Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB
[subsumed][merged small][merged small][graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

THE PEROH FAMILY.-1. American Yellow Perch, Perca flavescens. 2. Striped Sea-bass, Labrax lineatus. 3. Black Bass, or Black Perch of Lake Huron, Huro nigricans. 4. Growler, or White Salmon of Virginia, Grystes salmoides. 5. Black Sea-bass, Centropistes nigricans. 6. Mediterranean Apogon, Apogon trimaculatus. Two-banded Diploprion, Diploprion bifaciatum. 8. One-spotted Mesoprion, Mesoprion uninotatus. 9. Ruby-colored Etelis, Etelis carbunculus. 10. Armed Enoplossus, Enoplossus armatus. 11. Lettered Serranus, Serranus scriba. 12. Spined Serranus, Serranus anthias. 13. Red Surmullet, Mullus barbatus.

LESSON III.-THE PERCH FAMILY.

(CTENOIDS.)

1. THE spine-rayed bony fishes comprise more than three fourths of all the various kinds that are known. From fourteen to seventeen different families, some of them embracing several hundred species each, have been included in this division. At the head of the whole stands the Perch family, the most numerous of all. Most of them are salt-water fish, but about one fifth of the whole number inhabit fresh-water streams, or occasionally ascend them from the sea.

A-CAN-THOP-TER-Y&'-II, from two Greek words, acanthos, a thorn, and pterugion, a little wing or fin, meaning thorny or spine-rayed. The fishes of this order are distinguished by having the anterior portion of the dorsal, or of the first dorsal where there are two, supported by spinous rays consisting of single bony pieces. Spinous rays are also found in the anal, and at least one in the ventral fins.

2. Those which are usually known by the name of perch, however, are fresh-water fish, and they have been celebrated from the time of Aristotle for their beautiful forms, and the excellence of their flesh as an article of food.

Nor let the muse, in her award of fame,
Illustrious Perch, unnoticed pass thy claim;
Prince of the prickly cohort, bred in lakes
To feast our boards, what sapid1 boneless flakes
Thy solid flesh supplies! Though river-fed,

No daintier fish in ocean's pastures bred

Swims thy compeer; scarce mullet may compete

With thee for fibre firm and flavor sweet.-AUSONIUS.

3. In the Perch family are included no less than five different kinds of perch found in our waters, the pike-perch, numerous species of bass, the growler, or white salmon of Virginia, and many other species, exhibiting a great variety of form and coloring, found on the European and Asiatic coasts. Their general character, as to form and size, will best be learned from the representations given in the engraving at the head of this lesson. All the fishes of this family agree in the toothed or comb-like edges of their scales, and in having notched or spined gill-covers; but, while some have but one dorsal fin, in others there is a division, constituting two.

4. The European river perch, like our common yellow perch, is exceedingly voracious. An anecdote is related of a gentleman who, in fishing, lost a perch from his line, the hook tearing out the eye of the poor creature. He then adjusted the eye on the hook and replaced the line in the water, where it had hardly been a few minutes before the float was violently jerked under the surface. On landing the fish, he found he had captured a fine perch, which proved to be the very fish which had just been mutilated, and which had actually lost its life by devouring its own eye. It is quaintly observed by Izaak Walton, that "if there be twenty or forty in a hole, they may be at one standing all caught, one after another, they being, like the wicked of the world, not afraid, though their fellows and companions perish in their sight."

5. The incident related concerning the perch is one among many facts that might be given, showing how erroneous is the idea that "the worm on which we tread feels a pang as great as when a giant dies." On the contrary, the nervous organization of the lower orders of animals is such that they seem to suffer but little, compared with what man endures, in being maimed or killed. This is, assuredly, a most benevolent provision, greatly diminishing the amount of suffering that would otherwise be endured throughout all animated nature.

[ocr errors]

6. Of all the beautiful colored fish, several species of which belong to the Perch family, it may be remarked that they can never be seen in perfection except when newly taken from the water. Then their beauty is fresh and delicate, but it changes as soon as the fish dies; and the keeping for a day, or preservation in spirits, destroys all but the mere traces of their delicate markings.

7. Of the little spined serranus, which was well known to the ancients, and is still very abundant in the Mediterranean, very curious and remarkable stories are told; but as they are only fish stories, we can not insist that our readers shall believe them. It will be observed that the forward dorsal fin of this fish is armed with long and sharp spines, the third one of which is much the longest. From the supposed resem. blance of this spine to a razor, the French call this fish “The Barber."

