterior spines separated from the others and connected at their bases by
membrane, the last spine very short; both dorsal fins rather high, the posterior higher, its longest
rays about equal to depth of body; anal rays 6, the fin similar to soft dorsal; caudal concave
behind; pectoral rays about 34, the upper section with 6 rays; ventrals about length of head.
Color: variable; above irregularly marked with different shades of green and brown; pale below,
with blotches of red and yellow; spinous dorsal with several dark bars; caudal with 3 vertical
reddish bars; pectorals marked with blue streaks, bars, and spots, their under surface glistening
blue. (volitans, flying.)

Fig. 165. Fiy1ing GurNARD. Cephalacanthus volitans.

Although Jordan & Gilbert found this species rather common at Beaufort in
1878 and Jenkins reported it as common in 1885, it had not recently been met
with in that region until the summer of 1904, when 1 was collected by Dr. E. W.
Gudger. Another was seined on Bird Shoal August 5, 1905, by Mr. C. B. Wilson.
It occurs regularly, but in limited numbers, as far north as Massachusetts, and
ranges thence southward along the entire coast, being most numerous on the
shores of the South Atlantic and Gulf States. The North Carolina fishermen call
this species ‘‘flying-fish”. It reaches a length of a foot, and is very singular in
appearance and interesting in habits.

Family GOBIID. The Gobies.

The gobies form an exceedingly large and diversified family of carnivorous
fishes, found in the warmer waters of all parts of the world. They are for the
most part small and live upon the bottom, in both fresh and salt water. Some
species are blind. A few are of economic importance. The American genera
number more than 30 and the species nearly 100. The family characters are:
Rather elongate body; mouth small, moderate or large with protractile pre-
maxillaries and teeth of various kinds; gi ls 4, gill-membranes united to the isth-
mus; opercle without spines, preopercle with a short spine or none; pseudo-
branchiw present; pyloric ececa absent; air-bladder usually lacking; skin either
naked or scaly, the scales cycloid or etenoid; lateral line absent; fins of a great

364 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

variety of shapes; 2 dorsal fins, which are either separate or connected, the spinous
part less developed than the other, the spines 2 to 8 (rarely absent); anal
similar to soft dorsal, usually with a weak spine; caudal rounded or pointed,
not concave or forked; pectorals large or small; ventrals thoracic, the rays 1,6,
the fins either close together or united, if the latter a fold of skin across base
forms a kind of sucking cup. The species now known in the state fall in 4
genera, as follows:

Key to the North Carolina genera of gobies.

7. Ventral fins not united; body covered with large scales.................. DORMITATOR.
vi. Ventral fins united; scales if present small or moderate.
ay, DorsalispinGs! (6) 2400 acta ccceiciemiacesn ele 5s ays, See ee cae mo ree Soret ee CTrENOGOBIUS.

aa. Dorsal spines 7 or 8.

b. Body more or less sealy, head naked; soft dorsal and anal rays 15 to 17; size minute.
MIcROGOBIUS.

bb. Body and head without scales; soft dorsal and anal rays 10 to 14; size small.
GoOBIOSOMA.

Genus DORMITATOR Gill. Pufiecas.

Form rather stout; head broad and flat; mouth small, oblique; no vomerine
teeth; preopercle without spine; scales on body and opercles large, ctenoid, those
on cheeks small; all fins large, the second dorsal high. Apparently only a single,

variable species. (Dormitator, a sleeper.)

3814. DORMITATOR MACULATUS (Bloch).
Guavina; Spotted Goby.:

Sciena maculata, Bloch Ichthyologie, pl. 299, fig. 2, 1790; West Indies. *
Dormitator maculatus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, p. 2196, pl. cecxxiv, fig. 782.

; EY Marans ee ne
ae ae

Fig. 166. Sporrep Gosy. Dormitator maculatus.

DiaGnosts.—Body stout, the depth about .33 length; head short and broad, a little more
than .25 total length; lower jaw very slightly longer than upper; maxillary extending about to
anterior edge of eye; snout blunt, rounded, longer than diameter of the small eye; scales in
lateral series about 33, in transverse series 12; dorsal rays vi1+1,8 or 9, the posterior soft rays
longer than head; anal rays 1,9 or 10, the fin somewhat smaller than soft dorsal; caudal broad
and rounded; pectorals broad, their length less than head; ventrals reaching to vent. Color:
dark gray or brown, with lighter spots; a large black spot above base of pectoral; a dark

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 365

streak along side; dark streaks on head; branchiostegal membrane black; dorsal fins with
several series of dark spots; anal with bluish bars and a white margin. (maculatus, spotted.)

Mr. William P. Seal collected a number of small specimens of this species in
fresh water near Wilmington in the winter of 1905-6, and thus extended its
known range, South Carolina heretofore being the most northern state from
which it was recorded. The fish is found in fresh and brackish waters as far
south as Brazil, and is also known from the west coast of Mexico and Central
America. It reaches a length of several feet, and is eaten in some countries.

Genus CTENOGOBIUS Gill. Gobies.

A very numerous genus of small fishes found in both salt and fresh waters in
all parts of the world. The body is elongate and compressed; the head is rather
long and more or less depressed; the mouth is of moderate size, with several
series of conical teeth in jaws; the eye is anterior to middle of head; the scales are
of moderate or rather small size, ctenoid, not deciduous, sometimes absent from
nape, breast, and cheeks; dorsal fins separate, the anterior with 6 weak spines;
soft dorsal and anal long; caudal pointed; pectorals well developed; ventrals
united, not adnate to abdomen. Besides the following species known from the
shore waters of North Carolina, several others range as far northward as Charles-
ton, S. C., and may in time be detected in this state. (Ctenogobius, comb goby;
in allusion to the ctenoid scales.)

815. CTENOGOBIUS STIGMATIOUS (Poey).
‘‘Scallop-fish’’; Goby.

Smaragdus stigmaticus Poey, Memorias, ii, 281, 1861; Cuba.

Gobius stigmaticus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2224, pl. eeexxvi, fig. 787; North Carolina to Brazil.

Gobius enceomus Jordan & Gilbert, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, 1882, 611; Charleston,S.C. Jenkins,
1885; Beaufort. Jordan & Eigenmann, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, 1886, 496; Beaufort.
Jenkins, 1887, 91; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2223.

Gobionellus enceomus, Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort.

Fig. 167. Gosy. Ctenogobius stigmaticus.

DraGnosis.—Form very elongate, the depth .16 length; head slightly compressed, .25
length; mouth low, horizontal, comparatively large, the maxillary .4 length of head and extend-
ing toapoint under pupil; height of cheeks less than eye; eye high, less than .3 length of head;
interorbital space less than .3 diameter of eye; snout short, obtuse, its length less than eye;
scales large, strongly ctenoid, 27 to 33 in lengthwise series; nape, head, and breast naked;
dorsal fins contiguous, the rays vi+11 or 12, the spines high (longest .6 head); soft dorsal

366 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

and anal long and high, reaching the base of caudal when depressed; anal rays 12 or 13;
caudal lanceolate, the middle rays longer than head; pectorals about as long as head; ventrals
somewhat shorter. Color: Male—light green, with dark mottlings above; sides with 4 to 6
dark blotches; a large, distinct bluish-black spot on each side of nape; several rows of brown
spots on each dorsal; 4 to 6 irregular brown vertical bars on caudal; lower fins dusky. Female
—duller; sides with a row of elongated dark spots, the light bars absent or faint. (stigmaticus,
spotty.)

This little species inhabits sandy bays from North Carolina to Florida, and
is apparently common about Beaufort. Jenkins reports that he “obtained about
30 specimens with considerable difficulty”’, and notes the local name of “‘seallop-
fish’’. Numerous specimens about 1.25 inches long were seined on Uncle Israel
Shoal in January, 1905. The maximum length is 2 inches. The species is
subject to considerable variation in form and color, depending on size, sex, and
locality. The form called enceomus does not appear to be distinct from stig-

maticus.
Genus MICROGOBIUS Poey. Gobies.

Very small shore fishes, with elongate, more or less compressed body; large
and very oblique mouth, the lower jaw prominent; strong teeth; small cycloid or
weakly ctenoid scales; 7 or 8 dorsal spines; and 15 to 18 soft dorsal-and anal rays.
Four species are now known from the coast between Virginia and Texas, and
several others occur in the West Indies; therefore, in addition to the 2 following,
several other species may be looked for in North Carolina:

7. Body strongly compressed; depth contained 5 times in length; caudal fin much longer than
head; color green; anal fin with a row of distinct black spots on margin; no distinct black
BpPot:OnsspIMOus COrsaly s. 2%. sisted sae ews wi ches in eden sees eee an ee oe holmesi.

wt. Body slightly compressed; depth contained 5.5 times in length; caudal fin equal to head;

color yellow or light brown; no black spots on anal fin; a distinct black spot on spinous
Orsay ciavace ohh, shave a she's hel ¥ acchate-g oialenmae sneace hae Mere ele ae cae ete cert ee eulepis.

(Microgobius, small goby.)

317. MICROGOBIUS HOLMESI Smith, new species.
Holmes’ Goby.

DiaGcnosis.—Form elongate, the body greatly compressed, the depth greatest over base
of pectorals where it is .2 length; caudal peduncle very short, broad, its greatest depth equal
to its length and more than .5 body depth; head comparatively large, contained 3.6 times in
length of body, slightly compressed, its width somewhat less than its depth, which is .66 its
length; eye placed high and directed’ upward and outward, contained 3.4 times in head; eyes
separated by a deep narrow groove; interorbital space very narrow, .3 width of pupil; snout
about .7 eye and less than .25 head; mouth large, strong, very oblique; lower jaw projecting,
its tip nearly on level with lower edge of pupil; maxillary extending to point under anterior
margin of pupil, its length nearly .5 head; teeth in a narrow band in each jaw; cheek large,
its height greater than diameter of eye and about .3 length of head; scales cycloid, non-
deciduous, rather small, largest on posterior part of body and gradually becoming smaller
anteriorly; head, nape, and breast naked; scales, in lateral line about 48, in transverse line
between the origin of second dorsal and anal 11 or 12; dorsal fins distinct, the rays vi1+ 16,
the first and last soft rays unbranched; spinous dorsal begins behind posterior margin of opercle
a distance equal to diameter of pupil, all the rays slender and high, the longest more than .8
head; origin of soft dorsal directly over vent, the rays of nearly uniform height, .5 head, the

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 367

base of the fin more than .5 trunk, the last rays reaching beyond base of outer caudal rays;
anal fin directly under soft dorsal and of same length, but the rays 18 in number and somewhat
shorter; caudal large, broad, and pointed, its length greater than head; pectorals very broad,
their insertion slightly in advance of dorsal, their broad base equal to .5 length of head, their
length about equal to head and extending beyond origin of anal; ventrals large, nearly as long
as head, reaching to anus, the basal membrane very well developed and nearly .33 length of
fin. Color: body and head uniformly pale clear green, each scale with a fine dark edge;
anterior half of body marked by 5 or 6 pale, narrow, vertical crossbars, widest anteriorly,
placed at irregular intervals; a similar bar at base of caudal; spinous dorsal with 4 oblique
rows of dark spots on membranes; soft dorsal with 5 or 6 similar rows of spots; anal dusky,
the distal margin of each membrane except the first, sixteenth, and seventeenth having a
vertically elongated distinct black spot in a clear area, these spots forming a regular row;
caudal, pectorals, and ventrals dusky.

Fig. 168. Hoimes’ Gosy. Microgobius holmesi. a. Ventrals fins viewed from below.

Type, a specimen 1.75 inches long taken on Uncle Israel Shoal, Beaufort
Harbor, July 20, 1904, by Dr. E. W. Gudger.

Named for Prof. J. A. Holmes, former state geologist of North Carolina, now
associated with the U. 8S. Geological Survey.

This species resembles Microgobius thalassinus Jordan & Gilbert, from
Charleston, 8. C., but differs in having a much deeper caudal peduncle, a pro-
jecting lower -jaw, shorter maxillary, smaller eye, no filamentous dorsal spines,
shorter caudal fin, more numerous anal rays, shorter ventrals, persistent scales,
and in color of dorsal, caudal, and anal fins, body, and head.

-From Microgobius eulepis Kigenmann & Eigenmann, from Fortress Monroe,
Va., this species may be distinguished by its rather larger head, deeper and much
more compressed body, longer snout, longer caudal fin; absence of a sharply
defined black spot on spinous dorsal fin, and various other characters of form
and color.

Only a single specimen is as yet known, but other examples will no doubt
be collected at Beaufort and other points.

368 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

317. MICROGOBIUS EULEPIS Eigenmann & Eigenmann.
Goby.

Microgobius eulepis Kigenmann & EKigenmann, Proceedings California Academy of Science, 1888, 69; Fortress
Monroe, Va. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2244.

Draagnosis.—Body scarcely compressed, depth contained 5.5 times in length; head .25
length, its depth .75 length; eye large, .28 length of head; interorbital as wide as pupil; snout
short, broad, .2 length of head; preorbital narrower than pupil; mouth oblique, maxillary not
reaching to anterior margin of pupil; teeth in both jaws in a narrow band, some of them
enlarged; scales rather large, crowded anteriorly, the breast, nape, and spinous dorsal region
naked, number in lateral series 50, in transverse series 14; dorsal rays vir+15 to vir+17, the
longest spine .66 length of head; anal rays 16 or 17; caudal .25 length of body; pectorals and
ventrals about as long as head. Color; yellow or very light brown without bars or stripes, the
scales on back with dark margin; a light vertical bar on preopercle; a sharply defined black
spot on upper part of spinous dorsal between fourth and fifth spines; other fins plain. (eulepis,
well scaled.)

Up to this time this species has been known only from the type specimen,
1.87 inches long, collected at Fortress Monroe, Virginia. During 1905 a number
of specimens were seined by Charles Hatsel on sandy shoals in Beaufort Harbor;
4 were taken in February on Uncle Israel Shoal, and another on May 18. The
last, 1.5 inches long, is a female distended with nearly ripe eggs; the mouth is
much more vertical than in the preceding species and the snout is shorter; and

the black spot on spinous dorsal is very distinct.
Genus GOBIOSOMA Girard, Naked Gobies.

These gobies reach a length of only 2 or 3 inches, and are easily recognizable
by the entire absence of scales, combined with a rather elongate body, small to
large mouth with jaw teeth in several rows, the outer teeth larger, normally 7
dorsal spines, and united ventral fins. Several species in West Indies and on
our southern coasts, but only 1 ranging as far northward as North Carolina.
(Gobiosoma, having the body of Gobius.)

318. GOBIOSOMA BOSCI (Lacépede).
. Naked Goby.

Gobius bosci Lacépéde, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, ii, 555, pl. 16, fig. 1, 1798; Charleston, S.C.
Gobiosoma bosci, Jenkins, 1885, Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887,91; Beaufort. Jordan
and Evermann, 1898, 2259.

Diaanosis.—Depth .16 to .20 total length; head broad, flat, .33 total length; mouth
large, jaws equal; teeth in a few rows, some of them enlarged and canine, teeth smaller in
female; maxillary extending to posterior third of eye; cheeks tumid; eye .2 head and wider
than snout; dorsal rays vii+ 14, the spines slender; anal rays 10; caudal rounded; ventrals
forming a sucking disk. Color: greenish, with 7 or 8 pale transverse bars and dark shades; fins
barred. (Named for M. Bosc, French consul at Charleston.)

This fish ranges from Cape Cod to Florida and is common in suitable locali-
ties on the coast of North Carolina; it was first recorded from Beaufort by Jen-
kins (1885), and has recently been obtained at the same place, specimens being
preserved in the government laboratory there. The fish lives on the bottom in
shallow bays, and is often found in empty oyster shells. Its length is 2.5 inches.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 369

Family ECHENEIDIA. The Remoras.

These fishes are instantly recognized by the presence of a large, oval disk on
the top of the head by means of which they adhere firmly to sharks and other
fishes as well as to turtles, boats, and other objects. The disk, which is a modi-
fied spinous dorsal fin, is divided by numerous crosswise partitions, or lamina,
and by a single lengthwise septum, and is of a leathery consistency. Other
characters of the family are elongate or slender body; wide mouth; projecting
lower jaw; bands of fine teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatines; no opercular arma-
ture; 4 gill-arches, with short gill-rakers; gill-membranes not connected and free
from isthmus; 7 branchiostegals; body covered with minute cycloid scales; no
air-bladder; a few pyloric cceca; long and low dorsal and anal fins, rather large
caudal of variable shape; upper edge of pectoral base near the back; and thoracic
ventrals. Four genera are represented in American waters, all occurring on the
east coast of the United States, but only 2, as follows, are as yet known from
North Carolina:

t. Form stouter; lower jaw not produced asa flap; lamine 13 to 18; soft dorsal and anal rays
22 to 32; pectorals rounded; ventrals broadly attached to abdomen ..........ECHENEIS.
wi. Form very slender; lower jaw produced as a flap; laminz 20 to 28; soft dorsal and anal rays

31 to 40; pectorals sharp-pointed; ventrals narrowly attached to abdomen.
LEPTECHENEIS.

Genus ECHENEIS Linnzus. Remoras; Shark-suckers.

Body comparatively stout; disk relatively short, with 13 to 18 lamine;
soft dorsal with 22 to 32 rays; anal rays 22 to 30; caudal margin square or slightly
concave; pectorals short, rounded; ventrals rather short, and broadly adnate to
abdomen. Three widely distributed species, 2 known from the east coast as far
north as Cape Cod, but only 1 recorded from the state. (Hcheneis, one that
holds back a ship.)

319. ECHENEIS REMORA Linneus.
“Sucker”; Remora.

Echeneis remora Linneus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 260, 1758; Indian Ocean. Yarrow, 1877, 212; Shackleford
Banks. /

Remora jacobea, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 381; Beaufort (after Yarrow).

Remora remora, Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 87; Beaufort (after Yarrow). Jordan & Ever-
mann, 1898, 2271.

Diacnosis.—Depth about .15 total length; head broad, .25 length; lower jaw not pro-
duced as a flexible tip; maxillary extending to anterior margin of eye; disk .35 length of body,
the lamine about 18; soft dorsal rays 23; anal rays 25; caudal fin rather broad, concave
behind; pectorals short, broad, rounded, .6 length of head; ventrals joined to abdomen by
more than .5 length of inner rays. Color: nearly uniform dark brown (remora, holding back.)

This remora is usually observed attached to large sharks; its frequents all
warm seas, and is found on the east coast of the United States as far north as
Woods Hole. Its maximum length isabout 1.25 feet. No one but Yarrow has
recorded the species in North Carolina waters; his note reads:

Uncommon; a few specimens seen, which were taken by the fishermen on Shackleford

Banks. They stated that these fish were found in the mouths of sharks. Size of specimen six
inches.

370 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Genus LEPTECHENEIS Gill. Shark-suckers; Remoras.

Body slender, fusiform; disk long, with 20 to 28 lamine; soft dorsal with
numerous short rays; anal similar, the anterior rays somewhat elongate; caudal
slightly concave behind; pectorals pointed, the rays soft and flexible; ventrals
long, narrowly adnate to abdomen. A single species of world wide distribution.
(Leptecheneis, slender Echeneis.)

320. LEPTECHENEIS NAUCRATES (Linnezus).
“Pilot”; “Shark’s Pilot”; Shark-sucker; Remora.

Echeneis naucrates Linneeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 261, 1758; Indian Ocean. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 381;
Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 87; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2269, pl. cccxxix, fig. 796.
Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort.

Leptecheneis naucrates, Yarrow, 1877, 212; Beaufort.

?Echeneis naucrateoides Zuiew, Nova Acta Academie Scientiarum Imperialis Petropolitane, iv, 1789, 279.
Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2270.

Echeneis lineata Holbrook, Ichthyology of South Carolina, 102, 1860; Charleston.

DraGnosis.—Depth contained 9 to 12 times in total length; the caudal peduncle very
slender; head about .2 length; strongly projecting lower jaw with flexible tip; maxillary not
reaching anterior margin of eye, .33 length of head; snout more than .4 length of head;
eye small, .2 head; gill-rakers very short and slender, the longest equal to diameter of pupil;
length of disk .2 to .3 length of body, its width .4 its length, the laminz 20 to 28; soft dorsal
very low, the rays 32 to 40; anal rays 31 to 38; caudal rather long, the edge concave in adults,
the middle rays longer than in young; pectorals .66 length of head; ventrals slightly longer
than pectorals, the inner rays narrowly joined to abdomen by a membrane. Color: slaty
brown; a broad blackish stripe, widest anteriorly, extending from pectoral base to caudal fin,
margined with white; the same stripe extending across opercle, through eye, to snout; dorsal
and anal fins with white margins; caudal black, the angles white; pectorals and ventrals black,
with pale edges. (nawucrates, a pilot.)

Fig. 169. SHARK-suCKER; Remora. Leptecheneis naucrates.

This is the best known remora of the Atlantic coast, most frequently found
attached to large fishes. It attains a length of nearly 3 feet. At Beaufort it is
not uncommon, usually attached to sharks, but also swimming independently
and sometimes caught with hook and line from the wharves. The local names
are “pilot”? and “shark’s pilot’. | In July, 1905, a number were taken in a
pound net operated in connection with the laboratory.

The nominal species naucrateoides is said to differ from naucrates in
having 20 or 21 lamin in the sucking disk and the disk contained less than 4
times in total length of fish; but it seems to the present writer that this distinction
can not be maintained. Examples from Beaufort have 23 lamin and the disk
contained 3.5 times in total length of fish, thus partaking of the character of
both forms.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. dtl

Family URANOSCOPID. The Star-gazers.

The star-gazers are strongly marked, carnivorous marine fishes, living on
the bottom in shallow waters. Body elongate, very broad, slightly compressed;
head large, broad, with bony plates; mouth vertical, lower jaw strong and promi-
nent, premaxillaries protractile, maxillary broad; small teeth on jaws, vomer,
and palatines, eyes very small, on upper surface of head and directed upward;
gill-slits wide, gill-membranes not joined to isthmus; pseudobranchiz present;
branchiostegals 6; pyloric cceca present; air-bladder usually lacking; skin either
naked or covered with small, smooth scales in oblique rows; lateral line high;
spinous dorsal fin either short or wanting; soft dorsal and anal rather long; caudal
truncate or rounded; pectorals with broad base, the lower rays very short;
ventrals jugular, the rays 1,5, inner ray longest. Two American genera and
5 species, only 1 species known from the south Atlantic coast.

Genus ASTROSCOPUS Brevoort. Electric Star-gazers.

Body stout; upper part of head covered with bony plates in young, not
fully covered in adult; a y-shaped bony process on top of head, between eyes;
a naked area on each side of the y; a fringed groove or furrow extending forward
from behind and on inner side of eyes; head destitute of spines; nostrils and lips
fringed; back and sides covered with small, densely set scales, head naked and
abdomen more or less so; first dorsal composed of 4 or 5 low, stout spines with
connecting membrane; caudal margin square or slightly rounded; pectorals and
ventrals rather large. The naked areas on the head give an electric shock when
touched. (Astroscopus, star gazer.)

321. ASTROSCOPUS Y-GRA{CUM (Cuvier & Valenciennes).
“‘Hlectric-toad”’; Star-gazer.

Uranoscopus y-grecum Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, iii, 308, 1829.
Upsilonphorus y-grecum, Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887,92; Beaufort.

Astroscopus anoplus, Yarrow, 1877, 207; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 372; Beaufort.
Astroscopus y-grecum, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2307, pl. ecexxxiv, fig. 808; Beaufort, etc.

Diagenosis.—Body compressed behind, robust forward, the depth .25 length; head (to
end of snout) .33 length; mouth large, turned upward, a fringe of stiff barbels on each jaw;
small, conical teeth in numerous bands in each jaw, teeth also on vomer and palatines; tongue
large and fleshy; maxillary .4 head; eyes protruding, very small, .08 head and .25 interorbital
space; bones of head with granular surface; on either side of y-shaped bony ridge is a naked
area , and between the forks of the y is another; nostrils with branched fringe; each posterior
nos tril extends backward as a curved, fringed groove terminating behind eye; body scaled
except on belly, scales very small, about 80 in lateral series; head naked; a slight median keel
from ventral fins to vent; dorsal rays 1v+1,12; anal rays 13; caudal margin nearly straight;
pectorals long and pointed, their broad base .5 length of head; ventral rays thick and fleshy.
Color: variegated and variable; upper parts dark brown, with numerous small, round, white
spots with a black edge; top of head not so dark as back, the spots elongated and interspersed
with irregular black lines; eyes, chin, and whiskers spotted; lower parts pale; fins with black
and white bands or stripes. (y-grecum, Greek y, in allusion to the bony process on top of

head.)

ioe)
~I
bo

FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Under the name of “electric toad” this fish is known to all the fishermen
of the Beaufort region. The species ranges from Cape Hatteras to the West
Indies, but is nowhere abundant. It frequents sandy shores, and buries itself
with the exception of the eyes and lips while lying in wait for its prey. A speci-
men in the Beaufort laboratory is 10.75 inches long, but the species reaches a
length of 15 inches or more.* A star-gazer 2.5 inches long taken on Bird Shoal,
Beaufort Harbor, July 14, 1904, had the following colors: Back, sides, and head
black without spots; under parts white; opercle brownish; lower jaw, chin, and
throat jet black; fins as in adult.

Fig. 170. Srar-cazer. Astroscopus y-gr@ecum.

The electric organ in this species is of a peculiar structure not found in any
other fishes, and in proportion to its size is said to be the most powerful known
in animals,

Family BATRACHOIDIDA. The Toad-fishes.

A small family of marine, bottom fishes, with robust form, compressed pos-
teriorly and depressed anteriorly; large mouth with strong teeth; reduced gill-
openings, 3 gills, gill-membranes united to isthmus; no pyloric coca; air-bladder
present; scaled or scaleless body; 2 dorsal fins, the anterior with 2 or 3 low spines,
the posterior very long and similar to anal; caudal rounded, free from dorsal and
anal; pectorals broad; ventrals large and jugular. About 5 American genera, of
which 2 are represented on the east coast of the United States, although 1 of
these (Porichthys) is recorded only as far north as South Carolina.

Genus OPSANUS Rafinesque. Toad-fishes.

Rather small carnivorous shore fishes, found mostly in warmer waters;
body stout, scaleless, with loose, wrinkled skin and obscure lateral line; numer-
ous flaps or cirri on head; mouth very wide, with fleshy lips and with a single
row of blunt teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatines; opercle with 2 concealed spines;
a large foramen in axil of pectorals; dorsal spines 3. ‘Two American species, 1 in
the Gulf of Mexico and the following. (Opsanus, eye upward.)

* Jenkins (1887) states that Dr. Coues obtained one specimen of Astroscopus guttatus at Beaufort; but the
specimen referred to is listed by Yarrow (1877) as anoplus, a synonym of y-grecum. There is no record of the

occurrence of guttatus south of Virginia, but it may be looked for on the shores north of Cape Hatteras, which ~
locality is given by Jordan & Evermann (1898) as the southern limit of its range.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. Onto

322. OPSANUS TAU (Linneus).
“Toad-fish”’; “Toad’”’; ‘“Rock-toad’”’; Oyster-fish.

Gadus tau Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 440, 1766; Carolina.

Batrachus tau, Yarrow, 1877, 206; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 372; Beaufort, Jordan, 1886, 28;
Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 91; Beaufort. Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort.

Opsanus tau, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2315. Linton, 1905, 406; Beaufort.

Diaenosis.—Depth somewhat more than .2 length; head broad, .37 length: jaws very
strong, the teeth smaller anteriorly; end of upper jaw and under side of lower jaw with large
flaps; smaller flaps on preopercle; diameter of eye equal to length of snout and interorbital
space; dorsal rays 11+24; anal rays 24. Color: back, sides, and head dull greenish or
brownish, with profuse black markings which run together on sides and form irregular bars;
belly and under sides of head dirty yellowish, sometimes dark spotted; numerous small, pale
yellow or whitish spots on sides; soft dorsal and anal fins with 5 to 9 oblique irregular black
bands; caudal, pectorals, and ventrals with 5 to 7 similar but more sharply-defined cross bands.
(tau, the Greek letter T; in allusion to the shape of bones on top of head when dried.)

Fig. 171. Toap-risH. Opsanus tau.

The toad-fish is one of the best known and least liked fishes along the coast
from Cape Cod to Florida. Its sluggish habits, repulsive appearance, ability to
inflict a painful wound with its powerful jaws, and its uselessness are sufficient to
condemn it in the estimation of most people. It is abundant along the shores of
North Carolina, and is called “toad”, “toad-fish”, and “rock-toad” by the
fishermen. It is frequently caught in nets and is also taken with hook-and-line
in still-fishing, especially on oysters bars or broken bottoms. The maximum
length is 15 inches, but the species reaches sexual maturity when 6 or 7 inches
long. On March 26, 1904, a specimen 1.37 inches long was seined at Beaufort.
Owing to its extreme ugliness, the toad-fish is rarely eaten; the flesh is well flav-
ored, however.

The breeding habits of the species are very interesting. The eggs are laid in
summer, and are attached in a single layer to the under side of rocks or the
inside of tin cans, oyster shells, ete. For some time after hatching the young
remain attached by means of a special sucking disk. Yarrow (1877) notes that
at Beaufort “in April, 1871, a female was discovered watching her eggs, which
had been deposited in an old boot-leg: the tide had receded, leaving her in about
4 inches of water, and, although attempts were made to drive her away, she pre-
ferred to remain and was consequently captured”’.

374 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

All kinds of animal food are eaten by this fish, Numerous examples exam-
ined at Beaufort by Professor Linton in July and August were found to have
been feeding on fish, blue crabs, spider crabs, stone crabs, fiddler crabs, hermit
crabs, shrimp, various bivalve and univalve mollusks, and sea urchins.

Family GOBIESOCID. The Cling-fishes.

The cling-fishes are small, carnivorous, and easily recognizable by the exist-
ence of a large sucking disk between and behind the ventral fins. The disk is
rounded in outline, is in part formed by the ventral fins, and its surface is cov-
ered with thick skin; by means of it these fishes are able to attach themselves
tightly to stones, rocks, and other objects. Other characters of the family are
elongate body, depressed anteriorly; moderate-sized mouth with well developed
jaw teeth; greatly reduced opercle; 25 or 3 gill-arches; broadly connected gill-
membranes; skin without scales; deficient air-bladder; no spinous dorsal fin,
the soft dorsal placed posteriorly, similar to and opposite anal; pectoral fins
well developed; and ventral fins widely separated, the rays 1,4 or 1,5.

These fishes are found mostly in shoal, warm waters among rocks or stones.
The largest species are under 8 inches long, and the family has no direct economic
importance. There are 5 or 6 American genera, but only the typical genus,
Gobiesox, is known from the east coast of the United States. :

Genus GOBIESOX Lacépéde, Cling-fishes.

A numerous American genus, having the body very broad anteriorly and
slender posteriorly; the head large; the mouth terminal, with strong teeth in
jaws and no teeth on vomer or palatines; a strong spine on the opercle; 3 gills;
broadly connected gill-membranes free from the isthmus; dorsal and anal rays
in moderate number (6 to 12); and the posterior section of the sucking disk
without a free anterior margin. (Gobiesox, goby pike.)

323. GOBIESOX VIRGATULUS Jordan & Gilbert. ’
Cling-fish.

Gobiesox virgatulus Jordan & Gilbert, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, 1882, 293; Pensacola, Jordan &
Evermann, 1898, 2333.

DraGnosis.—Depth of body .16 total length; head low, broadly rounded anteriorly, its
length .35, its width .3 total length; posterior angle of mouth below front of eye; lower jaw the
shorter; 2 series of teeth in upper jaw, 4 teeth in outer series somewhat enlarged; eye small,
about .2 head and .4 broad interorbital space; cheeks bulging; opercle ending in a sharp spine;
dorsal rays 10; anal rays 8 or 9; sucking disk shorter than head; pectorals short, less than .5
head. Color: olive green, with pale spots, broad dark cross-bars, and faint, wavy longitudinal
yellowish brown lines; the dorsal and anal crossed by the dark bars of the body; caudal dusky,
with yellow tip. (virgatulus, narrowly striped.)

The first North Carolina record for this little species was August 19, 1899,
when it was found at the wharf of an oyster cannery in Beaufort Harbor. It has
since been found abundantly among the rocks of the Fo:t Macon jetties, and
doubtless occurs elsewhere in suitable situations. It has heretofore been known

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. SLO.

only as far-north as Charleston, whence it ranges to Pensacola. Its maximum
length is 4 inches.

Family BLENNIID. The Blennies.

The blennies are small or medium sized carnivorous marine and fresh-water
fishes, found in all latitudes, the number of known species being about 400,
divided into nearly 100 genera. They are particularly abundant on rocky
shores and among seaweeds and, while some of them are viviparous, most of
them are oviparous The body is moderately or greatly elongated, and more or
less compressed; the head large or small; the mouth usually small, sometimes
large, never vertical, variously provided with teeth; no spines on head; gill-mem-
branes either free from isthmus or joined to it; skin naked or covered with small
or moderate sized cycloid or ctenoid scales; lateral line simple, double, or absent;
dorsal fin very long, the anterior part, the posterior part, or the entire fin with
spines; anal similar to dorsal; caudal sometimes united with dorsal and anal,
sometimes distinct, usually rounded; pectorals varying in size, from large to
rudimentary; ventrals small or wanting, if present far forward, with 1 spine and
1 to 3 soft rays. Of the many American genera, 3 closely related are known
from North Carolina.

Key to the North Carolina genera of blennies.

t. No fang-like canine teeth in posterior part of either jaw; maxillary extending to or beyond

posterior border of eye; a cirrus or filament present or absent over each eye.
a. Upper profile of head gently curved, the snout sharp; orbital cirrus small or wanting.
CHASMODES.
aa. Upper profile very abruptly curved, the snout blunt; orbital cirrus well developed.

HyYPsoBLENNIUS.

wt. Fang-like canine teeth in posterior part of both jaws; maxillary reaching as far as pupil;

large cirrus or filament over each eye, with 4 smaller ones at base (the cirrus shorter in

Bee TERERNGS | ecu ctetere Cece tetera a ae REM fete Src ater te lec ari ntcseis Grn sls We Sowa x we HyPLEvuROCHILUS.

Genus CHASMODES Cuvier & Valenciennes. Blennies.

Body oblong, compressed; head pointed; mouth large, maxillary extending
as far as or beyond posterior margin of eye, premaxillaries not protractile; teeth
long and slender, in one series and only in front of jaws, no canines; gill-slits very
short and above upper half of the base of pectoral fins; lateral line incomplete;
skin without scales; a small cirrus over each eye, often wanting; dorsal fin with
anterior rays spinous; anal fin similar to soft dorsal; caudal rounded, either
united to or free from dorsal; pectorals large; ventrals well developed, jugular,
the rays 1,3. (Chasmodes, yawning.)

324. CHASMODES BOSQUIANUS (Lacépéde).
Banded Blenny.

Blennius bosquianus Lacépéde, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, ii, 493, 1800; South Carolina.
Chasmodes bosquianus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 372; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887,
92; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2394.
DraGnosis.—Depth more than .25 length; head equal to depth; maxillary reaching to or
beyond posterior edge of eye; interorbital space very narrow; tentacle over eye minute or
absent; dorsal fin continuous, arising anterior to ventrals and extending to caudal, the rays

376 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

x1,19; anal rays 11,19: caudal fin joined to dorsal. Color: Male olive green, with about 9
narrow longitudinal blue lines; opercular margin orange yellow; spinous dorsal with a broad
median orange yellow stripe; anal dark, with white tip; a dusky spot at base of caudal.
Female darker, with narrow wavy pale green lines and several broad dark bars; head with
black dots; a dusky spot at base of caudal. (Named for Bosc, the French consul who collected
for Lacépéde at Charleston.)

A well known and rather abundant blenny of the east coast from New York
to Florida. It is common in Beaufort Harbor on the shoals. The sexes are
quite dissimilar in color, and have several times been described as different
species. Maximum length 4 inches.

Genus HYPSOBLENNIUS Gill. Blennies.

Form oblong, compressed; head short, profile steep, snout blunt; mouth
small, horizontal; maxillary extending to middle of eye or to posterior border;
teeth long, slender, in a single series in each jaw, none of them canine; gill-open-
ings very much reduced, owing to the junction of the gill-membranes with the
isthmus as far upward as base of pectorals; skin naked; lateral line deficient
posteriorly; well developed tentacles over eyes; dorsal fin long, anterior part
spinous and separated from posterior by a slight notch; anal similar to posterior
dorsal; caudal rounded, free from dorsal and anal; pectorals well developed;
ventrals jugular, with 1 strong spine and 3 unbranched jointed rays. Small
American shore fishes, found on both coasts; 2 Atlantic species, 1 ranging from
Texas to South Carolina (ionthas), and the following. (Hypsoblennius, high
blenny.)

—__—_—

Fig. 172. Buenny. Hypsoblennius hentz.
325. HYPSOBLENNIUS HENTZ (LeSueur).
Blenny; Spotted Seaweed-fish.

Blennius hent LeSueur, Journal Academy Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, iv, 1825, 363; Charleston, S. C.

Hypleurochilus punctatus, Yarrow, 1877, 206; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 372; Beaufort. Jenkins,
1887, 92; Beaufort.

Tsesthes punctatus, Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort.

Hypsoblennius hentz, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2390, pl. ceexxxix, fig. 823; North and South Carolina, ete.
Linton, 1905, 410; Beaufort.

DiaGnosis.—Body rather deep, depth .33 length; head short, .3 length; snout very short
and nearly vertical; mouth low, horizontal, maxillary extending to or beyond posterior margin
of eye; eye large, more than .2 length of head; interorbital space concave, .5 diameter of eye;

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. Old

gill-opening less than .5 length of head; a branched tentacle, as long as first dorsal spine,
over each eye, and a minute cirrus over each nostril; dorsal fin rather high, the 2 parts sepa-
rated by a slight notch, the rays x1,14 to xu1,15, the soft rays higher than spines; anal rays
16 to 18: caudal rounded; pectorals broad; ventrals more than .5 head. Color: light bluish
ash mixed with brownish red, with numerous irregular black and reddish spots; 3 narrow dark
bars on lower side of head; cheeks dark, spinous dorsal black, with light spots; soft dorsal and
caudal with dark bands: anal dusky; pectorals greenish, with brown spots; ventrals blackish
with pale bands. (Named for the collector, Dr. Nicholas Hentz.)

This species is abundant on sandy shores and among seaweeds, from North
Carolina to Florida. It has often been found in the Beaufort region in company
with other blennies, and is recorded in all the lists of Beaufort fishes. Length,

4 inches.
Genus HYPLEUROCHILUS Gill, Blennies,

Body oblong, compressed; head short; mouth low, horizontal, with strong
posterior canine teeth in both jaws, in addition to smaller teeth in front; gill-
openings much restricted, the membranes being broadly joined to isthmus;
lateral line present on anterior part of body; skin naked; a large tentacle over
eye in male, a smaller one in female; dorsal fin long, low, and continuous, without
notch. The genus contains a single American species. (Hypleurochilus, having
v-shaped side-lips.)

326. HYPLEUROCHILUS GEMINATUS (Wood).
Blenny; Seaweed-fish.

Blennius geminatus Wood, Journal Academy Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, iv, 1824, 278; Charleston, S. C.
Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 371; Beaufort.

Blennius fucorum, Yarrow, 1877, 206; Beaufort.

_ Hypleurochilus geminatus, Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 92; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann,
1898, 2385.

Hypleurochilus multifilis, Wilson, 1900, 355; Beaufort.

Diagnosis.—Depth .25 to .28 length; head not very blunt, its length rather greater than
depth of body, anterior profile straight and oblique; besides the single row of long, slender
teeth in each jaw, there are strong, hooked canines, those in lower jaw the larger; gill-slits
short, extending downward to lower edge of pectoral base; interorbital space concave, less
than .5 diameter of eye; a large tentacle over each eye in male, with 4 smaller ones at its base;
tentacle in female shorter than eye; dorsal rays x1,15 to x11,14, the spines slender and shorter
than soft rays; anal rays 11,18; caudal rounded. Co!or: brownish green, with indistinct dark
bars; sides with a double row of reddish brown spots; anal and other vertical fins with black
margins. (geminatus, twin.)

This appears to be the most abundant blenny on the North Carolina coast,
whence it ranges to Texas. The maximum length is about 2.5 inches. Dr.
Coker contributes the following note on the species at Beaufort:

Adults very common about piles of wharves (at the Morehead railroad pier), living
amongst ascidians, sponges, etc.; very abundant among the rocks of the Fort Macon jetties.
In captivity the fish seek to hide under shells, etc.; specimens were once kept in the laboratory
in an earthenware jar for weeks without change of water, the water meanwhile evaporating
nearly one half. The eggs are laid [in August] in a single layer, attached to the rocks, ascidians,
shells, ete., among which the adults live. All stages, from .5 inch up to adults, can be gotten

378 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

in such a locality, but the early stages (except the young just from the egg) have not been
obtained, though a careful search has been made with different methods; evidently the species
has a different habitat in very early life.

Family ZOARCIDA. The Eel-pouts.

Marine fishes of moderate size abounding in cold water and living on the
bottom, sometimes at considerable depths; some of the species viviparous.
Body elongate, eel-shaped in some genera; head and mouth large; conical teeth
in jaws, teeth sometimes present on vomer and palatines; gill-opening a vertical
slit; gills 4, gill-rakers small, gill-membranes united to the isthmus; skin naked
or covered with small, imbedded cycloid scales; lateral line present but incon-
spicuous; pyloric cceca rudimentary; dorsal fin long, low, continuous, the rays
usually soft but sometimes spinous posteriorly; anal long, low, of soft rays only;
dorsal and anal usually confluent around tail; pectorals short and broad; ventrals
if present jugular and very small. About 15 American genera.

Genus ZOARCES Cuvier. Mutton-fishes; Eel-pouts,

Form elongate, somewhat compressed, tapering posteriorly; head moder-
ately long, contracted above; mouth large, provided with strong, blunt jaw teeth
in several rows; lateral line present; scales small and imbedded; dorsal fin begin-
ning at head, long, low, and continuous, free from caudal, some of the posterior
rays spinous; anal fin similar to dorsal but shorter and continuous with caudal;
pectoral fins broad; ventrals fins very small, jugular. A small genus of marine,
viviparous fishes, inhabiting the northern part of the northern hemisphere; 1
American species. (Zoarces, viviparous.)

327. ZOARCES ANGUILLARIS (Peck).
Eel-pout; Mutton-fish.

Blennius anguillaris Peck, Memoirs American Academy of Sciences, ii, 1804, 46; New Hampshire.

Zoarces anguillaris, Yarrow, 1877, 206; Fort Macon. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 371; Fort Macon (after Yarrow).
Goode, 1884, 247; Fort Macon (after Yarrow). Jordan, 1886, 29; Beaufort (after Yarrow). Jordan
& Evermann, 1898, 2457, pl. ecexlviii, fig. 850.

Fig. 173. Ext-pout. Zoarces anguillaris.

Draanosis.—Depth .14 length; head .17 length; maxillary extending well behind eye;
lower jaw included; eye small, about .5 length of snout; dorsal rays 95, xvu1,17, the first ray
over ventrals, the longest rays less than .5 head, the posterior rays very short and spinous;
anal rays about 105; pectorals broad, about .66 length of head; ventrals very small, their
length less than snout. Color: reddish brown, with dark green mottlings on sides and back
extending on dorsal fin; a dark stripe behind eye and another below eye. (anguillaris, eel-like.)

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 379

The claim of this fish to a place in the North Carolina fauna is based on 2
small specimens said to have been caught by Dr. Yarrow with hook and line
from the wharf at Fort Macon in May, 1871. The species has been observed by
no one else, and must be regarded as a rare straggler so far south, assuming there
has been no error in identification. Jordan & Evermann (1898) give the range
as extending from Labrador to Delaware. The eel-pout reaches a length of 3
feet and a weight of 7 pounds, and is a common fish in the northern part of its
range, and is often caught incidentally by fishermen; although its flesh is of good
flavor, it is rarely eaten. The young are brought forth alive.

Family OPHIDIIDA. The Cusk-eels.

