Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 995 



1390. MESOGONISTIUS CH.ETODON (Baird). 

 (BLACK-BANDED SUNFISH.) 



Head 3; depth 1|; eye large, 3 in head. D. X. 10; A. Ill, 12 j scales 

 4-28-10. Body suborbicular, compressed. Head moderate, the profile 

 nearly concurrent with the dorsal curve. Mouth very small, the maxil- 

 lary reaching nearly to the eye. Cheeks with 3 or 4 rows of scales. Fins 

 rather large ; dorsal fin high in front, the middle portion depressed. Gill 

 rakers short, x + 10 or 11. Pectoral H in head ; fourth dorsal spine 2 to 

 2i. Lateral line continuous. Coloration clouded straw color, the sides 

 with 6 to 8 conspicuous but rather irregular black vertical bars, the first 

 through the eye, the second in front of pectorals, interrupted on the oper- 

 culum, the third at the front of the dorsal covering the membrane of the 

 first 3 spines and forming a medial black stripe on each ventral fin, the 

 fourth at front of soft dorsal, the fifth opposite its last ray, the last at 

 the base of the caudal; black opercular spot, with a crescent-shaped paler 

 center ; fins mottled. Length 4 inches. New Jersey to Maryland, in 

 sluggish streams. A very handsome little fish ; locally abundant, but very 

 narrow in its range. (Chcetodon, a genus of marine fishes, with similar 

 cross bands.) 



rnn>tis clisetodon, BAIRD, Ninth Smithson. Report, 1854, 324, Cedar Swamp Creek, New Jer- 

 sey; (Coll. Baird.) GUNTHER, Cat., i, 263, 1859. 



Mesogonistius chselodon, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 471, 1883; BOLLMAN, I. t 1 ., 665. 

 Apomolis chsetodon, BOULENGER, Cat., I, 19. 



458. APOMOTIS, Rafinesque. 



Apomolis, RAFINESQUE, Journal de Physique, etc., Paris, 420, 1819, (cyanellus). 

 Telipomis, RAFINESQUE, Ichth. Ohiensis, 27, 1820, (cyanellus). 

 Rrytlu*, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vn, 461, 1831, (punctatws). 

 Calliurus, GIRARD, U. S. Mex. Bound. Surv., Ichth., 5, 1859, (not of RAFINESQUE). 



This genus is very close to Lepomis, from which it differs only in the 

 development of the supplementary maxillary bone, which becomes rudi- 

 mentary or wanting in the adult of Lepomis. The mouth is largest in the 

 species in which this bone is best developed. Lower pharyngeals narrow, 

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

 bluntish, shorter than head ; scales moderate, 43 to 50. Species widely dis- 

 tributed in American waters, similar in habit to the species of Lepomw. 

 (a, without; 7rtJ/ua, opercle ; oif, ear.) 



. Body oblong, the depth 2% to 2% in length; dorsal with a more or less distinct black spot 

 at base of last soft rays; opercular spot margined with bright colors, the black confined 

 to bony part; scales 45 to 55; supplemental maxillary well developed. 



CYANELLUS, 1391. 

 aa. Body short and deep, the depth about 2 in length. 



b. Scales 40 to 40; opercular spot as large as eye, margined above and below. 

 c. Eye 4% to 5 in head; body not covered with brown spots. 



d. Color dusky olive, with some red and bluish, a faint spot at base of last dorsal 



rays. ISCHYRUS, 1392. 



dd. Color plain olive; no spots on the fins. PHENAX, 1393. 



