CENTRARCHID. 81 
Genus: J/EPOMIS. 
“ey to Species. 
A. Pectoral fins short, obtuse, not reaching beyond front of anal, considerably shorter 
than head.— megalotts. 
AA. Pectoral fins more or less pointed, not much if any shorter than head, and reaching 
to or beyond front of anal. 
B. Opercular flap margined with red, sides with many red spots.— humilis. 
BB. Opercular flap without red margin or spot ; no red spots on sides, a large spot 
on posterior rays of dorsal and anal fins at base.— pallidus. 
Lepomis megalotis (Rafinesque). LONG-EARED SUNFISH. 
Head (without earflap) 3 in length; depth 17% to 2%; eye 3% to 4. 
D. X, 10 to 12; A. III, 8 to 10; scales about 6-38-12, about 5 rows on cheek. 
Body short and deep, compressed; the back very strongly arched in adult, 
the profile very steep. Mouth small, oblique. Gill rakers very short and 
soft. Dorsal spines very low, 3 in head. Pectoral 1% to 1% in head. 
Opercular flap in adult very broad and long, with a pale blue or red margin 
which may be very broad or almost wanting; the flap much smaller in young. 
Color brilliant blue and orange; above chiefly blue, the belly entirely orange, 
lips blue; cheeks orange, with bright blue stripes; soft parts of vertical fins 
with the rays blue and membranes orange. An extremely variable species. 
Length 8 inches. 
An abundant species in the Ohio river system, but not so 
common in the lake drainage. It occurs both in lakes and 
streams, but to greater extent in the latter. It does not ascend 
streams as far as Apomotts cyanellus, however. Given by Kirt- 
land as Pomotis nitida. Wamilton County, ‘‘ abundant in Ross 
lake,’’ Henshall, 1888; Lorain County, rare, two specimens from 
Black river, 1890, McCormick; Maumee system, “‘all the larger 
streams and nearly all the smaller ones,’’ July 17 given as a 
breeding date, Kirsch, 1893; Franklin County, nearly all the 
streams, apparently the most common sunfish, June 18 given as a 
breeding date, Williamson and Osburn, 1897; John’s creek at 
Waterloo, Huron river at Milan, Ashtabula creek, Wabash river 
at Celina, Stillwater and Wolf creeks near Dayton, North Fork 
of Licking river at Newark, R. C. Osburn, 1899; Niggermill Run 
at Salem, EK. B. Williamson, 1900; Sandusky Bay, Summit lake, 
Ohio river at Bellaire, Licking reservoir, R. C. Osburn, 1900. 