Kel-shaped marine fishes with compressed body; large head; villiform teeth
in jaws, usually in roof of mouth; protractile premaxillaries; wide gill-openings,
the membranes attached ta isthmus posterior to ventral fins; scales small, in
oblique rows; pyloric cceca and air-bladder present; vent posterior; dorsal and
anal fins destitute of spines, low, and confluent around tail; ventral fins jugular,
consisting of a long, forked filament. Five or 6 American genera, only 1 repre-
sented on the east coast of the United States.

Genus RISSOLA Jordan & Evermann. Cusk-eels.

Form moderately elongate; lower jaw included; jaw teeth villiform, vomer
and palatine teeth blunt; vent posterior to pectorals; no spine on opercle; scales
much as in the common eel (Anguilla), head naked; air-bladder short, broad, with
a posterior foramen. One American species. (Named for Risso, a French ich-
thyologist.)

328. RISSOLA MARGINATA (DeKay).
Cusk-eel.

Ophidium marginatum DeKay, New York Fauna, Fishes, 315, 1842; New York Harbor. Yarrow, 1877, 206;
Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 371; Beaufort (after Yarrow). Jordan, 1886, 29; Beaufort.
Rissola marginata, Jordan & Evermann, 24839, pl. cccliii, fig. 868. Gudger, 1905b; Beaufort.

Fig. 174. CusKk-EEL. fissola marginata.

Diaaqnosis (based on North Carolina specimen).—Depth .14 total length; head contained
5.3 times in length; mouth rather large, maxillary extending to or beyond posterior margin of
orbit; snout .25 head; eye somewhat longer than snout; gill-rakers short, papillose, 2 on upper
arm and 4 on lower arm of first arch; air-bladder tapering behind; dorsal fin beginning close
behind head and about length of head anterior to anal; pectorals .75 length of head; longest
ventrals ray .8 length of head and twice length of shorter. Color: back and sides golden yellow,
darker above; belly milk white; a dark lateral stripe from gill-opening to end of tail; a dark
stripe at base of dorsal fin; preopercle spotted; dorsal fin edged with white anteriorly, with
black posteriorly; pectorals transparent, edged with white; ventrals white. (marginata,
margined.)

380 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

A rather uncommon fish along the coast from New York to Texas. A
single specimen, observed by Dr. Coues at Beaufort in 1871, remained the only
North Carolina record until 1904, when Dr. E. W. Gudger obtained a specimen
4.5 inches long on a sandy shoal near the laboratory at Beaufort. Very little
has been published regarding the habits of Rissola or other members of the
family, and Dr. Gudger’s observations on the behavior of this specimen cover
practically all that is known:*

On July 13, 1904, while walking on a sand spit, exposed at low water and lying northwest
of the island on which is situated the laboratory of the United States Bureau of Fisheries at
Beaufort, N. C., I noticed thrust out of the wet sand, a conically pointed head which instantly
disappeared. Throwing myself down, I immediately began with my bare hands to dig the
wet sand where I had seen the head. The animal went down tail first, and so rapidly that I
began to despair of capturing it. Presently, however, when I had dug below water level, this
little fish was brought out in a great double handful of sand. When taken into the laboratory
and put into an aquarium of running salt water, after a few struggles it turned on its side and so
remained, seemingly in considerable distress, being unable to maintain itself in the normal
position by its delicate filament-like ventral fins which are inframandibular in position. I
then filled a tall glass jar some eight inches deep with fine sand, introduced into it the
little fish and placed it under a salt water jet. At first the fish lay quiescent on the sand, but
when I returned some hours later, it had burrowed into and was never again seen on top of
the sand. Frequently, however, the little fish could be seen with its body half outlined against
the glass side of the aquarium. There could then be seen slow undulation of the long dorsal
and anal fins together with slight bendings of the body, both motions beginning at the head
and progressing towards the tail. Evidently by this means a current of water was maintained
through the gill-chambers. On the surface of the sand, small conical half-filled depressions
could be found. These seemed to have been formed by the fish either in burrowing into the
sand or in drawing water over the gills. However, I did not notice any distinct currents
through these depressions and can not positively say that they were excurrent and incurrent
openings.

Family GADIDA. The Cods.

The fishes of this numerous and important family are found chiefly in cold
waters, and support extensive fisheries in the north temperate and arctic regions.
Body moderately or considerably elongated, mouth large, terminal, and well
provided with small teeth in bands; chin with a barbel; gill-arches 4, gill-openings
wide, gill-membranes usually free from isthmus; pseudobranchiz absent;
scales very small, cycloid; pyloric coeca numerous in most genera; air-bladder
well developed; no spines in fins, dorsal fin long and either single or divided into
2 or 3 separate parts; anal fin long, and either single or double; caudal fin promi-
nent, sometimes distinct, sometimes joined to dorsal and anal; ventral fins
jugular and consisting of 1 to 8 rays. There are about 25 genera and several
hundred species; the American members of the family include such well known
fish as the cod, the pollock, the hake, the cusk, and the fresh-water ling. The
family is only sparingly represented in North Carolina, although 1 of the species

* Dr. Theodore Gill, in a note prefatory to Dr. Gudger’s, quotes a brief observation on this species by
Professor Verrill, who ‘‘dug two specimens out of the sand near low-water mark, where they burrowed to
the depth of a foot or more. When placed upon moist sand, they burrowed into it tail foremost with sur-
prising rapidity, disappearing in an instant’’.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 381

there found, the cod, is the most valuable of the entire family. The 2 following
genera are in the local fauna:

expanded, with 7 rays...... Meera NM Cot ori alias acl <che fer ayoi music = Sia\'a ota dunks sph aisle aiars GADUS.
ii. Dorsal fin divided into 2 separate parts; anal fin long, undivided; ventral fins filamentous,
WALD LAYS epcrs enc cles eke M6 CIB GRO OI Oe en ir aon eels Soe URopuycis.

Genus GADUS Linnaeus. Cods.

This genus contains the true cods, with moderately elongate body which is
compressed posteriorly and tapers to the rather narrow peduncle; large head,
contracted anteriorly; large mouth, with teeth on jaws and vomer; barbel on
chin; pale lateral line; very small scales; large air-bladder; 3 dorsal fins, 2 anal
fins, ventral fins with 7 rays. Important food fishes of northern waters; only 1
species on east coast of the United States. (Gadus, a Latin name, equivalent to
the English word cod.) ;

329. GADUS CALLARIAS Linnezus.
“CQoac.

Gadus callarias Linneus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 252, 1758; European seas. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2541
pl. ecelxi, fig. 891.
Gadus morrhua, Goode, 1886, 202; south to Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke Inlet.

DraGnosis.—Greatest depth about .25 length; head large, its length about equal to
depth; maxillary extending as far as pupil; jaw teeth sharp, in narrow bands; snout .33 length
of head, eye small, .5 length of snout; scales minute; lateral line curved anteriorly, straight
posteriorly; dorsal rays 14+21+419; height of first dorsal about .5 length of head; anal rays
20+18; caudal square or slightly concave; pectorals broad, .5 length of head; ventrals small,
much shorter than pectorals. Color: variable; body yellowish, reddish, brownish, or greenish
above, whitish below; back and sides with numerous round brown spots; lateral line always
pale; finsplain. (callarias, an old name for the cod.)

Fig. 175. Cop. Gadus callarias.

This well known species, which supports very important fisheries in the
North Atlantic Ocean, on the coasts and “banks” of America and Europe, in the
United States is more valuable than any other single marine species, the annual
catch being worth several millions of dollars. There is a special cod fishery in
all the states from New Jersey northward, but the great bulk of the fishing is
carried on from Maine and Massachusetts ports.

382 FISHES OF -NORTH CAROLINA.

The cod goes in schools when feeding, spawning, or migrating. Although
sometimes found in shoal water or even at the surface, it is essentially a deep-
water fish, preferring depths of 20 to 70 fathoms and even occurring at a depth
of 300 fathoms.

The largest cod recorded from New England waters weighed 211 pounds and
was more than 6 feet long. The average weight of the large run of fish caught
on the New England shore is about 35 pounds, while on the far distant Grand
Banks the average is only 20 pounds; the small run of fish on all the grounds is
about 12 pounds.

The cod eats almost any kind of animal food of proper size, and takes it
anywhere between surface and bottom. Favorite articles are mollusks, crabs,
lobsters, and various kinds of fish, especially herring, menhaden, alewives,
mackerel, capelin, and lant. .

The spawning season on our coast extends, from October to June. The eggs
float at the surface, are about .055 inch in diameter, and several millions may
be laid by a full sized fish. Several hundred millions of cod are hatched each
year by the United States Bureau of Fisheries at its stationsin Massachusetts and
Maine. The eggs hatch in 20 to 23 days in water of a temperature of 38° F., and
in 11 days at a temperature of 47° F. The young reach a length of 3 inches in 6
months, 9 to 12 inches in 18 months, 22 inches in 42 months.

The cod is now known to occur regularly on the North Carolina coast north
of Cape Hatteras. From inquiries made by the writer, it appears that for a
number of years fishermen from New York and New Jersey, setting large-meshed
nets in the ocean off Roanoke Island, have caught numbers of cod in fall, winter,
and spring, some of the fish weighing 30 pounds. One fall 30 cod were taken
at one lift of a blue-fish net off Nags Head. In April, 1904, when the writer
was at Roanoke Island, numbers of cod were being caught, mostly in sturgeon
nets, 1 fish being brought into Manteo on April 6. It is reported that cod are
sometimes found on the Hatteras beaches after storms. According to Dr.
Coker, there is a circumstantial account of the occasional capture of a cod in the
lower part of Neuse River. Professor Goode (1884) states that “stragglers have
been observed about Ocracoke Inlet”’.

It is possible that a winter cod fishery of some importance might be estab-
lished on the northern part of the coast of the state, either with lines or gill nets.
The fish will be found in greatest abundance on the offshore shoals.

Genus UROPHYCIS Gill. Hakes; Codlings.

Form elongate, slightly compressed; head conical; mouth large, with broad
bands of sharp teeth on jaws and vomer; maxillary extending beyond pupil; a
small barbel on chin; gill-membranes partly connected, and partly joined to
isthmus; scales small; dorsal fins 2, the anterior sometimes with a few rays fila-
mentous, the posterior long and low; anal fin single, similar to second dorsal;
caudal fin small, the peduncle slender; ventral fins well separated, filamentous,
bifid, composed of 2 slender rays. Seven species on east coast of America, some

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 380

of them ranging further south (Gulf of Mexico) than any other American gadids;
several attaining large size and caught in immense numbers by New England
fishermen. Two species known from the shores of North Carolina. It is
possible that the white hake or squirrel hake (Urophycis tenuis) and the common
hake (Urophycis chuss) may also occur on the northern part of the coast of the
state; the former is said (Jordan & Evermann, 1898) to range as far as Cape
Hatteras and the latter is found as far south as Virginia, but no examples of
either have as yet been obtained in this state.

t. Dorsal rays about 8+ 43; anal rays about 45; pectorals extending to anal origin; scales in

levicrll saniese eleven Ol). Andee coe Gat oe bp cle on ee Oa ctOn Ds CDC cea maces nee seas regius.
ti. Dorsal rays about 10+62; anal rays about 53; pectorals not extending to vent; scales in
Maternal Seress about Demis ctr sie cis)= s shcle clal- sislere fg FERS Ok ET EEN earlli.

(Urophycis, tail Phycis, the last being an ancient Greek name for some fish living
among the rockweed, Fucus.)

330. UROPHYCIS REGIUS (Walbaum).
Codling; Hake.

Blennius regius Walbaum, Artedi Genera Piscium, iii, 186, 1792; after Schopf.

Urophycis regius, Yarrow, 1877, 206; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2553, pl. ecelxiv, fig. 898; ‘‘south
to Cape Fear’’.

Phycis regius, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 371; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 29; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887,92; Beaufort.

Le HAS
-

oe

my aa yy

Fig. 176. Copiine. Urophycis regius.

Dracnosts.—Form elongate, slightly compressed, depth .2 length; head a little less than
.25 length; mouth large, posterior end of maxillary extending well beyond eye, lower jaw the
shorter, sharp teeth on jaws and vomer; eye small, contained 4.5 times in length of head, less
snout and equal to interorbital width; about 15 gill-rakers on first arch; scales in lateral series
about 90; dorsal fin low, beginning over base of pectorals, anterior part with 8 rays, posterior
part with 43 rays; anal fin arising nearer snout than base of caudal, the rays 40; caudal fin
slightly convex behind; pectorals extending to origin of anal; ventrals inserted half-way
between pectorals and anterior margin of eye, reaching as far as vent. Color (living specimens
6 inches long, Beaufort, April 11, 1904): Body gray, mottled with brown, belly glistening white;
lateral line with 14 to 16 elongate spots connected by a thin black line; top of head with a pale
diamond-shaped area; a dark band across nape and another behind each eye; first dorsal jet
black, entirely surrounded by a narrow pure white margin except for a short space at base of
black spot anteriorly, a pale yellow edge on anterior border of fin; second dorsal gray, with
round dark spots; anal dusky; caudal dusky gray, with dark edge; pectorals dusky with white
margin; ventrals glistening white; a few small black dots on side of head, 4 in a vertical series
behind eye and 3 or 4 others irregularly placed. (regius, royal.)

384 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Found along our Atlantic coast, in shallow to moderately deep water, reach-
ing its southern limit in South Carolina. It is a species of little economic value,
as its maximum length is only a foot, while related species are much larger.

One specimen of codling was taken at Beaufort by Dr. Coues in 1871. None
of the subsequent collectors at Beaufort up to 1886 met with the species, and
they inserted it in their lists on second-hand information. In 1880 Col. Marshall
McDonald collected the species at the mouth of Cape Fear River and in the same
year Mr. R. Edward Earll obtained specimens in Middle Sound near Wilmington;
these examples are in the National Museum (nos. 25294-5, 30333). In Beaufort
Harbor the species is common at times; thus in April, 1904, almost every seine
haul yielded specimens 5 to 6 inches long; and the fish is also found at other

seasons.
331. UROPHYCIS EARLLI (Bean).

“‘Dickie’’?; Tom-cod (S. C.); Hake (S. C.); Earll’s Hake.

Phycis earlli Bean, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, iii, 1880, 69; Charleston, S. C. Kendall & Smith,
1894, 21; Hatteras Inlet. Smith, 18936, pl. Ixxiv.
Urophycis earlli, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2554, pl. ecelxv, fig. 900.

Driaanosis.—Depth .2 length; head about .25 length; maxillary long, .5 length of head,
reaching to or beyond posterior margin of eye; teeth strong; lower jaw included; eye .17 length
of head; gill-rakers short and blunt, about 10 on first arch; scales in lateral series about 155;
dorsal fins separated by a rounded notch, the rays 10+60; anal rays 53, caudal rounded;
pectorals .5 length of head, not reaching as far as vent; ventrals extending but slightly beyond
pectorals. Color: brown, with small light blotches on back and sides; dorsal and anal fins
edged with brown, second dorsal with light spots. (Named for Mr. R. Edward Earll, who,
when assistant in the U. S. Fish Commission, collected the type specimen.)

Fig. 177. Earwu’s Hake; Dickie. Urophycis earlli.

This hake, known only from the coast of North and South Carolina, is not
uncommon in the Beaufort and Cape Lookout regions. It has been caught
(in May, 1903) in a trap set at the laboratory wharf, and is also sometimes taken
by local fishermen. On the adjacent outer shores the fish is common enough to
have received a local name, ‘‘dickie”, although it has no economic value as yet.
On December 13, 1890, a party from the fisheries steamer Fish-Hawk landed at
Hatteras Inlet and found in eel grass on the beach a living specimen 18 inches
long, which is about the maximum length attained by the species. An example
17 inches long was collected at Cape Lookout in the winter of 1903-4 by Mr. 8.
G. Worth.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 385

Suborder HETEROSOMATA. The Flat-fishes.

These fishes are remarkable for their bodily asymmetry, one side being
much more highly developed than the other. They live almost exclusively on
the bottom, and one side, which is applied to the bottom, usually lacks color, is
flatter than the other, and has no eye. In their early stages, these fishes are
bilaterally symmetrical and swim as other fishes do; but as they grow they swim
more and more obliquely, and the eye on one side begins to move to the other
side of the head, and before they have attained the length of an inch or two, they
have permanently assumed a one-sided position, with both eyes on one side of
the head. Two families, the flounders and the soles, may be recognized, distin-
guished by the following characters:

i. Mouth comparatively large, with teeth; eyes large, well separated; margin of preopercle

more or less distinct, not concealed by skin............ PLEURONECTID# (flounders).
ii. Mouth very small, twisted, without teeth or with only rudimentary teeth; eyes very small,
; close together; margin of preopercle concealed by skin................ SoLerp# (soles),

Family PLEURONECTID. The Flounders.

A numerous family of important fishes, mostly marine, found chiefly on
sandy bottom, and feeding on fish, crustacea, and other animals. Some species
inhabit very deep water, some very shoal water, and others intermediate depths.
All are edible and some of them rank among the most valuable of marine fishes in
America, Europe, and Asia, chief among them being the halibut (Hippoglossus
hippoglossus) of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. The body is much
compressed, deep, and elliptical in shape; the head is twisted so as to accommo-
date both eyes on one side; the premaxillary bones are protractile; the gill-arches
are 4 in number, and pseudobranchiz are present; there is no swim-bladder; the
viscera are in the anterior part of the body, and the vent is close to the head; the
scales are of various form, and usually small; the lateral line, rarely absent,
extends on the caudal fin; the dorsal fin, composed only of soft rays, begins on
the head and extends nearly to the caudal fin; the anal fin is similar but shorter;
the caudal fin is sometimes continuous with dorsal and anal; the pectorals, rarely
absent, are placed rather high on the side, and beneath them are the ventrals,
one of which is sometimes lacking. The species are oviparous, the eggs being
small and numerous. Of the 40 or more genera represented in American waters,
7 are known from the North Carolina coast or on the adjacent ocean bottom.

The flounders are of considerable economic importance in the state, and
their value appears to be increasing. In 1889 only 48,200 pounds, worth $872,
were sold by the fishermen; in 1897 the catch had risen to 173,975 pounds,
valued at $3,199; while in 1902 (the last year for which statistics are available)
there were taken for market 261,760 pounds, which brought the fishermen
$5,256. Nearly the entire product comes from Beaufort, Carteret, Dare, Hyde,
and Pamlico counties, and it is composed largely of several species of Paralich-
thys.

386 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Key to the North Carolina genera of flounders.

i. Ventral fins similar in position and shape.
a. Mouth large, the two sides of the jaws about equally developed, the teeth the same on
both sides; fishes sinistral (i. e., with eyes and color on left side).

b. Seales ciliated; a distinct caudal peduncle; mouth large, some of anterior teeth

_ canine; gill-rakers long and slender; anterior rays of dorsal fin not produced.
PARALICHTHYS.
bb. Seales ctenoid; caudal peduncle very short; mouth moderate, teeth small, none canine;
gill-rakers short and broad; anterior rays of dorsal fin produced. . ANCYLOPSETTA.
aa. Mouth rather small, the two sides of jaws not similar (the bones in the blind side being
strongly curved, those on the eyed side nearly straight), the teeth mostly on the under
side; fishes dextral (i. e., with eyes and color on right side.) .. PSEUDOPLEURONECTES.
ii. Ventral fins dissimilar in position and shape, the fin on the eyed side being longer and

extending along the edge of the abdomen; fishes sinistral.
c. Teeth in upper jaw in 2 series, in lower jaw in 1 series, anterior teeth in upper jaw
enlarged; interorbital space broad (in male)........:.-.-:202++00-05: SYACIUM.
cc. Teeth in both jaws uniserial; interorbital space very narrow.
d. Lateral line with a well marked arch in front; anterior dorsal rays produced; teeth
on vomer; anterior dorsal rays produced; interorbital space broad... LOPHOPSETTA.
dd. Lateral line without arch in front; anterior dorsal rays not produced; no teeth on
vomer; interorbital space very narrow.

e. Mouth moderate, the maxillary more than .33 length of head. .CirHaricHTHyYs.
ee. Mouth small, the maxillary less than .33 length of head .......... ETrRoPUS.

Genus PARALICHTHYS Girard. Summer Flounders; Plaice.

Fishes of moderate or rather large size, found on both coasts of America and
also in Asia. Mouth large, oblique, with a single row of sharp, slender teeth in
each jaw; gill-rakers slender; lateral line strongly arched anteriorly; scales
ctenoid or ciliated; origin of dorsal fin in advance of eye; middle rays of caudal
fin longest, the margin double concave. Of the 10 American species, the 3 fol-
lowing are known from North Carolina, and probably 1 other (Paralichthys
squamilentus) will eventually be found there:

i. Gill-rakers long and slender, 20 to 25 in number, the longest .66 length of eye; dorsal rays
about 90; anal rays about 70; body with large, ocellated dark spots........... dentatus.
ii. Gill-rakers shorter, 12 or 13 in number; body without ocellated spots.
a. Dorsal rays about 90; anal rays about 70; color dark olive, mostly uniform.
lethostigmus.
aa. Dorsal rays about 75; anal rays about 60; color dark olive, with numerous pale spots.
albiguttus.

(Paralichthys, parallel fish.)

38382. PARALICHTHYS DENTATUS (Linnezus).
“Flounder”; ‘“Mud Flounder’’; ‘‘Sand Flounder’’; Summer Flounder; Plaice.

Pleuronectes dentatus Linnzus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 1, 458, 1766.

Chenopsetta ocellaris, Yarrow, 1877, 206; Beaufort.

Pseudorhombus ocellaris, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 370; Beaufort.

Pseudorhombus dentatus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 370; Beaufort.

Paralichthys dentatus, Jordan, 1886, 29; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2629, pl. ceclxxiil, fig. 922.
Linton, 1905, 410; Beaufort.

D1aGnosis.—Body ovate, its depth .37 length; length of head contained 3.5 to 4 times in
length; mouth large, oblique, the maxillary extending beyond eye, lower jaw projecting;
anterior teeth in-both jaws large, strong, and wide set, lateral teeth small and close set; eyes
small, .15 length of head; interorbital space about width of eye in adult; scales small, cycloid;
lateral line with about 100 tubes, the arch about .25 length of straight part; gill-rakers long and
slender, 20 to 25 in number; fins scaly; dorsal fin low, the rays 85 to 93; anal rays 65 to 73.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 387

‘

Color: above light olive, with many small white spots on body and vertical fins; sides with 12
to 15 large dark spots with white edges. (dentatus, toothed.)

The summer flounder is the most valuable of the flat-fishes found along the
eastern seaboard of the United States. Its range extends from Massachusetts to
Florida, but it is most abundant northward, and is gradually replaced by Para-
lichthys lethostigmus southward. The species is often found in shallow water,
but is also caught in water as deep as 20 fathoms. It has the habit of ascending
streams, and is often taken far from salt water. At Beaufort the fish is called
“sand flounder” or “‘mud flounder” according to its color, although the fisher-
men do not believe there is any real difference. Summer flounder and plaice are
names employed to the northward; in the eighteenth century “plaice”? was used
in North and South Carolina, and is probably the best designation for the species.

Wied
Wy, iy
Heh Yt fg
25 faerie Cee

i i SSE!

¥ \\ A\\ \

\
ne
\ NN: \\\ \ \\
AKA
NC

Fig. 178. Summer Fiounper; Puaice. Paralichthys dentatus.

Excepting the halibut, this is the largest of all our east coast flat-fishes.
The maximum weight reaches, and may possibly exceed, 30 pounds, but the
average is only 3 pounds, although fish weighing 7 to 10 pounds are not rare.
The food comprises small fish, squid, crabs, shrimp, mollusks, sand-dollars, and
other animals. While the fish usually takes its food on or near the bottom, it
not infrequently pursues schools of small fish at the surface.

At Beaufort this fish is found throughout the summer, but not abundantly,
and is also occasionally taken in winter; it is most numerous and is taken in
largest numbers in fall, when it is sometimes observed in schools. Some of the
local fishermen say the flounders then “school up to go away”. Dr. Coker con-
tributes the following account of the flounder fishery at Beaufort:

“Flounder-lighting”’ or ‘‘floundering”’ is much practiced on calm dark nights in summer
and early fall. In the place of a mast in the skiff used for this purpose, there is a post, bearing
an iron arm which may be rotated. The end of the arm bears a wire firebasket, in which a
bright blaze is kindled, from “‘lightwood”’ or pine-kots, ete. The ‘‘flounderer’’ stands in the
bow, and, as he or a companion poles the boat along the shores or around the marshes or shoals,
takes the flounders with a gig or spear. A flounderer of long experience tells me that these

388 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

fish are usually found lying on the surface of the sand or mud, on the side of a ‘‘bed”’ which
they make as a shallow basin on the bottom. Sometimes they are buried, but their position
can be detected from the smooth area on the bottom with the outline of the flounder; the
exposed eyes and head will then be seen. When the tide is falling, they are keeping off shore
in deeper water, and are therefore less easy to find; but on the “‘ young flood” they follow the
water up on the shore, and are then most easy to see. On moonlight nights (still according to
his account), flounders are very difficult to get, as they run away from the boat. By the same
method, less the light, flounders are sometimes taken by day. Flounders taken in summer are

chiefly retailed on the streets or in the markets. Most of the flounders shipped are taken in
seines in fall.

333. PARALICHTHYS LETHOSTIGMUS Jordan & Gilbert.
“Flounder’’; Southern Flounder.

Paralichthys lethostigmus Jordan & Gilbert, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, 1884, 237; Jacksonville, Fla.

Jordan, 1886, 29; Beaufort. Smith, 1893a, 196, 200; Edenton Bay, Roanoke River. Jordan & Ever-
mann, 1898, 2630.

Pseudorhombus dentatus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 370; Beaufort (in part).
Pseudorhombus ocellaris, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 370; Beaufort (in part).

DiaGnosis.—Similar to Paralichthys dentatus, but with fewer gill-rakers (12 on first arch),
with bend in lateral line .33 length of straight part, and of different color. Upper side dark

olive, often without markings but usually with a few darker mottlings or spots. (lethos.igmus,
with forgotten spots.)

This species is quite similar to Paralichthys dentatus, and has been confused
with it in the earlier lists of North Carolina fishes. It ranges as far north as
New York, but is most common from Chesapeake Bay to the Gulf coast. It is
similar in size and habits to the summer flounder. Besides being common in the
coastal salt waters of North Carolina, it regular'y resorts to fresh waters, and is
the only local flounder with that habit. The National Museum contains a speci-
men collected at Avoca, on Albemarle Sound, in 1878, by J. W. Milner. The
present writer, in April, 1891, found the species not uncommon in the western
end of Albemarle Sound, where it was often caught in pound nets and seines with
shad and alewives; it was also found to ascend the muddy Roanoke River some

distance above Plymouth, where 1 example 2 feet long and another 8 inches long
were collected.

334. PARALICHTHYS ALBIGUTTUS Jordan & Gilbert.
“Flounder’’.

Paralichthys albiguttus Jordan & Gilbert, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, 1878, 370; Pensacola. Jordan,
1886, 29; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2631. Linton, 1905, 411; Beaufort.

Pseudorhombus ocellaris, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 370; Beaufort (in part).

Pseudorhombus dentatus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 370; Beaufort (in part).

Draenosis.—Body elliptical, its depth contained 2.33 times in length; head contained
3.75 times in total length; mouth large, maxillary extending beyond eye; about 7 large teeth
on side of lower jaw and 4 or 5 in front of upper jaw, side teeth minute; eyes small, .14 or
17 length of head; gill-rakers broad, toothed behind, 13 in number, the longest .4 as long as
eye; arch of lateral line .33 length of straight part; scales cycloid, covered with skin bearing
small flaps on many scales; fins low; dorsal rays 72 to 80; anal rays about 60; pectorals rather
less than .5 length of head; ventrals .33 length of head; caudal margin double-coneave. Color:

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 389

above dark olive mottled with numerous pale spots; 3 dark spots edged with white sometimes
present on posterior part of lateral line, and 2 others on either side of anterior end of straight
part of lateral line. (albiguttus, white-spotted.)

This fish, which at Beaufort shares with other species of Paralichthys the
name of “flounder’’, is common on the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It
reaches a length of 1.5 feet or more, and is used for food, but no definite informa-
tion about its economic value is at hand, as it is not distinguished from the
related species. The fish is common at Beaufort, and numbers have been
taken in summer in the laboratory seines at Bird Shoal and Cape Lookout.
Specimens examined by Professor Linton in July and August had been feeding
on fish, shrimp and other small crustaceans, mollusks, and worms. On April 23,
1904, the writer collected numerous 2-inch specimens on the beach at Fort Macon.

Genus ANCYLOPSETTA Gill. Four-spotted Flounders.

This genus is characterized by having a very broad, sinistral body, both
sides of which are covered with strongly ctenoid scales; very oblique mouth with
uniserial jaw teeth; a very short caudal peduncle; short, broad gill-rakers, with
rough teeth; an elongated left ventral fin; and dorsal fin with anterior rays pro-
duced and directed forward. One species. (Ancylopsetta, hooked turbot.)

335. ANCYLOPSETTA QUADROCELLATA Gill.
Four-spotted Flounder; Fluke.

Ancylopsetta quadrocellata Gill, Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1864, 224; Pensacola.
Jordan, 1886, 29; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 93; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2634, pl.
ecelxxv, fig. 925.

Pseudorhombus quadrocellatus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 370; Beaufort.

Chenopsetta oblonga, Yarrow, 1877, 205; Beaufort.

DraGnosis.—Body much compressed, very broad, ovoid, the depth .6 length; head .25
length; mouth small, maxillary extending to middle of orbit; teeth small, about 14 on each
side of lower jaw; eye equal to snout and .2 head; gill-rakers very short, thick, 8 or 9 in number;
curve of lateral line strongly marked, about half length of straight part; scales in lateral series
70; dorsal rays 69 to 76, the fin arising in front of pupil, anterior rays long; anal rays 54 to 58;
caudal short and rounded; ventral fin of left side as long as pectoral, .5 length of head. Color:
brownish above, with 4 very large ocellated spots, consisting of a dark central mass, a narrow
white margin, and a dark area externally; the dark spots often have small white centers; vertical
fins reddish-brown, with a few small, round dark and white spots. (quadrocellata, four-spotied.)

The four-spotted flounder occurs from North Carolina southward. In
North Carolina waters it is apparently not common. Jordan & Gilbert collected
2 specimens in Beaufort Harbor, and Jenkins reported it as uncommon there.
The laboratory contains a large specimen collected by Mr. S. G. Worth at Cape
Lookout, March 12, 1904; it is 11.25 inches long over all or 9.25 inches to base of
tail, and is the one on which the foregoing diagnosis is based. In smaller exam-
ples (4 to 5 inches long), of which numbers have been collected in June and July
in Beaufort Harbor and Bogue Sound, there are on the side many small ocelli,
smaller than the eye, and numerous small black spots on head; the fins are
mottled with black, and the first dorsal lobe may be quite black. The small

390 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

markings on the body disappear with age. There is in the National Museum one
specimen collected by Mr. R. E. Earll in Middle Sound near Wilmington in 1880.

Genus PSEUDOPLEURONECTES Bleeker. Winter Flounders.

This genus, which contains 1 American species, is distinguished by firm,
regularly placed, ctenoid scales on the eyed side; a single row of incisor teeth on
under (right) side of each jaw; lateral line without arch; and scaly fin-rays.
(Pseudopleuronectes, false Pleuronectes.)

336. PSPEUDOPLEURONECTES AMERICANUS (Walbaum).
Winter Flounder; Common Flat-fish.

Pleuronectes amertcanus Walbaum, Artedi Genera Piscium, 113, 1792; New York.

Pseudopleuronectes americanus, Yarrow, 1877, 205: Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 368; Beaufort (after
Yarrow). Smith & Kendall, 1897, 173; Neuse River. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2647, pl. ccclxxix,
fig. 933. as

Dragnosis.—Form elliptical, the depth contained 2.25 times in length; head .25 length;
upper (right) side thickly covered with ctenoid scales, under side nearly naked; jaws unsymmet-
rical, only the left side of each toothed; teeth close together and forming a continuous cutting
edge; interorbital space .5 width of eye, convex, scaly; scales in lateral series about 83; dorsal
rays 65, the longest shorter than pectoral fins; anal rays 48. Color: above dull brown, some-
times obscurely spotted or mottled, sometimes nearly uniform; white below.

The common flat-fish or winter flounder ranges from Labrador to Virginia,
and occurs as a straggler in North Carolina and Georgia. It is very abundant
in southern New England, and is an important food fish from Chesapeake Bay
northward, being caught with lines and nets. The maximum weight is under 5
pounds, and the average under 2 pounds. Yarrow reported the fish as rare at
Beaufort; later collectors do not appear to have met with it. Some years ago
the United States Bureau of Fisheries received from New Bern a specimen a foot
in length that had been taken in Neuse River near that place.

Genus SYACIUM Ranzani.

In this genus the body is elliptical and sinistral, the mouth is moderate with
curved gape, the interorbital space is very broad in the male and narrower in the
female, the vomer has no teeth, the gill-rakers are short and thick, the lateral
line is straight, the scales are ciliate, both pectoral fins are present, the dorsal
fin is low and has no elevated anterior rays, and the caudal is short. Four
American species, the range of 2 of which extends to the South Atlantic coast.
(Syacium, a little pulse; a name of no obvious application.)

337. SYACIUM PAPILLOSUM (Linneus).

Pleuronectes papillosus Linneus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 271, 1758: Brazil.
Syacium papil/losum, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2671, pl. ecelxxxiii, fig. 941.

Diaq@nosis.—Depth contained 2.33 times in length; head contained 3.66 times in length;
mouth rather large, the maxillary extending to middle of eye; eye large, .25 length of head,
lower eye in advance of upper; gill-rakers about 10, 8 below angle, the longest equal to pupil;
scales 50 to 60; dorsal rays 80, fin beginning in advance of lower eye, the first rays arising on

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 391

blind side; anal rays 60 to 70, the fin arising slightly in advance of pectorals; caudal bitrun-
cate; pectoral of eyed side with upper rays greatly elongated (in male); ventral of blind
side slightly in advance of other, which is inserted on ridge of abdomen. Color: nearly uniform
brown, with more or less obscure darker mottlings; blind side dusky; fins mottled, the pec-
toral of left side barred. (papillosum, full of papille.)

Fig. 179. Syacium papillosum.

This species has been recorded from various places on the coast from Charles-
ton to Rio Janeiro, but has not heretofore been reported from North Carolina.
In the summer of 1902, the Fish-Hawk collected 1 specimen 3.5 inches long at
Beaufort. The maximum length is a foot, but the average is much less.

Genus LOPHOPSETTA Gill. Window-pane Flounders; Sand Flounders.

Body broad, sinistral, much compressed, translucent, covered with small
eycloid scales; mouth large; maxillary extending to pupil; gill-rakers long and
numerous; lateral line with a marked arch anteriorly; dorsal fin beginning in
front of eye, the anterior rays produced and branched; ventral fin of left side
inserted on ridge’ of abdomen by a broad base. One species. (Lophopsetta,
tufted turbot.)

338. LOPHOPSETTA MACULATA (Mitchill).
‘Flounder’; Sand Flounder; Spotted Sand Flounder; Window-pane Flounder.

Pleuronectes maculatus Mitchill, Report Fishes of New York, 9, 1814; New York.

Lophopsetta maculata, Yarrow, 1877, 205; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 371; Beaufort. Jordan &
Evermann, 1898, 2660, pl. ecclxxxii, fig. 938. Linton, 1905, 414; Beaufort.

Bothus maculatus, Jordan, 1886, 29; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 92; Beaufort.

Diaenosis.—Form rhomboidal, compressed, the greatest depth .66 length; head .28
length; mouth large, a bony tubercle on anterior end of maxillary of upper side, lower jaw with
a knob at chin, teeth in each jaw in a single series laterally and in a band-in front; eye .25
length of head; gill-rakers about 33; body and head scaly; maxillary, mandible, and snout
naked; scales in lateral series about 85; dorsal rays 65, those of anterior third of fin branched
at tips and produced, those at beginning of posterior third longest; anal rays 52; caudal fin
rather slender, rounded. Color: light brown above, mottled with paler and with numerous
small black spots; dorsal, caudal, and anal fins with dark brown spots. (maculata, spotted.)

392 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

This flounder is found coastwise from Maine to South Carolina. The names
window-pane and daylight, by which it is sometimes known, have reference to
the thinness of its body, so that light is transmitted through it. Although its
flesh is well flavored, the fish has so little substance that it has no economic value.
It is common in Beaufort Harbor on sand bars. Yarrow makes it the object of a
torch fishery with spears, but his remarks apply to the flounders of the genus

Fig. 180. Sanp FLounpeR. Lophopsetta maculata.

Paralichthys, which are the only species of economic importance at Beaufort.
Numerous specimens examined at Beaufort by Prof. Linton contained fish,
crabs, and shrimp.

Genus CITHARICHTHYS Bleeker. Whiffs.

Body oblong, sinistral, covered with thin, deciduous, ctenoid or eycloid
scales; mouth with single series of teeth in each jaw; lateral line straight; dorsal
fin beginning on or near snout, without produced anterior rays. Rather small
flounders, chiefly found on sandy shores of tropical America; the 3 following
species known from the North Carolina coast, 1 of them from offshore:

i. Eye large, .25 head.
a. Depth of body about .4 length; mouth very small, maxillary .28 head; color plain; deep-

WALLED SPECIES: -..< 2 5 suspen asc cuavo smacctcray oBua ouentucicon eat nap oho ou eee een eR ueitegs .arctifrons.
aa. Depth of hody about .5 length; mouth larger, maxillary .4 head; side ‘and fins dark-

spotted; shoal-water species; (83. mest ass oie eho ho ee ee ere macrops.
i. Hye small) 1Ghead 35 <..3.26 fe 2 snl oes oo oe ac as ice en eon eee spilopterus.

verte a fish that lies on its side.)

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 393

339. CITHARICHTHYS ARCTIFRONS Goode.
Whiff

Cithartichhys arctifrons Goode, Proceedings U. S. National Museum 1880, 341; Gulf Stream off New England.
Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2683.

Draenosis.—Body rather elongate, depth contained 2.66 to 2.5 times in length; head
.25 length of body; mouth small, teeth small; eye .25 length of head; scales in lateral series
40, in transverse series 16; dorsal rays 68; anal rays 67; pectoral fin on eyed side twice length
of other. Color: dirty light brown. Length, 6 inches. (arctijrons, contracted forehead.)

This flounder is known from depths of 19 to 373 fathoms off the east coast
of the United States. Three specimens were taken off Cape Lookout, by the
Fish-Hawk (at stations 7323 and 7331) on August 26 and 27, 1902, at depths
of 141 and 154 fathoms. % :

340. CITHARICHTHYS MACROPS Dresel.
Whiff.

Citharichthys macrops Dresel, Proceedings U. S. National Museum 1884, 539; Pensacola. Jenkins, 1885, 11;
Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 29; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 92; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898,
2684, pl. ceclxxxvy, fig. 944.

DiaGnosis.—Body oval, depth .5 length; head .25 length; mouth oblique, curved, maxil-
lary extending to middle of eye; teeth minute; eye .25 length of head; gill-rakers 19, .5 length
of eye; scales large, about 40 in lateral series and 30 in transverse series; dorsal fin arising on
blind side near tip of snout, dorsal rays 80; anal rays 56; caudal rounded. Color: light brown,
with numerous rounded dark brown spots on body; dorsal, anal and caudal fins also spotted.
Length, 5 inches. (macrops, large-eyed.)

Fig. 181. Wuuirr. Citharichthys macrops.

This species of whiff is rather common on the South Atlantic and Gulf
coasts. It was first taken in North Carolina in 1885 by Dr. Jenkins, who ob-
tained a few specimens in Beaufort Harbor. It is a small species, having no food
value.

394 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

341. CITHARICHTHYS SPILOPTERWUS Giinther.
Whiff.

Citharichthys spilopterus Giinther, Catalogue of Fishes in British Museum, iv, 421, 1862; New Orleans, San
Domingo, and Jamaica. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2685.

DiaGNnosis.—Depth of body a little less than .5 length; head .28 length; mouth large,
jaws strongly curved, lower jaw slightly included, maxillary .4 length of head and extending
to posterior border of lower eye; teeth small; snout short; eye small, about .16 length of head
gill-rakers short and slender, one-third diameter of eye, the number on 2 arms of first arch;
4412; scales cycloid, the number in lateral series 45 to 48; dorsal rays 75 to 80, the fin arising
over anterior margin of eye, the longest rays .5 head; anal rays about 60, the fin arising a
a little posterior to base of pectorals; pectorals about .5 length of head, the fin on blind side
only slightly shorter than other. Color: translucent greenish-brown, with dark spots; a few
dark blotches along bases of dorsal and anal fins. (spilopterus, spotted fin.)

Ranges along the Atlantic coast from Brazil to New Jersey and is common
southward, but has not heretofore been recorded from North Carolina. Numer-
ous specimens, the largest 4.5 inches long, were caught with a trawl net, at a
depth of 9 fathoms, 2 miles east of Beaufort Inlet, on Sept. 1, 1899. The maxi-
mum length of the species is about 6 inches.

Fig. 182. Errorr. Etropus crossotus.

Genus ETROPUS Jordan & Gilbert. Etropes.

Small sinistral species with deep, ovoid body, covered with thin, deciduous,
ctenoid scales above, naked below; mouth very small, with slender, sharp, close-
set jaw teeth; no vomerine teeth; dorsal fin beginning over eye, ventral fins not
joined to anal, the left ventral inserted on edge of abdomen; lateral line straight.
Of the 3 species known from the Atlantic coast of the United States, the following
is recorded from North Carolina. (Etropus, abdomen foot, in allusion to posi-
tion of ventral fins.)

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 395

842. ETROPUS CROSSOTUS Jordan & Gilbert.
Etrope.

Etropus crossotus Jordan & Gilbert, Proceedings U. S. National Museum 1881, 364; Mazatlan. Jenkins, 1885,
11; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 29; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 92; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898,
2689, pl. ecelxxxvi. fig. 946. Linton, 1905, 415; Beaufort.

? Etropus microstomus, Jenkins, 1885; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 29; Beaufort.

?Citharichthys microstomus, Jenkins, 1887, 92; Beaufort.

D1aGnosis.—Dorsal and ventral outlines strongly arched anteriorly, depth contained
1.75 to 2 times in length; head small, contained 4.8 times in length; cleft of mouth less than
diameter of eye; teeth in upper jaw on blind side, in lower jaw on both sides; eyes large,
separated by a narrow ridge; opercle on under side edged with a row of white cilia; scales in
lateral series about 45; dorsal rays 76 to 85, the middle rays longest, none produced; anal rays
56 to 67; caudal fin double truncate; left pectoral fin the longer, .75 length of head; ventral
fin on right side the longer, .5 length of head. Color: olive brown with dark blotches; vertical
fins mottled with black and gray; pectoral and ventral of left side spotted. (crossotus, fringed.)

This species inhabits both coasts of tropical America, and on the eastern side
ranges as far north as North Carolina, where, however, it is not common. Sev-
eral examples were obtained in Beaufort Harbor by Dr. Jenkins in 1885, In
1902, 3 specimens were obtained for the laboratory in a trawl net at Cape Look-
out. The length attained is 6 inches.

Family SOLEID. The Soles.

Comparatively small flat-fishes, found in warm and temperate waters in all
parts of the world, some of them inhabiting deep water and others shoal water.
The American species are of little economic value, but the European are very
important, one of them, the English sole (Solea solea), being by many regarded
as the most delicious salt-water fish. The body is either dextral or sinistral,
elongate or rotund, scaly or naked; the mouth is very small, and twisted toward
the eyed side; the teeth, in villiform bands, are either obsolete or very small; the
eyes are very small and close together; the gill-openings are narrow; the pectoral
fins are small or absent; the ventrals are small and one or both of them may be
lacking. Of the 4 American genera, 2 are represented in the North Carolina
fauna, as follows:

i. Eyes on right side, separated by a bony ridge; body ovate; right ventral fin with a long base
confluent with anal fin; scales on blind side of head fringed; lateral line present.

ACHIRUS.
vi. Eyes on left side, not separated by a bony ridge; body elongate; left ventral not connected
with anal; scales on head not fringed; lateral line absent.............. SyMPHURUS.

Genus ACHIRUS Lacépéde. Hog-chokers; American Soles.

