84 CENTRARCHID.E LEPOMIS. 47 1 



dd. Gill-rakers short, thickish ; ear flap in the adult very long and narrow. 

 746. Ii. auritllS (L.) Raf. Long-cared Sun-fisJi. 



Body elongate, not much elevated. Snout moderately prominent. 

 Mouth rather large, oblique, the maxillary reaching past front of eye. 

 Cheeks with rather small scales, in about 7 rows. Scales of breast very 

 small. Palatine teeth few, rather large. Gill-rakers quite short, not 

 much longer than in Lepomis megalotis, but stiff and rough, set wide 

 apart, diminishing in size from the angle forwards. Opercular flap 

 very long (longer in the adult than on any other of the Sun-fishes 

 except Lepomis megalotis), narrow, usually not wider than the eye. In 

 the young the flap is variously shorter, but always narrow; lower 

 margin of flap usually pale. Dorsal spines rather low. Color olive; 

 belly largely orange red ; scales on the sides with reddish spots on 

 a bluish ground; vertical fins chiefly orange or yellowish; head with 

 bluish stripes, especially in front of eye; fins becoming dusky in spirits; 

 no dusky blotch on last rays of dorsal and anal. Head (without flap) 

 3 in length; depth 2J. D. X, 11; A. Ill, 9; Lat. 1. 47. L. 8 inches. 

 Maine to Louisiana; abundant in all streams east of the Alleghanies; 

 the typical form, above described, chiefly northward. 



(Labrus auritus Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. x, 283, 1758: Labnis auritus Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. 

 xii, 475, 1766: Bryttus utncolor Cuv. & Val. vii, 464: Pomotis ritbricauda Storer, Bost. 

 Journ. Nut. Hist, iv, 177: PomoHs appendix Storer, Hist. FisL. Mass. 1887, 14.) 



Var. soSis (Cuv. & Val.) McKay. 



Similar to the preceding, except that the scales on the cheek are 

 larger, in 5 or G rows; the scales on the breast are not very small, and 

 there is usually a dusky blotch on the last rays of the dorsal. Virginia 

 to Louisiana, in streams coastwise; abundant, replacing the true auritus 

 in the streams of the Southern States. 



(Pomotis soils Cuv. & Val. vii, 468: Iclttlivlis rubricauda Holbrook, Ichth. S. C. 1860, 

 15; McKay, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. iv, 89.) 



co. Gill-rakers weak and flexible, very short; palatine 1eeth none. ( Xenotis* Jordan.) 

 74'?. I>. Mlieg'alotas (Raf.) Cope. Long-eared Sun-fsh. 



Body short and deep, compressed, the back very strongly arched; the 

 profile very steep, usually forming an angle above eye, but sometimes 

 full and convex. Mouth small, oblique, the premaxillary rather below 

 the eye, the maxillary extending to opposite middle of eye. Scales on 

 cheek rather large, in about 5 rows. Dorsal spines very low, not much 

 longer than the snout. Opercular flap in the adult very long and broad, 

 with a broad or narrow pale bine or red margin, the margin sometimes 



* Jordan, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1877,76: type Pomotis fallax B. & G. 

 wonderful; ovS, ear.) 



