Jordan and Evcrinann. — Fishes of North America. 1009 



Teeth stout, very niucli blunted, not close set, the inner considerably 

 stronger and less blunt than the rest. Gill rakers short, stout, about 8 

 in number, the inner surface roughened. Maxillary with a small but 

 perfectly distinct supplemental bone. Eye very small, considerably less 

 than length of snout. Opercular Hap nearly as long as snout, surrounded 

 by a very broad, paler, membranous margin ; scales on the opercle large, 

 in 5 rows. Dorsal spines low, the longest as long as from snout to eye; 

 much lower than soft rays ; caudal peduncle and fin short and broad ; 

 ventrals and pectorals short, reaching vent. Scales on breast larger than 

 those on cheeks. Color in spirits mottled olive, yellowish below ; top of 

 head blackish; membranes of vertical fins dusky; ventrals dusky, with 

 lighter margins; pectorals pale. Length 8 inches. Upper Great Lake 

 region, long known from one specimen ; several others lately obtained in 

 northern Ohio and northeastern Indiana show that the species is a valid 

 one, although allied to Eii2>omotis gihhosus. {evprg, wide ; opor, margin.) 



Lepomis euri/oruis, McKay, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mils, 1881, 89, Lake Huron at Fort Gratiot, 

 Michigan; (Type, No. 4109); Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 481, 188:i; McCormick, Fishea 

 Lorain Co., Ohio, 27, 1892; Kirsch, Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., xiv, 1894, 38. 



Lepomis aurilus, Boulengeb, Cat., i, 24; in part. 



1408. EL'POMOTIS GIBBOSUS (Linuicus). 

 (Common Sunfish ; Bream ; Pumpkin Seed ; Sunny.) 



Head 3 to 3i ; depth If to 2 ; eye 4 to 4i in head ; snout 4i. D. X, 10 to 

 12 ; A. Ill, 10 or 11 ; scales 6-40 to 47, pores 35 to 45, 4 rows on cheek. 

 Body short and deep, compressed, the profile steep, convex, usually an 

 angle above the eye. Head rather small. Mouth small, oblique, the 

 maxillary scarcely reaching the front of the eye. Dorsal spines rather 

 high, the longest 2 to 21 in head, as long as eye and snout ; the soft rays 

 higher; pectorals long, as long as head. Scales large. Gill rakers short 

 and soft, smaller than in any other species except Lepomis mef/dlotis, x + 8 

 to 10. Pharyngeal teeth all bluntlj' rounded, paved, the bones very broad, 

 somewhat concave. Color greenish olive above, shaded with bluish, the 

 sides spotted and blotched with orange ; belly orange yellow ; cheeks 

 orange, with blue wavy streaks ; lower fins orange, upper bluish and 

 orange spotted. Opercular flap rather small, the lower posterior part 

 always bright scarlet, a mark which distinguishes this species, when 

 adult, at once from all our other high-colored sunfishes. Length 8 

 inches. Great Lake region to Maine and southward east of the Alle- 

 ghanies to Florida; rather rare in the Caroliuas and I'lorida; fouud only 

 in the northern parts of the Mississippi Valley — Iowa, Minnesota, Wis- 

 consin, etc. ; one of our most abundant fishes northward ; a familiar 

 and active inhabitant of clear brooks and ponds, defending its nests 

 with great spirit. "A very beautiful and compact fish, perfect in all its 

 parts, looking like a brilliant coin fresh from the mint.'' ((lihhonim 

 formed like the full moon.) 



Perca gibbosa, Linn.t:us, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, 1758, 292, Carolina; after PercaJJuciatilis yibbtisa, venlrt 

 hUea, of Catesby. 



F.N. A. 65 