A numerous genus of small soles, chiefly American, with dextral, very much
compressed and oval body, both sides covered with rough, ctenoid scales extend-
ing on the fins; scales of nape and chin enlarged, those on blind side of héad with
their teeth elongated, forming cirri; straight lateral line; nostrils with flaps, the
under nostril fringed; teeth only on blind side of jaws; dorsal fin beginning on
snout, caudal peduncle short, pectoral fin of left side lacking, that of right side

396 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

small or rudimentary, ventral fin of right side joined to anal by a membrane.
Of the dozen American species, only 1 is found in North Carolina waters.
(Achirus, without hands, that is, pectoral fins.)

343. ACHIRUS FASCIATUS Lacépéde.
“‘Flounder”’; ‘‘Hog-choker’’; Sole.

Achirus fasciatus Lacépéde, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, iv, 659, 662, 1803; Charleston. Smith 1893a,
196; Edenton Bay. Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River near Raleigh. Jordan & Evermann,
1898, 2700, pl. ecelxxxvii, fig. 948; Neuse River, Beaufort, ete. Smith, 1901, 134; Lake Mattamuskeet.

Achirus lineatus, Yarrow, 1877, 205; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 368; Beaufort, and Neuse River at
Goldsboro.

Achirus achirus mollis, Jordan, 1886, 30; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 93; Beaufort.

DraGnosis.—Body broad, the anterior and posterior curves similar, depth contained 1.75
times in length; head .28 length; mouth extending beyond front of lower eye, right lower lip
fringed; upper eye anterior to lower, eye .14 length of head; nostril expanded into a wide tube;
gill opening short; head and body covered with c‘enoid scales; 66 to 75 in lateral series; lateral
line straight; dorsal rays 50 to 55, the fin arising by short rays at tip of snout, rays of posterior
third of fin longest; anal rays 37 to 46; caudal rounded; ventral rays 3 or 4. Color: above
mottled dusky olive, with 7 or 8 dark, narrow, vertical stripes; every second or third membrane
of vertical fins blackish; blind side usually white with numerous round, dark spots, sometimes
without markings. (fasciatus, banded.)

Fig. 183. Hoe-cHoxer. Achirus fasciatus.

The hog-choker is found from Massachusetts to Texas, and is the best known
of the American soles. It has the interesting habit of ascending streams, and in
places is found permanently in fresh water. As it rarely exceeds 6 inches in
length, it is of practically no food value.

At Beaufort it is apparently rare, but in the lower courses of the North Car-
olina rivers it is common. It 1s a regular but uncommon inhabitant of Neuse
River as high up as Raleigh, is abundant in the western end of Albemarle Sound,

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 397

and occurs in Lake Mattamuskeet. Mr. W. P. Seal reports that in small tidal
ditches near the Cape Fear River in the vicinity of Wilmington young hog-
chokers are quite abundant in spring. .

The curious name of “hollybut”’ (local spelling, evidently a corruption of
halibut) is applied to this fish in the vicinity of Swansboro and Bogue Inlet.
The usual names used by the fishermen of the state are ‘“hog-choker” and
“flounder’’,

A specimen 5 inches long taken at Bird Shoal, Beaufort, July 23, 1904, is
marked by 6 groups of narrow, vertical, dark lines, 2 or 3 lines in each group at
the dorsal and ventral margins but only 1 line going entirely across body; under
surface profusely marked with round dark brown spots of various sizes.

Genus SYMPHURUS Rafinesque. Tongue-fishes.

Elongated goles, with sinistral body rounded anteriorly and pointed poste-
riorly, covered with ctenoid scales, small eyes almost touching, small mouth
twisted toward blind side, narrow gill-slits, gillmembranes joined above to
shoulder girdle and united below, lateral line absent, pectoral fins lacking in
adults, vertical fins confluent around tail, ventral fin of left side present and
separate from anal. The species usually inhabit considerable depths, are of
small size, and nearly all are American. Only 1 inhabits the shore waters of the
Atlantic coast. (Symphurus, grown to the tail, in allusion to the union of dor-
sal and anal fins with the caudal.)

844. SYMPHURUS PLAGIUSA (Linnzus).
“Sole”; Tongue-fish.

Pleuronectes plagiusa Linneus, Systema Nature, ed. xii, 455, 1766; probably Charleston, S. C.

Plagiusa plagiusa, Yarrow, 1877, 205; Beaufort.

Aphoristia plagiusa, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 368; Beaufort.

Aphoristia fasciata, Jordan, 1886, 30; Beaufort.

Aphorista plagiusa, Jenkins, 1887, 93; Beaufort.

Symphurus plagiusa, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2710, pl. ecelxxxviii, fig. 950; Beaufort, ete. Linton, 1905,
415; Beaufort.

Fig. 184. Toneun-FrisH. Symphurus plagiusa.

Dracnosis.—Body moderately elongate, dorsal and ventral outlines similar, depth .33
length; head .2 length; scales in lateral series 80; dorsal rays 86, anal rays 71, the longest rays
.33 length of head; tail rounded. Color: gray or light brown; in some specimens about 10

398 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

broken broad black cross-bars on head and body, in others 6 to 8 complete cross-bars, and in
others no bars but a series of well-separated black spots collected into bands; below creamy
white, with pale yellow margin; fins obscurely but profusely mottled with black. (plagiusa,
oblique.)

Ranges from Cape Hatteras to Pensacola, and is common on sandy shores.
In Beaufort Harbor it is abundant on shoals, and has been taken by all collectors,
beginning with Professor Gill in 1860, whose specimen is in the National Museum.
Yarrow’s statement, that this species will take the hook freely but is generally
captured by spearing at night and is esteemed a valuable food fish, does not
apply and was doubtless intended for Paralichthys. The foregoing diagnosis is
based on specimens 5 inches long from the Beaufort region.

Order PEDICULATI. The Pediculate Fishes.

The position of these fishes is at the bottom of the class of fishes. A prom-
inent feature, on which the ordinal name is based, is the excessive development
of the carpal (wrist) bones, resulting in an elongation of the pectoral fins, which
are used to support the body when the fish is resting on the bottom; this is well
shown in the accompanying figures of the pediculate fishes. All the species are
marine, and frequent the bottom. Of the 4 American families 3 are represented
in North Carolina, each by a single species.

Family LOPHIIDA. The Anglers.

In these fishes the depressed body is relatively small and abruptly diminishes
in size from the shoulders backward, while the head is greatly developed, very
wide, depressed, with an enormous mouth; jaws with bands of sharp teeth of
unequal size, similar teeth on vomer and palatines; gills 3, gill-opening large and
in the lower axil of the pectorals, gill-rakers absent; pseudobranchiz present;
air-bladder and pyloric ccoeca present; skin scaleless, head and sides with con-
spicuous flaps; dorsal fins 2, widely separated, the spinous part consisting of 3
separated tentacle-like spines on head and 3 smaller ones connected by a mem-
brane; soft rays connected to form a single ordinary fin; anal similar to second
dorsal; pectorals very large and fleshy; ventrals jugular, widely separated, the
Trays I,o.

Genus LOPHIUS Linnzus. Anglers.

Size very large; mouth exceedingly wide and directed upward; lower jaw
projecting; upper jaw protractile; dorsal spines overhanging the mouth and
serving as lures for the prey; gill-openings below and behind the pectorals; verte-
bre 27 to 32. (Lophius, the ancient name for the fish in Europe.)

345. LOPHIUS PISCATORIUS Linnezus.*
‘‘All-mouth”; Angler; Goose-fish.
Lophius piscatorius Linneus, Systema Nature, ed. x, i, 236, 1758; seas of Europe. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879,

365; Cape Lookout. Jenkins, 1887,93; Cape Lookout. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2713, pl. ecelxxxviii,
fig. 952; ‘“‘southward along the shore to Cape Hatteras’’.

*A very interesting account of this fish has recently been published by Dr. Theodore Gill, under the title,
“The Life History of the Angler’, in Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, vol. 47, 1905.

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 399

Draanosis.—Head as wide as long, and longer than body; eyes small, separated by a
space about equal to snout; head very spinous in young, becoming less s» with age; skin smooth;
the head surrounded by a fringe of short dermal flaps, similar flaps on sles of body; a 3-pointed
humeral spine; dorsal rays 11+111+ 10, the anterior spine with an expanded tip; anal rays
9; caudal margin straight; pectorals rounded, their bases constricted. Color: above mottled
brown, below white; caudal and pectorals black edged. (piscatorius, relating to an angler;
in allusion to the bait-like dorsal spines.)

The angler is found on both sides of the Atlantic, in rather shoal water.
While passing most of its life on the bottom, it sometimes comes to surface and
basks there. It attains a length of 4 feet. Onthe North Carolina coast it is well
known to the fishermen under the expressive name of “all-mouth”. It is very
common at Cape Lookout, and is regarded as a great nuisance in the net fishing,
for as many as 20 large specimens are sometimes found in a sink-net at one lift.
No use is made of the fish here or elsewhere in the United States,.

The angler is noted for its repulsive appearance and extreme voracity. By
means of its moving dorsal filaments it decoys small fish into the vicinity of its
huge mouth. It also feeds on coots, ducks, and other sea birds, and one of its
vernacular American names, “ goose-fish”’, has allusion to its food. Crabs and
other invertebrates are eaten also.

The eggs of the ‘‘all-mouth” are laid in summer and float near the surface,
the batch from each fish being enclosed in a gelatinous substance, the mass form-
ing a sheet or veil sometimes more than 30 feet long and 2 to 5 feet wide. The
eggs are .08 inch in diameter, and more than 1,000,000 may be deposited by 1
fish. When the eggs hatch the young emerge from the mass of jelly, and pass a
number of weeks at the surface of the sea.

Family ANTENNARIID. The Frog-fishes.

Small pelagic fishes of striking form and colors, usually living among floating
seaweeds and becoming widely dispersed by winds and currents. Body and
head compressed; mouth large, vertical or very oblique; premaxillaries pro-
tractile, lower jaw projecting, jaw teeth in cardiform bands; gill-arches 2.5 or 3;
gill-openings very small, near the lower axil of pectorals; pseudobranchie
absent; pyloric coeca wanting; spinous dorsal fin represented by 1 to 3 detached,
tentacular spines; soft dorsal long and high; the anal similar but smaller; pec-
torals large; ventrals jugular, close together. Numerous species occur in all tropi-
cal parts of the world; 15 to 20 American species belonging in 2 genera; several
species besides the following occur as far north as Florida and may eventually be
found in North Carolina.

Genus PTEROPHRYNE Gill. Sargassum-fishes; Mouse-fishes.

Exceedingly curious fishes of highly variegated coloration, found chiefly in
the West Indies but distributed by the Gulf Stream and other currents on the
coast of the United States, and accidentally to Africa and Europe. Body some-
what compressed, abdomen protuberant; head large; mouth oblique, small but
distensible; teeth on palate; gill-openings pore-like, in the lower part of axil;

400 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

skin and dorsal fins with flaps or appendages; 3 detached dorsal spines; pectoral
base slender; ventrals long and expanded. Two known species. (Pterophyrne,
wing toad.)
346. PTEROPHRYNE HISTRIO (Linnezus).
Mouse-fish; Sargassum-fish. |

Lophius histrio Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, 237, 1758.
Pterophryne histrio, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2716, Gudger, 1905c, 841-843; Beaufort.

DiaGnosis.—Depth more than .5 total length; head about .5 length; eye small, .5 snout;
dermal flaps numerous on abdomen and dorsal spines, but also on head and sides; dorsal
formula 111 + 14, the spines large, the anterior spine bifurcate at tip; analrays 7; caudal rounded;
pectoral rays 10; ventrals about .5 head, longer than pectorals. Color: yellow, with large
irregular light and dark brown mottlings and small white spots; vertical fins barred with
brown. (histrio, a harlequin.)

When masses of gulf-weed, or Sargassum, are blown ashore from the Gulf
Stream, this species is often found under them, its colors in wonderful harmony
with the seaweed. Numbers of specimens have thus been noted in Beaufort
Harbor. The original habitat of the fish is the tropical Atlantic, but it has been
involuntarily distributed along our east coast as far north as Woods Hole, Mass.,
where it is at times common in summer. The length of the adult fish is 3.5 to 6
inches.

The habits of the species are known chiefly from its behavior in aquaria.
The fish are cannibalistic, denuding their fellows of their fleshy appendages and
fins and sometimes swallowing their smaller companions whole.

Our knowledge of the spawning habits and eggs of the species depends almost
entirely on observations at the government laboratories at Woods Hole and Beau-
fort. The spawning season is from July to October, and a number of captive
specimens have laid their curious egg-rafts while in aquaria. The eggs are
deposited in a band- or ribbon-like mass from 1.5 to more than 3 feet long, about
3 inches wide, and .25 inch thick; they are only one-fortieth of an inch in diam-
eter, and very numerous, and are held together by a transparent jelly which is
buoyant. Nothing is known about the embryology, as the eggs have not been
fertilized. On July 25, 1903, a fish 3.5 inches long which had been at the Beau-
fort laboratory for 7 weeks laid a mass of eggs three times as large as the fish.
This specimen and its eggs were studied and reported on by Prof. EH. W. Gudger,
of the State Normal College at Greensboro, North Carolina.

Family OGCOCEPHALID#. The Bat-fishes.

In this family of pediculate fishes, the flattening of the head is carried even
further than in the anglers (Lophiid); the trunk is relatively small and slender;
the snout is more or less elevated; the teeth are in bands, and either villiform or
cardiform; the gill-openings are minute slits above the base of the pectorals; the
branchiostegals number 5, and no pseudobranchiz are present; the skin is cov-
ered with small bony spines or tubercles; the spinous dorsal fin is represented
by a tentacle under the elongated forehead; the soft dorsal and anal are very

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 401

small; the caudal and ventrals are well developed, the latter well separated; the
pectorals are large and have a strong, elongated base. The species are rather
numerous, and fall into about 8 genera; some are found in very deep water,
others, mostly American, occur coastwise.

Genus OGCOCEPHALUS Fisher. Bat-fishes,

Very curiously shaped fishes, with broad, much flattened head and relatively
small, tapering body; forehead elongated into a process which overhangs the
small mouth; eyes large, lateral; bands of fine teeth on jaws, vomer, and,palatines;
skin covered with small, bony tubercles; number of gill-arches 2.5; air-bladder
and pylorie coeca absent; dorsal and anal fins minute; pectorals large, horizontal,
surmounting posterior angles of head; ventrals widely separated. Small, shoal-
water fishes, inhabiting the West Indies, 2 species ranging as far north as our
South Atlantic coast. (Ogcocephalus, hook-head.)

347. OGCOCEPHALUS VESPERTILIO (Linnezus).
Bat-fish.

Lphius ve spertilio Linnzeus, Systema Nature, ed. x, i, 236, 1758; American Seas.
Ogococephalus vespertilio, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2737, pl. ccexcii, figs. 958, 958a, 958b.

Fig. 185. Bar-risH. Ogcocephalus vespertilio. Dorsal view.

DiaGnosis.—Body much flattened, rather stout, the greatest depth .2 total length; head
much wider than long, the length .5 total length; rostral process very long but of variable
length; averaging .12 of head; mouth small, the maxillary extending beyond pupil; teeth in
villiform bands; gill-slits very short, about diameter of pupil; skin thickly beset with bony
tubercles; dorsal rays 4, the fin inserted nearer to gill-openings than to base of caudal; anal
rays 4; pectorals directed outward and backward, their posterior margin extending beyond
dorsal fin; ventrals long, horizontal. Color: above grayish brown with black spots, below
coppery; dorsal plain; anal with dusky margin; caudal and pectorals white with a broad
black margin; ventrals white. (vespertilio, a bat.)

402 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

This is a West Indian fish, not heretofore reported north of the Florida
keys. An example 5.25 inches long now in the Beaufort laboratory was col-
lected by the Fish-Hawk off Beaufort in 1902; in it the rostral process is very
long, being contained 5.5 times in length of head; the eye is.4 length of this pro-
cess; the length of dorsal fin equals diameter of eye; and the anal fin is twice
length of dorsal, its origin being midway between origin of dorsal and base of
caudal. The species reaches a length of 12 inches.

Fig. 186. Bav-risH. Ogcocephalus vespertilio. Front view.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN DESCRIBING FISHES.

Abdomen. The belly; that part of a fish between the pectoral and anal fins; the cavity con-
taining the digestive and reproductive organs.

Actinosts. Small bones at base of pectoral fins, corresponding to wrist bones in man.

Adipose. Fatty; a name applied to the small fin without rays on the back of trout, catfish,
and various other fishes.

aS peare together; said of a fin which is attached to the body by one side as well as at
the base.

Air-bladder. A membranous sac filled with gases (oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide) lying
along the backbone in or posterior to the abdominal cavity, corresponding to the lungs
of higher animals and serving the purpose of lungs in some fishes; called also swim-
bladder and sound.

Anadromous. Running up; said of salt-water fishes which run up streams to spawn, as the
shad, the alewives, the striped bass, ete.

Anal. Hee inine to the anus or vent; the unpaired or vertical fin on the median line behind
the vent.

Antrorse. Turned or bent forward; the opposite of retrorse.

- Anus. The posterior extremity of the intestine; the vent.

Articulate. Jointed; said of the soft fin rays.

Barbels. Slender fleshy projections about the mouth, as in the black drum and catfishes,
containing nerves for touch and taste.

Branchie. ‘The gills.

Branchial. Pertaining to the gills.

Branchiostegals. Slender bony rays forming part of the lower posterior covering for the gills
and supporting the branchiostegal membrane.

Caducous. Falling off early or easily; said of teeth, scales, etc.

Canine. Long conical teeth in the jaws of fishes.

Cardiform. Coarse, sharp teeth in jaws of fishes.

Carpus. The bones at the base of the pectoral fin, corresponding to the wrist in man.

Catadromous. Running down; said of fishes which descend to the sea to spawn, as the common
eel.

Caudal. Pertaining to the tail; the fin at the posterior extremity of the body in fishes.

Caudal peduncle. That part of the body of a fish between the dorsal (or anal) and caudal fins,
usually the slenderest part of a fish.

Cephalic. Pertaining to the head.

Ciliated. Provided with hairs or hair-like projections.

Cirri. Minute projections forming a fringe.

Claspers. Organs attached to the ventral fins of male skates and sharks.

Ceecal. Pertaining to the ccecum.

Ceecum. A blind tube or sac connected with the pylorus—the posterior part of the stomach.

Compressed. Flattened from side to side.

Ctenoid. Said of scales whose posterior edge is spinous or like the teeth of a comb.

Cranial. Pertaining to the skull.

Cranium. ‘The skull.

Cycloid. Said of scales which show concentric lines or striations.

Deciduous. Falling off or out; said of teeth and scales that are shed or easily lost.

Decurved. Curved downward.

Dentate. Toothed; having tooth-like processes.

Depressed. Flattened vertically.

Depth. The vertical diameter.

Distal. Farthest away from base or point of attachment.

Dorsal. Relating to the back; the fin on the back.

Emarginate. Slightly notched at the end, as the tail of a fish.

Fauna. The totality of the animals of a given region.

Filament. A thread-like projection.

Filiform. Having a thread-like form.

Fontanelle. An opening between the bones of the skull.

Foramen. An opening or hole.

Furcate. Forked.

Fusiform. Spindle-shaped.

404 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Ganoid. A group of fishes characterized by having body more or less completely covered with
bony plate-like scales; also said of the peculiar scales of such fishes.

Gape. The opening of the mouth.

Gills. The respiratory organs of fishes, performing the functions of the lungs of higher ani-
mals; there are 2 to 4 on each side in ordinary fishes.

Gill-arches. The bones supporting the gills and gill-rakers; usually consisting of a short uppe™
arm and a long lower arm.

Gill-membranes. The membranes covering the branchiostegal rays; the membranes of the
two sides may be joined together across the isthmus (q. v.) or inserted on the isthmus.

Gill-opening. The slit-like aperture leading to the gill-cavity.

Gill-rakers. Bony processes of various shapes and sizes attached to the inner margin of the
gill-arches, used in straining food from the water.

Gonads. Sexual glands.

Height. Vertical diameter. .

Hemal. ‘The term applied (1) to the lowermost spine of the caudal vertebre in fishes; (2) to
the arch for the passage of a blood vessel at the base of such a spine.

Heterocercal. Term applied to the tails of fishes when vertically unequal, the backbone being
deflected upward, as in the sharks.

Homocercal. Term applied to the tails of fishes when equal, the backbone extending to the
middle of caudal base, as in most of the common fishes.

Imbricate. Overlapping; said of scales that overlap like shingles.

Incisors. Cutting teeth, usually in front of jaws.

Interorbital. Space between the orbits or eyes.

Isthmus. The region between the lower part of the gill-openings.

Jugular. Pertaining to the throat; said of ventral fins when attached to the throat, in advance
of the pectorals.

Keeled. Ridged; having a ridge or elevation, like the keel of a boat.

Lamella. A thin plate or layer.

Larva. The immature stage of certain fishes.

Lateral. Pertaining to the side.

Lateral line. A series of tubes or pores along the sides of fishes, secreting mucus and contain-
ing organs for the perception of shocks.

Lunate. Shaped like a (new) moon; said of a fish’s tail with a broadly concave margin.

Mandible. The lower jaw.

Maxilla, or maxillary. The upper jaw.

Maxillaries. The outermost and most conspicuous of the bones of the upper jaw.

Molar. A grinding tooth.

Nape. The back of the neck.

Neural arch. The arch in a vertebra through which the spinal cord passes.

Neural canal ‘The series of neural arches.

Neural spine. The uppermost spine of a vertebra; the prolongation of the two bony plates
which unite to form a neural arch.

Nuchal. Pertaining to the nape.

Obsolete. Faint; imperfectly developed.

Obtuse. Blunt.

Occipital. Relating to the occiput.

Occiput. The back of the head.

Ocellus (plural ocelli). An eye-like spot; usually a dark spot with a lighter border.

Ocellated. Having an ocellus or ocelh.

Opercle or operculum. The flat bone on the side of the head which protects the gills; the gill-
cover.

Opercular flap. The ear-like flap of skin projecting from the posterior edge of the opercle,
especially marked in the sun-fishes.

Orbit. The bony cavity in which the eye lies.

Orbicular. Nearly circular in outline.

Oval. Egg-shaped; said of the outline of a fish.

ie ake Reproducing by means of eggs which are fertilized and developed outside the

ody.

Ovoviviparous. Reproducing by means of eggs which are hatched or partly hatched within
the body of the parent, as some of the sharks and skates.

Ovum (plural ova). Egg.

Palatines. Two bones in the roof of the mouth, one on each side of the vomer, often provided
with teeth.

Papilla. A small fleshy projection.

Papillose. Covered with papille.

Pectinate. Toothed like a comb.

GLOSSARY. 405

Pectoral. Relating to the breast.
Pectoral fins. The uppermost of the paired fins on fishes, usually attached to the side of the
- breast; corresponding to the anterior limbs or arms of higher animals.

Peduncle. See caudal peduncle.

Pelagic. Relating to the sea; said of fishes that inhabit the high seas, such as the mackerels
and dolphins.

Peritoneum. ‘The delicate membrane lining the abdominal cavity and covering the intestines
and other viscera.

Pharyngeal bones. Bones at the entrance to the esophagus, usually having 1 or 2 rows of
teeth.

Pharynx. ‘The throat.

Plicate. Tolded.

Premaxillaries. Two bones, one on each side, forming the anterior part of the upper jaw in
fishes; some of the teeth are usually inserted on them.

Preopercle. A flat bone anterior to the opercle.

Preorbital. A flat bone anterior to the eye.

Procumbent. Lying or directed forward.

Procurrent. [Extending forward; said of a fin whose lower or anterior rays are inserted beyond
the regular base of the fin.

Protractile. Capable of being extended or drawn forward.

Proximal. Nearest to the base.

Pseudobranchie. Small gills, usually mere rudiments, on the under side of the opercle.

Punctate. Finely spotted.

Pyloric ceca. Blind sacs connected with the pylorus or lower end of the stomach.

Ray. One of the cartilaginous supports of a fin. Rays are either spiny or soft, and the latter

are simple or branched.

Recurved. Turned or curved backward.

Reticular or reticulate. J*ormed Jike a net-work.

Retrorse. Turned or bent backward.

Rudimentary. Undeveloped.

Rugose. Wrinkled; rough.

Scute. A bony or horny plate, such as exists on the sides of the crevallés.

Septum. A thin partition.

Serrate. Like the edge of a saw.

Setaceous. Provided with bristles.

Setiform. Having the form of a bristle.

Shoulder enue: The bony girdle, posterior to the head, to which the anterior limbs are
attached.

Snout. The region between the anterior end of the head and the eyes.

Spiracles. Respiratory opening in the sharks and rays, corresponding to the nostrils in ordi-
nary fishes.

Subopercle. The bone below the opercle.

Suborbital. Beneath the eye.

Supplementary maxillary. A small bone placed superficially on the upper part of the maxil-
lary in many fishes.

Supraorbital. Over or above the eye.

Symphysis. Line of union of two bones, as the tip of the lower jaw (chin).

Synonym. One of the technical names applied to a given species or genus of fish.

Synonymy. ‘The series of technical names applied to a given genus or species.

Tail. In popular language, usually the caudal fin; in ichthyology either the part of the body
posterior to tlie vent or the part posterior to the anal fin.

Terete. Cylindrical with tapering ends.

Thoracic. Pertaining to the thorax or chest; said of ventral fins attached beneath the pec-
torals.

Truncate. With a square or straight margin or profile; said of the caudal fin, snout, ete.

Tubercle. A small projection.

Type. The specimen on which the original description of a species is based.

Vent. The posterior opening of the alimentary canal.

Ventral. Relating to the abdomen; said of the paired fins below or behind the pectoral fins,
and corresponding to the posterior limbs in higher animals.

Vertebra. One of the bones composing the spinal column.

Vertical. Said 7 the fins attached on the median line of the body; these are the dorsal, caudal,
and anal.

Villiform. Slender, minute teeth arranged in compact bands or patches.

Viviparous. Bringing forth the young alive, as for example some sharks and eyprinodonts.

Vomer. A bone in the center of the roof of the mouth, just behind the premaxillaries; it is
often beset with teeth.

406

FISHBHS OF NORTH CAROLINA.

View of under surface.

Aetobatus narinari.

Sporrep StTine Ray.

Fig. 187.

RESIS RIES OF NORTH CAROLINA.
GENERAL IMPORTANCE AND EXTENT.

The abundance of fishes and the peculiarly favorable conditions prevailing
in the coastal regions, combined with a mild climate, have permitted the develop-
ment of fisheries of great variety and extent. At a comparatively early period
in the history of the state certain branches of the fisheries became important,
and in‘recent years attained greater extent than elsewhere; while the general
progress of the industry has been such as to place North Carolina in the front
rank among the fishing states. In the coastwise sections fishing has long been
a leading industry, and in few other states has there been so large a population
so entirely dependent on the water for a livelihood. Among the South Atlantic
States, North Carolina is far in advance in all phases of the fisheries; in fact, as
regards the number of persons engaged, the amount of capital invested, and the
quantity and value of the annual yield, this state exceeds all the others combined.

No general fishery statistics have been gathered for a number of years, and
the latest information pertains to 1902. In that year, according to the official
returns of the United States Bureau of Fisheries, 1,100 persons were engaged
in the vessel fisheries, 433 persons in the transportation of the catch to market,
10,059 persons in the boat and other fisheries, and 3,163 persons in the various
shore industries dependent on the fisheries, a total of 14,755. In the same year
188 vessels were employed in fishing and 199 others in transporting the catch,
these with their outfit being valued at $361,000. The boats used in the shore
fisheries numbered 6,470, with a value of $222,150. The apparatus of capture
comprised 965 seines worth $85,460, 107,190 gill nets worth $236,255, 2,980
pound nets and weirs worth $228,610, and minor nets, lines, dredges, tongs, rakes
and other appliances valued at $22,850. The foregoing sums added to the value
of the shore property and cash capital, gave a total investment of $1,973,440.
The catch and value of the different classes of animals were as follows: Fish,
58,900,675 pounds, $1,354,073; turtles and frogs, 48,570 pounds, $12,229; crus-
taceans, 287,600 pounds, $17,353; mollusks, 8,347,885 pounds (1,171,880 bushels),
$356,005; a total of 67,584,735 pounds, which sold for $1,739,660.

~ THE PRINCIPAL FISHES.

In the foregoing systematic catalogue, the economic importance of each
species of fish has been referred to. Of the 347 species therein listed, about 90
are of present commercial value and figure to a greater or less extent in the
markets; but the fishes which give to North Carolina its prominent position
as a fishing state are comparatively few in number. Conspicuous among the

40S FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

salt-water fishes are the mullets, squeteagues, croaker, spot, spanish mackerel,
and menhaden. The most important of the migratory river fishes are the shad,
alewives, hickory shad, striped bass, white perch, eel, and sturgeon. The lead-
ing fresh-water species is the large-mouth black bass.

Fishes that are taken in larger quantities in North Carolina than in other
states are the spotted squeteague, pig-fish, hickory shad, and black bass; while
the local. catch of alewives is exceeded only in Maryland and Virginia, of striped
bass only in California, of spanish mackerel only in Florida and Virginia, of
mullet only in Florida, and of spot only in Virginia.

It is not necessary to refer again in detail to the fisheries for the individual
species, but a few special notes on several of the most important fisheries may be
supplied as a supplement to the information already given. Of the leading
salt-water fish and the peculiar methods adopted for its capture, Dr. Robert
E. Coker contributes the following account, which apples more particularly to
the Beaufort region:

The common mullet, or ‘jumping mullet’’, is the most important food-fish of the Beau-
fort waters. The mass of the fish consumers of North Carolina and neighboring States demand
a cheap fish, and for them the mullet, being of good quality and very abundant, is the chief
food fish. The mullet fishery is the largest industry in the State derived from salt-water
fishes. The importance of the mullet to the fishermen is increased by the fact that it is taken
during the summer when most other fish are scarce. On the whole, the loss of no other fish
could so embarass the fisherman as a failure of mullets, and it seems a very unwise policy to
use the small-mesh seines, taking the very small, almost finger-sized mullets, which are next
to valueless on the market.

Mullets are taken chiefly with ‘‘drag nets’’, or ‘‘hauling nets’’, worked from sail skiffs,
singly or in groups of two to four or more in coéperation. The fish are commonly landed on
an exposed shoal or beach, or are ‘‘pounded”’. The method known as ‘‘footing”’ is not econom-
ical in the case of mullets, as a considerable number escape by Jumping over the cork line,
and this plan is followed only when other methods are impracticable. A “drag net”’, or ‘‘haul-
ing net’’, is a seine 150 to 200 or more yards in length and 40 to 80 or more meshes in depth,
with mesh of 1-inch to 14-inch bar. In mullet fishing in early summer a long shallow net
with small mesh is desired, later in the season the deeper nets with larger mesh are used. The
size of mesh and length and depth of seine to be used are determined according to the size
of fish to be taken, and according to whether they are expected to be found scattered over the
shoals or in schools and in deeper water.

In ‘‘pounding”’ mullets on the shoals, if the catch is light, it is customary to break the
necks as they are meshed to prevent their escape, but if a heavy catch is made it is not economi-
cal to do this. The Portsmouth (North Carolina) mullets have quite a reputation in some
of the State markets as a result of the method of taking them and preparing them for market,
and this method has grown out of the peculiar conditions prevailing about Portsmouth (on
Pamlico Sound), near which place there are a great many shoals where the water is a foot or
more in depth. The fishermen, working in groups of 2 to 10 skiffs, surround the mullets
(‘‘pound” them) on such a shoal with their seines used in combination, then frighten the
fish into the nets, and in order that as few as possible may escape, go about breaking the necks
as fast as the mullets are meshed. The fish are left in the nets or in the enclosed area until
all have been killed. Then they are collected and taken into the boats. The appearance of
their fish has become a matter of pride to Portsmouth fishermen, and great care is taken in
preparing them for market; the backbone is removed, the intestinal cavity thoroughly washed
and the dark lining of the cavity rubbed off with bagging. When carried to market Ports-

N. C. GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY PLATE 20

A CAMP OF MULLET FISHERMEN ON SHACKLEFORD BANKS.

DRAG-SEINE FISHING ON A NORTH CAROLINA SHOAL.

a

rs

hemmed ti 8 ta
7?

eT as
=~ ;

a ay

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES. 409

mouth mullets offer, therefore,a clean and attractive appearance, and are said to be of better
flavor; they are eargerly sought in the markets of Washington, N. C., New Bern, and Greenville.

While mullets are not fished with purse seines, occasionally when a large school of mullets
is seen while looking for menhaden, a good haul is made in such a seine.

At the stationary fisheries, such as the Mullet Pond fishery on Shackleford Banks, a
seine similar to the drag net is used. When the lookout reports a school of fish within their
grounds, the boat bearing the seine is put off, the staff on one end of the net is left near the
beach, and the boat is rowed around the school with the net paying off over the stern (opera-
tion called “shooting the net’). The fish are then hauled on the beach. They may be
cleaned and salted at the fishery before being sold. While there used to be a number of these
fisheries on the banks and islands north of Beaufort, the Mullet Pond fishery is the only one
that does now so well as ten or fifteen years ago. This is due, not, perhaps, to diminution in
the number of the fish, but to the scattering of them by the more extensive fishing of recent
years. A smaller number is now taken from any given area. South of Beaufort there is still
a considerable number of these fisheries.

The limit of the length of hauling nets imposed by law (225 yards) is evaded by working
in groups. A large area is in fact more readily surrounded by several short seines than by a
single long one. Four seines may be used to enclose a diamond-shaped pound, as follows:
Two skiffs take positions together on one side of the area to be enclosed, and the other two
at the ends respectively. From each boat one man gets overboard, keeping one end of the
seine belonging to his boat. The two skiffs that were together are then rowed apart and
toward the initial positions of the other two skiffs, each traversing thus one side of the diamond
and ‘‘shooting the net” as it goes. Meantime the two skiffs at the ends have been rowed to
meet each other at an angle. When these latter skiffs have met (at the fourth angle of the
diamond) and the former skiffs have reached the initial positions of the latter, the diamond
is complete and each seine occupies one side of it. The fish within the enclosed area may now
be frightened into the nets, or, if there is a good current, the staffs, two at each angle, are
advanced toward the center and the seines drift with the tide to form gradually flattening
loops swinging away from the eight staffs grouped together. Where possible, mullets are
landed instead of pounded, and the seines would then be used to form two sides of a larger
half-diamond or the circumference of a semi-circle, with the shore as diagonal or diameter.

Mullets are shipped chiefly to the markets of North Carolina, Virginia, and the eastern
shore of Maryland. Norfolk is a distributing point for neighboring regions of these three states.

While large quantities of mullets are shipped fresh, doubtless more are salted. The
leading salt mullet shipper estimates that 20,000 barrels are shipped annually from Beaufort
and Morehead City. The process of preparing the salt mullets is simple. The fish are split
along the back, cleaned, salted, and placed in a large barrel for 24 hours or more. They are
then taken out, allowed to drain, and repacked in a fish barrel; brine is poured over them and
a quart of Turks Island salt placed on top. When closed the barrel is ready for shipment.
Mullet roe, obtained in the fall (October) is much valued locally, and is shipped to some
extent. Charleston, 8. C., offers a good market. Some years ago an attempt was made at
Beaufort to can the very small mullets. The fish did not sell, probably partly because it was
an innovation, partly because of the method of canning. While it may be that with proper
method a good canned product could be made, it does not seem expedient to can the young
of such an important fish, unless a very good selling product is made.

Along with the jumping mullet occurs the ‘‘silverside mullet’’, but it is not relatively
abundant. The local “fork-tail mullet’, or ‘‘maiden mullet”, is probably not a distinct
species but a name applied to the medium-sized mullets taken later in the season. The little
mullets appearing in October in large schools are supposed to come from Virginia and are
sometimes called the ‘‘ Virginia fleet’’.

The mullet is valued next to shrimp as bait in hook-and-line fishing, and its indirect
value as a food and bait in nature for other fish must be counted; it is preyed upon by trout,
blue-fish, and mackerel, and therefore attracts these less abundant and higher-priced fish.

410 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

The most abundant of the migratory food fishes of the state are the ale-
wives, or river herrings. ‘The extent to which these entered into the fisheries
of the counties in 1904 is shown in the following detailed table in which the
number, weight, and value of the fish sold fresh and salted are separately given:

YIELD OF ALEWIVES IN NorTH CAROLINA, 1904.

FRESH. SALTED.

COUNTIES. SS Se ee i |
| Number. | Pounds. | Value. | Number. | Pounds. | Value.

| | | |
Beautortincecn, sacs | 436,660 218,330 $3,579) Pe ie5 Biya la eit ei aleve eee eae
Bertie sence esek « Sees ee oe | 72,500} 36,250) 590) sa. badass toe eee
Camdensniy anti cis cee oles 26,000 13,000 190) 40,000 13,333 $236
Garteretis cutie eee 18,000 9,000)... S20 t4% s,s alee eae
Chowan......................| 3,991,700] 1,995,850] 13,156|" 9,852,300| 3,284,101| 33,893
Cravcnie cnn file eee | 182.614) “O1307) 1605/0 sce ete lectue eee arias
G@uaribucks ele Ge ee 91,000, 45,500, 1,053, 190,000 63,334 950
Dares ed bara i eee | 815,000 407,500, 12,619] 4,884,500 1,628,166 24,373
Duplints 3. eae | 900 450, WA) atic: cases lect aie ,cutiedes Se leo ae ewe
Gates: inspec eee!" =P SARG00l" 7 S00 SAG eters 2 Tie og eee
Greene tnt hot iee nc sae ieee 3,950 1,975 AO |i. cheats epee Nee oa cee |b eee
Hertiord.....0...02.2.4..-.25:| £46,000). -73;000)|. 143sie= 23 000" 7,666 04
Seiydara cst eee 16,500), 8,250| 165|...2..2... errr S la eae
Pence hae ee ees tet 1,700 850. WZ aged waved ae ee |r icae
Martin.....................:.| 103,000] 51,500/ 1,030] 280,000) 98,333) 1,120
New lanoveri. 42.8 sees 4,780 2,390| BO ees cy eee | stesso tg foal eee
Reamalicor.s ss .ace Stee cite fete 72,500 36,250 I ()| thao tee recathe een tana ier Coe
Pasquotank. -.vi.-0..:ce0+8e, 202,200 101,100 1,702 88,000; 29,334 515
Rend eben. sh cyo ee ae 4,000 2,000) OO leeaeewe er: Iescans neers Siesta ©
Rerquimanssa. eso nuee eee ee | 743,000, 371,500) Sls 360,000, 120,000 1,260
Ritteas hte eee Ore eed. ose | 11,240! 5,620 PID wea a peewee Ghose.
DAM PSOMsse meet kat areeiok 17,620, 8,810 AGA Peter e sca Wei eeihe = error ce
dire leech ace ener eee 382,000) 141,000) 1,988 454,000, 151,334 2,094
Washington.................. 428,000] 231,000] 1,861 eee 1,231,667 13,667

|
Totals. ree eee 7,839,464) 3,869,732| 46,206 19,866,300) 6,622,268 78,202

| |

t

The blue-fish is taken in largest quantities in Dare and Carteret counties.
Its economic value in the latter county and the peculiar methods of capture
there adopted are thus described by Dr. Coker:

The blue-fish is one of the most important fish of these waters. Its value varies accord-
ing to size. Large and medium sell best, and as a rule are sent to the northern markets, while
the small snappers bring little more than half the price of the other, per pound, and are used
chiefly in the state trade.

Formerly quite abundant, blue-fish had become quite scarce, until within the past few
years, when they again became plentiful. In 1903 they were taken in unprecedented quanti-
ties. Out of several hundred thousand pounds of fish shipped from these points during October
12 to 17, inclusive (one dealer shipped 197,000 pounds and is considered to have handled half
the product for that week), more than three-fourths were blue-fish. The shipment of fish dur-
ing that week was the greatest ever made from these points.

Blue-fish are taken by “drifting” for them in the inlet, by ‘‘set nets’ on the outside, and,
in less degree, by ‘footing them up” with drag nets and in purse seines. The “drifting” is

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES. 411

employed chiefly in fishing for blue-fish and, less often, gray trout. The hauling net is put
over and boat and net drift with the tide until the fish strike and are meshed. The shoals
in Beaufort Inlet offer a favorable place for this plan of fishing. A variation of this is the
“‘drop-net”’ method; the net is dropped overboard when fish are detected and the fish are then
frightened into it. Seines of different mesh may be in readiness to be used according to the
size of the fish expected. Two nets may be used in “‘setting,’’ one running out perpendicu-
larly to the beach, the other making a loop or sort of pound at the otherend. The fish swim-
ming parallel to the beach strike the ‘‘leader’”’, where some are meshed, while others turn out,
going into the ‘‘pound”’, where most of them are meshed. ‘‘ Footing them up” is the method
commonly used inside with all fish except mullet, where it is not practicable to land them.
The school or scattered fish are first surrounded with the seine (drag net), one man overboard
holding the staff at one end of the seine while the other rows the skiff, ‘“‘shooting the net”
around the region to be dragged; when the circle is complete one staff is stuck into the ground,
and the other placed in the skiff; the seine is then gradually pulled in and, if the haul seems
to be light, arranged on the stern; but if there is a good catch, the seine is put in over
the side of the boat and is afterwards cleared and placed on the stern ready for a new haul.
In pulling in the seine one man handles the cork line, the other, standing opposite, the lead
line, pulling it under the ball of his foot, which he uses to hold the line to the bottom and,
if it comes hard, to paw, or ‘‘foot’’, the line to him.

A purse seine may be 700 or 800 meshes deep and 100 or more fathoms long, with mesh
of .75 to linch bar. A purse line passes through rings at the bottom. Such a seine is usually
worked by two ‘‘purse boats’’, each with a crew of 6 to 10 men, the whole pertaining to a
two-mast schooner or schooner-r.gged sharpie. The purse boats are heavy double-ended row
boats 25 feet long or longer, and 7 or more feet in width.

OTHER ECONOMIC WATER ANIMALS.

Besides the fishes, the only water animals of noteworthy importance are
oysters and quahogs, or round clams. The value of the oysters exceeds that
of any fish except the shad, and within a comparatively few years oysters may
become the leading fishery product as a result of cultivation and conservative
methods. Oystering is conducted in 12 counties, but is of greatest extent in
Beaufort, Carteret, Dare, Hyde and Onslow counties. The output in 1902
was 1,022,813 bushels, which sold for $268,363. Quahogs are taken for market
in 7 counties, the largest quantities being obtained in Brunswick and Carteret.
In 1902 the total yield was nearly 147,000 bushels, which brought $86,662.
The increase in the output of this species in the past 15 years has been marked.
The only other mollusks now taken for sale are scallops; small quantities are
gathered in Carteret County, the product in 1902 being valued at $980.

Among crustaceans the common blue crab is the only species of importance. ~
It is taken chiefly in Carteret County, and almost the entire catch is sold in the
soft-shell stage. The value of this fishery in 1902 was $14,653, a sum that
could be largely increased if the fishery were more actively prosecuted. Limited
quantities of shrimp are caught in New Hanover and Pender counties, the yield
being 84,160 pounds, valued at $2,700.

The reptilian resources of North Carolina comprise alligators, green and
other sea turtles, diamond-back and other terrapins, and frogs. At the present
time alligators do not exist in sufficient numbers to be regularly sought, and
they have ceased to figure in the commercial fisheries. The diamond-back
terrapin is taken mostly about Roanoke Island, but the catch of it and of other

412 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.
terrapins and turtles is comparatively small, being valued at only $11,630 in
1902. Frogs are hunted to a limited extent in Pasquotank and Camden counties,
where about 1,000 dozen, worth $600, were obtained in 1902.

FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY.

The recent trend of the North Carolina fisheries has not been altogether
satisfactory, and the condition of the industry demands the thoughtful consider-
ation of fishermen and lawmakers. The state has shown itself ready to
enact restrictive legislation, even when it has been apparent that some hard-
ship would result to fishermen of certain localities; and there is every reason to
believe that additional legislation will be provided when its necessity has been
fully appreciated. Protective measures addressed to diminishing fishes must
be radical if they are to accomplish any real benefit, and must necessarily be
modified from time to time as their effects and defects become apparent.