8. The long spines of the serranus are considered a very formidable weapon of defense; and by the divers for marine productions the fish itself is regarded as sacred, because they declare that no other fish, however large, dare approach its retreats, and that there is always safety from the attacks of sea-monsters wherever this little fish is found. Moreover, the divers assert that whenever one of these fish is caught by a hook, the rest of the shoal immediately cut the line by rushing against it with their sharp spines, and thus relieve their companion.

9. In the Perch family is a small fish called the red surmullet, which is supposed to be the fish so celebrated among the Romans for the excellence of its flesh, its extreme beauty, and the extravagant sums paid for it. It appears to have been esteemed by the Roman epicures2 above every other article of food; and the larger ones, weighing five or six pounds, were obtained only at prodigious prices. Juvenal says:

Six scanty pounds the mullet weighed,
Six thousand sesterces3 the wise man paid

Seneca mentions that a surmullet of four pounds' weight was presented to the Emperor Tiberius, who sent it to the market, where it was purchased for five thousand sesterces; and at a later period one was sold for eight thousand sesterces, a sum equal to more than three hundred dollars of our money.

10. While with these Roman epicures the smaller the turbot the greater the prize, yet they eagerly sought for the largest specimens of the mullet that could be procured. Horace supposes this mere caprice, and asks,

"Of carps and mullet why prefer the great,
Though cut in pieces ere my lord can eat,
Yet for small turbot such regard profess?

Because God made this large', the other less'."

11. It has been truly remarked that mullets stand pre-eminent in the annals of human luxury, cruelty, and folly. In their feasts the Romans reveled over the dying surmullet, while the bright red color of health passed through various shades of purple, violet, blue, and white, as life gradually ebbed, and convulsions put an end to the admired spectacle. They put these devoted fish into crystal vessels filled with water, over a slow fire, upon their tables, and complacently regarded the lingering sufferings of their victims as the increasing heat gradually prepared them for their pampered+ appetites.

5

12. Probably the changes which the blood underwent in the minute capillaries, as it was gradually deprived of its life-preserving oxygen, produced those varied hues which the poet has so well described:

[merged small][graphic][merged small]

The striped red mullet, a beautiful fish of a pale pink color, but somewhat larger than the one known to the Romans, is found in considerable numbers on the English coasts. The mullets, like the cod and some other fish which feed in deep water, are furnished with long feelers attached to the lower jaw, supposed to be delicate organs of touch, by which these fish are enabled to select their food on the muddy bottoms.

1 SAP'-ID, well-tasted; savory; palatable. 14 PAM'-PERED, fed to the full; glutted.
2 EP'-I-CURE, one who indulges in the luxu-5
ries of the table.
SES'-TEROE, a Roman coin, about four cents."

CAP'-IL-LA-RY, a small blood-vessel; see
Fourth Reader, p. 59, 60.

LES. IV. OTHER FAMILIES OF THE SPINE-RAYED FISHES.

[graphic]

1. Mailed Gurnard, Peristedion malarmat. 2. Big Porgee, Pagrus argyrops. 3. Banded Ephippus, or Three-tailed Porgee, Ephippus faber. 4. The Sheepshead (famed for its exquisite flesh), Sargus ovis. 5. Streaked or Rock Gurnard, Trigla lineata. 6. Axillary Sea Bream, Pagellus acarne. . 7. Bearded Umbrina, Umbrina vulgaris. (The Umbrina is given as the representative of the family of the Maigres, which includes our Weakfish, Corvinas, the Chub, King-fish, and the Drum, the latter noted for the loud drumming noise which it makes, and the cause of which is still a mystery.) 8. Common Mackerel, Scomber scomber.

1. Or the remaining numerous families of the spine-rayed division of fishes, most of which are represented in the accompanying illustrations, only a very brief description can here be given.

3

1. Ten- (or Nine-) spined Stickleback, Gasterosteus pungitius. 2. Four-spined S., G. spinulosus. 3. Short-spined S.. G. brachycentrus.

2. The Gurnards, or Mailedcheeks, which are abundant on our northern coasts, are a numerous family of marine fishes, which have received their common name from the growling or grunting noise which they make when sporting in the water, or when recently taken from it. The Sticklebacks-a division of the same family, so named from the spines which arm their backs

[graphic]
« AnteriorContinua »