FISHES OF MINNESOTA 55 



KEY TO THE GENERA OF CENTRARCHID^. 



A. Dorsal fin about equal to the anal in length. 



B. Anal spines 6; dorsal spines 5 to 8; body much compressed. 



Pomoxis, 55 

 AA. Dorsal fin much longer than the anal. 



B. Body short and deep, its depth usually more than ? the length ; 

 dorsal fin not deeply notched between the spinous and soft 

 rayed portions. 

 C. Tongue and pterygoid bones covered with teeth; scales 

 ctenoid; gill-rakers about 10; anal spines usually 6. 



Aiubloplites, 56 

 CC. No teeth on the tongue and pterygoid bones; anal spines 

 usually 3. 

 D. Supplemental maxillary bones well developed. 



Apomotis, 57 

 DD. Supplemental maxillary absent or very rudiment- 

 ary. 

 E. Lower pharyngeal bones narrow, the teeth 



sharp, not conical. . . . Leponiis, 58 



EE. Lower pharyngeal bones broad; teeth blunt 



and paved. . . . * . Eiipoinotis, 60 

 BB. Body rather long, the depth in the adult 1 the length; dorsal 



fin deeply notched; mouth large. . . . Micropteriis, 61 



Genus POMOXIS Eafinesque. 

 KEY TO THE SPECIES OF POMOXIS. 



A. Dorsal spines not more than 6 or less than 5, generally 6; anal fin 



not marked with black lines annularis, 55 



A A. Dorsal spines not more than 8 or less than 7, generally 7; anal fin 



marked with a network of dark lines. . . . sparoides, 56 



Poin<>xis annularis Eafinesque. Crappie. 



Color silvery, mottled with dark shades, the dark colors forming 

 a series of cross bars. Body rather long for fishes of this family, 

 much compressed; head long, the snout projecting, depressed above 

 the eyes; mouth large, maxillary reaching past the pupil. Fins 

 high, the dorsal and caudal marked with dark green; anal fin little 

 marked. Head contained 3 times in the length. Depth 2^. Eye 

 large, contained 4 times in the head. Dorsal rays VI, 15. Anal 

 VI, 18. Thirty-six to 48 scales in the lateral line, 4 or 5 rows on 

 the cheeks. Length 12 inches. 



There is some doubt as to the occurrence of this species in the 



state. I have examined a large series of specimens from the Upper 



Mississippi, which were collected by the Nat. Hist. Surv., and they 



all proved to be P. sparoides. It is reported, however, from Big 



5 



