84. CENTRARCniD^ MESOGONISTIUS. 
471 
blue border, and a pearly spot in front; a dark bar about width of 
pupil extending obliquely downwards below eye ; sides of head, whole 
body and vertical fins, in the males, with round bright blue spots ar- 
ranged in irregular rows, these spots most distinct on the cheeks and 
opercles and on the lower part of the sides; females duller, with larger 
and fainter spots more regular in position. A dark bar below eye. 
Head 22 ; depth 24 . D. IX, 10; A. HI, 9 (occasionally D. X, or A. lY, 
in abnormal specimens) ; scales 3-30-9. Xew Jersey to Xorth Carolina; 
abundant near the coast. 
(HemiopUtes simulans Cope, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1868, 218; based on speci- 
men with 4 anal spines: Enneacanthus margarotis Gill & Jordan, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. 
X, 28, 1878: Enneacanthus gutiatus Cope, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1869, 219: 
Enneacanthus Jordau, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. x, 27, 1878, a southern form, dis- 
tinguished by the larger size, brighter color, and larger lins, all doubtless the result 
of more favorable surroundings.) 
249.— MESOGONISTIUS Gill. 
Banded Sun-Jishes. 
(Gill, Amer. Journ. Sci. Arts, 1864, 92: type Fomotis chwtoclon Baird.) 
Body short and deep, compressed. Mouth small. Teeth present on 
vomer and ])alatines, noneon the tongue; supplemental maxillary bone 
small. Gill rakers rather strong, dentate. Opercle ending in two flat 
points, with a dermal border; preopercle entire. Scales large. Dorsal 
with ten spines; outliue of the fin angulated, the middle spines being 
much longer than some of the posterior ones; anal fin much smaller 
than the dorsal, with 3 spines; caudal fin posteriorly rounded. Size 
small, [p-teroq^ middle; -gtavia, angle; sail.) 
735. M. cEasetodOEi (Baird) Gill. — Blade-handed Sun-fish. 
Body suborbicular, comiiressed. Head moderate, the ])roflle nearly 
concurrent with the dorsal curve. Mouth very small, the maxillary 
reaching nearly to the eye. Eye large, 3 in head. Cheeks with 3-4 
rows of scales. Fins rather large; dorsal fin high in front, the middle 
portion depressed. Lateral liue continuous. Coloration clouded straw- 
color, the sides with C-8 conspicuous but rather irregular black vertical 
bars, the first through the eye, the second in front of pectorals, inter- 
rupted on the operculum, the third at the front of the dorsal covering 
the membrane of the first three 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 oj)er- 
cular spot, with a crescent- shai)ed paler centre. Fins mottled. Head 3 ; 
