472 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



depth 1§. D. X, 10; A. HI,. 12; scales 4-28-10. L. 3 inclies. New 

 Jersey to Maryland, in sluggish streams. A handsome little fish. 



{Pomotis chwtodon Baird, Niuth Smithsonian Re]iort, 1854, 324: Fomotis chcetodon 

 Giinther, i, 263; Jordan, Man. Vert. ed. 2, 245.) 



250.— L.EPOKIBS Rafiuisque. 



Sun-Jishes. 



{Iclithelis, Pomotis and Apomoiis Rafinisque: Brtjttus Cnv. & Val. : Xenotis, Xystro- 

 plltcs and Hcliopei'ca Jordan : Eupomotis Gill & Jordan. 



(Rafinesque, Journal de Physique, 1819, 402: type Labrus auritus L.) 



Body oblong or ovate, more or less compressed, 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 

 I)alatines ; 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 tin emarginate. Coloration brilliant, 

 but evanescent. A large genus, one of the most difficult 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. (Asrrj?, scale; rco/jta, 

 operculum, a character supposed to distingush the genus from Sparus.) 



The species may be subdivided as follows: 



* Lower iiharyngeals narrow, the teeth mostly conic. 

 a. Pharyngeal teeth all, or nearly all, slender, acute. 



1). Supplemental maxillary hone well developed ; palatine teeth present ; gill- 

 rakers stiff and rather long. {Apomotis Raf. ) . cyaiwlhis, symmetricus, phenax. 

 hh. Supplemental maxillary reduced to a slight rudiment. 



c. Gill-rakers stilf, not very short; palatiue teeth usually present. (Lepomis.) 

 d. Gill-rakers comparatively long and slender; ear-flap short. 



ischyrus, macrochirus, mystacaiis, eloiiyatits, murimis, pitnctafiis, 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 palatine teeth. (Jeno/fs Jordan.) 



viegalotis, marginatus, homiifrons. 

 hhh. Supplemental maxillary obsolete ; gill-rakers slender. {Helioperca.) 



e. Palatine teeth present humilis. 



ee. Palatine teeth none ; a black dorsal patch pallidas. 



aa. Pharyngeal teeth mostly bluntly conic. (Xysiroplites Jordan.) 



heros, enryorus, albulus. 



** Lower pharyngeals broad, with the teeth paved, nearly spherical, truncate above. 



Eupomotis Gill & Jordan) notaius, holbrooJci, gibbosus, lirus. 



