254 



FISHES OF ILLINOIS 



LEPOMIS MEGALOTIS (Rafinesque) 



LONG-EARED SUNFISH 



(Map LXXVI) 



Rafinesque, 1820, Ichth. Oh., 29 (Ichthelis). 



J. & G., 477; M. V., 118; J. & E., I, 1002; B., I, 26; N., 38 (Ichthelis megalotis and 



sanguinolentus) ; J., 46 (Xenotis megalotis, inscriptus, and peltastes) ; F. F., 



I. 3, 53 (Xenotis peltastes, etc.); F., 68; L,., 24; R., 34. 



Length 33^ to 6 inches; body short and deep; back much elevated and 

 profile steep, sometimes excessively so in adults; angle at nape usually 



rather prominent; depth 1.8 to 2.3 in length. 

 Color light to darker olive; sides irregularly 

 spotted with orange and emerald, spots of latter 

 color often forming somewhat indistinct wavy 

 vertical streaks; belly pale to bright orange; 

 cheeks light olive to orange, with wavy streaks 

 of emerald; opercular flap entirely black or 

 with a very narrow pale margin, pinkish to 

 light crimson behind; iris reddish before and 

 behind pupil; membranes of soft dorsal and 

 anal pale orange; pectorals dusky, usually less 

 so than in females. Head 2.8 to 3.3 in length; 

 eye 3 to 4 in head; mouth moderate, 2.4 to 2.7 

 in head in adults, maxillary extending almost 

 to middle of orbit; no supplemental maxillary 

 bone and no palatine teeth; lower pharyngeals 

 narrow and weak, the teeth slender and acutely 

 pointed; opercular flap variously developed, in 

 adults generally very long (always much shorter 

 in young), often V/2 times snout, usually rather 

 broadened behind, with or without pale margin; 

 gill-rakers short, not over }/q diameter of eye, 

 very soft and weak. Dorsal X, 11, the spines 

 usually low, the longest reaching from snout to 

 middle of eye, 2.1 to 2.8 in head in adults, usually 

 over 2.6; pectorals short, 1 to 1.2 in head; ven- 

 trals usually reaching somewhat beyond first 

 anal spine. Scales 5, 37-39, 14, those on cheeks 

 in about 5 rows. 



Fig. 62 



Opercular flaps of Lepomis 

 megalotis, one figure en- 

 tire the other showing 

 flap denuded of epidermis 

 and fleshy or membranous 

 border. 



This is a very showy sunfish, one of the most brilliant, in 

 its breeding colors, of our fresh-water fishes. Its distribution in 

 Illinois is peculiar in the fact that it is extremely abundant in 

 the southern and eastern parts of the state, occurring everywhere 

 in the smaller streams, including those of the lower glaciation, 

 and often likewise in the larger rivers, while in the remainder of 

 the state, although generally distributed, it is comparatively 

 scarce, and is to be found mainly along the principal streams, and 



