82 THE FISHES OF OHIO. 



Lepomis humilis (Girard). Red-spotted Sunfish. 



Head 2% to 3; depth 2% to 2%; eye large, 3 to 3^. D. X, 10 or 11; 

 A. Ill, 8 or 9; scales large, 5-34-1 1, about 5 rows on cheek. Body oblong, 

 profile not very steep. Mucous pores on head very large; opercular flap 

 long, broad and with a very broad, red margin, which entirely surrounds 

 the black. Longest dorsal spine not quite half head, pectoral a little shorter 

 than head. Gill rakers rather long and blunt, well developed. Color, 

 bluish with conspicuous greenish spots posteriorly; sides with many con- 

 spicuous round, salmon-red spots; a faint black spot on last rays of dorsal; 

 belly and lower fins red. Length 4 inches. 



This small, highly colored sunfish is found in Ohio in the south- 

 western part only. I know of but one record, as follows: Ham- 

 ilton Co., "common in Ross lake and Clough creek," Henshall, 

 1888. 



Lepomis pallid us (Mitchill). BrvuE-Giix ; Bi^ue Bream; 

 Copper-nosed Bream ; Blue Sunfish. 

 Head 2^ to 3X ; depth about 2; eye $% to 4. D. X, 11; A. Ill, 10 to 

 12; scales about 7-45-12, 5 rows on cheek. Body comparatively short and 

 deep, compressed; the young slender, adults nearly orbicular, caudal pedun- 

 cle rather slender. Head rather small, the projecting snout forming an 

 angle above eye. Mouth quite small, the maxillary barely reaching front of 

 eye. Opercular flap very short in young, somewhat larger in adult, without 

 pale edge. Gill rakers of moderate length, rather stiff. Dorsal fin high; 

 pectoral fin long and narrow, longer than head, reaching past front of anal. 

 Color, olive green, sometimes quite dark, sometimes with a silvery or golden 

 luster. Adults in spring with the belly copper}' red. Young, silvery with 

 more or less distinct, chain-like bars of darker on the sides. No blue stripes 

 on cheek; a black blotch at base of posterior rays of dorsal and anal. Ex- 

 tremely variable. Length 12 inches. 



The Blue-gill is a very abundant species in the lakes of Ohio. 

 It is quite common and widely distributed in the larger streams, 

 but does not ascend small streams. Hamilton County, " abund- 

 ant in Little Miami river and Ross lake," Henshall, 1888; Lorain 

 County, "not common," McCormick, 1892; Maumee river sys- 

 tem, " taken in all the streams and at nearly every point exam- 

 ined," Kirsch, 1893; Franklin County, Scioto and Olentangy 

 rivers, Big Walnut and Big Darby Creeks, rare, June 14 given as 

 a breeding date, Williamson and Osburn, 1897; Huron river at 



(Lepomis machrochirus Rafinesque, has been taken in the head waters of the Ohio 

 in western Pennsylvania, by Cope, and in the Ohio river, by Rafinesque and Jordan, but as 

 I know of no record of its capture within the state, I hesitate to include it in the list, 

 though it doubtless occurs rarely in the Ohio.) 