An acquaintance with the fisheries of North Carolina extending over more
than 20 years justifies the author in expressing the following outline views
regarding the future of the industry:

1. The fisheries may be expected to deteriorate—

(a) Through failure of the state to provide prompt and adequate protection
to those fishes which begin to show a decrease in abundance. The history
of the sturgeon is an unmistakable indication of what will eventually hap-
pen to the shad, alewives, striped bass, and other species unless ample pro-
vision is made for the survival of a sufficient percentage of the annual run
until spawning has ensued.

(b) Because of unnecessarily wasteful methods, such as the capture of
larger quantities of food fishes than can be utilized or disposed of to advan-
tage and the useless destruction of large numbers of fishes of no present
market value but of prospective importance.

(c) Owing to careless methods of packing and preserving the catch, and
to failure to keep abreast of the progress of the times in matters affecting
the shipment and sale of fish.

2. The fisheries are not only capable of maintenance for an indefinite
period but are undoubtedly susceptible of great improvement—

(a) Through recognition and avoidance of the foregoing causes of decline.

(b) Through the utilization of resources now only imperfectly made use of
or entirely neglected.

(c) Through the development of new fishing grounds or more thorough
exploitation of old grounds. This applies particularly to the offshore line
and net fisheries, on the submerged banks and in the surface waters.

(d) Through increased shipping facilities along the shores, and through
the increased use of motor vessels in the inshore and offshore fisheries.

(e) Through the increase in the abundance of fish and other economic
creatures as a result of cultivation on the part of the government, the state. -
and private individuals.

CUE ATION AND ACCLIMATIZATION OF FISHES
INSNORTH-CAROLIN A.*

IMPORTANCE OF SUCH WORK.

In many states the artificial propagation of food and game fishes is regarded
as a coordinate, if not as potent, a factor in the maintenance of the supply as
restrictive legislation; and cultivation and protection are therefore often jointly
carried on. The number of states in which no fish-cultural operations are con-
ducted is rapidly becoming smaller, and it is only a matter of a few years when
every state and territory will have its own fish hatcheries for the replenishing
of purely local waters, leaving the general government to devote its energies
chiefly to the cultivation of the migratory and coastal fishes. In general, there
are no public expenditures that will insure more certain and more immediate
returns than those devoted to intelligent and systematic fish-culture; while the
private owners of ponds, lakes, and small streams will find that aquiculture is as
profitable as agriculture and at the same time yields such a variety in diet and
such opportunity for recreation that every one who has the facilities should
engage in it.

The supply of food and game fishes of many states has been greatly increased
by the introduction of nonindigenous species by the federal government, the
state authorities, and private persons; but in North Carolina only a limited
amount of such work has been attempted. The demand and the necessity for
introducing foreign fishes in this state are comparatively slight, and efforts to
improve the fish supply have been and can continue to be directed into more
important channels.

Although North Carolina was one of the first states to take up the artificial
propagation of fishes, it soon abandoned all work of the kind; and for many
years the demands for fish culture in the state have been metas far as practicable
by the federal government. It would appear to be incumbent on the state to
establish and maintain a number of small and comparatively imexpensive
hatcheries, in the most favorable situations, for the special purpose (1) of pro-
viding brood stocks of fish for private ponds and streams, so that the cultivation
of food and game fishes by individuals may be encouraged and facilitated, and
(2) of keeping public waters replenished with various desirable fishes, including
those which may serve to attract anglers from outside the state. Among the
species that might advantageously be cultivated are brook trout, rainbow trout,

* For much of the historical and other matter in this chapter, the author isindebted to
Mr. S. G. Worth.

414 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

small-mouth black bass, and spotted cat-fish for the mountainous regions, and
large mouth black bass, strawberry bass, and various sun-fishes for the lowland
waters.

EARLY FISH-CULTURAL WORK.

Prior to the inception of fish culture under state auspices the federal govern-
ment has conducted some interesting initial and experimental work in local
waters, and had employed therein several prominent fish culturists. Thus in
1873, under the direction of U. 8. Fish Commissioner Baird, about 45,000 shad
were hatched at New Bern, and 100,000 striped bass at Weldon, and these were
planted in local waters. In 1875 shad hatching was attempted at New Bern
by Mr. J. W. Milner on behalf of the general government, but no noteworthy
results were obtained.

In 1877 the state began fish-cultural operations on its own account, in com-
pliance with an act of the legislature requiring the board of agriculture “at once
to provide for stocking all available waters of the state with the most approved
breeds of fishes.” In May of that year, Mr. Frank N. Clark, of Northville,
Michigan, was engaged through Professor Baird to superintend shad hatching
on the Neuse, and the work was conducted at several points above New Bern,
but with little success owing to unfavorable seasonal conditions. The most
important feature of these operations was the employment of a number of local
volunteer assistants who were desirous of learning the methods and principles
of fish culture; among these was Mr. 8. G. Worth, who a few years later became
the first superintendent of fisheries. In the fall of the same year a trout and
salmon hatchery was constructed at Swannanoa Gap by Mr. W. F. Page, assisted
by Mr. Worth, who later enlarged and improved the hatchery; and the incuba-
tion of brook trout eggs and California salmon eggs was begun shortly thereafter.

The shad hatching in 1878 was noteworthy because conducted jointly by
Mr. Milner representing the U. 8. Fish Commission, Colonel Marshall McDonald
representing Virginia, Major T. B. Ferguson representing Maryland, and Colonel
L. L. Polk, commissioner of agriculture for North Carolina. The site of the
operations was Salmon Creek at the head of Albemarle Sound, and the season
was the most successful up to that time, a number of million fry being pro-
duced. In 1879 a second hatchery was built by the state at Morganton, and
during the next three years salmon, trout, and carp were hatched and distrib-
uted, the station being abandoned in 1882.

Shad hatching was continued by the United States government in 1879
at the mouth of Chowan River, the steamer Lookout being employed in the
work. In 1880 the state constructed a shad hatchery at Avoca and utilized
the eggs furnished by the Capehart seine fisheries at Sutton Beach and Scotch
Hall, the operations proving quite successful. It was in 1881 that the steamer.
Fish-Hawk was first detailed for the same work, with headquarters at Avoca,
and from that time down to a comparatively recent date that vessel was engaged
in shad hatching in Albemarle Sound nearly every season. The state con-

PLATE 21

N. C. GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY

SHAD HATCHERY OF THE U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES ON PEMBROKE CREEK NEAR EDENTON.

INTERIOR OF SHAD HATCHERY, SHOWING AUTOMATIC HATCHING JARS.

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UP te Re ey
7 ib i eee

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FISH CULTURE AND ACCLIMATIZATION. 415

tinued to operate the hatchery at Avoca until 1884, and in 1882 adopted the
McDonald hatching jar, being the first state to employ this most important
device.

From 1879 to 1884 the state superintendent of fisheries, Mr. Worth,
carried on experimental work in the hatching of the striped bass on Roanoke
River near Weldon, and in the last year named, being financially aided by the
United States Commissioner of Fisheries, took over 4 million eggs. Thus was
laid the foundation for the striped bass work taken up later by Mr. Worth as a
superintendent of the Bureau of Fisheries.

In 1885 the state discontinued all fish-cultural work, and since that time
the responsibility for maintaining the local fish supply by artificial propagation
has devolved on the general government.

INTRODUCTION OF NONINDIGENOUS FISHES.

The carp supplied to North Carolina applicants by the U. S. Bureau of
Fisheries in 1879 met with such a cordial reception that there was developed an
extraordinary demand for this species, and in 1882 the state fishery authorities
were obliged to construct ponds near Raleigh in which to conduct breeding
operations. The general government continued to send carp to the state, and
in 1888 the product of the local hatching ponds began to be available. In 1885
it was reported that at least 2,000 special carp ponds had been built in North
Carolina, and that 92 out of the 96 counties in the state had received carp.
Through the overflowing or breaking of the banks of ponds, the carp escaped and
gradually became firmly established in the rivers and other open waters, and
has now taken its place as one of the best known and most widely distributed
of the food fishes of the state.

The history of carp culture in North Carolina has been quite similar to that
in various other states. The fish was planted in unsuitable waters or received
improper attention; and more was expected of it than was ever claimed by
those who advocated its introduction into American waters. The natural
result was disappointment, loss of interest, and gradual abandonment of the
enterprise by individuals. The carp, however, is suitable to-day, just as it
was when its planting was first undertaken, for the stocking of warm, shallow
waters of limited area in which no other fish or no better fish will survive or
flourish.

The introduction of the- rainbow or California trout (Salmo irideus) was
begun in 1880 and has been continued until the present time, the plants of
young fish by the federal government now numbering many thousands each
year. The fish has become widely distributed and firmly established, and is
one of the most attractive species in the mountainous sections of the state.

The introduction of a number of other fishes into the waters of North Caro-
lina has been attempted from time to time, among these being various kinds of
salmon. The early attempts to establish salmons were perhaps justifiable in

416 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

view of the lack of knowledge of the requirements of those fishes, but they are
now known to have been entirely useless expenditures of time and money.
Beginning in 1877 and continuing for four years, the federal fishery bureau
donated eggs of the quinnat salmon (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) to the state
authorities. The eggs were incubated at the Swannanoa and Morganton
hatcheries, and 748,000 young were planted in the headwaters of the French
Broad, Catawba, and Yadkin rivers. In 1883 it was reported that no apparent
results had attended this work, and further efforts in this line were abandoned.

In 1881 the state received from the federal government 20,000 eges of the
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), which were hatched at Morganton with an
approximate loss of 25 per cent, and the resulting fry were deposited in the
mountain streams the same year. As the natural habitat of this salmon includes
no streams south of New York, the waters of North Carolina were manifestly
unsuited for the species and the attempt was almost necessarily a failure, not
so much because the mountain streams are not congenial as because of the high

Fig. 188. Ratnsow Trout. Salmo irideus.

temperature and muddy character of the rivers in the Piedmont and coastal
plain regions through which the salmon would have to pass while going to and
from their spawning grounds

A salmon from the planting of which results were much more likely is the
landlocked salmon (Salmo sebago) of Maine, which inhabits lakes and streams,
and has lost the migratory instinct. Two lots of eggs were donated to North
Carolina by Professor Baird, and the fry hatched therefrom, to the number of
28,300, were planted in 1878 and 1881 in the Dan, Linville, Mayo and Johns
rivers, in various creeks in McDowell and Burke counties, and in numerous
ponds near Charlotte, Greensboro, Morganton, Salisbury, and other places. No
results from these plants were ever noted. Probably the only waters in North
Carolina in which it is reasonable to expect a satisfactory outcome from the
planting of landlocked salmon are the artificial lakes on the property of the
Toxaway Company in Transylvania County; and the U. 8. Bureau of Fisheries
has recently planted fry in one of these lakes.

FISH CULTURE AND ACCLIMATIZATION 417

RECENT FISH-CULTURAL WORK.

The U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, in pursuance of its policy of aiding the states
in maintaining their fish supply, has devoted much attention to North Caro-
lina. Large numbers of native fishes from outside hatcheries have been planted
in the state, among these being the brook trout, the large-mouth and small-
mouth black basses, the strawberry bass, various sun-fishes, and several kinds
of cat-fishes. The most important work of the general government, however,
has been addressed to the shad and the striped bass, and has been conducted
in local hatcheries.

For many years the steamer Fish-Hawk was sent to the state each spring
for the purpose of hatching shad, the site of the vessel’s operations being the
western end of AlbemarleSound. This vessel is in reality a floating hatchery,
and the main deck can be so arranged as to accommodate a large number of
shad eggs. Many millions of young fish, hatched from eggs that would other-
wise have been sent to market, were thus deposited in local waters; and the
work of the Fish-Hawk must be regarded as one of the most beneficent agencies
that have been employed in the interest of the North Carolina fisheries.

Necessity for further operations by the Fish-Hawk was largely reduced by
the construction in 1900 of a permanent government shad hatchery at the head
of Albemarle Sound, on Pembroke Creek, near Edenton. This modern plant,
located in the vicinity of the principal spawning grounds in the state, should be
able to liberate each spring such an immense number of young shad that the
perpetuity of the run would be insured; but its operations have been greatly
restricted by the scarcity of spawning fish, and the full measure of its useful-
ness has never been accomplished. The serious menace to the shad fishery that
this condition indicates has been pointed out to the state, and it is hoped that
the restrictive legislation shown to be necessary will accomplish the desired
end without resort to more radical measures.

The favorable opportunity for cultivating the striped bass afforded by the
large run of this fish in the Roanoke has induced the U. 8. Bureau of Fisheries
to establish temporary hatching stations near Weldon. The work has been
conducted for several years under the direction of Superintendent 8. G. Worth,
and several million of young fish have heen hatched and released in the river
each season.

Further work that may be undertaken by the government is the artificial
propagation of the sea mullet, spotted squeteague, and other valuable salt-
water species. Inquiries extending over a number of seasons have failed to
disclose the exact spawning grounds of the mullet, and the artificial hatching
of this fish has not yet been accomplished, although it is believed that this and
other fish-cultural problems will be experimentally .solved at the Beaufort
laboratory.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

Following is a list of the principal published articles re'ating to the fishes
and fisheries of North Carolina. The arrangement is primariy by authors
and secondarily by date of publication. Many of the ichthyoogical papers
have been cited in abbreviated reference (author and date) in the synonymy
of the various species of fish (“Systematic Catalogue”, pages 25 to 402).

AsH, THOMAS.
1682. Carolina; or a description of the present state of that country [ete.]. Published
by T. A., gent. London, 1682.
Among the fishes mentioned are sturgeon, mullets, salmon, trouts, bass, drum,
cat-fish, plaice, and eels.

BEAN, Barton A.
1903. Notice of a collection of fishes made by H. H. Brimley in Cane River and Bollings
Creek, North Carolina, with a description of a new species of Notropis (V. brimley7).
Proceedings U.S. National Museum, vol. xxvi, p. 913-914.

Bran, TARLETON H.

1885. On the occurrence of Hadropterus aurantiacus (Cope) in the French Broad River,
N.C. Proceedings U.S. National Museum, vol. vill, 1885, p. 160-166.

1880. Description of a new hake (Phycis earllii) from South Carolina, and a note on the
occurrence of Phycis regius in North Carolina. Proceedings U.S. National Museum,
vol. iii, 1880, p. 69.

BRICKELL, JOHN.

1737. The natural history of North Carolina. With an account of the trade, manners,
and customs of the Christian and Indian inhabitants. Illustrated with copper
plates, whereon are curiously engraved the map of the country, several strange
beasts, insects, trees, and plants, ete. Dublin, 1737.

The work contains numerous references to fishes, and many plates, but has
little merit, the best portions being freely plagiarized from Lawson’s volume pub-
lished 28 years before.

Coss, JoHN N.

1906. Investigations relative to the shad fisheries of North Carolina. Economic Paper
no. 12, North Carolina Geological Survey, 39 p., 11 maps. Raleigh.

A very valuable paper, showing condition of the shad fishery in each water in
1906 and location of apparatus used in catching shad.

Corr, Epwarp DRINKER.

1868. On the distribution of freshwater fishes in the Allegheny region of southwestern
Virginia. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, vol. vi,
2d ser., art. v, p. 207-247.

1869. Synopsis of the Cyprinide of Pennsylvania. Transactions of the American Philo-
sophical Society, Philadelphia, vol. xiii, n. s., art. xiii, p. 351-399, pl. x-xiii. (Read
Oct. 19, 1866.)

1870a. On some etheostomine perch from Tennessee and North Carolina. Proceedings
American Philosophical Society, vol. xi, 1870, p. 261-270.

Describes as new from North Carolina the darters Etheostoma nevisense, Pecilich-
thys vitreus, P. vulneratus, P. rufilineatus, and Boleosoma maculaticeps.

1870b. <A partial-synopsis of the fishes of the fresh waters of North Carolina. Proceed-
ings American Philosophical Society, vol. xi, 1870, p. 448-495.

This is the most important contribution to the literature of the fresh-water fishes
of North Carolina. It is based chiefly on collections made by Cope in 1869 in the
Tennessee, Cumberland, Catawba, Yadkin, and Neuse basins, and contains deserip-
tions of many new species. A second edition, with special cover, preface, and
addendum, was privately printed from the same plates in March, 1877.

420 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Coxk, FRANK.
1884. Opening the Broad and other rivers of North Carolina to shad, bass, ete. Bul
letin U. 8. Fish Commission, vol. iv, 1884, p. 232.
Ear, R. Epwarp.
1887. North Carolina and its fisheries, in The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the
United States, section ii, A geographical review of the fishing industries and fishing
communities for the year 1880, p. 475-497.

EVERMANN, BARTON WARREN, AND Cox, ULysszs O.
1896. The fishes of the Neuse River basin. Bulletin U. 8. Fish Commission, vol. xv,
1895, p. 303-310.
An annotated list of all the fishes recorded from the Neuse, with a review of the
papers on the fishes of this stream. The basis of the report was a collection from
the vicinity of Raleigh made by Messrs. Brimley.

GILL, THEODORE.

1903. The devilfish and some other fishes in North Carolina. Forest and Stream, vol. ix,
May 30, 1903, p. 431.

Refers to Elliott’s ‘Sports of the Carolinas” and Brickell’s ‘‘The Natural History
of North Carolina”’, and notes the names “‘sea tench’’, ‘‘Welshman”’, and ‘‘Irish-
man”’ applied to fishes in the latter work.

1905. Note on the habits of an ophidiid (cuskeel). Science, n. s., vol. xxii, Sept. 15,
1905, p. 342.

An introduction to Gudger’s article on the same subject.

GIRARD, CHARLES.

1856. Researches upon the eyprinoid fishes inhabiting the fresh waters of the United
States of America west of the Mississippi Valley, from specimens in the Museum
of the Smithsonian Institution. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences
of Philadelphia, vol. vii, 1856, p. 165-2138.

GoovpkE, GEORGE Brown, and associates.

1884. Natural history of useful aquatic animals. The Fisheries and Fishery Industries

of the United States, section i; vol. i, text, p. 1-895, vol. ii, plates. Washington.

GupGER, HUGENE WILLIS.
1905a. The breeding habits and segmentation of the egg of the pipefish, Siphostoma
floride. Proceedings U.S. National Museum, vol. xxix, p. 447—500, pl. v—xi.
Based on studies made and material collected at Beaufort, N. C., in 1902, 1903,
and 1904.
1905b. A note on the habits of Rissola marginata. Science, n. s., vol. xxii, Sept. 15,
1905, p. 342-343.
1905c. A note on the eggs and egg-laying of Pterophryne histrio, the gulfweed fish. Sci-
ence, n.s., vol. xxil, Dec. 22, 1905, p. 841-843.
Observations on spawning of the sargassum-fish in Beaufort laboratory in 1903.

Ho.srook, JouN Epwarpbs. ;
1855. Ichthyology of South Carolina. Second edition 1860, 205 p., 28 pl. Charleston,
S.C

JENKINS, OLIVER P.
1885. Notes on the fishes of Beaufort Harbor, North Carolina. Johns Hopkins Univer-
sity Circular, October, 1885, p. 11.

Lists 20 species ‘that do not occur in either of the lists referred to” (i. e., Yar-
row’s and Jordan & Gilbert’s; but as a matter of fact several of them had already
been recorded.

1887. A list of the fishes of Beaufort Harbor, North Carolina. Studies from the Bio-
logical Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, vol. iv, p. 83-94, 1887.

JORDAN, DAvip STARR.

1878. A synopsis of the family Catostomide. Bulletin U. 8. National Museum, no. 12,
p. 97-237.

1886. Notes on fishes collected at Beaufort, North Carolina, with a revised list of the
species known from that locality. Proceedings U. 8. National Museum, vol. ix,
1886, p. 25-30.

1889a. Description of fourteen species of fresh-water fishes collected by the U. 8. Fish
Commission in the summer of 1888. Proceedings U.S. National Museum, vol. xi,
1888, p. 351-362, 3 pl.

1889b. Report of explorations made during 1888 in the Allegheny region of Virginia,

- North Carolina, and Tennessee, and in western Indiana, with an account of the

fishes found in each of the river basins of those regions. Bulletin U. S. Fish Com-
mission, vol. viii, 1888, p. 97-173, 3 pl., 17 fig.

BIBLIOGRAPHY. 421

JORDAN, Davin STARR, AND BRAYTON, ALEMBERT W.
1878. On the distribution of the fishes of the Allegheny region of South Carolina, Georgia,
and Tennessee, with descriptions of new or little known species. Bulletin U. 8.
National Museunt, vol. xii, 1878, p. 1-95.
JorDAN, Davip STARR, AND EVERMANN, BARTON WARREN.
The fishes of North and Middle America. Bulletin no. 47, U.S. National Mu-
seum, 4 vol., 3313 pages, 392 pl.
1896, text, part 1.
1898, text, parts ii and iii.
1900, text and plates, part iv.

JORDAN, David STARR, AND GILBERT, CHARLES H.
1879. Notes on fishes of Beaufort Harbor, North Carolina. Proceedings U. 8. National
Museum, vol. i, 1878, p. 8365-388.

IXENDALL, WILLIAM CONVERSE. ;
1902. Notes on the silversides of the genus Menidia of the east coast of the United States,
with descriptions of two new subspecies. Report U. 8. Fish Commission 1901,
p. 241-267.

IXeNDALL, WILLIAM CONVERSE, AND SmitTH, Huau M.
1894. Extension of the recorded range of certain marine and fresh-water fishes of the
Atlantic coast of the United States. Bulletin U.S. Fish Commission, vol. xiv,
1894, p. 15-24.
Records Earll’s hake from Hatteras Inlet, the first instance of its occurrence
in North Carolina.

LAWSON, JOHN.
1709. A new voyage to Carolina; containing the exact description and natural history

of that country [etc.]._ London.

The publication of this history was apparently begun in 1708, but some copies
bear date of 1710 and a copy belonging to the State of North Carolina is dated 1714,
with title page reading “The history of Carolina; containing the exact description
and natural history of that country; together with the present state thereof. Anda
journal of a thousand miles, travel’d thro’ several nations of Indians. Giving a
particular account of their customs, manners, ete. By John Lawson, Gent. Sur-
veyor-General of North Carolina.”’ Reprint from this copy, 171 p., Charlotte, N.C.,
1903.

The book contains a very interesting account of the fishes of the state, devoting
about 9 pages to the subject and giving lists of the fresh-water and salt-water
species, with notes on many of them. About 60 species are named.

Linton, Epwin.
1905. Parasites of fishes of Beaufort, North Carolina. Bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries,
vol. xxiv, 1904, p. 321-428, pl. i-xxxiv. Issued Oct. 19, 1905.

Deals primarily with the internal parasites of the fishes of the Beaufort region,
but.contains also very useful data on the food of the fishes as determined by an
examination of their stomach contents. Several species of fishes not previously
known from the state are incidentally mentioned. The paper is a contribution
from the Beaufort laboratory.

McDonatp, MarsHALL.
1884. California trout planted in Roanoke River in July, 1883, retaken in June, 1884.
Bulletin U. 8. Fish Commission, vol. iv, 1884, p. 286.
1887. Fisheries of the rivers and sounds of North Carolina, in The Fisheries and Fishery
Industries of the United States, section v, History and methods of the fisheries,
vol. i, p. 625-637.

Miner, J. W.
1882. Summary of fishing records for shad and alewives kept at Willow Branch fishery,
North Carolina, from 1835 to 1874. Bulletin U.S. Fish Commission, vol. i, 1881,
p. 396-400.

Nort Carourna Board or AGRICULTURE.
1881. Biennial report of the board of agriculture to the general assembly of North Car-
olina, 1879 and 1880, 71 p. Raleigh.
Fish propagation (p. 7-8).
1883. Handbook of the State of North Carolina, exhibiting its resources and industries.
Raleigh. a
Fisheries and artificial propagation of fish are referred to briefly (p. 128-131).

422 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA.

NortH CaroLina BurEeAv OF Lapor STATISTICS.

1894. Eighth annual report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the State of North Car-

olina for the year 1894. The fishery industry of North Carolina, p. 248-256.
Text and tables quoted from Smith, 1893.

1895. Ninth annual report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the State of North Care-

lina for the year 1895. Fishing industry, p. 371-385.
Copies text and tables from previous report, and quotes letter from Dr. W. R.

Capehart giving information regarding fisheries of Albemarle Sound.

Potx, L. L.
1879. Report of L. L. Polk, commissioner of agriculture, for 1877 and 1878. Public

document no. 8, session 1879. Raleigh.
Fish propagation is discussed at some length (p. 7-15).

Pratt, JosepH Hyper (Compiler).
1906. Report of committee appointed by Governor R. B. Glenn to investigate the fishing
industries in North Carolina. Economie Paper no. 13, North Carolina Geological
Survey, 75 p. Raleigh.
Considers the condition of the fisheries, and makes comprehensive recommenda-
tions for a revised fish code.

RAVENEL, W. DE C.
1888. Information bearing on the propagation of mullet. Bulletin U. 8. Fish Commis-
sion, vol. vil, 1887, p. 197-202.
Smith, Hues M.
1893a. Report on a collection of fishes from the Albemarle region of North Carolina.
Bulletin U. 8S. Fish Commission, vol. xi, 1891, p. 185-200.
Based on a collection made by the writer in April, 1892, in Albemarle Sound and
tributaries.
1893). Fisheries of North Carolina, in Report on the fisheries of the South Atlantic States.
Bulletin U. 8. Fish Commission, vol. xi, 1891, p. 282-306, 31 pl.
Discusses the fisheries, fishing grounds, and fishery resources of the State; gives
detailed statistics of the industry for 1889 and 1890; and shows illustrations of 80
of the principal fishes of the region, with their local names.
1901. [Fishes of Lake Mattamuskeet, North Carolina.] Report U.S. Fish Commission
1900, p. 1383, 134.
A brief account of the fish life of this interesting lake.
1905. Note on a rare flying-fish (Cypselurus lutkeni). Science, n. s., vol. xxi, May 12,
1905, p. 746.
Mentions capture of a specimen at Beaufort, N. C., and states that the type, the
only other known specimen, probably came from the same place.

Smitu, Hue M., and KenpaLut, WILLIAM CONVERSE.
1897. Notes on the extension of the recorded range of certain fishes of the United States
coast. Report U.S. Fish Commission 1896, p. 169-176.
Mentions the capture of a winter flounder at New Bern, N. C.

Srevenson, CHarLes H.
1899. The shad fisheries of the Atlantic coast of the United States. Report U. 8S.
Fish Commission 1898, p. 101-269.
The history, methods, and results of the North Carolina shad fishery are con-
- sidered (p. 155-176).
Watke, E. H.
1883. Spawning of Fsox (pike or pickerel) in North Carolina. Bulletin U. 8. Fish Com-
mission, vol. 11, 1883, p. 295.
Witson, H. V.
1900. Marine biology at Beaufort. American Naturalist, vol. xxxiv, May, 1900, p. 339-
360.
Wort, §. G.
1879. Fish culture in North Carolina. [Report to the North Carolina Commissioner of
Agriculture], 26 p. appended to Report of L. L. Polk, commissioner of agriculture,
1877-1878, Public Document no. 8, session 1879.
1881. Keport of superintendent of fish and fisheries for the years of 1879-’80. Report
of the board of agriculture to the general assembly of North Carolina, 1879 and
1880, p. 25-51.
Refers (p. 40) to planting of rainbow trout (4,300 in number) in streams and
ponds in western counties in March, 1880.
1882a. The artificial propagation of the striped bass (Roccus lineatus) on Albemarle
Sound. Bulletin U. S. Fish Commission, vol. 1, 1881, p. 174-177.

9)

BIBLIOGRAPHY. 423

1882b. A poor season for shad hatching in North Carolina. Bulletin U. 8S. Fish Com-
mission, vol. ii, 1882, p. 54.

1883a. Fish culture in North Carolina. Monthly Bulletin North Carolina Board of
Agriculture, August, 1883, p. 3-8.

18836. Second biennial report of S. G. Worth, superintendent of fish and fisheries of
North Carolina (for 1881—’2). Report of the board of agriculture, document no. 18,
1883 session of the North Carolina legislature, p. 62-81.

1884u. The fishing industry of North Carolina. Monthly Bulletin of North Carolina
Department of Agriculture, March, 1884, p. 8-9.

Refers to a single seine haul of 400,000 herring.

1884b. Report upon the propagation of striped bass at Weldon, N. C., in the spring of
1884.> Bulletin U. 8. Fish Commission, vol. iv, 1884, p. 225-230, pl. i. :

1885. Third biennial report of the superintendent of fish and fisheries, of the state of
North Carolina, for the years 1883-’84, 35 p. Raleigh.

1908. Striped-bass hatching in North Carolina. Transactions American Fisheries Society
1903, p. 98-102.

Refers to recent fish-cultural work of the Bureau of Fisheries on Roanoke River.
Yarrow, H. C.

1874. Notes on the shad as observed at Beaufort Harbor, North Carolina, and vicinity.
Report of Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries 1872-3, p. 452-456.

1877. Notes on the natural history of Fort Macon, North Carolina, and vicinity.
No. 8—Fishes. Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, vol.
xxix, 1877, p. 203-218. i

INDEX OF COMMON NAMES OF FISHES.

PAGE.

ERIDAICONGH Baise nk fee eas 188, 205. 206
ISIN AUTEY tes ere Bir OA Ee 122), 130
PRUETMOMIG eke cit dutiente: < hlea-a seta es « ee 398
PNIOWETIGORG! We hein seat he Sea oS ee 213
/NTOO) OF GSTS) 0k es ue A (122
MATMONNORUS! So eos ce idd ex's 2's va ln ee ONE
PNINCNONAV ei cueeye Pkt isloct ss: Piety 3s 5 ae aes 133, 134
SOLU CO MN ceeien te. eis eee ik ed thers ous 133
COAT SS ae a a 38, 334
PMRDICT MN As oa iitas Knee cals st et +2098
DASHES, (CTE CGR Ione hea noma Rear ee Ae ee 105
JBSEW En esdeoh Ra toe ae ea OR oe cP 133
SENET eee bene ysis, ciate eis epee eee 162
Balloonaish) . 2.2... ote .ac ey. «1 O41; 7848
Bandedablenmvynec-escctsens cs see. one Ouo
GEMM eee cesses eee Cac OLS

[BH LO #5, ec aren eg ce Po ne oe 323
Barber i cien. an node Sen oe el OOS
aArMNCOOT SKAUCs. 5.1.8 fcc eae een tees 4]
IUBTICUGAT te much, «= Sci dado Sho dcdu ches oe 183
ESenshiclnyemees eae Men een en Aegis lke Soho ten aNee &2 69
JER SPSISS 2 soc! GRR sO TREE eee ene ae Pen)
CaliGOes eter |. han ere ue. fo ee eeneeO
Cmainie lee wowe ew ee ee) ue,! o()
large-mouthed black....)..........245

INU CS eens See Ghee Rea me ae De

ROC Kate A rae Ale ted aha hows 2 AOS

TO CURE AR ara: tA aasnsul note ee 281

SC ae 4 Rael reso et yte hacen esi gal stro 279
small-mouthed black..............244
SPOUGEC ar ac. o otek etic, 4 exe Seem 320
SHLAWOCEE YY Gar AStes conic ace kanye 230
SOUUOCOM a Mert Ph aec toro can o 271
WastardetrOut..234 <f..4 s4ec otis. «009
entebislieeerne gh ais 28 not nee vars Gly. c eae bots 401
Big-eyed herring ..........3.0..6. Gea?
CVE qsNONts. ok: eater <i ke lea Cae: 285
beadedueumnand. 2. c05bs0+. 0s... 4860

TO MEnnhi. SE MaN eC ck ater cleheneie s os ROSh LD AML OD

Bilaick=bancdedssum=tshes..:........4..0s207
bass, large-mouthed..............245

SIMA MOUGHNeMe mae cass 255 5 oe. ek 244
CHITHITSIOY ola Rs Gita een aan eee eae 65, 66
CUIRIGIE onc phere nut bee ne eee 260
CWI Re eens Se eon A OA.
intS1 Oy Ga Go ee ee Cee etree. 60, 279
SLOUPEI aa 278
OTUML Nar ON, LN ME let Fishin dw Pls hee Oe
MOBREUNCACAIEE 5 4 6 sn hee ante els 101
DGRCUN tebeet 4) cco ae Seacnais seats 274, 284
DUK CMR oicane ese he esas sik tunes 143
SUE vOe les aaa Ayes ek tee eee 112
SIGIR OTMM EM ae ae eR Sarai ee rae hae 74
GEROURee een ea ih Scho ae Oe, Cae ati
Will lean MR ae chat ata ee ie OO)
WHIMLCTS SUC Ch a nvakeke st scien erste ah 75

PAGER.

Blenniyas ss x eerie eee eS MONT
DANACUMee tener ete eee, wee iy

BLOOM ee eye tee Perens oat Se RE OE
Bilebuck: ttn, a5 Sa ee ee ea ee 124
OHI LES ree ais ie tS Beer Wee 182

banced darter acne aescy Soke elas & 264
ORME NO Ole ScathA Ae is) e eh <a UN, Meet 241
breasted darter. ..4. 0. 4550.50 -6 eee OD

(CATER IIIS NPS Gach itn, Geen ee eee ae ene ee 64

11S eee rere ate le eee PAs

(CaN ee Netecf ncor eee eve aie ete ear ee 241
JOGoa.. .241
TINTS GR aera rae eee inate cee yes ho 78
OEIC Lte tracy ace ee: Cane CT pS 241
JOTI ees ak Patra eR ae) ae NS ke 248
Shia ereen nes eee te ear ayy ake ae 34
Spotted: sum=tish tek sre? soe ae 236
SUIMIStIS He ern ic 5 Cae ee eet ee ee 241
IBOlGET AS eee Pato. A Oe See eee 187
BOnestis iter ite ete, Smee ee ee ily
JaXONTROL I ae os aoe om Pca: 186, 187, 189
Bonnet-ncaded shark. 75525202 eben. aoe 35
MOSEMUSH ar key, sake Ae rise a ae 35

BOWE iiniere Coe aen ea pet ene ee ee OU)
ER ORES Heew epee rc een oe ee ec Pe PA Ty
Brac hubernine vers see ss ceeot ee can oe 122
IBsemiarekerel Yohebirons, | 4 a day Suwa date ao Se aleee ell)
IBY eT COW bo Chee bare nee Sete Pua eens Sere 88, 299
INTC R a ane) ot a a AOE ire, ec 241
Copper-noseda. ii) shen eae iwe ce 241
med=bellned wis saps) sae eet oe 239
MOC=<CVCU ne eta os Sig cha eats ae
MIMCSCAMeW oe og is slg ae nee OOS
Salit=waben eo uss 6 ca eee 09) S02

IBTONST AV gers aed co Nero A ale 42
Brinley ’s MINNOW: 2.2... facades eee 96
SET Cll fs lee es ee 60
IBIGOOL< WROD, Guo eaene san seaae anon 135, 248
Brownrenitatishe % 25.8 sins) 0o eee ace aee 68
PRU OMMSH Sic a ak he Wd ya 3d cee ea eet 130
Bullweadaierc. ates acsces oe oetus ree (ati) (6/5 ssl}
UM Clee oe kc ae tans ee ee 211
UIT tLe) ae Ae ce ee RON eee Sol
IBUUR KEES . sews Aegh abe cob eed nee ae oO
CEG as ares Sacha ct ened st ehA eos 224
Bubierhy-tish= acim eee e eae 336
PAV ae train hie arctous ao wbosudgen aoe hrys 45

(Gab OR Me Heer As oe et a pee ees 220
Callicosbass. souk ae Ee ween OO
Calitornia salmon: s-e. oiede ae ae 248
GEOUT Ae ne toe lays
@ameletishites + wees eee re eee, EOL
@apitaimer... 0 fetes atten daemons aeRO”
(GOEDONETORA © Sacutie Atie ee er ee 204
@arolimaswihiGimecwy wae noc decree cet 321
CAD eat cra cents ctor shel Pohsie: ee neT osc see 105

426

PAGE
Carp; AsIatic! cance goes eee 105
German: 46 32a ce 105
@atifishoon cin CS ee ee eee 63
lacked 2h: Cresent eta oop eee 65, 66
bles Soe ae ee er 64
brOWN) tenes eee 68
Channels. a5 sar asco derail 64, 65
CLOG ed eae 65
Fa) agape neared oy) eterno Pee RIA cane eas, 64
fork-tadledian en ee ne 65
pafi-topsall’ => cn. 2 <+ sale ate 62
(GOOdENS: ee Aen ee ay OE 66
large-mouthed: 2... 2.2.2) .2- <2 ~ 62
MISSISSIp pit 25. ert ue tacee tee: 64
MUG yeni eR ee 68, 69
TVET Sn oi eee ON eee 65
BOA ee ite Geet eR eee 62, 63
SILVER ire eens ae coc ee ee 62
SmIal=mOutMecde se esse lela 63
spoon-billed ja. 0: act's veneers 54
BpOttedvice. acti Homseshigneatoee 64
WiLGE lass cyst c a ts oMeee eeenee 65
vellow 53: se ns eiqertee 66, 67, 69

SHATKS Wie beets. Sete ae nro aaa 31
Cavally 241-3 hae oe ole oe oe On 206
GOTO Ses rier 192, 193
ats are Besant ms eens eee aly © Hibs 192
spotted ss. Ae aun sai cite seers 192
Chain-pickerel? sac. .a tee obe oes sae oe 148
Channelibasss.5. eee eee ee 320
Cat-fishe dan ceae tee eee 64, 65
Chobyac.2,. pt ene ee ee 85, 90
Chub ace 86, 88, 234, 245, 306, 313, 316
10010 LG Rear anaemia eRe arene PRL gee SEE 234
TV CTs oy eee eae Ton oes 104
BULVEL ean ree ee cet ein ae necreat ees 104
SUCKER Fete ee eee ae 74
Clam=-crackerse. pope eee rae ene 44
@lear-nosez: eins ee ie oe 40, 42
(Clim p=fis ihe > 25 cceiicas secs ener aoe note 374
Cobbler-fish.. he pee 207
Codi ssh Os oe Te oe eee 381
@odlinge.. 63. (esc eos tuse nee ee pee 383
Gomimon) celiac. seas i a ee 108
flat=fish <> ogc oe ae eae 390
mackerelis sone eee eee 194
SUCKER Ee rae eee eno
Conpereel noses 6 45s eit cos coats oe uy OR Seles Aa
Gopeland?’s darters 2452. oats dene eter 268
Coppernosed breaimiz.<:.c-e... 4 2. cee ce 241
@orm=crackers eso eee ee eee 47
Cow=nosed ray esa acon acres eas es 47
Shanker ee on ion. ree ene 30
Crabeaterscocc cen et nen ee ee 220
Cramiptishe sa acct oot ae 43
CLAP DYirn< cease ee Der ee eee 230
Creekecatatish.et ee eee 65
Crévallenen See 204, 205, 206
HOTSCaets eae eee 205, 206
TEC IRAE tcis Gave tear e. nace were 205
Croakér tne Soe eee 318
CROCUS eee So Oe Eee 318
Cuslk=cel arn sits ein eee ee 379
Cutlass-fish)nes co rece hee ae Oe: 195

INDEX OF COMMON NAMES.

PAGE.
Dace vie ce eso ae es 86, 87, 88
black=nosedee--sersees aoe ee 101
Horned iz. oe 0 ties Soe ee rae 86
long-nosed....-....3 1 otinli oe eae 101
Darter es on eet cen eee 254
bla@les sto 5 ER oy ee ae oe 260
plie=bainc econ eee ee 264
blue-breastedie. see ee ane 265
Copelamdts 5.7... 5:4 cern cien eee 268
effuloent ti. 0 sa. 2 et eens 261
fan=talledéme: 45cm ee oe aloo
AISifOrM A 2 eS oasis oe ee 267
PIASSY cee os os se 262
preen-sideds 22's... Sse Se aoe 259
Johnmiys oe acts ase ae «oe Eee 260
orange-coloted!) 2. edi aiepin es 257
TOGsINEds 28 Ses a ee er 266
red-spottedic:,, .5..e eee Nereis 265
Roanokexdoat tte ae 256
BOALY 5. Vic. wS.ces eles eae 257
SCA-PTCEN ae Sei ele ee ae ee cas © uate 263
shielded! 3.2: Mitkas oh eee ee 255
SNUD=SNOSedis aac cose cilae ee 258
spotted=head! . 5.2.42 aera 262
SS VEVTLN TNO Ese 264
tessellated: 2) eee 260
IDeviléfish 2s io ae ere 46, 47, ee
BED Arsen Ree nies Mee ae ag
Digkiews 30 s2 4a an eee oe er eee ch
Dick, ‘slippery 3 j2s-ic $03.2. meee 330
Dismal Swampuishi:, 24 2- . eee eee 155
Doctorsfishs oes ee ee byYeSyi
Dogfish. oso hae Ss Reese ote ee 32, 60
SINOOE, 65, yet ons 32
Dollarsfish sei. awe oie Oe 224
Dolphin «nhs vt oe eee eee 226
smalls ea MASS ee eee 227
Doncella, spotted- finned es sete ae 331
Drum: . 332 ee ee Mem coh on oe 320
banded’ 2). 52 oh ae ee. ae eee 313
bIgGlhes icc. Scieeceain a ee ee 324
branded ic .5 Sac ee Beene 320
PUPPY. Shae cde oe eee 320
TOG 3. Sats d eke Re ee 320
BOM cae ciw ud Dauiol ae ne 324
Duek-billed pikes... 1) 23). 4t gece 143
Dusky shark0¢ iG. 3 fas odie on eee 33
Hagle Tay: ooer ia. + 32sec eee 46
Rarllisithakews seer acne eee 384
NG) ssc oh thee id ah ib ese ant oe 108
black:snakes.) 550s 00 aes eee V2
Cat=fish=s fens od ost ee ee 64
COMMON. fhes os ee Ne eos 108
GONPEN (hn Scr ls Sates, gone eaters 111
freshwater. cea ae) ee ee 108
OCEAN bc cles erg aastoe ence 111
BOQ 6 Sed ts, ib seer 5 cud ew beats se ee or 111
Hel=poute co Sen. aocc ab oe coke ee eee 378
Effulgent, darter .2 i... ajoth sah eae 261
Electric ray....3) as Geet ya ae ree 43
GORG ae eyts se dandoh Rio ok Dae ee 371
Bnghishman. .)s 50.5182 as boii ne OR 250
HUETODG Stag ess she aoe hy Pee 395
Hair madsen ee fete cae ee Ome

INDEX OF COMMON NAMES.

