FAMILY CENTRARCHIDAE 237 



Figure Jflf. Orangesp>ot sunfish, Lepomis huTnilis, 3 inches long. 



opercular flap. The gill-rakers are long and slender. This species has 

 little value as a pan fish because its length seldom exceeds 4 inches. 



The orangespot sunfish is found from North Dakota and western Ohio 

 southward to Texas and the Gulf States. This species has not been re- 

 ported often from Minnesota. The writers have collected it from many 

 small streams and lakes in southern and central Minnesota and from 

 backwaters of the Mississippi south of St. Paul. It occurs also in the 

 shallow waters of a few lakes south of Minneapolis. Little is known of 

 its spawning habits in Minnesota. Greene (1935) reported it as occur- 

 ring sparingly in the southwestern corner of Wisconsin, and possibly 

 in the southeastern corner. 



GREAT LAKES LONGEAR SUNFISH 

 Lepomis megalotis peltastes Cope 



The Great Lakes longear is a small sunfish with a short, deep body 

 colored with brilliant blue streaks and orange spots. The extremely long 

 opercular flap is bordered with red. No black spots are present on either 

 the dorsal or anal fin. The fins are orange with blue rays. The pectoral 

 fin is short and rounded and is contained 4 times in the standard length. 

 The gill-rakers are short and knoblike. The opercle is flexible posteriorly. 

 The lateral line contains 39 scales or less. This sunfish reaches a length 

 of about 6 inches. 



This subspecies ranges from Minnesota into lower Ontario and 

 western Pennsylvania, and intergrades southward with L. megalotis 

 Tnegalotis. Greene (1935) reported it only for eastern Wisconsin. The 

 presence of this species in Minnesota is doubtful. The specimens re- 

 ferred to in the previous edition of this book have since proven to be 



