Il8 VERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF THE UNITED STATES 



9. Lepomis Rafinesque. Sunfish. Body ovate, compressed; back 

 elevated; mouth small or moderate; supplementary maxillary usually 

 reduced to a rudiment or wanting; gill-rakers short; opercle ending 

 behind in a long black convex flap; hinder margin of tail concave, 

 except in L. symmetricus; lower pharyngeals (Fig. 52) narrow, with 

 sharp teeth: many species of very familiar American fishes. 



Key to the Species of Lepomis 



ai Supplementary maxillary bone well developed, but small. 



bi Body elliptical, the length about two and a half times the 



depth L. cyanellus. 



b2 Body ovate, the length about twice the depth. 



Ci Scales 40 to 45 L. punctatus. 



C2 Scales 35 L. symmetricus. 



a.2 Supplementary maxillary bone rudimentary or wanting. 



bi Pectoral fin obtuse and not reaching the front margin of the 

 anal fin. 



ci In the region east of the Alleghenies L. auritiis. 



Co On the Gulf slope L. miniatus. 



C3 In the basins of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi. . . .L. megalotis. 

 hi Pectoral fin more or less pointed and reaching the front mar- 

 gin of the anal fin. 



Ci Scales 35 in the lateral hne L. humilis. 



C2 Scales 42 to 52 in the lateral line. 



di Body orange spotted L. macrochirus. 



do Body without orange or red spots L. pallidus. 



L. cyanellus Raf. Green sunfish. Length 175 mm.; head 3; 

 depth 2.5; color olivaceous, with a brassy lustre on the sides, yellow 

 below; each scale usually with a sky-blue spot; eye red; rays of dorsal 

 fin X, 11; anal III, 9; scales 7-45 to 55-16: Great Lakes to Mexico, 

 not east of the Alleghenies; very common towards the south. 



L. punctatus (Cuvier & Valenciennes). Length 150 mm.; head 3; 

 depth 2; color olivaceous, everywhere with numerous minute brown 

 dots; rays of dorsal fin X, 11; anal III, 10; scales 6-40 to 45-13: South 

 Carolina to Florida, in lowland streams. 



L. symmetricus Forbes. Length 75 mm.; head 2.75; depth 2.25; 

 color dark green, each scale with a brown spot at its base; a black 

 opercular spot present; rays of dorsal fin X, 10; anal III, 9; scales 

 6-35-10; mouth moderate, with projecting lower jaw; hinder margin 

 of tail convex: Illinois to Texas; not rare southwards. 



L. auritus (L.). Yellow belly. Length 200 mm.; head (without 

 flap) 3; depth 2 to 2.5; color olive; belly and lower fins orange red; 

 opercular flap very long and narrow; rays of dorsal fin X, 11 or 12; 



