Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1527 



ning again below, as usual iu this family. Dorsal fin continuous, the 

 spinous part much longer than the soft part, of about 17 rather low but 

 strong spines; soft rays much higher than spines; anal fin similar to soft 

 dorsal but shorter, its spinous part also longer than the soft, of 4 to 10 

 spines; vertical fins not closely scaled; caudal fin subtruncate, with 

 rounded angles. This genus as here understood differs from Cichlasoma 

 iu the absence of frenum to the lower lip; the anal spines are numerous 

 (4 to 10), the mouth not greatly protractile, and the dorsal and anal fins 

 not closely scaled. The characters separating Cichlasoma, Heron, JEquidena, 

 and Astronotns are not of great importance, and may be not wholly natural. 

 Recent authors have united all under one generic name, Astronotus.* It 

 seems to us, however, more convenient to recognize these groups as dis- 

 tinct genera, as a help toward the orderly arrangement of the great mass 

 of species usually referred to Heros. Even as thus restricted, Heros is a 

 very largo genus, taking in the rivers of South America the place filled 

 in North America by Lepomis and related genera. Species very numerous, 

 chiefly South American. The species of this genus have never been criti- 

 cally compared. (rjpoDC,, hero, the allusion not evident.) The following 

 analysis will be found artificial and of little value: 



a. Anal spines 8 or 9 (rarely 7). 



b. Dorsal rays XVIII, 9 or 10; scales 31. FRIEDRICHSTHALI, 1924. 



bb. Dorsal rays XVIT, 10; scales 29. SALVINI, 1925. 



bbb. Dorsal rays XVI, 8 or 9; scales 29. AFFINIS, 1926. 



bbbb. Dorsal rays XVI, 11 or 12; scales 30. MACULIPINNIS, 1927. 



aa. Anal spines 7 (rarely 6 or 8). 



c. Body comparatively deep, the depth the length ; soft fins elevated. 



TRIMACULATUS, 1928. 



cc. Body oblong, the depth 2^ to 2fc in the length. 



d. Dorsal with 17 (rarely 16 or 18 or 19) spines and 11 or 12 soft rays. 



e. Males with the lips greatly thickened and vertically expanded ; scales 



32. LABIATUS, LOBOCHILU8, 1929, 1930. 



ee. Males with the lips not greatly thickened nor expanded. 



ERYTHRoEUS, BASILARIS, NICARAGUENSIS, MANAGUENSIS, 1931-1934. 



dd. Dorsal with 16 spines and but 9 or 10 soft rays; scales 33; head 3 in 

 length. AUREUS, 1935. 



ccc. Body rather deep, the depth 2 iu length ; dorsal rays XVI or XVII, 12. 



CITRINELLUS, 1936. 



cccc. Body comparatively elongate, the depth 3 in length; dorsal rays XVIII, 18. 



MOTAGUENSJS, 1937. 



aaa. Anal spines 6 (rarely 5 or 7). 



/. Dorsal rays XVIII, 11 to 14. 



g. Body rather elongate, the depth 3 in length ; scales 33 to 35. 



OBLONGUS, DOVII, 1938, 1939. 

 gg. Body rather deep, the depth 2^ in length; scales 34. 



GIBBICEPS, MICROPHTHALMUS, 1940, 1941. 



ff. Dorsal rays XVI or XVII, 10, rarely 11 ; depth 2 to 2 in length ; a dark spot 

 at base of caudal. 



h. Caudal spot ocellate ; no blue spots ; scales 29. UROPHTHALMUS, 1942. 

 hh. Caudal spot diffuse. 



i. Body banded with dark ; no blue spots ; scales 33. TROSCHELI, 1943. 

 it. Body and fins with many small blue spots ; scales 25. 



CYANOGUTTATUS, 1944. 



* Astronotus, Swainson, 1839 (ocellatus) = Acara, Heckel, 1840, as restricted by Gill, 

 18W = Hygrogonus, Gunther, 1862. 