PAGE
Pallsherring.....6- 222-2 suse eres pal
Peles ls oo ot ene enue earnest CR 121
Fan-tailed darter.....:...--2----++-+7: 266
Hs pul RDS, eee cr RO a 130
Fiery-black minnow......-.-------+3-7: 94
Be asin en eas oy ceae ees aioediet yaa in ieee 341, 342
PRUTpe at. soiree oe

Fish of the Dismal Swamp.......------ .155
PRC ee eo imciats S sim see tnaares ap ien Hs 284
Blai-fish, common...------.-++-5-5+ >: .390
Rm ee Sh iy Bers eases ord Oe
Poundlck 2 es pass i 2-900) 898; 001, 396
four-spotted....--.----:+---: 389

riaNOUGl es Guchhae ENC Ou Dice ioe ae 386

een in shies ot 12080} oo e

spotted sand.......---------- 391

BARRO Bias Sakae eee

eee ee Rn Ae neh ve ROO
window-pane.......------>- ool

Pera eer eg aeEN Rad Reh ER gO

PGC ene ete. or ee pee ee
Flying-fish. . . . 165, 166, 167,359, 360, 361,362
Pai rie eee a aa Seen Oe

Laan a ee ela 300300; 301
alae ee ee ee ree: 00)

Siriped <.. .todarc este. Bde

TRlayol etal ile ule cee eres oni o cee ance oae 341, 342
Forktailed cat-fish........-----++-:+-:: 65
Four-spotted flounder......-------++-> 389
Beebe ateuicdl. sitions onsen 108
ALO eee eater arenas es 121

TOU ace Creer ce 245

Brigate mackerel......-.+.+2t-s 0.000: 186
Wusiform darter....-:.--.-s-+--2sste 267
Gatitopsail- eat: ..2 285. ae ye 62
POMPANO. «6h. ey. sh 212

(ne aie een car fete nc afore iat 277
(GURITSIAS Sgie bere oem oe soe 157, 158, 159
GEG OU Gee seagate ern 157
fomp-nOsed « -2accn- e-em ee 58
[tC et ee ON aca ea 58

are Dipvlll (volo de rele ce cio ene Eamon Danes 161
@erMaNCAEP cee ee ee 105
(ASSN TV (RI 120 OO eee ee ere ence tea a 118
(Glessyadarber. <2... nee 5. ces tere 262
Chai merring. 0. a ee ee 124
San iss ee iasac nae He ene en a 185
(C55) ET, ane OS cae 365, 368
7 Sire Se ye eae ae ig sre reece
“5S gt Op ete I EPI
JOSS ee ee eg RO
Goosle-eye .....2-- 6.2 en es ite 122, 234
Golden-finned mullet........------+-:+--: 80
aaUUUUGH ee elite eaten ato obereme irae 80

= (ntHaVeI Pann, bak NOOR oi aene aaa Daracae 88

TE OHDR ES, Weacnces ty COO reece Eee ore 248
@oode's eatehshins 0-6 = ese te 66
Cre Pg, et deine ng SUC
Rem eeraar ete ok Suis neat ns Kase BOS
MODUS i ehroe es aru aaa ert rrins DPS 69
MaremarGOU Serie cee! carers ga ee FS 310
SRAPPEGC. oo Sees ns ee 286
Neer eUe sect atts seater Sp mia * 140

(OE NE ey Gee ae cae DS a oatmeie itoc 2 cscs 215

427

PAGE.
Geren ea oe ha ete os ena) te, ew acre 157
headecdemninmno wernt escnerrk 95
Pied darter.c. cs Gckon er coo
(Eee Se Ape eer ee eae etme entre ac 60
G@roupery DIACK yon ie wes ere age 278
INMaScaline ete cis, carmen rears 275
TOC eects Ce ehsie earn Rapes users 276
yellow-finned........---+-+--- .278
Grunt Wee ue pee mente Dror en ie eae)
AN Get ae acy ets abi g aye al aac eetemettoll hey = 292
nadeoubhed. as eee ee
Gas See te erate NA eos
Gtdecoutee aaa anes cre Toe ee ee 85
(Clarif atatelalasg = Selene aap ieeokst cel ce cao een ees 40
Gurnard, big-headed..........------:> 360
EetieeC ile ee tee i. oro ees Oe oS 195
Hiaimysbatks ach. 7 eee ee 129
Teco tne te en ese as oitic cia 323, 383, 384
JEN AILS es oa eecklo ape Bacio sapere cic 384
Ealtebeak seek cose earner err: 161, 162
Felco one ae oe e208
Elammier nead’s... ganc = eck one eos 36
headed shark) ook cendne = 895 36
Hlardchesdo sues cela mee 318
(EIN pleat oe eid PRE pe cm OC 206
Tes eMShe ee ead ciate eon eee
ReGen Cote pn oeee Oe
ler Meee try uate ic eeaeee re ny 124
big-eyed .....-------+-:- 116, 122
Iona Gliese weeks Se Ceeeier rte iets 122
1 ek oe te aon ete ieeicteen ocr idea 121
DUNT otek ec ciara as te: 124
10, Gna ee tna AER oe 124
Raayolly Lae eee ee Bae aoRE ee 124
SAG teed MRIS NOD Coe eRe aE 120
Tl ber pee ale minim Wie waite S Oktc 121
HINGE Cl gt wticool ere se to ceelomss dates eek 129
Wallneyed sn conto. ting o-syerere te 122
in clomatees ae ene tiais sieda2 st aeeaeese 121
Hickory Shad sn ce) selene a 118, 121
High-backed minnow......-----+++++-°> 103
finned Minnow....--++s+-++se+9:: 96
Hog-choker. 244.208: - 2+ ge a 396
Fi sliemeee ee aitcecesas a ave, cons oheketene ch 290, 329
TU lliget eee Ne a ceee ores see 253
BTCC ee a one cise oe er eetrenals cis 74
Holbrook’s sun-fish.........--+-++-+-0°> 242
Holmes’ goby....-.-- 2-02-2207 173777366
Horied dace... .< sss. ssoe ee ne eaten 86
DOU. es oc oe ey rene te 67
Horny -headicc2-1 62. acne eee 104
Hlorse crevalle 202-0. 322922 205, 206
BVO ACKa. 4.) ray eae es 206
a ee ee 80, 172, 209, 210
EEG eee eee ree Bac mantener 210
miackerelie acer 166, 188, 205, 206
EG UTC fisine he test oleh eer mater semen: 158, 159
Irish pompano .....-.--++-+++++7> 304, 305
Iron-colored minnow.... .--+----:-:+: ee)
VaChkaa Merckens oes 121, 143, 144, 205, 248
GLEN Allele aa encase cuesncke rer spc 205, 206
forse CV each c se eeien mes a 206
EN iVe)) Lae eee aren en ree een ENC 248
SENG sees tes cast sth mney PSL a cagoere oan 38

PAGE

Jeniiyg SULVers ar Seeks sen ee rae ee
H fiad¥a 1G ea aime cea Gretmirnaes. Qctois Bro.claiaad xoSay 00)
Joe cblie... tee tts Cena ee ae 241
JohmmyAdartery. es tds ata wean 260
Jumping mullet = Foi oe ese me 81, 180
IRM OC KS: sci ee ennehsr yt eee sl
JUTE. Ae a Ee eee ek ee 206
alllnsti shies ate ere ee 146, 148
Rathibum's. 6.3.22 sacs eeee ee 149

AMS COLOs aie Ate Sere, oh cote ener emt 192
fisiiee ct Seaee 2 114, 192, 193, 321, 323
Kerotty- mead a...) ctos Samar, corner pe ere 104
acest eke 2 tree ee 93
cig yA No aod ols arg Oe a eastedaten ie i ale
Naz teenie Men ARO eaeuks sey cues ele meaner Reet 46

Datla yiette. weirs... co cieme are oc ei ws sie emo eo
GATOR Vine ese whe ac ee oe ees yee 28
COLA Re Fae it epee ee he 28

SCae tee Sens anceteeels mie a aManan eee 28
amapris: Celi. itis ee algunas 2 oleic pean 28
Mameelety acc core nurs in ee ae, eae ees 27
Ibaneet=tishiys/ 2 Ms Gare ajc a theheee caisson a each en 337
Large-eared sun-fish...................240
mouthed black bass.............. 245

Cab... nl. he mone © we eewne 62

Téather-ear. <span we dee ee come 239
POLCIE cereus ees ese tp sol eroy aeye 239

TOD is. ee se Rae eS

Jackets So nt ioe gees Hee 200, 339
uenron=tOadie ics conde: wt edhe socks she eres 351
GME SINAN Goose ce auccss vdounZaWy Ae
GUT Feed ioe eee oratepee said era Sereno: 187
Heizard: fish ensue arial. cen conte een oe 139
To pepereh soe .8 «Sos us eras wets mutacin: 253
lhoneseared sunefish. ..f baton Sos aces 239
MMIC Oe cone eee lata lve ote Seven a ine TOLD
NOSEG(MACEk ne aa) er oe hte Cee OL

LAT, seer asaitshes yapneetcne ute a ere 38
SPINCASPOLLVaeiaat aoc soa oe 298
Hookd@ wait wee es ree alee neler eaten 210
Mackerel) commoner. sce ssa er 194
MUG AGO 202 ds ccleaner Soma oe 186
WOrsetry. 4 fee se 116, 188, 205, 206

POUNG ts Yi eiete se eee ee te 194

SNAPPING Vee eee ro te ee oon 215

Spanishtn4 eu ee ae eee 190

SpOubed Aerie: iat eee ker ae ner 192

VellOW ie dle ine avd hh he Pee EO

Medeor ae art er eee ee 10), wl
Man crovelsnappens sams: kes ae eer 286
IMA GCOW ACCA: Ss Sens Nets cues, eactsa ens Soa cron: 121
Miaryetis hice 8ici)”. Ae bothers ae ae a mene ne 146
herrinete coh. t 5 CR ac ede ee ees 124
Meniad ett yc is close. sve eek cn ae D eee ake 130
Milky-tailed minnow................... 93
Maller sethimallyje.: ey. petite es ine nee re 357
Millpond sperchia a se acta eee)
Mingo, loner. sais aye ee ais eae ere 343
Minnow ....... 97, 98, 99, 100, 102, 146, 147
Brimnlley’s. vaachceee eee ee 96
flerveblack: a=.) A some sucrose 94

green-headed.................. 99
neh-backed see. eer eer
fine disanceksoete eee ea ree 96

INDEX OF COMMON NAMES.

PAGE.
Minnow, iron-colored.............. sicko See
mulkyataleds « 2djca2 ince aoe ener 93

TUNG ge eve ek arene ee ede ROE 141
red-cheelked ss 2a ae tes Skee ee 94

lipped os bo. etree theater 96
SallrOn=COlOned sees ase eee 95
sheepshead|.-. 2.5. cacs et ete 151

BHOEt.. 62 as,0Se eee ene oe aol

SVE ry Ate ae eee en eC eeeee 85

SHOWA i5 oot Seite a Sou oe eee

SPRINGS woke aston a tee 148
Starshead edeeme sees ane 150

BiCIs DR ed 2 geen ee

COP? Saris te ana: eee 152, 154
VaArLegateds A. knee 2 ene mes 151
WINES OVO CRNA, cocccedddudkances? 64
IN Te) Ea ere Ramin coe Rca aR RN Neel Dy de pH
Monika fishin e840 a s.0 Aid ee eee ee 38
MOON-CYV 6. a..d e ileen eetoue er 118
ECs] 1G ee elie oa aes 20%, 209) 210354, ee
Moray; ‘spottedia: 5. sans on eee 13
Wear ee 2 eee
Mouseshisht)ce 2.0. ee ee eee ee 400
Mid! “basssts..ps ede a neti et conn eee 232)
Gatafish; eis aoe ae Cee © eee 68, 69
Chulbie soar ts eee ee eee

fish 2 oak Nes Abe tener eee 60, 141, 147
founders. 265 5. ke es ee OOO
MUINNO Weis ies Set eee 141
Perch wg. os howe, Sends eae eee eee 232

Shad Se s.2 sis Ae Sac ae eee 118
SumMafishie se hc te. cee ee rene 232
Mullet: ie oc bento 74, 80, 180, 182
|o} it (eee APPR CREM PMRC SMEARS Slt: nts, 78

pale « 3.4. Se arr eee 182

POldEM ae Giey ota s eee eee 80

| GUaT GU =O MPa PMR SEE ee cue ce a tn due 80

JUMPING 92 <2 seh os oe et erie 81, 180
TEG=HOESEs MAA CAL Oe Re nee 80

BOR. lash die wea cone Ep oe lene ee
SilWersid@:< a5 3 eee ne ene 182
striped ..2.G- s. sepa ne eee 180
SUCKED 22 clos aoe oes eee OU
SUCKING. oor tye stesso eae a

War Oinial. 2) sats ss ears eee eae ees 321

WiHIG Sacto Behe ae ROS 77, 79, 182
Miull-headisiee. sce oe Rae eee Bol
Miummiichoo stn: 1s ead: 2 ices ninco eee 147
Muskallonge,Ohiol.. ..2 2255 .. sae eee 144
Mutton=fish sina. 5 oo ae ene 288, 378
Naked goby.. ME io Bach AAR Ok a OO
INaney shade 7x2.) 4.02 2 eecsryottd tae eee 118
Nanny shad): Yen sccms oun a ake tee 118
Nassall grouper. ...- 03. 2: 2a Soae oem
INtursesfishiny 27s 2 i encod, cae Ane 38
Ocean cele sks. bea eee ea
Ohio auskallumge.. 2. 3. oe eee 144
@lbacore! = 6.45 caters Soe ee 205, 206
Oldawaf@ cs Ake ks soled bee ee 130
Orange-colored darter. ...2.. ..: ear ee 257
Oystersfish ¢ . 205.3. chm. > eee Shee 327, 373
Paddlesfish:.. 2 vc ak oe cin ke Nee 54

Parrot-fish, white-spotted...............334
Perehigs ties chess boos ae be ee Be eee oles

INDEX OF COMMON

PAGE

[Peeve ni) 6) fol outages tein eee 274, 284
litera ete ees iy ae eo 241
LEN Ner=Caneme ee he tren atc ee OO
log.. ee ey on, oe OS
llepondi ae cots oc Dal
TOMLUUG Ls Sie ese ee eee re me 232
[OU CMa rere Atel ayers ogy icc it scr 248
ROIRAILC Mee neem ne te oo cherie. 3 174
TA CCOOMPe ty Hearts = erates om escars 250
sO OVO Rea oe ORG eRe PE EE 239, 242
BENIN Peas, Aen Pacis Geo ons DAZ oA
(5 SYS a. Sees ot epee ae ea ee a 284
Bil CUR ear ee oe ere 274, 314
SMeckled marae cis es ace 2o0l 250
VOUS coche StS ae eae Serene 230, 274, 314

CIO Ware stich See at ia suse ;
finned). Goce ele

ONIN Meera a akties, Sea is ars Girecst 213
TEAGUE el ate oan Ae nen ee 143, 248
Ghai ere oe hrticeest aah area 143
Rata ge geetiae nas ccs Sen CeO
TERE ote. cA ee (epee me 139, 148
blackeree mst kita a ccoiach ooene ae: 143

SLID 5 cos Cie eens cmencn te eae ec amin omeice ae ee 248
auckebullledi sacra occ eae asses. : 143

GAT esc aR ee rah iuieset vay. dP. cc tess 6, 30 58
OCR Ge tre et gore Yeu ore ats, oe ees 248

EC aaNet 5.2 stee My hanes ox eeeee 148

ISPATIG Loe ane pace tI eee 139

SSE) SiG Sis: ae Roe ee ee 116
Wey Chee. che meee an arta waldo Mes 248
yellow... .248
TEMG. Gots 6 Go erp ee ae ee e eee meee 0)
Slaven ccc Cre tea Re ea eee a 201, 202
SIQAkU Si Peewee wn on os cele oi tenciess s aaenae 370

Hai tIS Me eae rea ee eG) LO, 200) S02
SpOtetalledeee pe yack ert hie 302

Je oe 5's] oe ene wah ge ey eis E70) bl
ERENCE ELC Mies win Se rac yeahene 25 eevee oe hanes oe 174
TRAE GESS arate aly CCRC Mette Io eee ae 386
OVER Pe, «tees eR Soa o Rage «5 HOO
EP OMPANOM a. ce. tania wach 2 shyt loyede
Bi GOP Sallewar ee Aes ciety s heh 212
lnishieeeneret ae eee ee 0430)
MOUNT eS Foe ais Oh sol

BONG U Mes Nae eye n ete eNotes oe OOO
ER ree eae te als rates caer oe ond, Osa, x sci sO
IP DIRT yt See Ab oh eerie eee er 296
pee spines PAG ceric gos, ate at 298
SOMUMCMINP REY hy cot ect eh ee DOT

white-bone. . 5g eee aor ls
Portuguese-man- of-war-fish.............221

ROwitenORMed meee. sete iin oes, sete orcs 67
Puffer nme eT ae ere ee A GAS
PUMP KAN-SCEG So ee co ee ne ed 242
FAO PVGUIGUIMN es eat eae = a) aie Sues Gn ee 320
Eyermiy SUNS Ns: i Soe race hen ns BLO
Reis pit tishe see ey ae cad penn! 348
IUAECOOMNPELGD. 6). a Eh eh oo le Miele ae > 250
Vai OWALTOUL si scraiccsth ole oc eto e the oa 137
I Ravin enKaes italy wees 6 a ome piesa om alee oe 151
Riatnbunrsikallictishe,..2.2sn4e.5. ones « 149
SUNY cy Blind rete eS eS he eee erases Reena 2 40
Tei eee as Aes a. ete etee c 41

NAMES. 429
PAGE.

REAW es OMPLOEILY, siatuancs< stot dar) chido ahaa aes 45
COWETIOSCU nea ier et eee 46
CACO ner Veto eee wey re yess 47
ClECUTICS er heels 43

LENG higarsah eis che OER Coin ain ee 46
SLU oe siecak! te acne A epee 44, 46
SPOGhCO SUN Oe Mae ree ee te 46

WLP ence ata 5 esi at eens Be 44, 47
FRUAIZOT=LS eee, 2 See) cy saghe ea RE Ee ee 332
Red=belivedibream 9.74256 ose ce oe fe: 239
pellivamesacea eon cee Spe ca NS 239, 242

Dil GGG vanes See ee Ace ates ete 161
cheeked minnow......... Gta Bie ah 94
CUI ee ee eerie ed te ne, cee ee ())

CV Caer oy raise Ohefinwle.t beeen os 233, 234
CVEC) PLEA eis etait sae coe hes 234

LUTE rare occa Shee. 2 O% 80, 250
fama CCMGTONK Cy ee ynes Restrs reste a aisle, aces 143.

ISLS I ee a eee ee 8 ke os 320

PT OUNI CD ater a ret crsy oy seot crete ne <tehek- cehsah 9) or 276
HOTS Tener caer 77, 79, 80, 82, 83

reTnOU UNG Mn. aie Scie Sesh coatsa els see O)
Smiall=mouthedme eee see id
linedadanterssaee soe eee 266
lippedsminnowee ssc oe oe ree 96

HAO UHMEG EUG. Ooch eset oasis «costes 293
STAD WEL e ema sare rex errs Sy cmon 287
spotted darter. ft 5 aS)
Remora ware tee a ic oe he ere 3 69, 370
Rabon deh ee ee Bee CeCoOG
IRing=tailed bream... .525.25.-5---. fo 302
Rui CONTIN. Gna n o cab ah dees Maseest 65
Chub ees is ee eee eS 104

LEOU LHe een De Seta ie eee 48

1 RORY G slp t Saath ks eee Nees ans. Eee 85, 88, 316
Shade. s See don ee ee mies 88
Roanokerdartens see ee Sen eee 256
RODIN ee eerie. «ten ea e299
LEatHer-CAle ahr keane ae were 239

[OSEAN odoccootedsdoeuas eas ces ey) VEy

UO Ce EF epee a rt Nes Ae Pile
IDASS eeresie shivered a ae eee ere ees 2 233

FE oS Mists ty ee 271, 278
SENATE, cok na oon bese acauanuen eee

COR errs te nee eed ke che tat LS,
igvayaume elavanvele . sono penn eb ocos ae osue cell
TMACKETCLE ak exe LBS oc eee Cee 194
WOMMPANOS pia c sos ocrs er amie 213
RWWA 155 o4cdoenaesacse 201, 202, 306
JRUUATAYE ES ses 5 Gag Se aed En nea eres SIC 200, 206
Salbnestis hime pep ecene- toe eee ee 195
Saati Meee ee ear eerste Re cot 198
Sailor’s choice ...............290, 299, 302
Saffron-colored minnow................ 95
SIMI O MIA Yate, coaches eels Se 248, 311
@alitonnia sess ee ee wee te 248

HNC Ke Rev gars Sy he tha NER OE aI 248

GROUUM se a he ree ONL
Salt=waterm breamle see see eee 299, 302
Shave lope sights anced eee ee soto s soos 37
HLGIUDAYG EVR’ 5 a's wig a cre Beerdiouvec 0 oc 386, 391
SMOLUCC EM aes Noe rene ee cree aye TOOL
WONG eee ee oes os a Dao Oke

430

PAGE

Sand shark... <-).33eeee eee Aer 237
Skates soos Me eae ae 45
BUCKED. tee eee 73
Sardines snti.¢cscuus oe ee 176, 177, 178
Sargassumefishi.... 22 ca.o.n.0) ne ak wet ore eee 400
Satin stra Se yee eee a elie a eet 93
RSSUUIEY gern. Gs. eee ne ee 163
Wests lates a BR Nee a ee arate | ee 39
Scalbbband=tishis ae aoe en eee eee 195
Scalllopatis hey orale: cece en eae ae ee 365
Weakly dartter’,2:. wih. see casera ete eee 257
School#hemines aq esos ere on ae cee 124
Schoolmasten eke eel
S10) ONCORTEN TS) Olney ee aA ice esha ait Ns rosea ataG 355
CUD. cisciet tsetse We, eee ene ERO ae O
SOULMERTE se eer ee ee 297
CUPPA. sens ts oO R IME ol ae an nae eheree OO
SOA ass Cee ee terete ee eas ya nee ee ee 279
TOG Kee ee ats ne eo: a ed ee 281

Got=ns heen sere sks cee ee es 62, 63

CLE WA A aches Cann ere a Ue ee Rea onan 47
CLRULITNEN. oe ecg er en ee ee eee:

(Yel ae Neen ir es ieee partons ben SN UN ae iat
ereemiGarter sy. 3). ce sees close 263
erring fait veiw Ae teres 1c cee oes 120
horse. . eh aan maaan ee eRe a 1 7/2
spotted. Ea Ae ges MMSE ep Ors 173

lamprey. 2. eee ae or ee 28
MMU yas to ee OOO Ae
mullet anc Sena eee OO OOS
DELGCIB cea bs Here hy a ne 284
PUKG ea Ota eyaien ee te meee 116
TODIM oe 6 cee ee ee eo SOONG

ETO WG seston ie nine Poon tO ete cro LU mreoulal
SEMICON, Osco co ccuaanceeeasnauspos emir:
SDOGUCC ee eres ee ee ae OIG
Serceant-fish.. <.fioc Shag ctr hcnts Moe ees 220
Fo) A210 Lene ee BRE hal ace eer ete 125 130
12:11 eae cee pO ee RA Re Re Dery ee 121

TA ZATO Sete ecens etcecisan eae ae eee 118
VCKOTY | Sid ncclop Ms eee cee TLS. 121

TUVULGL ys cetera rey ke ec 118
NANCY i aiy.- a arbce ns slsee io haem ean 118

TD ATTY arstn = eee is sci es ee a 118
TOMGH ake Soran as cee ee 88
GAT OD ore ee es a 121
CEOUGES «ecient oa Oe Oe en LO
Wil Gite otc eae a ee 125

Wi bOl sinks ee oo oe eae 118
lovee VOM s 5 5 os ccues bone FE ON il ar ise 34
bonnet=headeqdseen eae es
MOSCA". a2 eats ae ee OD

CUba on eccias ook ee eR ee ree 31

GOW aioe Gee OR by ae ee ee 30
Guskiviudk shoe ree ee OS
ammer-heagdedss.as ee ee 35, 36

Pilot eee ee ee eee 201, 202

SANE sb dice a eee Soe eee oH
chaepencaed SSO uastye tes ama oe 34
shoveleheaded:.. 9: pine ee
BUCkER heats en ne ee eee OU
shank’ s: pilotis) \2 5.32 erase eee 370

Sharp-nosed ‘shark........cacea ventas es eke 34

INDEX OF COMMON NAMES.

PAGE

Sharp-nosed Stureeon,s. c..0cs aaah ee 55
Sheepshead .5 14 iceipoet etic lent eee 300
MINNOW 25;. oo ks. So eee 151

Shelilctisty2.% ... ie cere as 8. ane aes 345
Shielded darter ao.,...s2 2... ee eee eee 255
Shiner’. «se aes 77, 85, 88, 90, 91, 92, 94, 118
poldent 6 ack s 2. ak mean 88
Spotted... said she ene eee 102
BUMS cscs chats, Rome eos 88
Shock-fish!)., fic,: eau fereee ee aeeeee 43
Shoemaker cebu. ccs, shee See eee 207
Short :big-eyes is Dae 4 rant a eee one 285
ATTAIN Wis aur, cust oe ae ee eee eee 151
snovel-headed sharks... 2. 2 asm suse ee bien 35
MOSC ia tha Seay, ere Ste eee arene 37
Short=nosed isturceons seas = ae ene ee 57
Silver cat-tish:cct.c.. sain a.. 2a eee 62
Chulbtcsast xe oe ae ee 104

ia een aimee car NORE eet aio ts 91, 93
fisheye aa eee 114, 178

FENMY'. = eG sists ore deere oP Sg or eee 305

perch:.5 Kase cdo es ie eae 274, 314
squeteague: S..eh acne ee eee 309
WIT G. oad hs ee 323
SilversiG eae ener WAG tiers
MULLS tins; s-sete eee eee eae 182

Silvery MINNGW+ 4... 3-3-0 eg eee 85
Skate 5-554 cece oe a ae a eee 45
barndOory wire io atenetesooi a ee 41
SMOOth. esee Pe ee oe ee 41

SANG o neh Ce Ce IE ee 45
WATIEEN. Set ates = eepenstoneeo se ae 41
Skipsjack: (2 pa ee 121, 215
Ship pers-eisi a otmo ot aeace eee eaeee 163
Slim flying-toad... 5.55.54 ..8.5 52 eae eB ee
Slippery. dicks /..:228-a cate ee 330
Sorall-dolphin« Asc iy 5 oe oa Aeon ae 227
mouthed black bass.............. 244
Cat-fishiss..) ahh eee 63

Ted=horsey z= Sustele eee Ces.

Ire lita ayite- cases) o oelen cuter Oro 85, 133, 176
Smooth-dop-fishi'! >. 767 tae ote ie 32
SIcaibe's stays machete ene ee one 41
Snapper: isc. Src des (bs ee se een ee 292
GPAs Lis o:2- » x ora eden Meee 286

IMAM OTOVE «sc \a1 eas oe 286

1:10 PY OER RARE MSE eet cl Brads cet ic 287
Snapping mackerel...................-- 215
SNOWY WUMMOW ees. sacs chee ene aes eeeane 92
Snub-nosedudantenscnc ance eee ae 358
Soles Seis ae ees cain bee ee eae 396, 397
Southern: found erasers scent eae ee 388
POPEYe ns ot tete a oe ee ee 297

SCUp ss aie noe oo eee 297
squeteague::.). -iaic See tee ee
Spadesfish. : 2.55 5 tilts teat re pet ee ee
Spanish:mackerell (52. .:.. is ace 190
Spawn-eaters2 627 20s «0 his. eee 91
Spenrafish © 5.2: 5a, o5:15 <a eee 199
Speckled™perchits 47455 schoo reer 230, 236
CLOW rs ude Oe SDs onen

Spimy toad-fisht. (03.3 8 .n. ens eee 351
Spoon-billed! cat=fishi: a. sere. ree emeeee 54
SOG ee ii 5 pate tie {Be occurence eget 316

INDEX OF COMMON NAMES.

PAGE
Spot-tailed pin-fish....:.....-26+++-+05 302
Sic [D/nAe00 We 02 et Se eo rie eas ee 320

Catfish cre es ace ee alas FceOd:

COTO cee hare clase Rese cgeys Wasa 192

TIL Gatien sete sense eu hese tetas tuauerere 343

fimmnedsdoncellgie.. 24s). -unse- 2 es 331

'G] Core Scare ie Irene GSS Coens ac 364

CAGE ALterre eerie Ceci ae ee 262

MMIACKETE Mean reads tices a cette ere 192

NCONCAZ oe duaos oa pe omen Hoe Cocase co 113

Randatlouncdenme ci tte cece ser 391

ea WOTSC Ree Late sree cieiens ie

SAME AISHEY S oo cab oon oo Sooo ewe 376

SUNITA ella teat eRe es eee ee 102

BeqMEbeIgUe | 24. net sas wecse. -~-okl

BLUNT AY etait one ais agin ter csevesah 46

SIRE sae eee Ce cee 75

WD STAM oon cic Sioa Homo onee 311

SpMMC MINNOW... <2. eee eee se 148

Remrenche ns 5c) seein s wise i= a st- pOLO

BU OTR ea ee mises aes chee 309

ok AIH, Gon eume eucko bob n Ecol

SPObbeGs te ma oe tire laa scott 311

RSepprtmme | faite ees ers ap aheacd avn ee 282

SEAT eee eee iy Hees 223

tatlateeee ots Sag It Ee ete de ee 22a

FETA eee: AR a Go eee eta at 371

Headeueminno wae acnineain s. 4 sse ee 150

SHearilO Mier e ceerc s cle-ersnuers seeis aber ater ac 284

STDS RS) Spans a CoRR Ret eer 44

SRA D ANE Glas ccce ord cat's aeor'shecn sors 2. nls 44, 46

APOUNEU ee eked ce Sibel o 46

Sane MIP PET St 3s. Mice wows = Se a ses «0s 85

HO) ULE ea Soe Coe eee eee 74, 85

SERAWDEEEY<DASS 2 aa cota cec ets ci. cus sie os 2 230

SEmmewl ATICHOVA eee. iste sees oe sae eS 133

SY Oe ea icy Une esis eoareieee oats Dil

flyers hOAG oon Saas ates aie aid bone 359

TTD (=) 6, Soi mea Maren See eae ae ee RoR 180

SSLAEE CGI fe it fciie sho! ae avareh ci o\ 5) 4/20 uel = 55, 57

SHAT NOSEU yet ce cere ae, orm * « 55

BHGLUNOSCU MA ae ers 57

Sirckenmetcti nr seit cok oa ae 78, 79, 81, 369
[a ete) eee aiiaratend ote igs a ies Ue er ae 7

WIN tenant ere re os eeees Mo

CT oe ee cee cette chee Airs 74

COMMIMOMES se aioe ethene Sse dieslar boone iss

OQ Ga ME So hae esos we See 74

ATUL tee ees he aradiclac. cvs era ois 80

STING Ae Gece ee ee ee CRC 73

SEOEDEOE ce ias aren se oe tent ec ware 75

(17070) 00 Ficaeya Meee raed ACerS 80

SOUT GE ee age esa ca el cy aeeeae os 13, C8)

Nivel isha het Alor Acs CLR Ee OE a eee ere 75

SCI TAMU O GS ej acc acis) sles syehy enews +s 77

SummertOunder.,.. 2.0.6. ose nee oe 386

LOU ee loins S micseee tee 310

Sun-fish s.. - 5. 206, 209, 210, 214, 231, 352

black=bandeds smaacc aces cece 237

MGR a er aM aetee hase ir batetmia sce, ar 241

SPOUUEG eel we my-etenets emsenacrs 236

ol broakése ecw oe 5 ees Se 242

TATOE-COTCCS aga costs to cenie tenis 240

Gtleg eee ee sane cra Ree 235, 236

431

PAGE.
Srn-tshlong-eared.-..ca1s sets et Sei 239
TING Sa cyan: hasan e exec thet Sarees 232

PY ELY) peec sare wo ap Se Sener eae 228

BRITO EG yates uke Seals Sateen 88

GTOUUs odo0 dre enue oe ner ere OO

SMe WHI ee Sidr oka aude cas win 323
Buren sso Astin s oe oa ee aeromn -pae 337
Swannanoa darter....... Vict ea aoe 264
SWAGIBTEN a5 Waele hoe cone eet 347, 348
COACH ete ee ee CAUSA OMGOL
SWOlGclIShPares sain ee eave ates 195, 197
PEADIVECRh ic | ccc a ve aeolian Sere 7p
UA Kay Capes ater eei ic ae Clee oreo cee 215
TPES WiAtEL eae Sar erictae oooe-eaer eye 121
BERRI Oey eens ear ecits ajo ela eer 121

Slade pe eaten ene Aten eae 121

Meine seat ac cys ot Sait eee or ieee eo
PATIO eres iam oe ae caters eo ses 114
Raut rca tenon ea pinae san oe 2 Oat
PRET OUT Cleo eras Ci iste oid aay ew eich 116
Messellatedudantenysasse-e oc oeira te. = 260
(Mhread=ttsht sees ss cecs 2 chute ees isiearet ers 207
PE REMIS erg eor <) see ees ee ones 129
Thick-lipped mintiow..22...0.555..+.+.- 103
Mihormysaaele.y.. ese site vin eee oe cen eae 299
Reena a os rane Me 6 eaters 373
MPOWACCO WOK s.r tyes Ae pha wre rote ee aes 242
MGI COME, Sa far dak ss Rok Say ar OOS
[UKE e Oe cee BiG aioe macs Ue 293
Manrue Sl eo) aieg ter 8 tet tc oe ies erie 397
RopeminnOw:eeoe cs 3-c- aa os 152, 154
Wate oes djeaeteata de area cate Rn Roan nets conic ea 43
RrOUtees seis Co enc 245, 310, 311
Pantani. elec ey Sao oe OUd

blacker ee 2 eee ee emebee.s wr Seve 311

brooke seen he ee noe eee 135, 248
Galilanniaet tint, cn es ome cre 137
JANSSIMAVENIGIEs Go occ am bageme guacnos 245
Poldemm c. acc the «ato vuemi 248

PUY ce on aian vin ote ein gS <i te rurale 310
TMOUTCSIMG ee freee = ee esi eearansi 135

MAM DOW ears ieses ca orale arch oer ste 137

TIVO p see eet it ers S12 aa ueme Ga ee Bi 248
SRIMOT Sh: Caan oe ee Oe

SOA dee hehe pee Oval

BAG E oe RS aiee ses 310
BPECled sna sr. auc eeu 135; 352

TIC Kerem rie aie a catore corer Reece he 80
=[)iealet(e) Oe ey eee ate hemttceyaiseats)! AU)

SULT eps os ey Nerina ie eis ee ieee 310
yellow-huned +2... 226 oe cree 7 ONO
Tpig@ershibiiee ers cu ns oe a jeans Oe
ramble states «rc cc Scan eaten Seo eaten: 284
Hirurapebstial ci ss: ciecole itis rote 168
ERAS ea en Noe eee Od OOO
RP RURIANAY 25 aoa 3) ne eee eT 188
WaRtIO ho Saree ee es Sn ages eae 187
Variegated minnow.........----------- 151
Mireiniamullet..o5 22.225 fates oe ete 321
Wall-eved herring. i220 stems = 2 oe 122
PKC eRe cr oes eee 248
Wismmmonithies seach cese Serer meer el 234
Wienke Hci ester oa... ut eosin WOO

432 INDEX OF
PAGE
Wealehehspottedes... 7.2 ea. s + eee
IS Fol aa ee se eee
Will, black. . OR Rebs hres op hoe 279
Window- -pane flounder: ;....:2¢.2:c.08 391
Wintertlounder =) ate ene oer: 390
SHV aa LUa 8, Ste en Oe Ne eA Ses ae ne 118
Skates boar ee er ee al
sucker. . bey ie ere Aa Se ae eA)
black.... Y eee ee ee, SR! 75
Wii iit ee ae ees Or ee A ee es 393, 394
Wihipparee: 2.2.) astlcts. Sorter nee 47
Wiiperaiyc eet sees eas Aer eee 44, 47
Wihite=bonesponciya sae es sae eee 298
Gatshish: <5 2S Sonn eo ee ee 65
MiUllethae Sake hl ey ee 79, 182
PCLehisoc css so ee 30, 274, 314
PANG la, SAA ee ee re 125

COMMON NAMES.

PAGE.

White-spotted parrotafish ©); .. 2 ce 334
SUCKEENS. 3; 2 Sasa ame ee ee (pine Lhe)
Wining 44 25 choise ee eee seers 3215 323
Caroling. «225445 ae ee 321

SUVGrsj 7.42 tet a Dace See 323

SUPER. oy aft her nee eas han anal 323
Wrolfefishey sf. staat Score eee 117
Yeblow-bellytr nc 4224...% 4 sae ¥. .239, 242
Gatstish. cura citceeees 66, 67, 69

fitied sroupers oss oh women ee oe 278

Perch: Sisco wee as ae eee 314

CROUG. ce) atta d 2 tel eee 310

Jacks Moen ob ieey oan ee 204
miackereley es. ee ce 5 een ee 206

PELCHS* Ehsaan Sash eee ae ee ee 250

pike seas fagd a hicie tee iner es oe 248

Gaal: Fav set teeta s scar 130, 202, 314

INDEX OF

SCIENTIFIC NAMES.

[This index contains the scientific names of the orders, families, genera, and species of fishes

represented in the North Carolina fauna.
given.|

PAGE
Abramis chrysoleucas.................. 88
crysoleucas...... 88

ACA AGU Steins tree aie acre citer cars ot 232
POMIO USER altos oss d oe 232

NGAMUM OPED YOU. oh Siclstarsitts ake s sct= x dganchas 173
Acanthurus balianus..........-........d08
ANGERS res oa SeOMthe ae ENC ee le Ea ae 395
ACHINUS HA oe eel irate: Minories eO

MOM ono Se Lee, SHAOGO
PASCIATUIS Ais tree ese ctstataIe a OO.O
[imeabuse joe eae eas Stier OVO

Be hinuiss A ClauwUSh mises essed. eas) ses a ae onoes 396
molliswAGhinus sen se 1 OO
PNCIPICTI SE eee Senet cane ofa colin 68 WA none 55
[SIRENMUPOAHAVUIN Png og Sa aces nour 57
OEGd OV ANOTUES von choo po oes 6 a 55
sturiooxyrhynchus........... 55
PNCIDENSETIOCE GY aaitns Niaph Sia l= seis oe vO bes iS
ACHeA IS: CHTYSOPDFYS: 06 0. see a 297
SCCM OLOMMUSH ey aan cl ore 200)
ACUIMMALUS, MOUES. <.7 06 d20 vic 2 os oe O20
Gramimisteswte: cc. a. 42 se so20

AGUS SM VECO A sep eis) a. eins aio Rs cs st as 158
PE LOSUGUIS cre coe «ots, cet egaorai a sseF ats 158
PRICY Mesos eck a tree baleen pte 62
PVATUTNS a pete cieweec ra aern tense 62

PS cbvAliste lupe are ee se > ces oles edceel aks 124
IROMOlODUS ses sees nee Le:
JENESLAE) OYE LTS IB Seen e We ae. ar 46
TA NEMOVANTG, wrap 0 Saiao ee maces or 46

ARNIS © LINOStOMMUSS. «a t-142sf- esos srs © 87
IBITODS 2 A cri Ceo iesa sea 143
Gamibusiasercrsta ois heen Aeegswes 152
leferanGrian erect srs ae. Loe

a DeOliGse NOGEOPISe <.te .cic ee ea Sieve wa eas 94
miegalopse.:. of. ctu Sei. 94

MUD IUIS RAMIICINT UB. <6 ee aids 54. ocnevehe one eae 65
PEUEAPLUTUS ace Cons 0S eee es 199
albiguttus, Paralichthys................ 388
PAM otal epteaeee aeevan. se fete Savas Maes aes svies 2 vs» i Wily
conorhynchus....... Re ene nee aly bef

BUDE ents Seer ce Soran 117

/ NL OTE PEE ae a Re 116
Albums MOxOSbOMIAeysrcs eas aineee ve 2 aid - 79
INI MOSC OTRAS ofa e SymiSre, axes Goons = 8 79
Alburmellus ae pmMDIs. bi... /se. Shee serene 96
ANI COTS reeset oe ysarty a. ya) at amas Ne we,

MING eras | Sopaicngkertera sme 98

PAGS, 4,5, Fas So sich ax seca cant 99

Alburnopse salidamus: 2...) fsec Sees ese 91
alburnts, Menmtieurus ¢: S25.,c Sc c% 6 ten 321

Mee! ty COS TODINISs 3 4)c-5.9:0 Sistas 30 Phin ie 79

In the case of specific names, synonyms also are

PAGE.

NCC EIS Meee cceioteie yar ee ee 207
Cilarist aon nea cicss Makati en er 207
NeGuiaky OpiaUEL gece oamobe doe se odca 207
alepidonus,;Chetodon.)) 2... sss sal 223
IRCDMMISe ee eae. Saves eee
SGLOMALCUIS pate niece esis er 223

alleterata, Gymmnosarda,..-...........+.187
alleteratuss SCOMbers o = sic dierset es 187
ALOSHERR athe Nees Seal Stews Seniors ahs 125
CVUNO MONO shupsocd anode oodd auc 124
jayqzect ca Oy MT: eeree oe geenetetetge tty AY abt eae 125

SE ovtobtstssla ts RCo MnUe em ene rit mn Oi eae ee 125
aliipinnis, Alburmellusie.....4 stan. eos mule a 96
INGUROO eon ees. cmndee ou oonaT 96

AGUS Ee TACAMEMAUS. coca sai soe 285
Pseudopriacanthus .. 222 9.2 $50 285
Aluttera aurantiacans 2252 ees alee 342
Cuspleaud ay... Wi madnt Sac eanoee
QUIN. 6 Sete ncoacs usc poe 343

BCHOS DU) eae. 2 sc ss ePnareee onie ae a7 342
AlWOrdivis! CLASSUS* a4 2 er = leech fs sys 255
hia OLE mete © tdeicnce ed ete enc 254

Atal Mess eset tom tales, tee aie autesspems tor <i cee 233
TUNES ELIS 5 cic reste Glare ae 233

amnblOpae El ViDOPSISai1. o. ocis eis aes ee 104
TU Cb ISS rs > sages skegere ieee sees 104

Nana VOPSiG Gy, sera s10) j= see sytem = 155
AIM IUEUIS ere tee rer ares ekeye aecel cached tate eesets 65
al biGuss.= saris celeste ees 65

COLUS eons ci Ss SYD Dieaee GueRe tS S sc 65

GMA SEMIS 64 Goaccocobndagdoun 66

MAGALIB acces ¢ od iis cata sence SS) o> 66

Tic WOSUS=.h15 steve redcite eee « 67
MIAAINCSINAAS sg0csercescqneocc 65
platycephaluss.5 sata. atts voles 68
americana, MOrone. <.. <<. .0.<s0-5 0s one woe
REECE wxots ohh eis entrar ate 274

Stilbee. Utes See aeons 88
americanum, Stizostedion............... 248
americanus, Cancharlass ss qc) eis ates 37
Cyprintiss 4. + esse efor oes 321

SOX 25. take oe rae 143

LWICIUS se cat Monel acetate ae 143
Mentiemnhusen. ee ets 321
Pleuronectesknim see ts ee 390
Pseudopleuronectes......... 390

Ati aecalivaten, ways vat cvn S164 eset arena eee 60
/NSTONGTATG Ese eer eRe mse escieiec ero 59
rain Gs aes cosas Syste sie sa ontniotes ae Oe.
CALVAties oe ace ales teteeseee 60

amopnus, Alburnellus.<..5..... ..:402 ++. 99
NOtLODISS ceca acetone tO

434

PAGE
IMP DIORA, 35-2 ack Goons Se eee ee eee 27
AmphiGxus.” ...s aeons pee eee ree 27

CaribBus: ese sees cele es 27
analisLUbiANUss nee ee eee eee 288
IMGSOpriOn! gh.c.s sake eo 288
INGOmse TIS ae sot shee cose) aclerae he, ote 288
analostana, Cyprinus. >. cueus+ 1. sesso 93
analostamus, NOtOpIS. 44sec cient 93
AM CHOWIS Feces avctcis «siete resend nae sieraRere ore 133
DROWN ooh )eciciecse's opie = laatees 133

moitebillne, sh..0 6 0 Set ate ciate a 134
Aneylopsettacctns:2 < aates Pere ee ae OOo,
quadrocellatacecs.- siete: 389

sAbpa cri ay occ tee 5 eave cases ise gees lee be gous eerie 108
anguilla, rostrata, s.0.02 ste te 108
bostomiensis.ss Wiesc. MGak sols: 108

GhEISV Par - .Aerritesitee testo siete aie 108
CHEAP A terete reise, toh sistats Aichncees eis s 108

VAT IS Sh Whe: Satalals acetetet Welchoposehe 108

anguilla rostrata, Anguilla.............. 108
jANvevertn lt LB 5 55 orane (ome ce rewenene ute « eel akon 107
anguillaris, Blennius..... ECR tccea Me 378
ZGATCOS rave Sorensick Wels side es ke 378

anisurum, MoxoOstoma...5-2 sec ee cee wa
ANISUTUS | CALOSLOMMUSH = ase Anette Ud
anomalum, Campostoma................ 85
uocovaavelhblsy, JRRUMATNIE 4 poco an odoncooodosoe 85
ANOPIUSASCLOSCOPUS an. tae Geert ee ee OL
Antennanidsee.peeneseee eros ee OOO
Amithias Statue. owt ane ae ee 275
antillarum, Chilomycterus..............352
antiquorum, Hippocampus.............. 172
Prishis testes Gusti e eee 39

Aphoristia fasciatay ss. ss ns tes Oe
OLA OUIS BNE. reese cheese Chto oy: 397

Aphred oderides so.) tates sin sees Ge 174
Apbredoderus) i): icf: oc sid lea tn a cie cuss 174
SaVANS.2 2. Ae claknee lee 174

APOC ay POLCH Hx Ie rlenicee ves aid teenie nists pend 287
UNTO OGLES 5 seertstast fe ene 18 cas te GIO Io a teae eae Ata istevn reg 6 107
apodus, Wutianus.ic- ac athe snr octets 287
INGOTS SH eaten cet erative exe eh 287
Mpogonichthyidae.).%..:4: ties + bo oats + 269
AT CHOSAT CUS): (iis..:1shetthe tertres ak tse dis le win OO
probatocephalus............300

arctirons, Cithariehthys. 920.02 «o> «2. 393
Areuah ums eliceno] One peace eee aaa 292
are, sAllburmellus).,.c% js isis tials oe ake shomnele 98

Notropis:tiac. aces eee eee 98
atpented, Selene s..f.-c nach ec hin weet 210
argenteus, Eucinostomus...............305
Argyreus lunatus, «31.0253 5. 3) oeithe cen 101
ATpyTiosus.capillarisi..ck ames.) s ree rele 210

VOWMICT SS Me sore et ore echt ee 210

argyritis, Liyboenathus. 22: ..0 ser cae .- 85
argyrops, Stenotomus........ BeAr er eee 296
AiO psis Telia mays: Aion at Ch rl eee ec 63
Mulberti;. terse een sos 63
Arpus:mil bertiniscn s+ ae 2 vce ee tea oe woe 63
Avlimaetiuleens). tees 5 acute theta ere 261
Asterospondyiiias ac weet ereret este 31
Atherinabrowmil. . 2c oe so ieee 133
MIG) 2, Ae eae aoe ere each 176
Atherinid ie: € a2 iicaeate hehe eke oe 175

atherinoides, Notropis.................. 99

INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC NAMES.

