Jordan and Kvermann. — Fishes of North America. 1)95 



1390. MKSOGONISTIUS CHiETODON (Baiid). 

 (Black-banded Sunfisii.) 



Head 3; depth 1|; eye large, 3 in head. D. X. 10; A. Ill, 12; scales 

 4-28-10. Body suborbicular, compressed. Head moderate, the profile 

 nearly concurrent with the dorsal curve. Mouth very small, the maxil- 

 lary reaching nearly to the eye. Cheeks with 3 or 4 rows of scales. Fins 

 rather large ; dorsal fin high in front, the middle portion depressed. Gill 

 rakers short, x + 10 or 11. Pectoral \\ in head; fourth dorsal spine 2 to 

 2A. Lateral line continuous. Coloration clouded straw color, the sides 

 with 6 to 8 conspicuous but rather irregular black vertical bars, the first 

 through the eye, the second in front of pectorals, interrupted on the oper- 

 culum, the third at the front of the dorsal covering the membrane of the 

 first 3 spines and forming a medial black stripe on each ventral fin, the 

 fourth at front of soft dorsal, the fifth opposite its last ray, the last at 

 the base of the caudal ; black opercular spot, with a crescent-shaped paler 

 center; fins mottled. Length 4 inches. New Jersey to Maryland, in 

 sluggish streams. A very handsome little fish ; locally abundant, but very 

 narrow in its range. (Chwtodon, a genus of marine fishes, with similar 

 cross bands.) 



Potrtolis chxtodon, Baird, Ninth Smithson. Report, 1854, .324, Cedar Swamp Creek, New Jer- 

 sey; (Coll. Baird.) Guntiier, Cat., i, 263, 185!). 

 Mesogmiistins chsetodon, Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 471, 1883; Bollman, /. <,-., 565. 

 Apomoiis chxlodon, Boulenger, Cat., i, 19. 



4S8. APOMOTIS, Rafinesque. 



Apomolis, EAriNESQtJE, Journal do Physique, etc., Paris, 420, 1819, (ri/aiielltts). 

 Telipomis, Rafinesque, Ichth. Ohiensis, 27, 1820, {cyanellusj. 

 Bryfliis, Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vii, 4G1, 1831, {punctatus). 

 Calliurus, GiRARD, U. S. Mex. Bound. Surv., Ichth., 5, 1859, (not of Rafinesque). 



This genus is very close to Lepomis, from which it differs only in the 

 development of the supplementary maxillary bone, which becomes rudi- 

 mentary or wanting in the adult of Lepomis, The mouth is largest in the 

 species in which this bone is best developed. Lower pharyngeals narrow, 

 with acute teeth; gill rakers well developed, long and stiff; pectoral 

 bluntish, shorter than head ; scales moderate, 43 to 50. Species widely dis- 

 tributed in American Avaters, similar in habit to the species of Lepomis. 

 (a, without; TT&j^a, opercle ; oi'f, ear. ) 



a. Body oblong, the deptii 2\/^ to 2J^ in length; dorsal with a more or loss distinct lihick spot 

 at base of last soft rays; opercularspot margined with bright colors, the Mack confined 

 to bony part; scales 45 to 55; supplemental ma-xillary well developed. 



cyanellus, 1391. 

 aa. Body short and deep, the depth about 2 in length. 



h. Scales 40 to 46; opercular spot as large as eye, margined above and below. 

 c. Eye 4^2 to 5 in head; body not covenil witli livown spots. 



(/. Color dusky olive, with some red and bluish, a faint spot at base of last dorsal 



rays. ischyrus, 1392. 



dd. Color plain olive; no spots on tlie tins. phenax, 1393. 



