Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 1)93 



none on the tongue. Opercle ending behind in 2 flat points, with a 

 dermal border. Preopercle entire. Scales rather large, tlie lateral Hue 

 sometimes interrupted. Gill rakers short, 9 or 10 below angle of arch. 

 Dorsal fin continuous, normally with 9 spines ; anal lin smaller than the 

 dorsal, with 3 spines; caudal fin convex behind. Branchiostegals 6. 

 Species of small size and bright coloration, intermediate between Lepomin 

 and Cvntrarchiis. Abnormal variations in the number of dorsal and anal 

 spines have given rise to the nominal genera Ilcmwpliiei^ and Copelandia. 

 (ti'vta, nine ; a/cavf^a, spine.) 



a. Opercular spot large, more than half eye; sides with 5 to 8 flistiuct vertical black bars. 



OBESUS, 1388. 



aa. Opercular spot smaller than half eye; body with the crossbars narrower and lesa distinct, 

 usually disappearing with age; male with head, body, and vertical fins with round 

 sky-blue spots; female duller with lower fins and larger faint si)0ts. glouiosus, 1389. 



1388. ENNEACANTHDS OBESUS (Baird). 



Head 2| ; depth li ; eye 3i in head. D. IX, 10 ; A. Ill, 10 ; scales 4-32-10, 

 the pores developed usually on about 20 scales, but sometimes on nearly 

 all of them. Body oblong, ovate, elliptical. Scales large, little crowded. 

 Gill rakers x + 9or 10. Dorsal spines 2^ in head, as long as from snout 

 to posterior margin of eye; anal fin large ; ventral spine not reaching vent, 

 its first ray not reaching the base of the last anal spine ; caudal fin moderate, 

 about as long as from snout to middle of opercle; opercular spot rather 

 large, more than half the size of eye, velvet black, bordered with purple. 

 Cheeks with 4 rows of scales. Color olivaceous, with 5 to 8 well-defined 

 blackish cross bars, not disappearing with age; spots on body and fins 

 purplish or golden ; cheek with lines and spots ; a dark bar below eye. 

 Length 3 inches. Charles River, Massachusetts, to Florida ; abundant in 

 sluggish streams near the coast ; usually larger in size and duller in color 

 than the next, the two closely related but apparently not intergrading. 

 (ubesu8, fat.) 



Pomotis obesits, Baird, Ninth Smithsou. Report, 1854, 324, Beesley Point, New Jersey. (Coll. 



Baird.) 

 IlrijUiis fascialus, HoLBROOK, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1855,51, St. Johns River, Florida; 



GuNTHER, Cat., I, 260, 1859. 

 Pomotis giitlatus, MoRRis, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1859, 3, Delaware River, Philadelphia. 

 Enneacanlhus obesiif!, Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 470, 1883; Bollman, I.e., 564. 

 Apomotis obcms, Boulenger, Cat., i, 19. 



1389. ENNEACANTHUS (ILORIOSUS (HolbrooU). 



Head 21; depth 2i ; eye 3i in head. D. IX, 10; A. Ill, 9 (occasionally 

 D. X, or A. IV, in abnormal specimens, these often abundant in 

 certain streams) ; scales 3-30-9. Body comparatively elongate. Mouth 

 moderate, very oblique, the maxillary reaching just past front of orbit. 

 Dorsal spines medium ; soft rays in the males somewhat elevated, reach- 

 ing to or beyond (var. pinniger) the base of the caudal; the longest soft 

 ray as long as from snout to front of opercle, or (var. pitDiiger) as long as 

 head ; fins in females all lower ; pectoral fin reaching nearly to middle of 

 K.N. .V. 64 



