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(The American Sunfish Family, with 
an Annotated Checklist of the Species 
JOHN LEE BENNINGTON 
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Eupomotis gibbosus 
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Probably no species of fishes are better 
known to all men, and boys, than the 
sunfishes. Others may be as familiar by 
name, the food and game fishes, but these 
would scarcely be as readily placed taxo- 
nomically, though with some sunfishes 
specific determination is difficult. The 
group, including Elassoma and Microp- 
terus, ranges in size from little more than 
an inch in length to a weight of twenty- 
five pounds, though this latter is rare and 
far above the average. Equal diversity 
is presented in ecological relationships. 
Certain species evince a preference for 
running water; others like still water: 
some cloudy water, others clear; some a 
Courtesy The Nature-Study Review 
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Photograph by Dr. R. W. Shufeldt 
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clean, hard bottom, others mud; species 
will be found in ponds and lakes, rivulets 
and creeks and large and small rivers. 
The group is distinctly American, and 
ranges from Southern Canada through 
the United States to Mexico, though but 
a single species occurs west of the Rocky 
Mountains. The natural range of a num- 
ber of species has been extended through 
the efforts of the various fish commis- 
The family is, however, more 
characteristic of the Eastern States, 
where species and numbers are relatively 
more abundant. 
The sunfishes as a whole are remark- 
ably brilliantly colored, and rival the ex- 
sions. 
