FISH OF ONTARIO. 85 



with acute teeth; gill rakers well developed, long and stiff; pectoral blunt- 

 ish, shorter than head ; scales moderate, 43 to 50. Habits similar to those 

 of the species of Lepomis. 



(89) Green Sunfish. 



(Apomotis cyanellus.) 



Body oblong, the back not elevated ; mouth large, the maxillary 

 reaching nearly to middle of eye ; dorsal spines low ; opercular flap short, 

 with pale margin. 



D. X., i;i A. III., 10. Scales, 7-47-14. 



Colour, green with a brassy lustre, each scale with a blue spot and 

 gilded edging ; fins largely blue ; anal edged with orange ; iris red ; cheeks 

 with blue stripes. 



I have no Ontario records of this fish, but as it will probably be found 

 in Lake Erie, it is mentioned here. Its centre of abundance is said to be 

 the Ohio basin. 



It is too small to be of value as a game fish, seldom attaining a greater 

 length than six or eight inches. 



Genus LEPOMIS. (Sunfishes.) 



Body oblong or ovate, more or less compressed, the back in the adult 

 somewhat elevated ; mouth moderate or small, the Jaws about equal ; maxil- 

 lary narrow, the supplemental bone reduced to a mere rudiment, or alto- 

 gether wanting ; teeth on vomer and usually on palatines, none on tongue 

 or pterygoids, lower pharyngeals narrow, the teeth spherical or paved, all 

 or nearly all sharp, few or none of them conical ; gill rakers mostly short ; 

 preoperculum entire ; operculum ending behind in a convex flap, black in 

 colour, which in some species becomes greatly developed with age ; branchi- 

 ostegals six ; scales moderate ; dorsal fin continuous, with ten spines ; anal 

 with three spines ; caudal fin emarginate ; pectorals long or short. Colour- 

 ation brilliant, but evanescent. A large genus, and one in which it is 

 rather difficult to distinguish species. The form of body, development of 

 ear flap and height of spines vary with age and condition, while the 

 general appearance and the numbers of fin rays and scales are essentially 

 the same in all. 



Subgenus LEPOMIS. 



(90) Blue Sunfish. 



(Lepomis pallidus.) 



Body deep, elliptical, its greatest depth at the ventrals, one-half of 

 the total length without the caudal ; caudal peduncle short and deep. Head 

 one-third of the total length without caudal. Snout short, obtuse and 



