ELASSOMID.E — THE PIGMY SUNFISHES 231 



part of the food, all of them of aquatic species except a few 

 gnats, accidental in the water. Nearly half of the food consisted 

 of larvae of gnat-like insects {Chironomus and Corethra), and the 

 remainder was mostly larvae of May-flies, water-bugs, and larvae 

 of aquatic beetles, together with a few amphipod and isopod 

 crustaceans. One of these fish had eaten a water- worm (Liim- 

 hriculus) allied to the earthworms, and Entornostraca had been 

 taken by a few. A comparison of the food of specimens of 

 various ages, beginning with those in which the vent was just 

 in front of the ventral fins and ending with those in which it had 

 moved far forward on the throat, gave no hint of the reasons for 

 this extraordinary step in development, these fishes all having 

 eaten substantially the same food. 



Dr. Abbott says that the pirate-perch builds a nest which is 

 guarded by both parents, who likewise protect the young until 

 they are about a third of an inch long. The species spawned in 

 the hatchery troughs at Meredosia May 1, 1899, and males 

 running with milt were taken in Meredosia Bay on May 23. 



Family ELASS0MID;!E 



the pigmy sunfishes 



Body oblong, compressed, covered with large cycloid scales; head scaly; 

 lateral line obsolete; skeleton osseous; anterior vertebrae simple, ventrals 

 thoracic, I, 5; dorsal fin single, with 4 or .5 spines; anal with 3 spines; caudal 

 rounded; no mesocoracoid; gill-membranes broadly united, free from isthmus; 

 l^ranchiostegals 5; pseudobranchise small, glandular, covered by skin; gill- 

 rakers tubercle-like; preopercles, preorbitals, and opercles with edges entire; 

 mouth terminal; upper jaw protractile; each jaw with strong conical teeth, 

 in few series; vomer with a few weak teeth; palatines toot less; no pyloric 

 cffica; vent normally placed; air-bladder without duct, so far as known. 



Very small fishes, inhabiting the swamps of the southern 

 United States. A single genus, with 2 species. The Elassomidce 

 differ from the Centrarchidce chiefly in their small size. Cycloid 

 scales, while not normal to Central chidae, are found in some 

 forms. 



Genus ELASSOMA Jordan 



pigmy sunfishes 

 Characters of the genus included above. 