PAGE
Atinlentiessccme street aera tee oes Oreree 159
VATS eocenhe toi, ace eee cee 159
atlanticus;Meralops. 27... st.tenme <2 te 114
WR POI 2.0 earn, oaths eee eee 114

Atranius)) Centro pristis ieee ee 279
DerbanUseascn a ee eee 279

SUTATIOME Cr Ca etrse costs © Mec e eeeorae 279
atrilatus, Zygonectes..... Pease sel Cet 152
atromaculatus, Semoulluisness es aeeratee 86
atronasus; Gy prinssseceri re eee ene 101
Ritinichthys 5. saa ee see 101
AStrOSCOPUS clas: cis eite oe oer Cent 371
aNOplus i. ost. te ule ee 371

VACUUMS cakes selene eee 371

Annlopidiees.... ies teancaietn sss Matene ere oe eee 140
UEP MONMEKO, UNO oo 5 aoe nosdddoue noc 342
aurantiacus, Ceratacanthus............. 342
Cottogastern a <a. eae 257
adropterus sare acne eee 257

Elypohomus:<.. 05. 6 see 257

EMU MvuaM, WikopoystHOMye ..Ganodueouococce 79
aureoluss) Cat OStOMUS sae ere 79
EnoneuRUS, IDPOVUI; Gocodaecocboenacbeocues 239
WWepOmiis: Girt -cehep Re 239

NCIS". ras Sassy eianste’ phete ce or CLerhe One 186
GHA ATG rcrcient S Se, Soe eee 186
avatus; Chologastera.,.... cis -.). saeco 155
BYa,, BOGIANUS Hoe. tc. ree ee eee 287
Neomenisiae mien ae E28K
balnianushsA cant hig Seer issn earn 338
Ie Dats Gets sha oe eee 338

bairdiS Cottuss: och eye ane ee eee 357
Bairdiellanesc.nceeecon coo oer peo
chrysura:~. )..14 ae meee ee 314

punetatascss oaks jose gens ote 314

Balistes:: dc Seeing tice cae mete enene 339
hispiduis’?. an seat tes See emer 341
CATOMMENSISH 4. se Lee eee 339
BCH OS PLM wicke ani. eee Pano 342
Balistidte. 3) cain lemon: (oe eee: 339
bartholonasei @ananexe mer arenes arene 204
Bascanichthys..)syise. cle. 2 sor alee crete 112
SCULICATIS Geen ee ener 112

Bathystomian ty ere scot Gee ee ee 293
TIMAtOL:: \ons sere eee 293

Batoided. oe eh es eee eee 38
Batrachoirdidses seca steer te ene 372
iBatrachsiialeescees cetacean 373
beaniCaranx sy; Saeco ore eee 204
bella, Hypoclydomia.. . 550. 0) oo ckeeiee 270
Belone caribbean. 5 as oe nase eo eee 159
hians* eee eae eee ee 158, 159
LONSITOSLIIS Oe eae 157
raphidoma elects a fete exe a ee 158
Belonideac...2 hissuc «serene 156
beryllina, Memidia.cic.ic cs. ¢. asc chomsrenne We fre
cereas Menidiaac oe eae 177
beryllinum, Chirostoma.... 25 0. eZ
bisuttatus, Ceratichthys: ..2s 26% sora 104
irosirisy \liantase cise ctr een eae 47
FR Bagh cxsve scien seonne ene eee eae ae 47
binittatus, iridioermewescrr ne ee erierr 330
Tha brs oshcce Cerne Does 330
Platyelossus "pitt vsee toner 330
blacktordis Wutiamuse a. ert reset tee tenets 287

INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC

PAGE
eran lesen arcs coterie the tle eis ecuscar aah 375
blennioides, Diplesion.................. 259
IR; GHEORtOMAL I. oe an oka ohne 259

lenniueg aneulluarise. 2.5.5 2 bw tpe Fete 378
DOSGULANUIS Uy he tere SOO

OOO AUTAN A aie OM hae dee aio crevom OBIT
PCUMMIMACUB ise ins oe eases seh

GNA Bien erect aecnceteuey sereek a eerie 376

OPTS saab eeads ar siseeh ote 3) Ael ss esi ode 383
Blepharichthys crinitus................. 207
PSGU RANTS ipa ea dae dis ste bee eee 287
EU POSUTIStS rcs ci -eitr ore e is ae cOS

AO CHOMUYIBAG 2 aia) tus anor. ghia nas as aieiece 267
ISULOREAIS Here er sce see 267

SG COBOMIAN ay cie We eS aetaisT cars erases 260
Clim ens, ca fete sites ane 261

PUISHORMIS! weve eric enn = aoe 267
MVCUlAblCE MSE aise ass aerate 262

ML OTUs et aga Arte ke Sak \onsteus 260

elu rens es eee te cclions 261

maculaticeps ......... 262
olmsteditimeratich me 260

olmstedik Aitaemia. ae sctem 260
bonaci,)Mycteroperea. «25. ..2eciss os 278
DELRANUS Marea canns ee iaine cts eine
POMASUS EVA AR uae tek see actt tee shales ate 47
Vad] 1 U 010) 0117) i? er ae a 47

Orcas jSplyrenay 2s oso0 coe oan 2 ote wees 183
GSCURGODIUISEAer Mn yarn ay sonlane dicin mus sae es 368
IME ep FERUS Var seep teeyaucras ates «ses 306
basquianus: Blennius. : os. .026 20.02.2068 0D
(Chasmodests-emetean «s.r 375
bostoniensis, Anguilla.................. 108
Bothusimaculatus... s<.. cl ejec scat es: 391
IBSTAMCHIOSHOMIA 9 Yai ejers hese a awe! sno SOs ake 27
CHinloeeihin oeenscsoboansc Zi
Ranceolatumiss.s. a2. ane 27
Branchiostomidss sa, cs an ss Seca es eee 27
easiliensists HSO xeon ee eee 162
Hemirhamphus) s..62. 25... 162

NEU calla rs re ecee eterntes Aes hi ost 182

PCOLP Pe MAie aeryeacie.-\ ye oie ome 300
brevirostrum, Acipenser................ 57
STENCH Oa Atos Satie ge tates ie hy 6 rank clean a's Comte ss =. 130
men aden acm cisicrce inc 130

LANTUS: 2 spevya cats lebele « 130

lanmmaleyl, INOUUDDIS.22 sii oii nc. of te oo 96
PEOWAlieeAM CHOI yes eusce crs oi skcemicies =< 133
A CNINA yer a tees 133

Boras is ge e-akmrs eo 133

Stalephorus:. ..... 6... 133

IB Gy bias SlOMOSUS:<).c2.. 1s shee es ole eo 236
exnulescens- Wetaluruss.s ass ae eee 4 - 64
(CERNE Sein tei oO eie ME oleae cites CeO ete 298
IGMEQSTCNSiet see Ceasar aes 298
‘calllenainigy (GAVOlU YS ohionc aaa c eo pinecone 381
CEN AVEIR/ANIGUINE 7 cet pti ae ote eee CaS CCR ea 60
ANTANEN QUIEY ope ie rule er Sore Cee ea eee ee 60

CHDUATY OvO\STE OTA ees Mie a ee 84,
AMOMALIMN ee Gero eee: ees: 85

Canminam: Htheostomas,...- «4.5625 <2 85: 265
PCB CUCL GIG are oe) oli aoa ees ea, 265

Caltac apelalancatenmey bat ioc.c cdecvoleietes se 220
canadus, Gasterosteus:.....<. 0. s202 +025 220
RACH Y COLTON n |: rane close 220

NAMES 435

PAGE

GAMIS mM MUStELIS! s)..5 55 «= cere sea. srchete.e antics 32

Soualushrye «2. --wiciacad aca cece 32

capillaris; “AroyTiOsus: «4. ce... selos <i « « 210

Capmnuiss Otrnyilter as -tirakee een: 298

SUGIMLOROINDES goomounsancedoca- 298

Gaprodess Rercima cqe4aieici-iekom ie cree oie 253

SCisen aieiers ere terse ce eee are 253

WBRAM oleae cayiistecctsuset dans, S osyene tee wre ouesolny 2 199

Waraneus CHYYSOS*..po..4. ea tecp ars ece = 2 206

DOS hace poke eosyens eae see erhs 205

PISCMEHUS ate ear. s orthe wiavesnoietors 206

CALIDUS PATO pMIOXUSE ee ise eer eee see 27

AVIlOSUBUSS ene ere oe 158

caribeum, Branchiostoma.............. Ziti

CGaribbeasbelone wero as cee oe. 159

CaribbreuswLylosurus...-.c-.- 4.220. .209Lo9
CARON OITA pints Sieve ape ae) odeseaads a es 3 361

carolinses hotamocottus....2..-:..-2<.--. 357

Wiramid ear ernsats ien setae oles 357

CaLrolinensiss; balistesscar eeidas asec a 339

Cynoscion eacenr ccs <2 311

CLIO) Alcs ravie oeeme river dia Nepean tis 202

ZONDG RS aresser va oe ee 202

carolmus=Clinostomus: sec. 4c vee ee 87

Gasterosteus!: aa. eee vee ee 214

IPrONOGUS hai oem ee ee ee 361

(trachino ists: se ciereieiacG oe 214

dirachyMOLuUSe secrete eee 214

Caranxe Porat kee ana re otro 203

bartholom sleet aeiae 204

GATE ey yabestepareisieren ater ames ee 204

ChiY SUS cts ms ere ness 206

‘sHnuai AO ema end Go pio Uo & microns 207

CIV SOS Bee a syciey sashes ota Boy aense at's Stes “as 206

HIPPOS Ms ciisre dw Saree iaete ss yaks 205

GVO Sane nota Seite on neo oe 206

TALE OREO lit eale hep oreeEMene BronorerC caer 206

TUS T sewn ee eats testicle eee sya ee 204

@archariinU seers. cca yorker 33

TMi DETGWY er say ete seve ceereteiee ex 34

ODSCUNUSE » cacintopsie ss seerocas 33

GERTR=NO VEE: ed el ceerendeiels <<< 34

@archantasisc cles centre tetas sso aiorss 37

AMETICAMMSE ee pies cette: esis =< 37

eG hOnallisteees cwectpsiewsie chee s, aylers are 37

jadul Onal overt clea oe Caer 34

Canchamuclesseyaeeee ein Gretel eas ok cx 36

caninatusselacophanyixes. cs. ac: <2 - 83

cep OV CeE NOL OLUUAIUT: toca ye er ne eee eRe 105

Cataracts GObDION Ateneo aa = bes os 101

FUMIICHEDVS ects. airkie sacs oes 101

Catostomidcereee eerie. soe clniee asa ae a

CORON oonmaadan amoe ae eens 72

AMISUEUSU PE Meer sassy greece es Te

AUTCONMISHAE cia crete, o> 6 she 79
COMMENFSOMMe ys. .- ooe 5~ 3 oc 7

CUULCQUUPRAtie s Ot cikere suc ct ere 83

MACrOlEPIGOtUS........ wa 22 as 80

PCL O SME «<= +/<,2hars chase 2 75

TU EIGAMIONE «5.5 ices Si ao ye lsivce 74

p CCLCSOIMEED. ous fats caetawverstslents 73

(OR VRUUIDIE ER Nera mals g cinycut 4 cnn Meee Be errno 31

TEUICL aeraneee ss 65 5 Freitas) Seolalanons 31

CAUIS PATNEIUNUS er mise eisasiesricciets S15 eset os 65

SHS a eesrie's, sisi S Kaersics sees 4 65

436 INDEX OF

PAGE
cavalla, \Cybium:: "Soheccmer = scannems 193
SCOMbErOMOnUS = rete tee er 193
Centrarchide:,.s 2.cce 5. 7acte sss beeioee eee
Centrarchus: -o7.cc cn scrote cree te ata 231
ITICEUS che ence nla ieiaee ene 2311
MACLOPLETUS, i. volens | ores oe 231
WOMOUS or. clon rperal ee teerene te te 232
Centropristes 0.5. cence s Leer aire are 279
philadelphicus:<.:s= 53 Ss7-: 281
Stratus |. eee net ere 279
Subli carts. 20) ae oe eee 283
Centropristis atraniss 4... (= 49.0.5. neo
centruna D asyiaitisiees hrc ee ei 44
APA cr SR lee eae Gree 44
PPEV EON ns. peers eke oes es 44
(Ceinacunemicy, IDRVSORUIISE os noo Go acouomnocd 44
Ceratacanthus.. 5 ei tee dws. oe OAD
aurantiacus . see Secen ec hes 342
jOWMOCHNUI 5 ooo boona mane 343
Schospililjaea een eee
Ceratichthys biguttatus................ 104
by alins! js Se oe toes ies OS
hypsinotus so)... ee eS
lebrosuiSicn. (cial cee sae 103
leptocephalusac...50.8 “S.0. 104
IMONACUS] a-4e- soe eae LOZ
cepediana, Mepalops.. 05.05 a. 5 2, 2 on 118
cepedianum, Dorosoma...............-:; 118
Cephalacanthidss. 2.7% cyan. 2 se. ee eee SOOr
Gephalacanthus.. 22 .044.9 2.2060 2 ees oe oO2
VOlitans ee ane ao Oe
ceplallns Niu dl cies crease eee 180
Ceratopterarvam pins sess ee setae 47
cerea, Menidia beryllina................ Lad
cenvinimms MOxXOSstOMmara. co. 4-1 oe oe Oe
CeLVANUS, bby hOstomuss. atl.) 81, 82
Meretulllists ose sence 82
@hesnobrytius:..cm. ae ce cine ae 234
UNI DS co eh ata Aone ee 234
PULOBUS.,s.15 oo aus es css Sroka at 234
Chenopsetta oblonga...................3889
ocellanisn =. eas. ee OO
Cherojulis grandisquamis............... 330
Chietodipterus. -.5 4.2952 -6 2-2 OF
faberks ccniutes ctaritewe 6 OOF
Chetodonis > ss cen ten eea Seem 336
alepidOtuss im. aoc eer 223
faber ss: Macdunste acer, autelcec te vies 334
PIAUCUS osc ga ot Seen 212
ocellatusteee aa. oer eee ooO
chetodon, Mesogonistius................237
RomMotissavcs te ons Sees 237
Cheetodontide. . ae eA OO
chalybzeus, Hybopsis. . Fst aers eee Od:
Nobropises .ioyaee nen eee = 97
chalybeius, Chlorophthalmus. . sere il 10)
Eyes sell Ok dee 140
Chasmodes. . Md oa aes BGO
bosquianus . 1a fe SOA Sara 375
Chilichthys turgidus...........+.....:. 347
ebihticus, Eiybopsiss.<)... 37 ess.s-0e 96
INGtIOPIS: 27). «ncccmas so ee eee 96
Chilomycterus. . ine Re AT SOOO
antillarum............... 352

geometricus.......% 2.60% 351

SCIENTIFIC NAMES.

PAGE.

Chilomycterus. schceepfi -..-::...--... peaol
SPINGSUSaee ie. eS oll

Chirostoma beryllinust= secre see ee 177
oaYEVOUKSUHDUAN sh eyo u coo oo 5 176

VOOTANS)« 3.24 Onn bis hari ea 173
chlorocephalus, Hybopsis.:.......-..... 95.
INOtropis® fice pee 95
Chiorophthalmus 35.27. 8-15.01 sie eae ee ene 140
chalybelus)=.... 2 140

Chloroscombrussi.2 + ac soe een 211
chrysurusy.))tinste cee 211

Chologaster sti...4'5. 3,4 :).t eines ete 155
AVAGUS. ius cla eas eee one ee 155

COPMUGUS 25 carace ey pe 155
Chondrostelcs fea. wks eee eae 55
chrisypa, Anguilla 9. ..0..0% » omens syste 108
chrysoleucas, Abrams: ...5.¢:iiseemres 88
Notemigonus 52) c= ee een 88

Chrysophrys aculeatus. 2h cere 297
chrysops, Sparus: = 2-0. a> qe eee ee 296
Stenotomussey se aaa 296
chrysoptera, Perea. . Vas eee . 290
chry sopterus, Diabasis. ote ae ee eae 293
Orthopristis:'. i. 339ncenee 290

chrysos; ‘Caraneus: 2-1... eter 206
chrysura, Bairdiellasc.. +n ok eee 314
Scie may 3s cag cae Peso ORO 314
chrysurus, Chloroscombrus..............211
Dipterodon</. sneha. Sele

Scomberins ae aisattne te tener 211
chrysus,;Caranxini.: cs coe cee tee 206
chrysypa, Anguilla... o 75° suse 108
Cilaariss Allectissos: serie ae eee eae 207
TOUS 6,50 Ate a case ak eee ee 207
Cirrisomus turgidts.. -<.42 2). a. oom
Citharichthys.5 a. sche 2 ona eee 392
aretiirons:.25¢ ser eee 393

MMACTO PS: ectoc crs ter 393

MNICLOStOMMUS Aes a ee ae 395

spilopterus:s. «cot sa. eer 394

Clinostomius ‘attinis...2.02 .\0.c1 ne seein 87
Carolinuss.: 4.52 ayeote sete 87

Olinpes oie 6 ook Bees iiawin tenant ee 120
sestivalls xai.oc. te Ghee ee es ae 124
haretious:< 2.26. dee Skee 120
IMEGIOCTISs.... oa «sn Coca eS 121
pseudoharengus.<...¢ 025 detesmern 122
BapiGissimacr: pees heer cee ae 125
GYTARINUS ice ciclen tami emoer .130
VETMAILIS,, «ivi aed rea 122
Chapeidie. .. 20. Soe Sits. ten 119
Cobitis heteroclitas: ... 02. aati 147
IMA aliscs. 2 onesie eee 146
coccogenis, Hiypsilepis:: sie sere 94
Notropis.c's cate seein 94
collapsum)Moxostoman. Jct. tenia or 77
collapsus; Ptychostomus: 22555 12 vate rae
commiersoni,) Catostomus...cna eerie 73
Cyprus: 2. eee eee 73
GCongeniconger: 4.75. ona ae eee 111
conger, Conger sa cis nan cans ea 111
Leptocephalus*.0s4.-ccse-sen eee ia
Mittres nit. $s och eis aes eee iat
conorhynehus, Albula.<. 5.5.0 ee sees Way
conus, Moxostomar-9.. 5a ner 81

INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC NAMES.

PAGE

CONUS ee tbyehoOstOMUS psec: so at) 4s 81
Gopelandelingrn sessrtestot nace ss se 268
QUIESCENS a )tea ate ete s = ae ae: 268

coregonus, Ptychostomus............... 78
IMOXOSTONNS % eat-in ops 5 78
cornutus,.Chologdsters 9.02 2. 6 oss eo 155
ELsyOSILCTOIS ee hac alse ener e eo cata 94
Gorporalis nSemOwlus. 4.4.3) esi. cles ee es 86
ChOTE( OVTE SS CTA ay ie Raw eran age ea 225
CQUMECLIS Mae cl cuales oe wists oat 227

DPD PUTS Pesala ee ec ke stens gcse es 226

WSICLACU Saha ater cele neers 332
(Coosinig a) dts: 0106 be Siero ere eae ee 225
DINGO tn ete ne hae oe ke SOOO
Cottogaster aurantiacus................. 257
COELUSA Heres ic nisin ie on eiantee see ODE
ATCIN er enagte Necro Skies on TOF
ACEAMO DA Merete Goce ake tee 8 rood
erassilabre; Moxostoma =... 02... ..4 42 =. 80
crassilabris, Ptychostomus.............. 80
GEASSIISaeAUVONC MUS sre cer ater ne apres 255
CLIMMGU SHA CCHS patent hea fea srr. cares 207
Blephanchulyseyeqs ass eo ae 207

Garanixen epee tn on cee o ne 207

CLOMISq A EUSs seme ces has acl at a IOLA
CLOssOvus HtirODUSss sean a ae OOD
erysoleucas,;Abramis.....5..02.8):. 0.255. 88
(C7 G32 101,01 eee eee eae a A 88
Notemigonus.: «2s ..25.5- 3. .288

GRU SO Reg CALAN ares seuss ea apo Sgt soko 206
SCOMIDET ee aster raed Baciah wales 2c DUG
RienorGbitignate. se toc 8 sce es was ep OD
SACMNALICUS §s ois.s <2 wes oe Fs 5 a OOD

GURETMA ss oTE eee eens gaa LOZ
cuspieauda, Alutera. 2.2.00 scence ++. 042
Ey AMOHOLOU: AlOSA: occ 6 otis eo bie vss, Raee she 124
Cynic Gawalleys < s2d tots abcess we AOS
IMA CU AGUS Ass las he ecas oe cuss ae 190

LEP ALC toy Meee ts aes elena S 192
@yelocanoided <5 22.cionjs was sas cet + OO
Wyiclosponel yaiinn cout odie oy ose 37
cymatogrammum, Hyostoma............ 259
i MONCIOM Ne Mies iis. Gs ca cue eee ee OUS
carolinensis........ Sra ate eves feo

WACKOUAN ADI A Gace bs ode Como mS

NE DULOSUSia sas Usage ass oct. e OL

MOLMIS eras Actadeastreve ka OUD.
Reraliseetyec taser ets os area OLO
Gyprinella analostana.. 5... 206s en sss 93
CiromiMiG comer ners yer erates tun caiche cess = SE 83
Or PORIMO DONG seq opens acts Acar. gea set cn serena 151
POGUE VIUSERS oy cscrepsy arenas 3,8) Syosare 151

VARICSAUUSS tus. Sets aatite oh 151

Oy NMINUD nego chore! ale mnys atdeds Ses 2 he 105
AMERICAS tenses aie ae OSL
aGromaculatise....240.0..0.2.. 86
AULONASUS He ade. ahsts as sea hh hes os 101

(SHON KO) Se Ne ec reo eee eee 105
COMMENSOMM a eterce eee see eats = 73
GrynoOleiieasan Le eh ya Mo hs xs 88

SUCEUtammarres Cnipsctacenepten ete tcrats 74
RSMAS tered esr 2S eet Pee at 166
Mp seningee rae racies ound a tila on 167

BPSCUM OGRA 52. sk Aint Behe 166

Cypeilurustutkent. 35 2sc.1 25.5. 02a ves x 167

437

PAGE.

Dactylopterus volitans.................362
Dasy atic sews acc sofac ator stechepeoar: okascteem 44
DAS VALIS oe Mat noleh eee eee e tees 44
CONUMUTS sche iy sists do ees cones 44

SAVsess ey de essere cae oh agen (ein aah shee 4d
Dasybatis cemtrurus..).. 2.000. <0... 44
GEN Ere racine an hw rnc one 44

SE nah gies icin es tin/aarceens eine Cont 44

dentatus, Paralichthys...:....3).......386
Pleuronectes 24-0. 55s aees so soSO
Pseudorhombus......... . 386, 388

Miabasis chrysopterus...>..2...........293
TOTMOSUS Ha ateyo scneateg tok eon 292
Giaphansasrtydrarcyracec.2s-ee 2 shea l4s
Gheyolornnss, tionships ogesocuceocusdiene- 148
Wigd Oe Meets 5 a8 os oleie com cate Satna es 350
Fn SUE Re I eas chen ane aes hae ae 350

AGHCEM Ummm chPles ie tess ce OOd
SPINOSUS Hay setershese «Mela eo citiac sic sik Sets 351

|B ytove Covey hls bse yee tic Tee oe Se eg ae 349
Miplectr muy hv Are suctawrcr oe mers Sea 282
LOLMIOSUM Fiennes etace eter 282

Diplesionin. i) ss. . ° Fee crseis ant hon ea OO
blenmioid @sic o2. gecn. ae aes 259

ID iLOAUIS eR oa tate eel at ois ore | etm
HoloTrooksdige eer ane eS 02
probatocepnalus.s.4- 012 see O00
PAOMPOLdeS: et acetone oe 299
WDiplospomaiyltinns is cget ays -)tekokehcveaensene eke 29
Dipterodonychirysurusscess:) ssn oe LA:
Gispiluniss SerranUssen atv erie 283
Gissimullig wElyOOPSIses «23 to. eal woes = orcs 102

iesaltist ei soos we ee OZ

dolomieu, Micropterus..................244
DoravonovUsHeeeea ae eee eee oo
miegalepisy <.2 <j. 24sec... 0 2002
DOnmitatonss ere acim ote © oc ooOF
MACUL AGU Steele ae sO:

DOTOSOMA Raper hos crc eetus a eke ae 118
CepeMIANUMNA .. ome Se eo ek oes 118
DOrOsOMiId eres Ae oa: Huon: 118
DeSean ees merce otic ceo Gace astra es 283
Bina asi sess = (4% rusian ee ate sa 283
duquesnei, Moxostoma................. 79
dugquesnum Catostomuss.s9-2—--5----.. - 83
Placophar yar a0 e Gree ac as 83
CarllitpPyCisten.s occ pases as lene oa. sy ss OOF
Wioplycis:qiie on ee peu 3 oe ein LOE

EM Chemeididee® ste sa sola eros ee 3 ce ere eres 369
1S NSIS ere Soe tae COO Oe Ores mec OF)
Ninebar saad teases oten mote tee 370

MAI CLALCOIM Sarma ae eee cen O

MAU CLALCSM, of carehe cas ce, UO

MEMO AT ey hg heise usc eens 369

Gitul pens PARMA Ss = jhe awe bcs. 230s hoo G 261
Boleosomakecmertss 2 wieckeu sce 261

BLSTUIMN Eee es 2 ae ZO

Etheostoma nigrum........... 261
Eclanteniasp hia aremseete ces res ai eis. a-ha 42
Hlgeane Canad deen. aeete eis oe ee eee)
BASSO Siete ee iol oA oe eRe olor acon uno ay oven a tileles 228
evergladel:;. (ie wicsacuke tive a nae 228

ZOWACA Acres set Nc tesserae aye tase cio 228

AON AGUING 4: ah crsy Mreysieks asa sc scotis 228
ATE), INGUVIGUE shacebeacsotoges« (AO), vel

438 INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC NAMES.

eleutherus, Schilbeodes................. 70
BLO pi dee ye senoeis oat ence te ER eee 114
EIOPSe joule oe seers ie WCU ae eins Oe 115
SAUL UG arenes tesete ease pets erie eee 116
encceomus, Gobionellus.................365
Gobius ae eee ee 365
Engraulidg.:. 3. oc ss coee esse eee eee 133
Engraulis’ brownil ajc a... eyssisteree eo eck 133
marten lieesss, ee ir eee ete oe 134

VAL GAGS! ens cnre aces Serine eee 133
Finneacanthiic sy. t ean eee eco 235
PIOTIOSUB 5 oe hss ack eae 2o0

FQUUHENADISS gy 50 Sino 6 A aura Gd oF 235

GDESUSe see ee 235

PINSON sae cie asst one tena 236

Simul ain See ee oO

Tipp Pid sees re Oe Oe oeedatciacs nies cote 334
Bipmepieligc siete: aaa es srete s soto eee 275
FIN OTOP ade ee ays ae ee 276

SELLA Soiree Mavic ee Renee DEE

BIQUEB. cS seac's occu oe ons hem eT EOL
ACUMIN AMISH Ee eeeeeeOooO
equisetis, Coryphena..:.ie.-co sso. wee eeel
erebennus Ameiurus:...- eee eee cee 66
ESTHONY ZOMG. See nt eran eS eesti cise © Otte ee 74
BUCE UU Aaa enei ices ce or ae 74
erythurus, Ptychostomus..:....:.....+.- 79
FESOCIC Sa etek eon ote Pad ees oe Ise Se 142
EGR OX yy See ee Ne eee cea eos ea 142
ATU eta tence eek eee ene eae 143
AMSTLCA IN Sate eee eee 143
brasiltensisiae sane or wee eee. eee 162
ICIS way h cits were eeises See Ge 143

NOTA DMP SWa Hopes BS One eee ses 157
MASCUIMOMG Yi acy. cee astais we sean 144
OMVEMISIS.(5 0 ccylarienteee eo ee eon 144
OSSCUS ett et Nt en ke a 58

PAV ETC lieve eee eee icy re Sie ae tir 143
FELICUlALUSH lees me Oe ane 143
SHUTUS Hoa tae See eee eee 163
VUlpOS sia ctu Be eae uP Acree 7
EiGheostoma;.«c; saeeee oe 2 Oe 262
blenntoid esta eee erence 259

(HMTOVMOUAN oe aoa doe eoacace 265

EVIGES rt ae ne 254

flabellare i eee Wee ee. 266

falellanisiemnew ae eniieiior 266

wane KeOIENAIIEN sco euacoscaune 255

ME VASENISC bats ea oe ee 255

WISTUNN. iNew ae 260
efullgens:. 24eace aon OL
oOlmstediqu=seaneeeee 260

Olmistediyn yaa Mac paeeeiae 260

peltatum (> sien saan see oe 250

TOAMOIA soe Are eee 256

MUMS AGU 266

SCUWENa VUN eee eerie nene ere 257

SCUAMA LUIS erect 257

Cy IOUORNNOR, aagaoadodnaacac athe!

thal assim ee erie 263

VACTOUTO Ae ey hla ene een 262

VillnMerab Une eee eee 265

TOMA er eke e rae tae eee 264
Htheostemine ee Se ea eee 252
EALODUS. 2 ava cghoou sot: eee ae ee 394

PAGE

Htropus: Crossotus, 24. s-smmesctiacia te aie 395
TMICrOStOMUS ene eae 395
evergladei, Hlassoma,...y.e.24:4.4. nome a4 282
evidess Alivordilisine= ee eny cierto 254
iE Gheostomays sisc eee ee 254
Hadropterus sen. ecto 254
Cricolkmorsy, IMO cocogecceuacccudsoos 165
Halocypseluss.«cenises sceeser me 165
PrOnOtUss.. 5245 sis: ace Oe 359
Prighay os 2,9 ox) cee 359
Mxoccetide. 225 s...45. 4.5) e ne eee eS
EXO COBbUS ne 15s Gusts Sosy oeeerneeye aa 165
Cvolans: micuy ak aca oot 165
ltkeniy json a ee eae 167
MElAMUTUSs./.- sate See 166
IMESOLASTC Reet cis Cn ee eee 165
TLODUStUS Ase ae eee 167
VOltANS Ne see eae eee OOMmLOD
Hxonautes speculiver.... . 23.7 teeerae 166
EMcimostomus fee sae eee cr arora 304
ALSCULCUS ao ea eee OO)

ould. eo nei ve sed eee
pscudooulat so 4eaetic ce 304

Eugomphodus littoralis................. 37
eulepis »Microcobulsies.c eo OS
EupomotisclbboOsuss. 1 sseiec eee 242
holbrooldiger nese eer 142
faber, Chsetodipterus .. 41.0.2 -eseer 2 eoae
Chetodonn ss sco: eearn cnet 334
Parephippus. se .c¢ec. sccmorse oe 334

walle nauisy, IDB otc bo oe Sco cued boo goK 213
SETAC HINO TUS nia ere eres 213

fasciata, Aphoristia.< i... -22 sour sae seaeom
TASCIALUS A ChITUS. 44 eee ero
Darimust.cc sce screenees 313
Micropterus:.. ...-cane= 4s smeioe 244
Felichthys) otic eccentric eee 62
Cliss wih e dee satin eee 62
TMLATINUS| cram cue cto Oger 62
felis, Atlunichthys' ..,-aiu- 5 see ee 62
ATIOPSIS io. au es ees yas s cee ee 63
Felichthysn20 i. s:)-aG cactsos oe eee 62
Galeichthys. . io. o.0,< 4. cuee eee 63
Hexanematichthys. ....3. 45... 2. =nGe
Silarus) sc). tates Guan See eee 62
Fistularia..... 2 bpe enh’, ca hee ote eae 168
tabacaria: 2. once sao meee rine 168
flabellare, Etheostoma.................-266
ilabellaris i Ei heostoma.. jeer een 266
flabellatus, Poecilichthys..............2% 266
favescens) Morone wr ae ec eee 250
OLGA sie ar stettne eee ee nape 250

florid; Siphostomiae. . 2... a. treas siete 170
foetens> Salmo... 002 Gt sk 2 oe oes 139
SYMOCUS! soca. sense Eee 139

folium, (Polyodon:. ©..cas se-ao see oe 54
OVM|HOVINS!, ENNIO) pou gouneoscoun0 secur 135
SalivelinUs, 3... 2 0s 2 aif 135

formosa Heterandniain ss eerie eee 154
OBGCA.u, Osi inte o soheeae noe ee 282
formosum, Diplectrume sii. sets einer 282
TOLMOSUS! Diab aSiStes eee Gee ee 292
freminvillei, Myliobatis................. 46
UKeoy ban, IBeVbaVII a naoaboooouodacsH ee 37

fulvomaculatus, Orthopristis............ 290

INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC NAMES.

PAGE

fulvomaculatus, Pomadasys ............ 290

Ebina ch lis eee esetenete cet oettie kc ayeltie sists, 145
GHENT, og uacosoadene oop C 148
heterochitus: sec cic cia Soe + 147
ME AUS Fis samt AS aio ae ot 146
MOUUMAy. aici raep ec oesiers arate sie 150
MIsculembusin. aye te Sees Bea 147

TARA Ol| OWA Hie Mei ce ca: OHA aie Beer
HULIOSUS NOLUTUS Het. he usec cienicras acuuc GL

Ctl beOdesaen seer ere sere: 71

PUSCUM SIO MOStOMaAss acne ose ee ee eee 171
Puscus) Synenathus..... <2... 06s of eee es Ural
HISiOrmis | Boleichthysis acm a. + -.2 425 267
IS @LEOS OMAN iam ictce. = cast sreic 267

IOC rN WOE oe siti ee nes Baw a/en O's 380
EGEOIUTS ok Ce ae ee RO Ma ee ene 381
Calllaniagihanet aiasaee eee Pac ter: 381

HAD OVUM eee es Get iaics clear saeticd hens, lets 381

PED TS ieee ct y he eee ee ae re 373
galacturus: Liypsilepis: «.22s..0.06 ene: 93
INOBEOPISH int sols na Sil Sale 93

Ree CICI OMS a eee tes wa «Gent eon iciote eee eens 63
TOLIS eet Rien an Ste ey ak eerceyehe 63

md DETtW esa itcpam coset: lees 63

Rr CIO eae snr 7)< ae ape oie ee ott 32
Gn DUIS] Arner mI eR even nage 152
ATM Serene teers one eer oats 152

FAO Gliseemreeey.ceg- esc nwe Banik 152

(CDTEVOT a IGT Svar tee 54
Gasterosteus canadus. :.2:.).s)...6 0 2s. 220
GAO 5 cdagouscegocuocr 214

LeEMINavUs wElenniUsteee ee ames ce. oa. od
lakyjollewwinoyeotlbbis gc oocdacuoaa cBill
geometricus, Chilomycterus.............351
HORT UL A hecye aia! ilcysl s apetnicess sb, we ech a, a 305
GeriiG career taser secs haere iti oars oN deong 3 304
eipbosus, Hupomotis: ... i... 6.06.28 s 2. 242
MEMOMUISE errr soe eee tues toca 242

REECE ett ape were niae em ikea aera 242

milla sChenobryttus <2 i.e oe ee Hs as ona iors 234
LACUS MEAS ye isdn) - a0 eneae Byars tle st oar oot 197
plavicus /CheetodOn. «ny... 2) aaa ees ons 212
iirachino Usw eee asa ree 212
PlOMIOSUS) ELV btUS: 26 cases oe tease nanos 236
Bnneacantnuss-e says seer 236
Gopiesocideera qn aace erste seaside beri: 374
Ci CIOP SISTED 28 nee Oe een ne 374
ATOM USA scr asia ctu a. oines 374

(Gopi dae tess tins an oa Rieres. Saceut ls ste, 2/512 OS
Gobioncabaracivenessscsc ofc ei aml ss ene 101
Gobionellus encoecomus................. 365
(G1) OSS OGTR coke cies en ene 368
IOS CIA es athe ne Bene cees Oe eS

(Ve) ON NUTSIM of 01s (C1 Tins) Seat Naa ew reat eae ae aR 368
ENCCEOMMUS: i iemstorss No seein vateses 365
PROMOMAM Pst ck ye: asi y. teeeaca cashes 221

RUDRA ICUS AS ce Last Coes Sa, celays os oe 365

POOdEI MrachiMOusid..2.sio0 62s. s ees 213
PRACWIN GMeMIOIA. estes cet sane dyn ems situoies 177
Grammistesjacuminatus...:.:..-.-.-... 326
grandisquamis, Cherojulis.............. 330
RUISAY core ore ee 330

PEISCUS, LL ORAMCHUISY «aro sisjaidene soe ey oe 30
WabTUSe cet cltchcens reese 286
PRUGIAMNIS ters ele ke a eens 286. .

PAGE

PTISCUBS INEOMeeMISK:. . cies als, Aelelereielele etei ais 286
POCUANUIS pscepe sarees akon ect arate 30
BLONOVAL, GOUSE 35.26 ere wea ol vishenets: oe oes 221
INOMCUSES jereerectietL Oe Mines 221

gla UcinGSbOMMsa. are ac) ei eeie oe 305
GOTTOS! ty. cienicls sans wee erases eOUO
gulosus, Cheenobryttus ...........+.:-- 234
PROMOS. gern. sna eee re ie ors eer 234
guttatus, Mmneacanthus.. ............ 235
(Gyammosard awe. J verackorn thokde teacren pars aren 187
allleterataios jac se ten nce 187
Gymnothorax ocellatus................. 113
PYTANS MQ UCMMANA. aye ee see a ee ao
Ha POMCCRUS Es Natu ocr ctvmciy ww erhar 254
AUB AMEKODIS olds Aaoo moo 257
VAG ES aerate aie cen ales sara oe 254
PGlGAGUSH isc cchereccd a sierra 255

OAM O Kaley eit ora cissiever sees ore 259
ligermainil lee vec cesta a eye A aes ans aeons 289
LSS OI < eeee eee esis ests Ae sito Gane a 292
ALGWAUUIMS aeyaiye ah ey ores vee 292

plum eral. catalase. arrsbers ocr aes 292
TIUMMSOR es A..s wots ater arsere el. 293
alatracius ZOnabUse ase cere atte: 202
Halocypselus evolans..............-.... 165
Haplochilussmelanops:...-4:-24-2- 1065 - 152
lap lOm etry atee en separ y Aeneseies shone 140
harenous, Clupeaie. 5 aie. 2 amc sie oe = se 120
fem ranchers snr = ier eter ie 168
lelevoavid ovnoayolanieles Ganon noocsa4 san e5aac 160
Elemurhnam pbs’. pesero neers eects aici 161
brasiltensisas-eeec crac oe 162
TOWETGIG: a oraercseene: Se seks 161

WHOTHEISORNWUICE goo on aG000 cc 161
hentz-eBlenmiuseee sac vas. cet oe ee ako
Ey psoblenmiuis: <.1..: h:. 56 ose 0.018
IFT DAG eee ence «sce ohio scree gasphewe Seas ence 337
EV YO EVEL Sie pote tostey se atic, Sy) ais ene anche inlor suena Cows 337
bahianus eyes soca or eet 338
ne pati ts iek se Se eee eee os 337
hepatus mile patusauni seri cmicwesraciemtemn ens St
Hieteramd riay ic ce sacha sts cresusro Ieee. ¢ 154
UTA Essie ats Gasrecee ete woke ous 152
TOLIMOSA eh erase tens sien 154
heteroclitas Cobltisse some cece 147
neterochituss Hundultisy.4..e2c sees. Lee
FIC LELOSOUMA GH. to) 2 AA Ahem ol aeons 385
hexacanthus, Pomoxys..-.06)- 5-0-2004. 230
IEVEKATICIIC se! yeeis coe cbs ae ieee Ceaeies Sea woke 30
VORA CUS Scervseewons chee areca kel ats res aisles 30
OTISCUST pots, 5 Sorteow ols oh deve aent 30
Hexanematichthiys felistes acer. s-ee ee 63
hans eA thlennessijo sce Beco tl oe che ee 159
IBCLOME Woy heeeaenime or ee here: 158, 159
UV LOSUTUSI 28. cates a aee hoe See esas 159
Ma tlasonitissey. aries fe es ae 327
loneynvlley, IWeloiMbEK shen ecu aounodadasooec 327
UB Geo Koi gee ce ence aa me ae ae eee RO 117
selenops....... SNP e Aces 30 ONE ake 118
IBbroys Kliatt so eae EAes Shoe ees maa ila eg
IMO ONTO co qonouadnoeoaabdenoons 172
AME QUOTUMN. se tos tcchels 172

Wd soniise meso eee ters 172

puncthulatiseey sees ree
hippos, Caraneuss zs. slers'sisit,sseis/ecle.s tris es 205

44() INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC NAMES.

