228 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



/. Anal spines 5 to 8; opercular margin with 2 flat points; preopercle serrate 



at angle Ambloplites. 



//. Anal spines 3; opercular margin with a long flap; preopercle entire. 



Cn.liNGBRYTTUS. 



dd. No teeth on tongue and pterygoids; mouth small, the maxillary barely extending 

 to pupil or not reaching anterior margin of eye. 

 g. Caudal fin rounded; opercle with no flap; fishes small (3 inches or less). 



h. Dorsal spines 9; maxillary extending to anterior edge of pupil . . Enneacanthus. 



hh. Dorsal spines 10; maxillary not reaching anterior edge of eye.MESOGONiSTius. 



gg. Caudal fin concave; opercle prolonged into a flap, always black; supplementary 



maxillary bone rudimentary or lacking Lepomis. 



cc. Body elongate, depth about .33 length; dorsal fins separated by a deep notch; fishes 

 of comparatively large size Micropterus. 



Genus ELASSOMA Jordan. Pygmy Sun-fishes. 



This genus is by some authorities made the type of a separate family, 

 Elassomida\ It is characterized by a reduced number of dorsal spines (4 or 5) ; 

 a rather long, compressed body covered with large scales; conical teeth in a few 

 series in jaws, weak teeth on vomer; gill-membranes connected, not joined to 

 isthmus; knob-like gill-rakers; obsolete lateral line; small fins; no pyloric cceca. 

 The genus contains 2 species, which are among the smallest of known fishes, 

 inhabiting swampy districts in the Southern and South Central States. They 

 are dwarfed sun-fishes, bearing the same relation to the other sun-fishes that the 

 darters do to the perches. The 2 species are quite similar, but typical examples 

 may be thus distinguished: 



a. Scales in longitudinal series 38 to 45; a round black spot as large as eye on side below 

 anterior part of dorsal fin; numerous dark narrow vertical bars on sides .... zonatum. 

 aa. Scales in longitudinal series 27 to 30; no round black spot on side; no dark cross-bars. 



evergladd. 



(Elassoma, diminution.) 



196. ELASSOMA ZONATUM Jordan. 



Pygmy Sun-fish. 



Elassoma zonata Jordan, Bulletin U. S. National Museum, x, 50, 1877; Little Red River, Judsonia, White 



County, Arkansas. 

 Elassoma zonatum, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 982; 1898, 2851 (Waccamaw River at Whiteville, N. C). 



Diagnosis. — Depth contained 3.5 times in total length; head .33 length; mouth small, 

 oblique, the maxiUary barely reaching pupil; eye large, .33 length of head; scales in lateral 

 series about 40, in transverse series 19; dorsal rays iv,9, v,9, or v,10: anal rays in, 5; caudal 

 rounded. Color: olive green; 10 or 12 dark vertical bands on sides; a large rovmded black spot 

 on side under anterior part of dorsal; a black bar at base of caudal; fins obscurely barred. 

 Length, 1.5 inches, {zonatum, banded.) 



There is only a single North Carolina record for this species, Prof. Harrison 

 Garman having collected a specimen at Whiteville, Columbia County, on the 

 Waccamaw River. It is probable that the species will be found to be not uncom- 

 mon in that section. It ranges southward from Illinois in sluggish waters. 



197. ELASSOMA EVERGLADEI Jordan. 

 Pygmy Sun-fish. 



Elassoma evergladei Jordan, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, 1884, 323; Indian Kiver and Lake Jessup, 

 Florida. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 982, pi. cliii, fig. 414. 



