472 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 
depth 1§. D. X, 10; A. Ill, 12; scales 4-28-10. L. 3 inches. Xew 
Jersey to Maryland, in sluggish streams. A handsome little fish. 
{romoiis chwtodon Baird, Ninth Smithsonian Report, 1854, 324: Pomotis chcetodon 
Giiuthcr, i, 203; Jordan, Man. Vert. ed. 2, 245.) 
250. — L-EPOyiBS Rafinisquo. 
Sun-JisJies. 
(Ichthclis, Pomotis and Apomotis Rafinisquo: Bryftus Cnv. & Val. : Xenotis, Xxjstro- 
plites and Helioperca Jordan: Eupomotis Gill & Jordan. 
(Rafiuesqne, Journal de Physique, 1819, 402: type Lahrus auritus L.) 
Body oblong or ovate, more or less comitressed, the back in the 
adult somewhat elevated. Mouth moderate or small, the jaws about 
equal; maxillary narrow, the supplemental bone small or reduced to a 
mere rudiment or altogether wanting. Teeth on vomer, and usually on 
palatines; none on tongue or pterygoids; lower pharyngeals narrow, 
the teeth conic or paved. Gill-rakers mostly short; preoperculum 
entire; operculum ending behind in a convex flap, black in color, 
which in some species becomes greatly developed with age. Branchios- 
tegals 0. Scales moderate. Dorsal fin continuous, with ten spines ; 
anal with three spines ; caudal flu emarginate. Coloration brilliant, 
but evanescent. A large genus, one of the most difiicult in our fish 
fauna in which to distinguish species. The form of body, development 
of ear-flap, and height of spines vary greatly with age. The number 
of fin-rays and scales are essentially the same in all. (A£:r:c, scale; Trw/jta, 
operculum, a character supposed to distingush the genus from Sparus.) 
The species may be subdivided as follows: 
* Lower pharyngeals narrow, the teeth mostly conic. 
a. Pharyngeal teeth all, or nearly all, slender, acute. 
i. Siqiifiemental maxillary hone well developed ; palatine teeth present ; gill- 
rakers stiff and rather long. {Apomotis Raf. ) . cyanellus, symmetricus,phenax. 
hb. Supplemental maxillary reduced to a slight rudiment, 
c. Gill-rakers stiff, not very short; palatine teeth usually present. {Lepomis.) 
d. Gill-rakers comparatively long and slender; ear- flap short. 
ischyx'us, macrochirtts, mystacalis, donyatus, viurimis, punctatus, miniatus. 
dd. Gill-rakers short, thickish ; ear-flap very long and narrow in the adult. 
auritus. 
cc. Gill-rakers weak and flexible, very short ; no iialatine teeth. (Aenofi's Jordan.) 
vicgalotis, maryinatus, hombifrons. 
bbb. Supplemental maxillary obsolete ; gill-rakers slender. {Hdiopei'ca.) 
e. Palatine teeth jmesent humilis. 
ee. Palatine teeth none; a black dorsal patch pallidas. 
aa. Pharyngeal teeth mostly bluntly conic. {XysirojAites Jordan.) 
heros, euryorus, albulus. 
** Lower pharyngeals broad, with the teeth paved, nearly spherical, truncate above. 
Eupomotis Gill & Jordan) notatus, holbrooki, yibbosus, liras. 