PAGE.

nippos; Caran: <a ten ceee cree ete 205
Ncomber’: FSeee cae, wahoo wegen 205
hippurus; \Coryplaenaic: 2a ey a+ tee eens 226
hispidus;Balistes. Aa... weer ere 341
Monacanmthtisss 7c) atte Ae oe 341
etrodons Seohki. see ce aL

histo wllop hiss. cee eee err eae 400
el terophrynetiaacnetc: cect eee 400
holbroolka, Hupomietis : ... 2.522... .25 <<. 242
Ise WOMIS 5. oh. ete ee ee nee 242

POMOtIss 7b c..c eee Ceene 242
bolbrooki, Diploduss. ene fee oe
Dareusee ss a. Ve eee De
holmest,“Microgobius: 3.2.2) 4a os oOo

Holocentrus surinamensis...............284
Homoprion lanceolatuss..0..-....2.++--olo
hudsonius: Hippocampus..:....::..:..- 172

INGEPOPINGE 5.0 Sag ees eee 91

saludanus, Notropis.......... 91
huronensis; Lepidosteus.t..2.<) Paeeu 52.08
hyalinus, Ceratichthys.....:............104

EM PORMALNUS: Siac yenciee one Geen ase. 85
APOVEVIS Ue ic sehen Stes 85

nuUchalig Mc sek eects eee 85

PLOCHEN ¢ Cie fe gore eens 90

EIS DOPSIS asa tetas eee eee eee 102
eV 001 6) KO) 0} ane Omar ce Site aka ily ca 104
chalvbrmeus®. nuts te. eee 97

Ghiliticusiat <a. ees eee 96
ehlorocephalus: .f55. 0606 95

SSIs sean dee me ae eee 102
hiypsinotusaas. cs eae ae Oe
Kkenttekiensist. 9. 2... oe ee 104

TAD LOSUISH roe econerce ee ce 103

TNOMACUS see ete re nel
TUTVCUS cate Ache kick hak ewe eee ae,
MULTI CLOGCCUSHE es Sent eee eso)

Spectrumculusne eis arisee see eee 91
Pydrarcyra diaphana..:. 0-45.42. 2.0550 148
300121 (2) Wt a eR reget oa Se 146

Hyostoma cymatogrammum............ 259
SIMOCETUM cro cnt eerste OS
Hyphalonedrus chalybeius.............. 140
ELV Peroartil... 5 7svs uiaesscs ee cares ee acer 28
Ely plewrochiluss. one sete aee el ee 377
SEMINAHUS, Hee. at omnes 377

mal Gis; eee ae ace ey

PUN CCALU Smet ete eee 376

Hy poclydonia: tis. eae ee ces ee 269
0121: i RR or etn ge SP 270

Ly pohomus:S.3 cs eden eee chee ence 256
AUTANEACUS ee tei aee tee 257

SQUAM ATS ees Wee ates 257
Elyporhamp huisnase cc eee ae RO a cic 160
FOberth: 24g aes eee eee 161

UNifasciatus. 62. s.e eee 161

Hypsilepis caccogenis< -/..25. so seer 94
COTANUGUS ieeere tty helene renin 94

malactunus, Js5.02% 2. eo < cities 93
hypsinotus, Ceratichthys............... 103
Ey DOpSis (tei: trl simp tentean aes 103

Hy psoblenmius.. 73M 5 eta eee 376
Hentz; neyo ae 376

HYS6rix,; EOdon. 84 2c one Baie mee ae mee eee 350
Ichthelis:mepalotiss<.2.<.45 0.2. oes se 240

PAGE.

ictalops,'Cottus.- .- 08s)" > oneen ae eee 357
Pevedictisy (yo eer ee ee 357
Aetalurus ss $2 )s.gopas el ee ee 64
curulescensiss .Stvanoee cee ee 64

PUI CEALUIS SS ret. sietene eases eee 64
imperator, Petrapturdss:/j22.2.. 2 oases 199
Waeneoey IDEN Geb eoomo bs ovcdbuce ose 241
POmOtis.\.6) outa ei ee 241

Imniomavy a Se aps he ae oe eae eee 138
insigne, PiMmelodus)« -/42.<1caevteee ene ene 70
insignis: Noturms.:.0 2.0 eb ee ee 70
Schalbeodes cai). seen 70

TO She ya ot ks eae A eee 262
VIG CE c Ai o)szs etn le seotto oiceeeaen nae eens 262

id euss Centranchsse-p Aetee eae 231
Salen Os 3c. rach ae eee 137

Tridiio.. Sez chs calls sn Se aah Oe ee ee
bivittatuss sco s2es ee eae 330

eae DUMONT, Gocdoscanodssansece 331
Isesthes. punctatus is 4. occas step teh ote
Tsospomediyiliit: choles m tre cas orem erates 114
[stig phone. (vis os cctte ace eee 197
Tstiophonusisa scsi some. ree Pa eiitc 198
HIPTICANS eo seca eee eae 198

Jacobse, ReMOrasen ee seen ee ee eee 369
JohMiUsreralis see pees oe eee 310
Saxatilises > osskeeen = Seve 323

Julis maculipinna., 2...) seca ee 331
kentuckiensis}snybopsisusnctt oe seas ee 104
Draxaliss 522 No casoeent ater 104
Kirtlanditiea: 2k nace. oot es sie eee
VAQTANIS se ficccccn ehh eee ee RLS

laciniaitals ss eee ee 178

Key phosidte ts | .c'Fca' sc ag eee ee 305
IKeyphosus acters ten ce ee 305
Sectatrix yun, Soe eee OU

Tabridges3. coe 6 Cees eee 326
labrosus; Ceratichthys.. 375. 925002 sae Os
Ey bopsis..“:. 2. .a ra tee eee 103

Maras aturi Gus e4-ceteteetrel eae eee 239
bivittatusta.ace see eee eo OU)

CLOTS: A. 5... fae ener ee 324
faleattipy 2 .<2e geese ne © eee 213

PTISCUS: Hc! rt eee ee 286

hiatula soe a5 2 See een
IMACTOPtELUSH cla sateen Mees eee 231
MAXIMUS scree wee sete eee 329

ONS: 5s cence oe Rare 327
PIUMATSTL s.r. Slate eeaeee meee 292
palmoides:. .aotencceces aceiseee 245
Sparoides. (i452 Jas cee ee 230
Striatusien Sot eee eee 279
Eachnolaimusa ice tee ereeeeeoae
da. TMM dna aiid aac] 3c 329

lachrymalis sPtychostomuss.....0. += ac 80
laciniata, Kirtlandia vagrans............ 178
Mentciay 26 ub. oie emcee eee a

VaApTaNS's - cer eee ere 178

Wactophrys: | +o ane hese cince terete 344
{PIS OMUS 3. 2: caper a eae 345

trUGUetEL An cry sacle lees 346

levigatus, Lagocephalus................ 348
=<y MetrodOns. «cf nciga. sence arene 348

[eeviss) Mustelusias: ce ween ito seen eee 32
Raja sia Base ice ee ee eer eee 41

INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC NAMES.

PAGE
Thence ley o cr: en Sore eee FEC nt 348
Nee WA AGUS, s tress) sets <i ats 348

HOMO e iat 2. oh Giese o. 2 er eOO
THOMDOWMESE 0 sere koe c Simasle 299

llemish Savoie 7 Sone eon od sen mas ames 202
lanceolatum, Branchiostoma............ 27
lanceolatus Homoprion.................315
Stellen caine odo

Hains eee ae aitedn see ae we eloLe
FASCIA LUSH es ater heey ree LO

Nene CARANK yee ners shies ac enti % 206
MeioStOMMU Suen econ Sete cuales OO
DONGUMB UME es aE dele osha «LO

RAMU MMUNUS crassa cuehe so irre oie
lentiginosus, Rhinobatus...:............ 40

Tepidosteus Osseus........... 0.6.2 205 5s: 58
TL gy guiStei2 5110 Co seueeiee vars een aca 58
MTOR CLIC Moy ceca tics ware yale 28a 2 eer 58
OSSCUSmevse a etrge tt taiwole Saye eae 58

TLey ayo h cats Sc ce area ene aR re 238
SMUTNCUSere se fi choke cece a el 239
PIDDOSUSeree aac nagh Snes enicrnae

GV) ehROYO) ele, Oia isle! agian lean cea ie 242

LING ISO Tye ect eee re ees co a tes 241
AeA coy hue sae eee ome 240

MOULAUUS ees Se oe peel

Pas terranes Saris 2's es - 241

[OWI OWURESOOME Gash oc ale ideo 2o- 241

RUBRIC RUG es settee ie. an age = BeOS
Meprecheneisi: ©. je ic. ainysa 2 ye ees <2 BLO
MANCLALCS eco es tans aot

HPIEOCALGM NE cr tonsys cine + 2 ee thee sole os Dali
Hemiorepbaldee a. deysekt Sion e clas 2 eis 110
MEMO CE pMAUSea nasa ti tonne ia sed
CODUGT ae ae pee ier si ore- tee inh

leptocephalus, Ceratichthys............. 104
IGS ONO OS ease Baier ch near Ras pany aie Beem tet 69
OUIATI Se sary eee ens teas ae hci oe 69
lethostigmus, Paralichthys............. .388
NBGUICISCUIS te ititt ef lene Hasan a cs op ole arene 87
AIMEE RICAN USE ees eee ee 148

JON A RAUOVEELISY, cane pital Pek Gino ec ao ae 141

WAMU OISUNUS: <4. oDkiie asa 6. Ok

leweops, Photogenis.... 0.2.6.4. 6.2 sees 98

lewcosteuss, Calamus. o..0.- 2202-255 -04 <4
fim spyemrea,, Umbra, sts... 5... 21... L4d

lnveajiap@HIGMenels., 5 .ct2-.s'-,. ses - gs 370
Slee Matera rie ety cee ers 271

NMmeei Sse NCMITUS)) eee. 4-2 ates 2 yan: 396
ARMs erates gene oct beacon) ats ee 180

TROCCUR AE ita aes belarus. ss 271
ligtoralis-sCarcharias.. 5522... j.4cc-e00- 2 SE
Bugomphodus!.. 2... 6...66. 5+ 37
MENHICUFHMS: 92 .s5.0c0n 0.2020

SSeS erro RA a hanvotete ateve awiees cysve 37

Umbrina PEN eae OLS:
WalnOtes Mee ee ate ne cis s) seis Ale cise aces bike 283
BULIMAIMENSIS: Ae2 ace = elena « 284
GOW peer ie ee cree ae ec vere nits orci 283
LONPATOSLTIS, HDElONC s/c... nwry cv 62 fs ao 157
Mop MLC y as feds ckiaie aise eanetere Bar sco sree’ oe 398
Paya: ee reese Maras serait: km irs “iveceiv ole 398
ISETION Ge tee cles ee es ees 400

[ OUS(CER AG) ORS [= eae AP SOO aoe 398

e MEBDEEGULOm a. ./cleit atone 4 ae + 401

PAGE
Laphobranchit= os 2. ¢)..pcau he crea 169
PO PNOPSELLA., oat 2 = fee Gctooners eas He

MACWIAL A cok crate eee ele OO
louisiane, Siphostoma.................-171
Pe iadvs9 OY A SUITE ets pear Creo sane Li!

IGS pc er ROn EAI hee Gc-ooe ae ee 150
PALVGs Gus cco store octet ecuenscege tones 151
lerociis NO troplsae ore ers inenenet lens 97
Rhotovents:.2.2o.- 5.0855 shee oe

Lucius masquinongy..........: Seog eaters 144
MAMCOUI PKI ns game cen em Soc camer 143

VET CMAs sane aks reece .143

|hUYStits: JBOh<y oe eiulstoc emnan oe Be og oS Gott 143
hone nish Veugen tare gue cence esc conc one oc 101
IGN HATCED, Soman clare Sis ero ed Oe otic 285
IDAURTATDISS 5 5 uid eet aoe en ae eeeme otc 286
ANOVAS. g caceinty Str alok nora pacers

EORUSS See ee ee see

lolknliciopReli...d.woonodnomne de seou

PTISEL Spe aaacteeee leet es rer 286
Tgutjamus tridens4.te 17a ick eerie an tok
linti<eni(Cyposelurus: «02. ssc mncas «cements es 167
G@vosilurus: ton see eee ete On

EEX CORUUS Eee aioe eareee rie ee 167

cual tsicissimalister eer oye araenele 102
kemtuckiensisia. a6 a4 <)reiren: iy: 104

Gy oerekoyouitstgs = ye Ciena Une ete cache 113
OcellavUS te. yao ee 113
maclurae-Pteroplated: = s.¢-.2--ss01-- +e £5

TRC a os et ee ya ee eae Seema
macrolepidotum, Moxostoma............ 80
macrolepidotus, Catostomus............. 80
macrops, Citharichthys... . yack. se. -) -
macropterus, Centrarchus...............231

UA TUS es ie rarer. aca 231

maculata, Lophopsetta.................891
Scienatea ane ee ceed. ak Oe
maculaticeps, Boleosoma............... .262
MOT UMM ee 262

Mmaculaturmy Cy lini aes eee eer 190
i @yMOBCIOM is © bes ata tec en: 311
Btheostoma. 10... 620--2- -200

maculatus, Bothus:......<.:-ase22n-~-,09!
Donmiba bors... 4 one e222 0OF

Miallist ae 8. Sees, 185
IPJeumoOneCles sane er rie tet 391
Seomber. a7 see ats sate cg ee LO
Scomberomorus...........-. 190
Spheroides. 20... aa sane see

Wipeneus: Aiea ase ee tee 185
maculipinnay UidiO. 6. 262s ecc ye ace 331
saa 3 ora een oa eho ache 331
Platyglossus.. 2.222. 4, - soo!

Mayjalis: CobiwiSe of 07 sate a he sae ee
Bum sags aeons es cee 146

Hylrar egret whee = 224 eae oe 146

Makaira nigricans................-...--198
Marital esta oats Cary nels Fe Ea 47
INOStLIS eter te cece ere 47
LNG y iia te ee eo a rae ee aca aca 47

marginata, Rissola.. <. 22.2. .% fee e- ss a

marginatum, Ophidium.................379
marginatus, Noturus.........-5:.+0..-- 70
marinus, Atlurichthys. ..-..2...)..2+.-. 62

SOx et ee ea ee Loa

OF SCIENTIFIC NAMES.

442 INDEX
PAGE.
marimus) Helichthiyssee ernment 62
Petromy Zone secre ecine oe 28
"EylOSURUB se Ale eees ote ert 157
Marsipobranchiiv.;. 2. chase tee ae 28
MASGqUIMONS 7, LOK ae rel 144
Ties. ocak. ewe lee
MALUtINUS |All UMmMellis sei circa 99
INOtrOpIs! tic cs aunie See 99
ohonloymHNNbIS 65a Gagcec 99
TESTE, ILO, sgcoc ood souccdo sense 329
achnolaimus nese eee eo
mediocris; Chupedisc-tistt. aun vsute sero oe 121
Pomolobushr =. nese ce 121
megalepis, Doratonotus.................332
Meralopsiatlanticusey emi ieee ee 114
Cepediam aaa sack correc: 118
Og lIMAalscrvayotee oe bape s cele sat 129
GHTISSOIGEBH . Haars dayne ce cies ee 114
IMECALOPS NOLO PISe saad cic cass ai Re 94
albeolus:!Notropiseea see: 94
megalotis, Uchthelis. 1.1% onstce oe aus: 240
Lepomis voce seca aches fe ne 240
melanops, CatostoniUs:e. a. its em yee sss) OO
ilaplochiluiseme ane oeee eee 152
WUUban anderen aA din biowiakaos qc 75
MeElaMuTNs so XOCCbUS 4 aes eee 166
menhaden) Brevoortia.....2.+.+. 25.50. 2L30
ARSON KE DES a aa het eiciete eietesseanerr atcbcalte, Gaeta aunt: 175
beryllinay. Amac seeks eaters ae
GOLGAz ks ona eee Wid
PPACUIS 2 yi scieet sree’ retkens age oe mee EEN
aici atari - secant sosie: 178
TOMETMIGI A. 6 reese oy. Ae eet renee .176
valorans LaCiilaital ayers rer srl 178
OCDE, IN MAOD, nn ooc poo Gonnonndecc 176
Meni diane cmctiecunc eee ce 176
menidiuam, Chirostomas.. css. as5-a5265 176
Mienticinniusta amie aecieen ers aac 321
CHOI ACEVONIS) 5 5400400000000 04:
GCOrallis eer eee eee oe a 323
Saxcenbuliges Neve aus oi yara neha 323
Menticirrus allbburnuss-s- ee. asa 321
mebulosusher tsa eee 323
mesogaster, Exoccetus.................-165
iParexOCOstUSaan eee ere a 165
MeSOrOnIStUS: s.rcce ts he. o bid ie aes Se 236
chietodonee eerie 237
IMesoprion an alight r eit Seanez oS

ININGROAD I ie nooono oc gaccacann sn aso 0 OMe
eulepissin Sau anemia rennet: 368
nolmivesiaee eee OOO

microlepis, Mycteroperca............... 200

ALTISOptrOPISaae een ae

Micropocon: 47 atic. sgn. ae ob oem ee Sree 318
undulaiuss seni

MicropterUs tes 3h i c(e oo, eens mop eet 244
dolomieues 2.7. +): cane cee 244
PASCIALUS ws ijn: eee Re
NAAN couccopnanessaasc 245
salmoidesys-eqaee ee eee eo

MU CrOStOMMUS; eH tnOPUS erties eee 395

joo) oyesasl, AVMOITE, coooccasouunancaucca- 63

ATIUS yaoi ely oped, oe ae 63
Carcharbimusteaaeeeee here ee oe
Carcharias...3: 26 sadeuugie > ste 34

PAGE

milberti, Galeichthys .......:.......... 63
Minnilus seep ticusseceei eee earn 98
Mim yitremiaiss. vsjes:-G-= Snag oem cewceee 75
MelANOPS!~.w Gare eee oe 75

oovnaouUbN, UVC VONEN oo doscccscdhenodous 134
Kngraulisy scae soon tenable 134
Stolephorus:,..n- 8s. oan eee 134

I GUT) a Piptaecs aie em scty ca aictarmnie obta Senin) soy o.550 179
brasiliensis: iso5 skh cece eee: 182
cephalus: nc nae ye wee to ent 180
GUTCMIG cae, oe fate ectoderm gaa 182
Nnie@atuss Soha yyec toes ae een eke 180
PUWIMIEL es s5s sy eh eRe ue pe 180
Mucilid ens oye 2 aoe ee cen eee 178
Mrallidse) x0... eee teak otecen Sore eee 184
Wihsllipys Me OWUENAUIS, 652555055 0cc0924ed5% 185
multifilis,; Hypleurochilus.=: - 94.7626. se 377
Wiwierevoe COlvAe soocoga nbs asaducoeosons alibi
Mursenide: 28 s.c.ce6 0a oo area eee Rei 113
MiUStéluS esciei adcron eos Seine ne Ce eee 32
CONISS aie suet cere ena 32

LSB VAS i ones ees. a's ee ee ere 32

My. cteropercaty.a.cina ee tne nce ioe 277
DONACIS =... 4c ee re ae 278

IMO NS, Soe dsoosuceces 210
VenenOsa sae eee

Myliobatidees 2.4... Suatenom aera 45
Meyliobaitign ze ei cny oe cients Sele ae 46
lmaoo ssa ecnecuccooncs 46
Miyxostomay allo Wine of cet ets see nent 79
Vela GUT ca) eee fre eis eels Ue

IMO a) oats: eee tanith cate aoa ie uce Ep 352
mola elke oh ee SR En a ee OO
mola, Molaine i ccsiac.acncs ie eek rene 352
Metrod on sss eee eee Oe
Molide..... Sethe Chae iiss NOR RE ee
mollis} sAchimus)achitUsse escheat 396
Monacanthidset se ee eae renee 340
Monacanthuse. 2. sees ee eee sOoeL
lAVSJOMOMIS, ss5cndondesaavaac 341

monacus, Ely bopsis,.. <2 a2ctha> sree 102
Mono pinephelusse shee eee els 276
S@rranusechs am cic eh oa eee ee 276
MOrone:.2)5 caren ee< Ge et a ee 274
AMELICANA ys eee eee 274
flaVesCcensS 4.42 se ee ee peo)
anormal), GEIS, .506oa00050 soc aanaacac 381
Moxostomaass5 5.0. anita eateries cme 76
@ilOUTD ake, +200. ae ee Ces 79

ANISUEVMS a: ey ate Se aan

AUNEO NUT ee eee en reas 79

GAAMINWION, on oosouresoueeecdc 82
collapsum..<.-5 se oe Ae me

GONUSsoo ecco

COLES OMUS ee sey eid ae ee 78

Crassilalores ar ee eee 80
duquesnel. (272. ©. (joe oat
Macro] e ple OVUM eee 80

obloneum 2.2. oat cee 74

PapllOstmey eee eee Ut

PIGIENS Gira s..)s1 eee oes 78
TODUStUMG ©... ucla hice: ke eee

TUIS CALLE See tn ene eee eae 81
thalassinumis. 2.4 ea. bee eae 79
Narcobatideee 6 Ack in cei: cies ae een 42

INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC NAMES.

PAGE
NMAninan eA vOOALUSearrient weeps alo clt- = « 46
JRUEn ie «saint ate at cence carrie Cee 46
SLOASOG Olle eee eenaaye ce ommee te fe 46

meNeMbe, JNO MOURGIS: 555 cop bo seo oOo our 66
Bimelodustsast.. Goce canes 66
naucrateoides, Echeneis................ 370
malMcravess HIGheneIsatas asses lacs. es. 22000
Theptechemeis.< 2.3 26.6.) < 370
MeEDWOsus -AMeENUINUSs44qesnnnees eens a ee OC
Cymosciony. j.4 vet. on eel
Menticinnws: ca.5. oss.5 a... 582e

@toluthus- os soe eee oleh

PM CLOGUS ti ahaa as Ok
INemmboomeap icone tis iso ce + oh eer OU

Neomieenis ANAME Ys. 8 osc ad cence cee e288
ANA ONL UES ec AE A chasis) Skee Mes. cic ahs 287

ER este ED Or tater eee OEE 287

PORISCUSN Aelpeec hs Shee a, cet: eNO
nevisense, Pitheostoma........-.-....5- 255
MIgKICAIS, CALOStOMUS...0 0000s 2s cvs 74
sito hOnusser secs eer cern 198

Mia calinr aS Any Sa on sca oer t ste eae 198
Mieroptertis: 2.22. < eee: 245

MigrUnt, .BOleOSOMA:. 2 2 p-rueh net age 3 260
effulgens, Boleosoma........... 261
Etheostoma.......... 261
Etheostomaseaee aaa dae cO0
MIGTUM - 2... sees 1200

maculaticeps, Boleosoma....... 262
olmstedi,/Boleosoma:...*..5..... 260
miphobles, SPATISOMA....s. 0k 2.00+... +004
MURKELVEMCLISH ATMEIUEUS): sae 26 oes se-- > « 65
RAIMI ERY IO OSISH rs, scat a 2 aes kin AS eis 92
INGCLODIS seeecemie ete ste Oe

ETN CUS en ah gecoreccists Gene reke cess euch 221
FEAR OLOUON | his ene Rees or 221
TONERS, ILC OMe co cea Go ae cue che oon 241
INOECHINEGOLISH tensa crs cir sine aa xe teins +e 88
Chirysoleucash aves oer 88

OAVSONGUCAS. oo cudsaseaeecs 88

Nothonotus thalassimus: . apices. 6. See 263
ZO ASP Reale te euccae heals; iets a 264

mousy CymMOSClOMe ms arty so), o cuss nits ena 309
GOLGI eee pee oye eveeraae= vce 309
Niatropinmerrcr raat. Wah. bia Siesta OAR iiss 89
AD COLUS eerie ciehty Neretee uae e ste 94
AMGUPINMIS Sack apes ewes es eae 96

AMM GR IWUS eect eane is s+ wie Pete ehslle 99
analostanus..... . 93

CWHACS Pets clans Onn Or foe ee aCe ec 98

Cla HUOOMGKe, 4 ag cate ae a aloo ole 99

orginal ewilevan teeineicracis tee oresr sys es 96
Ciblhyopswiwods acc ols pci Ho ee 97
Chiltitieustscr as oats oi cor 96
chlorocephalusseee seme. 95

ROC CORES ye aes sie eee te ee vene one OE

FEN CONUS 5 owe clocid a ome ene cone 93

UC SONIUSMEy ae pte sis os biews suse conte 91
SaluGamusye mesa sess 91

NMCLOGUS Seer ts.e sie eek ree recone = 97
MEHRONUAIS soho bdo ae de homane 99

MMS PALON Sty Pas seshscuietat fsy.e.0 Weagans or: 94

FN 0 (ee) NUT = Bane aoa ara a oa 94

TUVEUIS SHEENA c che surah Mpstkedue <a sults oO

[TOON repacandsbonebass co oma 90

PAGE
Notropis pyrrbomelas. ... 02.55.02 ss aes 94
THU OVMOKYCAN 6 So mavsacannannsou 95

Salli AMUS sea see eaenda ean se Peon 91
SCEPLICUS# os crs 5. ate Grape gestae 98

SOAAU MIAO, oan cuxdcno tacos 91
TElESCOPUS) ses sche eis eens oes ewe = 97
umbratilis matutinus.......... 99

MLO CU R UNGULUS: <1) .o2 + lel as ae ores. ae 150
Livi ONC CUCS eres a reac 150
INOtuTuIsielemtherush.c sees ances 70, 71
RATIOS GRAV iee oe sate as L.
NOVSIVEA SESS oyun sca cae UIE rb 70
IMATSIMAIS, asetasser elas ene x oe Oe
nuchalis; Ehybogmathusas..- 4... 2-1-1 85
Obese, Hnneacanthus..........-.-..:.. 235
IR OMOLISH ee ao Ree tort gciee: 235
obliquus, Welostomus. ...........--..-.-316
oblonga, Chrenopsetta.......-..------ >= 389
oblonaums Moxostoman ways: si > se lee 74
obscurus, Carcharhinus................. 33
SOU aU fae acces eee iu 33

Ootusus; Rhinichthys.. steno. 2. LOL
ocellaris, Cheenopsetta..............386, 388

Pseudorhombuses. assess oe 386
‘acellatarmeercans yaeis einer err 320
SClena Mara memo weer cc 320
ocellatus, Cheetodon...:..-....-+-s.5..000
Gyan WOLD Ora ys x es) tnyeke = eee 113
DycodoOntish.caceerie cons = 113
Sciceenopseeicte erator) acre 320
occidentalis, Tetronarce........ ay nies 43
MOrpedOmt sc eames wee 43
Oscocepiwalidees tic. os wipers eer ea 400
Oxcocephallisye sraccicn . see clers ee ae = 401
VESPETUMO ce tos a cities ete 401

omlma, Mecalops oc. 5. 2. sete. = 5 vier 129
oglinum, Opisthonema.............---- 129
(UMA, INORG so obon Soper noon enn ope uuIpS 144
Olipoplitests 2a svoscsecestessce reteset enn ay eae 200

BRUINS e feiss ns econ ene soho serene
olavaris, PUeplOMhad... eee sen gon: (OO
SihOTHSy shee eae aioe 6 > MOS

olmstedi, Boleostomay . 22... eae « 260
pVFETE DION 2 G65 505 bR 260

MitheOStOmag sh. siss-sbaco kya oc = 260

IMAI G abo G0 260

Oncorhynchus tschawytscha............ 416
Gavin JAD NMUES wom Sue aw ae ia Geng sies 327
PATS 6 oan saying Pe OIG
AMIGO Seis se gts 2 cite errata: cco 327
Ophichthvideey..\ 225.4... teem 2 112
Ophiditdset Ges. 2 onan ses ie conse ooo
Ophidium marginatum...............-- 379
@pisthomemma S47 a ..ocs0. sees ns sacri 129
royed tay Dha dpe conor eye 129

WOE awe ogaoneooenoodos 129

@PSATUS a oanmeck neh a aa Sek 372
Ee WWla hic closers ee ntantno quero nGne Sate CemoIon 373

Orcynus secundi-dorsalis..............-- 188
UWI soc oanncch oro odeegcee 188
@rthopristiseoe na. 6 sod tetra ieee eae 290
chirysopterus:,. ass sack oe 290
fulvomaculatus.............290

GIFT 1 NOd.< Hnaictn SUE ho ao cg dae 58
epid osteus: tr..i4icwemianeeion a oe 58

444

INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC NAMES.

OSSCUS, episOsSteus:. s5eee aoe ee a eS
Ostrachidie: as, cn sneer oe ete eee 344
Ostracion trigonumins eee eee 345
triqueter.2 sc t24e do Soe eee OLO
Ostraciuimetriconuss eas eee 345
Otohthusimebulosuss--- eee eee ole
NOLWUS eee eee ee eee OOO,

Obryniber vee fsck = els sgn erste eee 297
CAPrLINUS.. 2 av hes ee eee ae 298

OVAtUS elrachynoOtUSs seth: 213
Oxyraynehus, Acipenseiasse eae tear 55
SGUTM OL ae 55

pallidus epomisssesss2 see eee 241
papillosum, Moxostoma................ 77
SVACIUMIS. sarees cae | Ses 390

papillosus, Pleuronectes................390
Ptychostomus: )). ¢. s.cen:, (Cs
IParaltehthivs tee ate oa ts 5 ee 386
al bicubbUss eee eos

dentatiss: hs sear ee 386
lethostigmus..- 2... ...424- 2888
PRanatrachusspisquetosaa= am -mni- ae ee 206
Rarephippusmabenee are ee eee ed:
RareXOCCELUSSscn tte cee oA ne ee ae 165
MESOSASUCH ee a ee ee LOD

Pare RhomMbUSsee eee oe cee eeS
SHTOMALCUSHS,.G eas oe eee see D2
Paiva, Mb Cama fea - say oars cee ert: 151
PALVUSs. Oy PEM OC ON ie ren ee ify
patruelis;, Gamibusia....../.. sees se a koe
peckianus, Syngnathus................. 171
DECUINATIS TIS hls 4 ee eee eee 39
Pediculiatits. ers. ghiae ee = ee ee OS
Recedichispctalops- eee eer a eaeee Bie
pelamys, SACL A 2 emcees iri eee ane ea 189
peltatum, Hiheostoma-..5....-.ss..54..200
peltabusmeladnoptenisas. sme. sae ee] ee 255
Peprilus. . Nastia 223
alepidotus. wi - so) fusion eae 228
IRS ECAR ts mace SO eee coca ee ce 250
AMERICAMAn yy 274
APOC ein hile 0 ley Uae rey eet 287
AUEATICN NO eee ie cea tee amen 279
chrysopterin ssc 22a eee eerie eee 290
flavescens: are); SreetGr ey mee te 250
LOTMOSA Soe oe Se Oe a OS
PibPOSUB to. ame ee tes ee ce ation 242
Ocellatawe ch ei ison Tea 320
punlacdelp nice ees eee 281
Salita trix 88 = once peeece Sayer 215
SOCtALLIK Yea. euk cn amet tee sere 306
LA GURU eee yeteNeRe te den. chateicn cect celts 281
Who ICN he odes ae oso yo Sobel ane O US)
VWCNOSS. aise kta ke ee ea 278
VALE Car he cee ein: ay ao
ence Once \. os ee Bet ae ae meee 247°
IPTG ary ee nh cae ee ene ee 253
CADEOUES +50 cdc o55 Se ee 253
TOANOKA A.A WE Kien ooaae te te 256
Petromyzon.. ee 28
MAMGUS: 2.0 6.4c uw cee eS
Retromyzoutid sea eee ee eee eee 28
Phenacobius:... act hate see: See 100
ULANOPSi cy, |. Sees eee 100
philadelphia, Percails 2.).0 805 evs ee ete 281

philadelphicus, Centropristes
Serranuss.3 2S ee

Photogenis leticops: <....2 2 ate ee ees
luciodus: 402. ...tn eee ae 97
pyrrhomelas sys) suc ase 94
telescOpuUs.< Stic ee eee 97

Phycis earl. S220 has cate ue ene 384

MOPIUS <ellw lets eae ee eae Coen ree 383

pidienseMoxostoman: jh. eee oe eee 78

pidiensis), Ptychostomuss.4 70ers se 78

iPimeleptertis | DOSCl.2 eh. aan eo UO

Pram eloGusmmsi emer oe alee eee 70
Maraliseee aoe SAT MER er eee 66
Nebwlosus..an aa 67
platy cephalush seer 68

pinniger, Enneacanthus Ghetto Re 236

DISCACOrIUS LOPOIUS see eee eee eee 398

PASCES? ita cicissoassi onion tn eee 29

pisculentus, Fundulus: «527 s.¢ see eee 147

pisquetos) Baravractisss.. 4. eres UO

pisquetus, Carangus..). = oss.) one ee eee

Placopharynscs. i200. cas: eee See ee 82

Caninatusty. soe soe ee 83
GuqQuesniie cea ee eros

plagiusa, Aphorstia. 3.05 . Ss. ie eee 397
Plagusigi, <0. 0 2a. one eee eee 397
Pleuronectes..........00...00- 397
Symphurus. . rare aise OO

Plagusia plagiusa. tee. oxaeqootes eects 397
platyeephalus, AIMENITUS: A2.. aA cme 68
iRinvelodtusseese-te sere 68

Platyglossus bivittatus..............2..830
AMEKOUY UH OVUM aol Big 5 Ses cro 331
Pleetospondylis.... zap ae oe cee oo ca
Pleuronectes americanus................390
denitats S055 45a pee 386
maculatusss: as. seee eo!

papillosus: = 2... once eee

Plagiusay.: [221s oh eee eee 397
Pleuronectidse ss)... <5 59th. kae
plumien,. Hamulony..:. 32-2 6 eee 292
Tabrus!hio8 ak 5 Sponge manee rane 292

Mirror nics sea cattees oe teens 180
Scorpsenals. aoe ae oe 355
Peecilichthys’ camurum, 322... +e ee 265
flabellatus +) 3.052 ane ores 266

@QUIESGeNS fa -nise ote cae aad 268

TUM ALU SE epee ren ene 266

Vitreus-. <t ulcer eee 262

VAllMerabuswe se cee ere 265

ZOMALIS Ae. ciate ae ee ater 264

Reeciltiday. eka Gee seen 145
Pogonias; 3.4.2. 80 Stre Ge ie te ee ee 324
CrOMISt Sek 4 ee ca ore 324
Polyodom: 244 25.05% fucose eae 54
fol se eae. Seer eee 54
spathula.e =. cas seat 54

Polyodontide: < aca.. is ences ie eee 54

Pomadasys fulvomaculatus............. 290

Pomatomides t02.¢ sees Ae 215

Pomatonus).y-c esac esther ae 215

saltatrixes som tae 215

Pomolobuis45348 pias oe eee ee ee 120
sestivallisic:.1 sence a ee ee
MEGIOCLIS:e aoe oe ee 121

INDEX OF

PAGE.

Pomolobus pseudoharengus..........-.- 122
RomouistenetOGOMsen cn aes. 6 ees as o2 31
CUTS] IS ea ea PE aa ceo aa 234
Hollso0 Kier ee AS ren cae.: 242

IRNGISO Terra eae Mat ccet eras eae 241

GSI: ax Seo els Res ree cee to)
pomotis, Acantharchus. ...............232
@eniuane Musee... os .22 aren evar 232
TPIT aD eal oa eas Se SAS SG ee Eid cee eee 229
BP ATOMICS Mia Riese cine 1-0 Ss. 230

HeEXAC AMES aeeuere aides see ee
Poronotus ...... EE 1 5 ene eee ay

LIKAGATATUILS Grae een ne ene Geer. 224
Potamocottus caroline.................307
TDs BSAA HTC eae eae oe meen otis ei cie Ieneane-to3)
Priscanthus altus...........- Signe dy ae 285
prestabilis, <Alosa:.. 2.6.21. wer ee tee 125
erronoiUiseeres ech. Sen avin ie eek see 308

CAT OUMULE eer ate e iedeccn emesis 361

EVOlANG toes eee A eaten a ono 359

MUOMCHAUIS K-56) 2 ees = OU

SCIEULSMees brie Be eee OOO

EriDUlUSe eh ee ee oes OO

=» Pristidse. ....: Sy oat atiel a HeLa Wr 3 pane gi 39
Tera Sie Stee St ole oN see eae tae 39
AMUGL MOT: Saye seve. eben Te 39
FICCULNA LMS 0 ie pen apis Ss ee 39
probatocephalus, Archosargus.......... .300
Diplodust= acess s- 2 300
VATS. nies ses 3-000

procne, Hybognathus..........-..----- 90
PNGOGROPIN Goan cts-PS tax Gon ieee thei OO

Ee TCS Meee eke ts ete phe en Noe saa 2 299
Tem UUG ey eer pp NARS sles ses 222
pseudoharengus, Clupea...........----- 122
Romolobusseeecsee ace 122

Pseudopleuronectes .......-

AMencanuUsas =ee 20 O90
Pseudoepriacamthus..¢. ..ua ste es = 285
alGUSS: CL ee Ae LOD

Pseudorhombus dentatus ..........386, 388
ocellaris...........386, 388
quadrocellatus..........3889

psittacus, Coryphena...........-...---332
eymichth yes <2 51 pu. = isis -SOr
pseudogula, Eucinostomus............. .304
IPiteico) OMA els) Se rige oes Soe co One .399
Inii={ iia (O) eee enc Byam mero 400

LET GIRO 6] 2 a ee eee cee cea 45
TEN LUA Aer ae, torn sta ie,
Erycnostomus albusi.. 09. s2e2-<--.- 49
COLVINUS eae. oe se a ta 81, 82

OULAORIES gery eel sine Min, ts 77

COMUS I eatin eee. see boats 81

ROLE rOmUSs aii tes ay. 11-42, 78

@rassilabrisn: aa. acken = Je 80

PR YE MUS: fee ahd sales 79

Jachrymalis. cick aes: - 80

PpSOIMOBUS AE Soret Hoes 5 77

PRGMEMSING 5 5. ae se eis cl 2 78

POMMSEUS 2 oc Kaecateeaseeie s 80

PAIASSIMUS se « cae atest Shi 79

mustcoate, Aluterar. ovc2<. 625.22 nase
Baararellaw,. 2.22.5 ena tte os ee 314
punctatus, Ceratacanthus...............343
Hypleurochilus. ...0..-.:--. 376

We GaGUSHs ha sot as esse ee 64

eesthes gece nists wahoo ne acute 376

SCIENTIFIC NAMES.

punctatus, Prionotus....<..0..4 oa. sss 5 S00
SilWTUsi.t cits seuceicie ey Seo 94
punctulatus, Hippocampus..............178
purpurescens, Lepomis..........:-.---- 241
Puss erandisquamis....24..s-us nossa + >-O00
TAGIALA ie Seeks | ome eer ODL
pyemoses, Umbra ts). os eee el
Lica Wap Ae eter rh rome ae rer 141

pygmeeus, Leuciscus........--++++--::- 141
pyrrbomelas, |NOtropis. 2g. 2 ae: y<nn/ 2
IRhotorenisee ae -: seek rior 94

quadriloba, Bhinoptera, 2. <i. 5-5 2 ened
quadrocellata, Ancylopsetta.............389
Pseudorhombus ..........389

Queximana cyrans:..2 >. -see- eso ee = 180
quiescens, Copelandellus................-268
Roscilrchthiyse: seca es eee OO

RACH YCEMDrId =e .n 06 o% oe 3 om os suse s = SI s/s 219
VAChVCEMITON <aaaee cari we Nocg ns er see
CAMACUIS ter hy seaneientus as 220

reaKebieniny, IEDR “ogo eecc duce 6 so4ece coe 331
IRIE) MAE oo eee eke oe ekcd oc Es Ce ORE 45
a eteta te yer e nos a ES oon 2s 41
IOSUNIS soe ye ae tse een 47
lofonieistbists so uonh aocks se noes amour 47
CONGIUDAR ES Sack ee ene een 44
Gelanberia oc hie ahs soi oariga = ee 42

Vee VAS Were ce cree Sate thse chee ea 4]
Mpubehinlas woe oe oh end oo ome coma ce 46

ELV ard crane ered pees eas ieee 44
ass. Ls hoeieinn ae or Ree Oo Tso ins 41
raphidoma, Belone,........02/+.-.:..~-108
MWIGSUTUS 5.8 ears © oe a = 158

rathbunt,, Hundulis:. i... seme s4s ses <5: 149
imental, IBSObS, ecu ciocde sees ooo supeges 143
Resale CW ybiuMlss yan. sn balay 38 ees 192
PapAlis MCVMOSCIOM: qcc0. vas tacat: 22-2010
‘A olavanibYSeseed oro eee cleeke mice cro 310
Scombene ewes. eet 552i 192
Scomberomorus’..62...-.. 22... 4+192

Pepwos, lens 2256.2 + oe sete 3-088
hig cise tetas <.- ae rieee . OOS
WrOphyCISstsa0o2 5 scr eaees- «000
TOSS ERENCScsaccioe,- - «= wearer ee + aae
Remorie ACOb28 62. i525. = Nee ee Be 369
TEMOEAL Os enews Oe aS «200

femora Wcheneis..; | =p ce saokcieee. ~2s 00"
ReIMGEAA+ ok ewe ah ee OOS
Reniceps tiburo:> s.... 2% «ese een tae 35
reticulatus, WSO... ...06c8 9 22 ene -ceeo beS
TWCLUS 258, ce See eee 143
LOpiereOabuliles, iia faces yar) Pose 31
retiferum, Seyllium....... tons Soke 31
RULMIMICMGN Y See oes «ora. et echoes 100

ALEOUASUS: sees tose
Calarachsens seee iss ee el

ODtUSUS Sobieee eeee 101
Rnino batid sper ee sects ete est 40
Rhbinobatustsce ete oon eee ee 40

lemtieinOSsus: dae: sete ce
Rhino pierai skies we sa anise es Sania mies a ee
bOMASUS tied -e ern a hae eee ae

quadriloba....! <i.6.4: o. attae - 47
Rhomboranoided, 22. - ajs es ee ee ee Se 58
rhomboides, Diplodus.............----- 299

apOGOl a. seer eet cee 299

Spent ses pepe ers arncrhe 299

Trachynotus... 2)... 4c - 213

446
PAGE
Rbombus pars.s:csct eee eee eee 223
CEIACAMIUUS Hanes ees eres tel 224
raoloengoue (Opn ho con gos boone ob agouee 206
rimator, Bathystoma. . Pn ea OD
isemiulom. 2s eace seinen kd © oto 293
ISSO AeRY else ice ee reo
MAT CIMALA sa). o a) erde Siac ee 379
LOAnokar Hib MeOStomla ee acme ame cieiem ce see 256
Fadroptenusmaact eerie cit 256
PErciiaina mcrae cise era hee 256
roberti, Heminbamap huss see eee 161
Eby porh amples ec) ..ctrete teres rs 161
TODUStUMVOXOSUOMAnee ase eerie oO
LOMMSUUSs EX OCOSUUS seme tacit eeeienee te 167
Ptychostomus..¢.2c0 sesso. >: eo OU
IROCCUS: a... Ahern ones otie see Se OR 270
e Mi GaGUS eyek ernst ls be ctens Yeates seat 271
Septentrionalisa.ce.. ft vices o's gles 271
rostrata, Anguilla anguilla.............. 108
TUDESH A CATA 5 A nore ere wea ent amt oe ses 204
SCOMmbers: nv to doses ake nee 204
TUR Caldas Aue pOMNISH ss ijsser iene ent 239
TUlOTICrOCeUS weliy0O PSISa-r seater reneieter 95
INOGEOPISsa hae tyes eter cece 95
rufilineatum, Etheostoma...............266
rutilineatus,«Poecilichthys:. ce: 2.2- == 266
rupestris, Ambloplites: wc. .28- ee ste 233
Bodianus. 32 nice. ses t.2.0 ghee 233
rupiscartes, Moxostoma..../. ia... oi os | OL
Rutihustamblopsereuatn crear tenia “104
ANOMALUS sche» 3 aces ole ces socket 85
Salmons Ss preter tee cks AUS melo ers cree 136
ROELENS Se aoe ea ee Pelee Saas 139
LOWEN ALIS ycicaajeussRue Cetere as ee, RT 135
ILC SUS! crcuskarsutescl wick eeatelone Ce ame eee 137
BWA Ora cur acke el Meeagers ce ke cients 416
Rallmoonelesy, IUAOWAWISs boob oacccoocaaccouce 245
IMiCropuehUS seein see eso
salmoneum, Stizostedion................ 248
Salmonidse...n sce. ccacee ciate oe me ot 134
Salliavtri xs Teer Cas cicccctpesfo- sah tee eee 215
Romatomus s.s2 eee eee ee 215
saludanus, Alburnopsa. - 7m rn eertcerc 91
Notropis.:.+..cae-2ke eee eee OL
hudsonius.......... 91
Salivelinus: « .yocantynsengnee sete ens as wiser 135
fontinalis.. ites ts arises: 135
sapidissime, -AlOsa og xe ser cit eee 125
Clupea ay ceoet eee ee 125
Sarda G1 ease ou ier hagl eae Sey omens 189
PCLATIVY Size seerscst atoms corre none melee 189
Sanday ide Caen aire c Sa eat Ree ae 189
SABC AS STC Ale gar te arene ery aetna 189
Scomiber «clic Geers ee ones tease o 189
Sargus holbrookil., 40.5. ox siledeers ce cele 302
Saurus; FlOpsis 7.0 sjss csc 3 teemate sg LO
BOK satire eae Ouee ae hee Reo coteeie 163
Oligoplites\;..:. ies. e onset eee 200
Scombersrsa.n. o deur oe cee OU
Scomibresoxs): 0.00 5:1. ticeeeeeboo
say," Dasyabis. ase ae oe diner, eet 44
Dasybatises oraxca: 2a os ee aoe 44
Rajlaicchisk a: Scan Bee ee 44
sayanus, Aphredoderus................. 174

Scolopsis.n.. is. Vecdys eo Heise 174

INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC NAMES.

