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The Blue-spotted SunfisK 



CHARLES J, SAWYER 



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Blue-spotted Sunfish 



Apomotis cyanellus 



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The most beautiful aquarium I ever 

 saw was in Chicago, ten years ago, and 

 contained naught but a collection of sun- 

 fishes. The tank was so situated that 

 the light came over the shoulder of the 

 observer, giving an impression of the 

 iridescent colors of the fishes to be ob- 

 tained in no other way. It is in this par- 

 ticular that most aquaria fail, being 

 visually situated close to a window, the 

 near side of the fishes being shown al- 

 most solely by reflected light. Only by 

 direct light is the full play of colors evi- 

 dent. 



Prominent in the collection was the 

 little Blue-spot, a sunfish that is quite 



common in the Middle West. Forbes and 

 Richardson (Fishes of Illinois), remark 

 that "this beautiful little sunfish is much 

 the commonest of its family in our small- 

 er streams, and is, indeed, often almost 

 the sole sunfish product of the net in 

 prairie creeks." It lends itself well to 

 life in the home aquarium and lives long. 

 It is not a particularly pugnacious 

 species, but nevertheless it will "run the 

 show" if large enough to awe the more 

 docile kinds, so in a sunfish tank it is 

 well to associate specimens similar in 

 size. But if the Blue-spot does bully the 

 others it will not do them unto death 

 as is so characteristic of the cichlids. 



