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Family ELASSOMiDiE (The Pigmy Sunfishes). / 



Elasisoma zonatum Jordan. — Pigmy Sunfish. 



A tiny sunfisb-Iike fish without a lateral line and with only 4 or 6 dorsal spines; on th6 

 sides 11 dark vertical bands: beneath the dorsal a black spot, and at the base of the caudal 

 a blackish bar. 



From five Illinois localities, all in the southern part of the State, as follows: Drew Pond, 

 White county; Swan Pond. St. Prancisville; Little Fox River. Fhillipstown; Wabash River, 

 Wabash station; and Runnine Lake. Union county. 



Family Centrarchid^ (The Sunfishes). 



KEY TO ILLINOIS GENERA OF OKNTBAKCHID^. \ 



a. Dorsal and anal fins nearly equal in size. ^ 



b. Dorsal spines 5 to 8 PoMOXis, 



bb. Dorsal spines 11 or 12 Centearchus. 



aa. Dorsal fin much largrer than anal. 



c. Body short and deep; depth usually more than 2-5 of length. 



d. Anal spines 6 Ambloplites. 



dd^ Anal spines 3 



e. Tongue and pterygoids with teeth; mouth large; depth 2-5 to 1-2 of length. 



Ch.«:nobryttu8. 



ee. Tongue and pterygoids toothless; depth about 2-5 of length. 



Apomotis. Eupomotis, and Lepomis. 



cc. Body elongate; depth 1-3 of length; dorsal fin low. with 19 spines; deep emar- 

 gination at juncture of soft and spinous dorsals: mouth large. ..Micropterus. 



Pomoxis annularis Rafinesque. — White Crappie; Grapple. 



Differing from the next species In the more gradual slope of the profile from the front of 

 the dorsal, the lighter general color, the arrangement of the dark color in definite bands on 

 the side, and the lesser depth of body. 



Dorsal and anal fins of about equal size: dorsal spines 6 or 7, more commonly 6. 



Very abundant and generally distributed through the State, with the exception of the 

 Rock and Wabash basins, where it is not very common. 



Pomoxis sparoides' CLac6pede). — Calico Bass; Strawberry Bass; Black 

 Crappie: Crappie. 



Colors darker than in P. annularis; dorsal and anal larger and much mottled with black; 

 sides irregularly mottled with dark green or black. Profile of head steeper and more 

 abruptly recurved jast behind the snout than in the preceding: dorsal spines from 6 to 10 in 

 number, usually 7 or 8. 



Widely distributed, but not abundant in rapid streams. 



Centrarchus macropterus (Lacepede). — Round Sunfish; Flyer. 



A small fish with rows of dark spots on the sides much as In the rock bass (.Ambloplites 

 rupestris); body very thin; dorsal and ventral outlines strongly and symmetrically curved; 

 dorsal and anal fins about equal in size. 



Taken only from southern Illinois. Our collections are from Auxier Creek and north 

 fork of the Saline River in Hamilton county, a branch of the Big Muddy in Franklin county. 

 Cache River in Johnson county, and two localities on Clear Creek in Union county. 



Ambloplites rupestris (Rafinesque). — Goggle-eye; Red-eye; Rock Bass. 



Well known by the common names given above. Living in deep pools near swift water 

 or in drifts, where it bites quite readily on any ordinary bait, sometimes even taking a fly 

 cast for bass. A young fisherman's fish, and of fair quality as a pan-fish. 



Common in the northern part of the State: taken once from the Kaskaskia River at 

 Cowden, and once in Union county. Infrequently taken in large bodies of water. 



Chamobryttus gulosus (Cuvier& Valenciennes). — Warmouth Bass; Goggle- 

 eye. 



Somewhat like the last in general appearance and habits, but with much deeper color 

 and more of a liking for sluggish water. A fair fish for pond culture, growing to consider 

 able size and making a very good fry. 



Common in favorable situations throughout the State; rare in the Wabash basin. Rock 

 River basin, and ic the gravelly streams of central Illinois. 