PAGE

sayl;,.Dasybatis.:< o>. 2. ee eet ere 44
Try ons: 5 Wages eed ee 44
REDE VOMUMU Coo Gk an ones Conus paleo 323
Menticinnnsese= sae ann ee 323
Scaridar.4..2sndedceeeecn : oe er Si,
SCepbicuss) Viimmils arse alee een 98
INOLEODIS! aaa -iekeet ie coe eee 98
Selnlbeodes: 3.08% soc ene c See 69
eleutherussn 2-2 54. cee 70

fUTIOSUS= 2 or cael Re ee a

INSICMIS’: mettre ee 70

schoepii; Chilomycteruss.... 4. o-eneee 351
IDiGdoOny. gs ocr25 se ee 351

sehoe pit; Aluteraiy.ta5 ce aoe eee 342
Balistes=) sais 2 5 ee cee 342
Ceratacanths sss. 2 ae 342

Scisena, caprodess.c- ca. aco ee eae 253
Chiry SUT). ccc cha aor ee eae 314

lineata... oe eee erro 271
maculata cine. sols este 364
Ocellatar te ate cee 320
SCIADICE sat eae tae hoe ee ee 306
Scissnops? ak. cj aes A eee oe 319
ocellatusic sac ecnos fie fen 320

ScibUlus) eriONOUUS sales eee eee 360
Scomberssc;25 ds cele fcc ccke Sila ncaa eee 194
alletensiiliss: = eee creer ee 187
CHrySUrusy. +2).\-2%.,..4 Saaeene tee 211

CLY SOS: occ ate dtaisis es eee oe netenele 206

iP POS! aoctsa cess sete ae arlene 205
MACUILATUSH Wg cmeton ieee ene 190

TECAliSH a. ys eke aes ance tote 192

TUDE cate Cele Lae Oe ee 204

SAT ae cic eee ee ee 189

SAUTUSE aot. nelstoie mittee hotaeenee ene 200
SCOmMMbrUSS eo a2 4 sete ae ncreee 194

ChaZardit). oo wise. cee te See oe 186
thiynnus?.s 2s his ces 5 steep meee 188

ZONAGUS asc Roku eee 201
Scomberomornisesee eee sce eee 190
guvallllan Dette son ee ee 193

MACH AUIS see eee eee TO.

PEC AIS Cnet or, woe Le 192

Scombresocidse e455) gee eee eee 162
Scombresox.... 50.0 sets os oe ee 163
SAUTUS 03a hot ee ee 163

scucellatusn ees eee 163

Ssombridee.. 2.21 hae coe Oren eee 185
SCOMbTUS SCOMbErL Nee ee ne ee ene 194
Scoliodonsécsc68 cannes oa ee eee 34
terte=nOVie <5 5 oe eee 34

Scolopsis sayanus: ..-24 5... 5.08. oom 174
SCORN: toot areas Sos Deere ee 354
Drasiliensisassseee ee ee 355
plumileri...2.s7c.sketae es eee ae 355
Scorprenid@s. oi... once beer Oe
Scutellatus, ScoOMmpbresOx. «4 1tee eee eee 163
scuticaris, Bascanichthys............... 112
Sphagebranchus :7.-../.....5. 112
Soylliorhinida. 7)... <1 seca nee One 31
Seyllium retiferum. Sc.cs ei) gs eres 31
Sebago, Salmo sy.cc nn ae ua ches oe 416
sectatrix, Kyphosus?...... 2/22 00: Joo ee n0e
Perey 2 oe een eee ee 306
secundi-dorsalis, Orcynus............... 188

INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC NAMES.

PAGE
Sella Meee heehee ee ee 29
Selach OS uOMMleerhos: tucks: ot tera aye at 54
Sclaneree tees etn sc cities Las 209
BESOMLCAS. ages ya states ever ets wba 210
VOMELE EES Sait ae ae ane LO
BelSNOPSENOUON:... . 2... a week nn eles 118
SEMOUILUSHSR Ess cease teks ee elas 86
ArOMACUlabUSHe ee aces en = 86
CONPORANSS are te echea vena isie sas nice 86
AepLentrionalis, ROCCUS....c6<s5.e ee eee 271
STACI Be 5S phe shoe oe ee 201
CATOMNENSISH cep AGe ce 202
Mallainnchibepen ters he cose ec slits 202
ZONA GAM Rae nes ences «nett els. aPs 201, 202
CALOlINENSISms ose ee wee 202

Slemmanimiyo as. Po Gea Oe oe ere 270
SennamusratraniUlsess scr «ssi eco siete 279
(OMELG ery eh i= eRe ee nn 278
Gispilunsasanss ce soe eee OO

TILOM OR eee cee tale Wel a 276

philadelphicus. -2 4.22 ee.)

SUbl@aniisseer ane ooeicsee oe LoO

Sevifer, Stephanolepis........:......0...o41
BELIMIDIS; VOMER. Ai ais «stern caine ss =< ¢ 209
LGU Sa Seger oc ele -airk ts. fe, Sisice ath 209

Slum se eyes a ir eran beste rs tacts. 8 ai Fm 61
Syillipte GROEN HUI) othe che avato cate OG ele anna ee 65
LIS Ee 8 op ee ae eR oi? SAGAS 62
OUMATIS skeet es © Sees are: “69
POUMCUALUS): 6252. Seek ate eee eve 5 64
SimobenawWlOcentlace : 55% sages sce ss 258
simoterum, Hyostoma..................208
simulans, Hmneacanthus................ 236
UPC SEOMNA ese che 8S Alay o ce SBE ctayd owen 8 169
fl OTe Oceana oat ne ewes ie peas Sis 170

MUS CU erga res rer Renee aes he irs 2 4% 7a

Pep louisiance ese yas cases ats = 171
Smaragdus stigmaticus...........:..... 365
SICH ATO ENG BOR Ae in et int gi lain cry, ae eer 10)
Ryd ECHO et ate aha che pees Pane alae iae 294
PIPAEISOUI De reek arctesraieh a) chaeet Fepo nt ce 2s be OOO
miphobles#eyeaseh eas soe soe OOF:

RIALOIGES PIGAOTUSo @. | Ashe teeue sho secsis< 2 4

IBOMOXIST 2S: 5 ia5 saeco 2o0
EMALUATCHIS/SODS x soiree ae os eee ole eon sins 296
probatocephalus:.........-......-300
PHOMMOIMES! «eval cee a ee 299
Satnula, PolyodOn. 0... 22 eels ee 54
SUS Aree oe watosictenias o aay 54
spectrunculus, Hybopsis................ 91
INObropis’ 2 -aecteta i oe cen 91

speculiger, Cypselurus........2......-+. 166

IEFXONAUbER eae es Se esas

spengleri, Spheroides...................348
Retrodony woo4 osc ease as 22 848

(SSOTS ES) 012 840025) 0 ae ena 183
Sphagebranchus scuticaris.............. 112
PS CROLG CHEAP y. wy Siri eapene ais a eerie woe See g 346
AAC UIUGUIS erie aie oak ee lochs oe 347

Sy Ore 1 hc a Ca 348

SA VMOT ARs Tea is Cie, cu att, cai a deen ds 183
ACUIG Pace eis Hae dee eater LOS

PGESAISe eee Nee ek ne cet 183

SPOl eee se iz 0 Saas > LSS

SR PRCONIG ee cers eee ys SeeM yee 183

PAGE
Slayer eae amas, ew ye yao sera win 35
PID UNO Meee ered eee ercn oe

zygena ORTON eae

SS Jo anysDINT Gl So ee eerverarctt cacy ofocceie ici siahere as site 35
spilopterus, Citharichthys- 2... ..---.-o004
spinosus, Chilomycterus................« 351
WDIOUONC 2. . cee Ne = odin eects 5. OOL
Squaltus-vandoisuluss a. <7. <5 ./2ssi.20 - 3 '- 87
PIC [UIE CAINESE Stet reponse eos, tate, fe wis Baer sp Sera: 32
PRISCUS He ens ya cuete ee secr ss ooiory: 30

MGHOTALISS sce ese ear iel os she cl ct Ok,
ODSCURUS See ee ee ee ene OO

Sa UIMULL oe ene, ate ean Rachnesstat sha.) oe 54
BOWMAUINA Aastra a «alsa lactis als 'c 38
UELEE-NOVEN ss aura tases spore sve ete. 34

TID UNO RRe cPcee aeeis aes Gas aya Aes 35

BE ASID Me fe a hss ae =, arvie 3 feiaerat abstonsts) (OO
squamatum, Etheostoma..............- 257
squamatus, Etheostoma................. 257
Hypohomus. . Soe eee a

Sqmehivg.: cus siete ao. dle Gerstenecee. ta Sera: 37
SU ALINE, Se oo cee te ee eres 38
squatina Squalus: <.).< tse sues 38
Sef Wati a ee eon cyeraes ss als ssi s 38

SCA PING Ee sn Bi oa he eyed seen atk Seals tapes: 37
Stellifer mend coe rae epee ceases.
lanceolatus: =f ..n caches Se: 315
ShenoOvomuUsts vr war teste tas esse ese oF 295
EVODIELHUE oon eacioecuda.cce ¢. 297

AIP VVOPS. cc. sakes Petes Se 296

caprinus. . Re OS

chrysops. . CAS oe ee 296
Stephanolepis setifer...................d41
stigmaticus, Ctenogobius...............¢ 365
GUbiGs. cee: se gee noes BOD
Smanracdus see eee ere S00
Stilberamenicananeqs.-- oc ae 2 a SO
DUIZOStECION away ee he Aegean ok to ee 248
AMETICANUM Eee eee 248

Salma OMelMia mein tae cere 248

GVALGRE UTM aces Pass ary iaeke 248
Stoasodonmmaninaniaecs.)-\-r ee aeeeri- 46
Stolephorus: brown... <. 2.002 J): 133
MTG CHIN AP, 2.4. seABe eee > oh = 134

Stalls eA thiasene wast seiner eee a0
Centropristes..-5..2.1e aun cee ee.
Hpinephelus’s s 0.) tees asees)e' 4) 275
Stromateid sega gens ote sleet nase ouce: 221
Sromateus alepidotus...................223
ATU cn Gnses se Eee wc eae 223

GI AN UNS eet eee ere ae 224

sturio oxyrhynchus, Acipenser........... 90
subluearis, Dulles... .5.5 sane m7 Meteo 283
subligarius, Generel LS Sacto tO
Serranus . pie iat goes

SUeettA me YOrOlse..., .o ski steiner 74
BrimyZ00 #2. - <2 ys hat wens oe AA
surinamensis, Holocentrus. . oe ae Pod Galata ele 284
GOD OPES yaa. ce warden 284

Sie yoithat We Attn, Maio atc Okie 390
Papwlosum.: e245 02.2 eee 390

Sv MUTUS 3 ge shel oe Sue ote, ok nantes saeele 397
pete Lora dicisivsaigtar de eee 397
pynennnat tse, « GeO TEEN RAE 156

448

PAGE

Syngnatbus lowuisiamees 22 227. : pe ees bral
peckianus:\ohucee see cee eae
Syngnathidee SRN S reek n en ated bh nee. 169
Sy modontidse: shoo ht wee aie ae eR 138
SUYOCUS, . cose hee tenth eee ee eae ae 138
fOeGENS ia, eah eo ee eae 139
swannanoa, Etheostoma................264
(NOR VeRnee, JENSUIENMED 55 osc sconces eee 168
Marponss..62% 4m eens Sen ee oe ee eee 114
atlanticUS:-4s6545 0 nee eo en

Gauls IS abrachiis yaa eerie eerie 373
Gaduisi eis sth sec concern eetce: 373
QOPSANUS: bs eccise beet eee aae ee 373
Pawtoreerd ss.nicinays ti See eer tren ul)
ONIGISH. Oe eee ee eee Oo
Meleostel. wee come hee ee cess eee 61
iLeleostomines cm oA: socks Pere 49
telescopusy, Notropis.: (2.2 sho. viet eels oles 97
Photogenise saat) een ee

LETeS a OaAtOSLOMIUIS: pee heater er ee ees 73
Meretulusicervinus..s. \- estas ee oe 82
terre-nove, Carcharhinus............... 34
SCOlOd One eer 34

Dcaalus. ceva oe he outers 34
Metraodontidsetens eee eee eee eo LO.
TLetrapturus sada. se eee. cee 198
abIGUS etree ae recone 199

MIN KAAWOP, owen cavaccanes arly)

Tetrodon hispidus......0¢ 2+ 0 oes 2a a8 347
leewigatus iy. i426 6o ee cee

FA O(G) Ee Wace Ante ee as rns oho 352

Spenglerie . t.c.ccscesea rons Ge oer 348
Gurcidusie. oar ess se ree Oo
Petromarce ye wit cite ce a oe has ee 43
OCcidentalls weer eee 43
thalassinum, Etheostoma...............263
IMoxostomaan. ieee eet 79

thalassinus) Nothonotus:..2 jeer oo: 263
Ptychostomus: <7... fe i Ao

chia Zand Awixisten cases tchs csiete etstied er 186
1 Scomber\s,..15 ses: oe eee eae OO
thrissa, Opisthonema: 9.0, 2426252 se ee 129
thrissoides, Megalops..... .... se uc6 souesas 114
ABINUTATNUS sc, Sot ae Oe sete ee eee LS
thynnus Uae: onesie cog eA eyo ators ae 188
thomnus, Oreynus? :.....622 08s o-oo LOS
thynnus, Scomlber::.Aaceat: sooner e ae 188
AR UMMUS se. Pee oo ee eee 188

tibure, “REniceps.) 7... ade. + ae eee ils Oo
Spliyira se wut. oo Sate ee aie 35
SGURUS is cine =a teege elon: 35
‘Torpedovoceidentalis. <4 03.0): cme se «ot. 43
Trachino tlishs.2 over ee eet rye ee 212
Carolin Saeeeees eee eee 214

fal abuse ee ers 213

plaucliswe says neeeseeeoe 212

Goodell. fi. 5 Jes stag sie eee
Trachynotus carolinus: 2,-0.5 52:4... .sal4
Ovallsds. Wie tent ac eee 213

ThOMbOIdES 441-6 ase aes 213

triacanthus, IPGronolbuss eee 224
Rhombus. . ies ete Meee
Stromateus................ 224

tribulus, Prionotus:..-)- 4. ase ao O0
Paige e 22). Geet toss cainngiel yar eeoOe

INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC NAMES.

PAGE

Trichitinidse: sce Reese Ce 195
WP richiurUse sas recke ciacekn 2 ae ae eee 195
Teptupus: >... gac tixe tiny aero 195

tridens;) HULjaANUB. cc Chee ome ee ee 281
trifurea, PORCaiAk. 50:5 srt elekc eeee 2 ap
Trigla carolina... 92s. ..24 2aee eee
CVOlANS: ca tu t-< 4 tee ee ete 359

TEMO UNS pc29 hs SR eee ee 360
Volitans!. sy. di. eee ere 362
Trighde.... so 3a... J. oste eee Pe Oe
trigonum, ‘Ostracion®,....ic: 17) ae eee eeetoae
trigonus, JLactophnys: itt: ea ene 345
Ostracimie,.. 22:43" Saher eee 345
triqueter; Lactophrys:,.2.2% 2: a2 \ncaeeoso
Ostracion:. 0.2. Tee 48 a4 Bee
(risotropis microlepis.. . 4. sss eee 277
Trey gonycentruracctye..< oe Ree ee 44
BAYNE W. O cian «one eearaern eseme 44
tschawytscha, Oncorhynchus............ 416
turgidus, (Chilichthys. (77 2m. gccee cee 347
Cinrisomus:.«.;64 002 Gee 347
TRetrodoniss.< 234.55 eee 347

"PY lOSUEUS $s 225 ee coe thee) etal ea eo eee 156
FICUSI ss c:dte Smee eye ea 158

CATIDEUS. sc. sea era eee 158

caribbzeus 159

INAS? 3 Pehae doe eet, oe eee 159

TALLIS se are Be 1 Seen is eee 157
sepligomes Sr Aa Orr eee 158

tyrannus, Brevoortia. . Mgt een ciiy RoE OO
Cpe de. hot see as ea ee 130

Wilocentrat. seks 2 oo tedert ses tee aes 258
BIMOLELE 05 sac 7 Ce cee ae 258

Umbra. 2ieios tection cee eee 141
lbaatl POnAUEEE Cease caccunssve eds 141

PY RMNBH nhl she acta erates reenoner oe 141
umbratilis matutinus, Notropis.......... 99
Wanabbridiss< 5.5 Sasi ee one eae ee 141
Wmibrina littoralis. 22 #244. 46) eee
undulatus, Micropogone aa. ree 318
WuaVehVIbE JHA. «odo oc Ms oo osece porns: 318
unifasciatus, Hemirhamphus........:..161
TO PoT Ae rer eerie 161

Upeneus. . , : Hops ahe pine
maculatus, os .:se. pee 185
Upsilonphorus y-grecum............... 371
Wnamideaycanolimse. asc wets sea eps eater 357
uranops, Phenacobius....... eee ote cena 100
Uranoscopidsey, 0. 2. os Akeacuted gee ne
Uranoscopus y-grecum.................d7¢1
Urophycisa. oc tac (Sto e ecaee e eeee 382
Garters ccc Cee 384

TORUS: < 4. .s/scco hed 8 ge te ore 383

vagrans, \Chirostonia, | sero eee 178
Kirtlandia. . peste Vics)
laciniata, Kirtlandia........... 178
Menididiwcin< 3 cee 178

vampirus, Ceratoptera. .. ......5 <2. re ace
Vanadoisuluss- euciscus 2. 1. cctee ae 87
Sqiislius:<.2:.-8. eee

variegatus, Cyprinodon.< <5... <n,
velatum, Myxostoma: . 222°. 2.575) ee

venenosa, Mycteroperca................ 278
CECA rr. vanes aoe een eee 278
Vermiculatusselaicliss tase -eiee aire 143

INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC NAMES.

PAGE
vermalig, Clupea..... 2... sr cesses cere 122
vespertilio, Lophius.........----++++++: 401
Ogeocephalus.........---++-- 401

virgatulus, Gobiesox.......---++++++++5 374
MATE AMOR ee. ci2ie ote a eter! sins ese aie olan sore 262
(Peres sini setts cre esters eis sters.cte 248
vitreum, Etheostoma........--++++++-+- 262
SViIAO SECON Boob oe oS cmos ae 248

vitreus, Poecilichthys..........--++++++: 262
vittatus, Engraulis............--+++++++ 133
volitans, Cephalacanthus.......--..-+-- 362
Dactylopterus...........-+--+:+- 362
JPrcoVeonnucMenn cobescaouade 165, 166

Mrigelae er, ocysiens siz ste ts Stes sue 08 362

WiGHTHSR: 4 bin oie Sop Sloman En bis okey epic cole 208
0] 3] 0010) gee eee a 209
vomer, ArgyriOSUS........----++eeeeeee 210
Sasa. de eas os epee pau IDO OSE 210

Re Ha GOR DUB CU ome UDA aso aee 210
vulgaris, Anguilla...........-+++esee+- 108
vulneratum, Etheostoma.........-.+-+-- 265
vulneratus, Poecilichthys..........-.+-- 265
vulpes, Albula........---.0+eseeeee eee 1B We
Oh pmo he 6 Melee. cde elon cumomioron 117
xanthurus, Leiostomus.........+--+++++: 316

phase 5+ tise eee rs = 197

PAGE
Xiphias gladius........-....--+ssse00- 197
RGM cess eieralere ae noes eee ee 196
Xyrichthys psittacus..........----++++5 332
y-grecum, Astroscopus.......---++++++- 371

WranGSe€OPUS secret sic = 371
Upsilonphorus.:..3-0. 0... .otd

VRS (Olleieey woespoucouc aecop oR GodobeUC 207
RE GIPOUITLIS. fark lete fas ain Phe ein apres erie ims 209
NAIA Ream Odeo e Sian on DEO UIC 210

WAGE NEG ce arte BO eee CT eC mE 378
ANP UML ATIS oie wins sip eietn 378
OALCId sea To eC aor ee 378
zonale, Etheostoma..........-+.+++5++- 264
zonalis, Nothonotus.........:.---+---+:: 264
Peecilichth ys. veces. c. e 0 a2 es 264

zonata carolinensis, Seriola..........--- 202
IBIEEEOMIODs Sino congnBoDraGoGOmOe 228

Saas os oponcaon6éoo coupe 201, 202
zonatum, Elassoma........--+-++-+2++++: 228
zonatus, Halatractus ..........++-+++++- 202
Scombener cet othe hereto 201

zygena, Sphyrna .......--.eeeee reer 36
SGUIANNIS yo sarees esis sie cine ain © 36
Zygonectes atrilatus..........+++++++++> 152
STOLE Bo iain iene D Oo bicrcktco a clo 150

GENERAL INDEX.

[For common names of fishes and scientific names of orders, families, genera,

of fishes, see the preceding special indexes. |

PAGE
Acclimatization of fishes........... 413, ALS )
Albemanleisoundayne 6 oc aqecece ease 5
Nie WHKEGMSDOLYs 6 4. ks eee eek Hs 123, ei
ANilllee, JEIG ID) ofa cB ake oermivons oleearrereleeeaticgc DG
Alligator TERIRGrET OMS, cf A oS centage Re a cure ere 5
Appalachian mountain region........... 3
Amal, \Waillteny 65 cen poeadesoeeorbene 3
Ararat Ties a 8 et ee ce. 11
BOUT GE Sar eR ees: rae wae ys 110
PAO ROMO IN. Heer ween ielic ests @ oe ate 312
Ning GENONOTANS) sb tagioolecn o a ome eee mucra 29, 33
Atlantic salmon PlAGEGE ey is. Se etaes 8 aetye tu 416
Baird Spencer Ue niece e's oss: 14, 15, 217
Banks Sayed os pate PE ea CULE EON ae ea 4,6
IBamimamis elalken seseeraserersicte = Gos. os 2h sil. -fe eve 8
Aver elector VON. 22.2.2. tr) sma se 48
ety ERIN Mey ec cric ay a ellen) ce allah fan fo. a> 5
Bean Barton A)... 6. DAP Ow OZ
iteidksiom Jel. Shocecoodoe 14, 179, 181
Black bASsMISMCIYic cs a6 eee => n=: 247
ASEMMSMOTY. © 20s eal By ae ane = 280, 281
THR east c aeceaie cuciecns oeere et oeerence 8
Blie=nshetisherves eieie sen role onic: 218, 410
TEYOVE (Uke YO) UTTENC Re are ICE ea 6
Bollman, @harles MAG: beeen 2.0. Apacs eer 14
Bowers, George 1 RAS Eats Ae Nea 1
Brickell, JG ee eee Dee ame eee Y 18
primey, Oasu.G ese. = ass = « d,s kds Loo, 200
Jel, WBle 5 a5 ath 1S, Is aie, aiehsy Tee) alle?
284, 299
IBiROG! IRINOR 5 ols coms hore ects eeeeine ae al, 2;
STOO KRW INGteeiacicic le ee an ere ya 14
Bithenatisinshishery. ana se. ee corse 225
Capes Dee rsts ss Lio ast tye 87, 92, 101, 104
G@ppesbear BMVEMs <n. 2 cies ete sean ti 10
Gapelatt. Wo Bos. sacs ns «t 3}, Gy, SO, 1G
AU rary RA CLA oe conch onl 2.) 5 gs aie a whe es 107
MIPROOUIGE Cente war goin ties eect 415
Wapalommeiomashes: coc. 3.6 eee es 25
(atawibaghuuversee bse soe cucecians 1H:
(CO GEITS aig 1S] 0C cee re 62
(GE bal TFS CG) a 204
(GheowalneRiIvers. mete. ciclo oe ea els och 13

CGhowanPhiivers tere ta ic picasa eis

(GlarkembinamiceNe mam ioe trios Seles 2 ee LA
Glnssesvolmmmshesme nc | ck. oa doco eres 26
GlawssenteVibe bn cece ses ome wtac es a a 194
Coastal plain ip 210 (0) Ne a Paar ame ae 33, 4
IOMAON,, Js ncho GMb Oe embers soe 4

Coker onewhee eee elon 173, 181: 191, 215, 280
313, 323, 377, 387, 408, 410

Coles, Russell J.. he ee de OR

and species

PAGE
Collections in Bureau of Fisheries ..... We Ass

National Museum ....2, 15, 17

State Museum .......-- iS). a
Common names of fishes. . Oe etn Le
Gontentneal@nreekeaees on 47 osc) ae LO
Cope nMdwards Di. i.c - ts c\eiar ses 2 14, 249
(Gris hota es oe Sco GB one o ein ec oeencunre 5
(Coys, JMNM ac ceadecrodotanacasbodc 14, 16
Grails ern eee i ee ree \cncae ore 411
@roakensnerys.. sae. 2am ee anaes Ole
@roataniu sound erres se ec eee eater he: D
Cultivation of fishes. . p ahs}
@oiienovole Srovel’ 55. oennsoceacodeusons 4
ID Yshawe Braids) hee Bian a cio eecinenaicic ome ooo 9
Weepihivers santas cee ee = alee nie cone 10
Deve Charles gh: gece s.cvet-cvare stereo hiawaite ap ile
Dismal Cwamper esr see see 5
IDYoyse RaW Giny Senos oud Seo demo oe erin c 12
[Dp NIA 5 aoe o cree bne cuban ode at 307, 321
Drumming GisiShestees Me oe a eee 306
Drummond alkesaear en ee Meee cits toc ff
Harllee Midiwand so -c-i ae- 14, 17, 59, 218

Economic water animals...............-411
Hidentonshatchenyess=- apes os. h es see eee

Mel WiSWenys esis ios Se tease = yee ie eee 110
12S) bees, eee Senora iocoioiyn oceaowaeme eoricr 7
innvalorss Isls Weg gaeenonmee ano acoass 113: 338
ES MOMEUL VC Terese folie i acl cre couse ares Seine 10
Ritherndoe,. ). Mio esac ogee ol 30
Hin AMSA Wik oes east shane eee eran was 3
Evermann, Bartom W..--..--...- 2, 14, 15
[Meginnelel IDG oe oe ae ganuo omacoe soda 136
Fauna of North Carolina ...........- 14, 18
Hereusony WB es. es eee sare ee 414
Fish AeOlITENAVIALOI 455500065 000c 413, 415

GULLIT Oe etc ruc al tee oe syehaemels 413

fauna of North Carolina......... 14. 18

Fisheries, future of industry. . :
general importance and. extent . “407

Fishers FOE Ae See cain cone 11
Mishes: accliumatizeds : ass. . eect oe 413, 415
GOREN OI Ss ocean close So ee aoe coe 26
COMMON NAMES |. 2.8 92.2 os ea ee
first described from North Carolina 19
found only in North Carolina . eal
METOCUICEO ek ae ene er ey oe 413, A15
locallimamne stars erie ser Ceci 32

not previously known from North
Carolinas eerie eee a ee er Dik
of Albemarle Sound.........-5, 9, 15
Allegheny region .......-.---- 14

BCaULOnGR ae ee eee oye We

452 GENERAL INDEX.

PAGE PAGE
Fishes of Bogue Sound,.22.22.=-. =. «40 G?. Kendall Wi.) .csno nitoe esc iene 2, 4, 5, 7
Cape Fear River ...... 0:00.63. 10% - Wing-fish fishery: 575.2% <aste eokne ie 193, 322
Catawha2River icc: opiete ss sere 12’ Lake; Allivator:. sii ics hapten eee 6
Choywanthivenecee dice cr 8 Bartram t.je%.cs ccrcce ei cee 8
coastal-watersive. -.scinseclrae 8 Black's... 2tratte kOe mariattn tear 8
Core Sound 2c t5 Sarah nee 6 Catfish: 3 3.307.153 Date cei oe 7
Croatan} Sound 4.5.6 cee ee ee 5 Drummond a... wae geo oese a
Curritick: Sound! ..452<2)0.5 065% 5 HES. os latenaig saat Shehate acetates CE 7
Bilis alk Cesestirens saber seurarenes 7 Hairtield sas nad. sak eee ee 136
Bort Macon sa... e cee e 16 Great ic se 4 =o ceo es Baa cee a eae 7
Hrench) Broad River. 4 13 LaGtle i. 38 5 yaletecin tee eet eee i
Great Jbakey noc 52 wae merece 7 LON i5 oleae: a soe as ante z
PedeeuRiver. sce acsaemere ice ele ll Mattamuskeet, 4 7\nc.eiuame wee 6
Lake Mattamuskeet ......... dels Phelps) Ps crusts Gs sc olee oiars Ae O37,
Neuse Raven ..nus acetone <4 oe 9,15 PUNO sig o2 aie ate crsa see eee 6
PRamilicoqSoundier re setter 6 Sapphire «44 «css cos ee ee ee 136
RoanokedRivereecseet cs «ate 9 CUppernoners | so. sateen 6
Sound! | jcc cisccels aerate 5 Toxaway s<ts0con ep eee 136, 138
eT SEMIVEE A: 3 .2hs a cistapderne eiarcens 9 Wactamiaw ys. 4 icc saree eriee 8
Wennessee basins 3.2... s.meece IS) -Teakess.. 8 vitae acts opssa ct ce eee 6
Watauga River: s:2s..ec<2 13. Landlockedfsalmon planted............. 416
Yadkin River: ..e cece ores « It: Eaurel Riveross...c'5 <2 «Gece ee eee 13
principal:economie ...:2 5.252... 407 Lawson, John ..18, 22, 29, 33, 48, 56, 59, 60
Fish-Hawk, steamer ........... 17, 414, 417 133, 205, 315, 219, 243, 312, 319
Mla; Ravierssee acct ctse seins dene oink 10: Lewis; Joseph. a .:2 2 scsi a oe eee a 338
Plounder fishery 3/5 c2).0'Sae ene: 385,080.) Lanton; od wits sa 05s. cals es oni ees 17
Bowle: DanieliGe. 2-0, sxsantee to aeons 3... Little Pedeetivien ss: 25% 2okcy thes ace bil
Howler. Henny Wien Acne Stee mela ene 167 RULVIEE, Saieiene =e ti aiaa teenies 5, 10; At 12
RrenchyBroadeRiveranc estore site 12 Tennessee. River o..5:0. 25.05 ocr 13
Fresh-water fishes, knowledge of......... 14 Local namesioifishes*. 064 an een ee 22
WPTOGS ars aye eee cvas Sa acter aeayot sie seater tee AI2 umber Rovers sce. « cay. wees eee 11
Garman erlarnisonecee sence eee cee 228) Maces WalllamvA® 5. osce ee eee 3
Gaskill Woalliamisrl: tarts casters etcecne 3538 McDonald, Marshall ...- io 22. 14, 15, 414
Gilbert, Charles hey. sis n ct et.e sot neters 14°16; Masonbero: Sound: ..:255a.0eeh nae eee 6
Gill, Theordore .......:---- 2. 14) 16; 7, 18 Mattamuskeet Lake: °: 2085s eee 6
Glossary Seances eae nae hci 403 Meek USeth Eis.2.%)., sash ctor ses eee 14
Goldshorowgh, sels ss ses < oc. scncepeninni te 2° ‘Menhaden fishery.:2 025. ¢0 eee 132
Goode; G. Brown: 7. oc... 14, 18, 142, = Middle ‘Sound? S23 .°...¢2. 5 see none 6
Gowdy, Masonic Sips cont <acitas csi. Millican; JohneDe oo... cit nec ame 15
Gravey Caswell s...i33 da ..2 sees 2,14; 18 Milner, Jamies Whos os cnc cmee ere 14, 15, i

Greatwake. acc. sc gr crtscisars oe saya site Bieie % <Mulberry Riverc. x ccc cise ee eee
Pedes Riversc i inn. <i vis crete oes Ll Millet fishery 5... 5p 179, 180, 408
GreenaRiver’ icnncieoce once eat. 12° -Myrtle’Sound.2% 32% i.n5h sans ae 6
Gudger, E. W ...3, 17, 56, 115, 159, 196,214 Names of external parts of fish.......... 24
326, 380, 400 ASHES? jocs't' x cisicisis. oe « crate cee 22
Hallock Charlesisess ee ere oer ee 14 NantahalawRiversmsssa-ricoe ec octet 13
Hatsel; Charles’ 2 222 \...i7 averse fe 3, L738" (NeusesRivers.r te whee blows sc eloreneoere 9
Eb aw TRAVEL as acisis ocs5s Heese aeelereieier es tal oveel 10" “New:River4i5. base sue aoe rete e 6, 12
Plerringe fishery sss. overs aches pettertans etetaraia se 128: Newport iver. ..3< siec-en ot ailee ots Sierras 6
HiawasseesRivert as ascsuies cine cuctetecsie letters 13°, Nolechucky: River? ...25 20.0 Js sent 12
Hickory shad: fishery.:.. 2. sere soe sen = 122") North RUWer s.j0.,.(s;<issatteeisie oko ha eae 5, 6
Isle i anita Mine aa hoe Gen tinwom oooob 291” Pamalicov Rivers: sci52- aieaocssiaite tee eee 9
Holbrook; Johny Hie secre Mav ortien rene yes 18 Sound oy. s osceeaee cubis ace &
HOLM eS PEAS ve erevetcusiiovereotessienetererenens ev, oo | PasquotanksRivier eerie sete terete 5, 65
HolstongRiver’ 55 <5 ..c-0<: siepere ots epee os 1 Rerquimans JRivers siecle ee mere sie iererene 5
Introduced fishes: 2: 42:.% ace serene 413,415 Physiographic sections. os... 2. scccee 3
Ives, George N.....3, 180, 193, 195, 198, 214 Piedmont plateau region................ 3
288, 312, 320 Pigeon: FIVER s sag dire saps 4, s-oy af alee ae oe 13
TV RAV OR a sities ieurraretene te ete aioe Pig-fish: fishery... sre «ois « s-s'hield ssalataalorahomene 291
Jenkans Oliverthy. cate secsin spate tone. ¢ 14, i6 Pike fishery sii:5-' sc sie aredsie tea setae eterna 142
Jordan, David iS. vs.-.20 cues 14, 16. ©. Pin-fish fisheryc2':..¢ Giessen 300
and: Copeland): 22.) ces laces 267 | Platt; Roberts.02 5. Geass cee eee 33
and Evermann,........ 1851645252 Pompano fishery ae ac aaa eee 215
andiGilbert rk csieee serene 16,303. Pope; SP. Ho Ba ss scan utente spa eee 2
Jouy, Pierre Assi. 05.52 Sane cow mee 14,15 Porgee fishery. 1.4 c cdl e ts ceeeien ons 326

GENERAL INDEX.

PAGE.
a eID Sees san en = 5. 3, 167, 169, 213
Pratt, Joseph Hyde.......---+++-+++++>
Pungo River.....---.----e6 seen sce: 5
0) c: Doe ta 411
Quinnat salmon planted......-..----+-- 416
Rainbow trout introduced........-.---- 415
Ravenel, W. de C........------++++++5 14
Bieddies RUIVOD, foc sce sw cee cpp ee eteee 11
Reisman, OG Decca oe sien eee 3
Rivers of Atlantic coast......-.-.-+++-- 8
Mississippi basin .....-...-+-- 12
Roanoke River. . os... 0+ cee eee eee es 8
Sa yTTOCG th ae PPL orn ser RoR ean 5
Roaring River........----2-ssesereses 11
Robin fishery.......:--.---+seeeeeeree: 300
Rock-fish fishery.......---+++e+eeetee? 273
Rocky River........-----sse+eestecee? ia |
Sailor’s-choice fishery....-----+--++s+++: 300
Salt-water fishes, knowledge of.......--- 16
COS AMCHIICGs, <heters <0! 20 + = WI Ie 10
Sanders, WiA: 2... cheese testes 3
Sapphire Lake........------+s-eeereee 136
SeallOpaii ng: wowiiccaise' > reese sek << 411
Scuppernong River....-..---++-+++20-+ 5
Sea bass fishery ....-.----+-++--°> 280, 281
trout’fishery ....--- ‘ot ee 308, 313
Seal, William P..... 2, 15, 150, 154, 155, 229
238, 268, 365
Shagfishery--. 222. .-2-22020 eee eee es 128
Sheepshead fishery.......-----+-- +e 302
Smith, Hugh M. .......------ 15 kes AB Od
tN RIVER. ones te ese ets ete 10
Dadiinelivetec cies: oc == 11
Spade-fish fishery..... .-.--++-s+seeeee 326
Spanish mackerel fishery ...-.----- 191, 192
Spot fishery... .-.- +++ sees s ers tees 317
Squeteague fishery ....-.----+--+- 308, 313

Stimpson, William.....-..---+---+- 14, 16

PAGE
Striped bass fishery......---++-+++++e0+> 273
Stump Sound..:....--+e:sseeeeeeecees 6
Sturgeon fishery.......-++-+s+eeeseeees 56
Sucker fishery........--++-seeeseeereee 72
Sun-fish fishery........----++++eeeeecees 243
Swannanoa River........+++++seeseeeee 13
Systematic catalogue of fishes......--.-- 25
TVae Ieini@icy soca co eoo CO COnoomy Cou ao eman 9
Tautog fishery....-----+-e+e+ererecees 328
Taylor, Allen..........+----+-++95 spt ae 3
RSV acts ee eet Aen ss cuatcne ininiereiss wien 3
MGETAPINIS. vc c- sseeceass meee ere sce ces 411
Thomas, Alonz0.......-+-++eseeererers 3
Maya JRthiGies - swyeclas Clow. o7 OOM OU o's crhooiG 12
Topsail Sound........--+---e+ereeesees 6
Toxaway Lake ........5.---+++++> 136, 138
Prentehvebetese ote joe oe reel= le 10
Tuckaseegee River.......-+-+++++++220+ 13
Wa eves 5s Since Geoae OO Coie ee amicaa 411
WihariesRiverssnmenccmiec cies mettre ce see 11
Waccamaw Lake........-.---+-+2++2> 8
Rivienmicnan ae vole crete eit 11

Wallace, Charles S. ......---+++--++> 3, 226
Watauga River.........--+-+seeereeees 12
Waters of North Carolina.........-.-++- 3
White perch fishery......----+++++++e+> 275
Oalosiners nese cient eh kee 6
Whiting fishery........----++-++eeereee 322
Willis, James... ...2.2-.e-2 seers sense 353
Wilson, Henry V...-...------ 3, 14, 16, 162
Wood, Frank ......----2e-eseee sense Sod

Worth, Stephen G.
273, 284, 311, 338, 414, 417

\Weevillainl Sines gigas clo UD diprice oo reo om 11
Yarrow, Henry C...14, 16, 157, 161, 181, 218
301, 311, 325, 349

Yellow perch fishery.....---++++5-+++-- 252
Yopp, W. BH. 2.22... 0-282 ees 317, 293, 322

PUBLICATIONS
OF THE

NORTH CAROLINA GEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEY.

BULLETINS.

1. Iron Ores of North Carolina, by Henry B. C. Nitze, 1893. 8°, 239 pp., 20 pl., and
map. Postage 10 cents.

2. Building Stone in North Carolina, by T. L. Watson and F. B. Laney in collaboration
with George P. Merrill, 1906. 8°, 283 pp., 32 pl., 2 figs. Postage 25 cents. Cloth-bound copy
50 cents extra.

3. Gold Deposits in North Carolina, by Henry B. C. Nitze and George B. Hanna, 1896.
8°, 196 pp., 14 pl.,and map. Out of print.

4. Road Material and Road Construction in North Carolina, by J. A. Holmes and William
Cain, 1893. 8°,88pp. Out of print.

5. The Forests, Forest Lands and Forest Products of Eastern North Carolina, by W. W.
Ashe, 1894. 8°,128pp.,5pl. Postage 5 cents.

6. The Timber Trees of North Carolina, by Gifford Pinchot and W. W. Ashe, 1897. 8°,
227 pp., 22 pl. Postage 10 cents.

7. Forest Fires: Their Destructive Work, Causes and Prevention, by W. W. Ashe, 1895.
8°, 66 pp., L pl. Postage 5 cents.

8. Water-powers in North Carolina, by George I. Swain, Joseph A. Holmes and E. W.
Myers, 1899. 8°, 362 pp.,16pl. Postage 16 cents.

9. Monazite and Monazite Deposits in North Carolina, by Henry B. C. Nitze, 1895. 8°,
47pp.,5pl. Postage 4 cents.

10. Gold Mining in North Carolina and other Appalachian States, by Henry B. C. Nitze
and A. J. Wilkins, 1897. 8°, 164 pp., 10 pl. Postage 10 cents.

11. Corundum and the Basic Magnesian Rocks of Western North Carolina, by J. Volney
Lewis, 1895. 8°, 107 pp.,6pl. Postage 4 cents.

12. Drinking-water Supplies in North Carolina, by Joseph A. Holmes. In preparation.

13. Clay Deposits and Clay Industries in North Carolina, by Heinrich Reis, 1897. 8°,
157 pp., 12 pl. Postage 10 cents.

14. The Cultivation of the Diamond-back Terrapin, by R. E. Coker, 1906. 8°, 67 pp.,
23 pl., 2 figs. Postage 6 cents.

15. Mineral Waters of North Carolina, by F. P. Venable. In press.

16. A List of Elevations in North Carolina, by J. A. Holmes and E. W. Myers. Jn
preparation.

17. Historical Sketch of North Carolina Scientific and Economic Surveys; and Bibli-
ography of North Carolina Geology, Mineralogy and Natural History, by J. A. Holmes and L.
C.Glenn. In preparation.

18. Road Materials and Construction, by Joseph A. Holmes and William Cain. Jn
preparation.

19. The Tin Deposits of the Carolinas, by Joseph Hyde Pratt and Douglass B. Sterrett,
1905. 8°, 64 pp., 8 figs. Postage 4 cents.

20. The Loblolly Pine in Eastern North Carolina, by W. W. Ashe. In preparation.

ECONOMIC PAPERS.

1. The Maple-Sugar Industry in Western North Carolina, by W. W. Ashe, 1897. 8°,
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2. Recent Road Legislation in North Carolina, by J. A. Holmes. Out of print.

3. Tale and Pyrophyllite Deposits in North Carolina, by Joseph Hyde Pratt, 1900. 8°,
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4. ‘The Mining Industry in North Carolina During 1900, by Joseph Hyde Pratt, 1901.
8°, 36 pp., and map. Postage 2 cents.

5. Road Laws of North Carolina, by J. A. Holmes. Out of print.

6. The Mining Industry in North Carolina During 1901, by Joseph Hyde Pratt, 1902.
8°, 102 pp. Postage 4 cents.

7. Mining Industry in North Carolina During 1902, by Joseph Hyde Pratt, 1903. 8°, 27
pp. Postage 2 cents.

8. The Mining Industry in North Carolina During 1903, by Joseph Hyde Pratt, 1904.
8°, 74 pp. Postage 4 cents.

9. The Mining Industry in North Carolina During 1904, by Joseph Hyde Pratt, 1905.
8°, 95 pp. Postage 4 cents.

10. Oyster Culture in North Carolina, by Robert E. Coker, 1905. 8°, 39 pp. Postage
2 cents.

11. The Mining Industry in North Carolina During 1905, by Joseph Hyde Pratt, 1906.

12. Investigations Relative to the Shad Fisheries of North Carolina, by John N. Cobb,
1906. 8°, 74 pp.,8 maps. Postage 6 cents.

13. Report of Committee on Fisheries in North Carolina. Compiled by Joseph Hyde
Pratt, 1906. 8°, 78 pp. Postage 4 cents.

REPORTS ON RESOURCES.

Vol. I. Corundum and the Basic Magnesian Rocks in Western North Carolina, by Joseph
Hyde Pratt and J. Volney Lewis, 1905. 8°, 464 pp., 44 pl., 35 figs. Postage 32 cents. Cloth-
bound copy 50 cents extra. .

Vol. II. The Fishes of North Carolina, by Hugh M. Smith, 1907. 8°, xii+456 pp.,
21 pl., 188 figs. Postage 32 cents. Cloth-bound copy 50 cents extra.

Vol. III. Miscellaneous Mineral Resources in North Carolina, by Joseph Hyde Pratt.
In preparation.

These publications are mailed to libraries and to individuals who may desire information
on any of the special subjects named, free of charge, except that in each case applicants for
the reports should forward the amount of postage needed, as indicated above, for mailing the
bulletins desired, to the State Geologist, Chapel Hill, N.C.

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