SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 239 



Species are difficult to distinguish, and even the numerous genera which have 

 from time to time been recognized are separated by no constant characters of 

 importance. In the present account, the genus Lepomis is regarded as embrac- 

 ing all the species found in North Carolina, and may be defined as follows: 



Body ovate, compressed, the dorsal outline in adults rather more strongly 

 arched than the ventral; mouth of moderate size, jaws equal, maxillary narrow 

 and not extending beyond pupil, supplemental bone small or wanting; no teeth 

 on tongue or pterygoids; pharyngeal bones narrow or broad, with sharp or 

 blunt paved teeth; preopercular margin entire; opercle ending in a more or less 

 elongated flap which is conspicuously colored; gill-rakers usually short and 

 feeble; dorsal spines 10, anal spines 3; caudal fin concave or emarginate behind; 

 pectorals long or short, pointed or rounded. 



Five species recorded from North Carolina, typical adult specimens of 

 which may be thus identified: 



Key to the North Carolina species of Lepomis. 



i. Pectoral fins rather short, rounded, not extending to first anal spine; opercular flap very long 

 and narrow. 



a. Scales in lateral series 43 to 48 auritus. 



aa. Scales in lateral series 35 to 45 megalotis. 



a. Pectoral fins longer, pointed, and reaching to or beyond first anal spine; opercular flap 

 short and broad. 

 h. Gill-rakers on lower arm of first arch 11 to 13; opercular flap without pale rriargin; a 



black blotch at base of dorsal and anal fins posteriorly incisor. 



bb. Gill-rakers on lower arm of arch 10, of moderate length; opercular flap with a broad 



orange margin posteriorly and inferiorly ; no black blotch on dorsal or anal . . holbrooki. 



bbb. Gill-rakers on lower arm of first arch 8 to 10, very short and feeble; opercular fla]) with 



bright red margin: no black blotch on dorsal or anal gibbosus. 



{Lepomis, scaly opercle.) 



206. LEPOMIS AURITUS (Linnaeus). 



"Yellow-belly"; ''Red-belly"; "Leather-ear"; "Red-bellied Bream"; "Robin Perch"; 

 'Robin"; "Leather-ear Robin"; "Leather-ear Perch"; Long-eared Sun-fish. 



Labrvs auritus Linnspus, Systema Naturae, ed. x, 283, 1758; Philadelphia. 



Lepomis ruhricauda. Cope, 18706, 452; Catawba, Yadkin, and Neuse basins 



Lepomis auritus, Jordan, 18896, 126, 130, 133, 139; Tar, Neuse, Little, Cape Fear, Yadkin, and Catawba basins. 



Smith, 1893a, 196; Edenton Bay. Evermann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River near Raleigh. Jordan & 



Evermann, 1896, 1001, pi. clix, figs, 425, 425a. 



Diagnosis. — Body moderately elongate, the depth about .5 length; head (exclusive of 

 flap) .33 length; mouth oblique, comparatively large, maxillary extending nearly to anterior 

 margin of pupil; eye .22 to .25 length of head, .66 length of snout; gill-rakers on lower arm of 

 first arch 8 or 9, strong, short, the longest .33 diameter of eye; scales in lateral series about 45, 

 in transverse series 6 or 7 + 13 to 15; scales on cheeks in 5 or 6 rows; opercular flap very long 

 and narrow (in full grown fish), its width rather less than eye; dorsal rays x,10 to x,12. the 

 longest spine .33 length of head and . 66 longest soft ray; anal rays iii,8 to in, 10, the spines stout, 

 the longest (3rd) equal to snout and .66 longest soft ray; caudal rather short and moderately 

 incised behind; pectorals broad, rounded, reaching to vent; ventrals reaching to or beyond 

 vent, the spine .5 length of fin. Color: light olive above, the belly orange, brightest in breed- 

 ing males; scales on sides pale bluish with reddish centers; bluish stripes on head; opercular 

 flap usually with pale lower margin; dorsal, anal, and caudal fins yellow or orange, (auritus, 

 eared.) 



