The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-06-22
THE BANDED SUN.FISH.

| where there IS an abundance oil vegetation.
/ He delights to hide in the masses of splat.
! ter docks aed allied plants that are so char
acteristic of our quiet streams and mill
| ponds; but herein alone he is like the tinny
companions that he has; as our various
| cyprinoids and other sun-fish. If YOU
| approach the bank of the stream carefully,
and gaze about with patience, you can
easily detect him cycling you very steadily;
and, if you are not too demonstrative, he
will allow himself to be scrutinized.-
| Stand still a moment and see him exhibit!
| With his dorsal and ventral fins CLOSELY
pressed upon his back and sides, he moves
along slowly, very ordinary fish, except
| that his black and white show out very
distinctly; but, anon, he sees shell slowly
climbing the stalk of a splatter- dock, and
then, oh-wondrous change! Up goes his
dorsal fin, and down fall the ventrals!-
| His colors deepen-the black bands are
deeper black; the white interspaces assume
pinkish hue; and, with fins outspread
down he sweeps upon the unsuspecting
shell; and, turning, down go his fins again
to his body, and he saunters carelessly
about, apparently using his colorless per-
toral fins only. lie is not to be scooped
up, in clear water, as any ordinary sun-fsh
Give him the advantage of but little vege-
tation, and he will dodge a scoop net until
your arm aches Not by fast swimming,
for he is a very slow motioned fish in
| straight-away locomotion; but he will avoid
you by lodging In this he is really per-
/ feet; and l have got round it, when COL
Letting, by using two nets, after driving
him into a mass of dock and other aquatic
plants. He dislikes to have his favorite
haunt intruded upon by other fish, and
makes great demonstration, when dis
turbed, which succeeds in driving off some
fish, but not all. The ordinary catfish
especially excites his ire. These Shiny,
restless catfish go nosing about in most
impudent way, and bump their clammy
shouts against any and everything that
attracts their attention. This is too much
for our delicate friend the banded un.fish;
and SO, when he sees cat fish nearing him,
he is Immediately up in arms. His sharp,
spiny dorsal fin fairly trembles. He moves
not an inch, while the sluggish 4miurus
comes slowly nearer. All is passive on the
sun-fish's part until the nose of the scat'
is within an inch or more, when, with a
rush, alfhead-over-tail, scrape go the
sharp spines. of the sunfish across the
eats face, which causes him to skedad-
die. Slowly floating on the clear waters of
CrosweelSsen creek, have peered over the
side of my little boat, and watched the
above scene perhaps hundred times, and
even laughed heartily at the success of my
little friend
The geographical range of this species is
not very extended; but, being found abund-
antly about Philadelphia and Baltimore, it
has attracted the attention of aquaria-
keepers; but their success in keeping them
has not been very good. Why, ! cannot
pretent to say, as they are most hardy
species; and not only very hardy but at
tractive in every way. They become very
tame, and will approach the trout glass as
you near the aquarium: and, if you put
your finger or hand in the water, they will
glide past it, brushing their side against it,
as kitten rubs itself against one S feet
We know of no fish more suspicious of
man when it is in its native haunts, and
none that becomes tame more readily when
once placed in a well organized aquarium
To see him caper and show Off his eccen-
tricities would delight Mr.. Darwin. After
ten years acquaintance with not only this
fish but all his associates, unhestatingly
declare him to be the most intelligent of
our small fresh-water fishes; and that fish
are devoid of intelligence, none will declare
who have studied them carefully. This
species was first described by Spencer F.
Baird, of the Smithsonian Institution, in
1854. Since that time it has become, in
many streams, steadily more abundant;
and, although weaker than the common
sun fish, it seems to be driving them OFF, or
at least taking their place. With the mass
of hook-and-line fishing boys. this species
is genuine rara auis, as it will not take
the hook, however seductively offered. At
least such has been my experience; and l
have been able at odd times to take some
species with hook that usually bother the
hook and-liners;' as the ''gizzard- shad,"
the :'pirate,' and some of the smaller
"darter.'