LEPOMIS SUNFISHES 



257 



It ranges widely throughout the Mississippi Valley, from Minne- 

 sota and South Dakota and the Ohio basin generally, to Kansas, 

 Arkansas, and Texas. We find no mention of it from the Atlantic 

 slope. 



Ripe males and females in high coloration, swimming in pairs, 

 were taken by Dr. Kofoid in Meredosia Bay June 8, 1899. The sexes 

 present a notably different appearance in outline as well as in color, 

 the males having the forehead concave, the profile steeper, and the 

 ventrals longer than the females. 



LEPOMIS PALLIDUS (Mitchill) 

 (bluegill; blue sunfish) 



Mitchill, 1815, Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. N. Y., 407 (Labrus). 



J. & G., 479; M. V., 118; J. & E., I, 1005; B., I, 29 (Eupomotis) ; N., 37 (Ichthelis 



incisor and speciosus); J., 45 (Lepiopomus); F. F.,'L, 3, 48 (Lepiopomus); F., 



67; L., 25; R., 34. 



Length of adults S to 8 inches, the body compressed, short and deep, 

 extremely so in adults; the dorsal outline somewhat more curved than 

 the ventral; profile rather steep, not sharply angled at nape but exca- 

 vate in a shallow curve which continues almost to end of snout, giving 

 "the nose an upturned appearance; 

 depth 1 .9 to 2.2, usually about 2. 

 Color light to dark olive, with more 

 or less luster of purple to lavender ; 

 •adults usually very dark; belly yel- 

 low or rich yellowish brown, with 

 margins of scales lighter; about six 

 more or less distinct wavy vertical 

 bars of dusky on sides, most appar- 

 ent below lateral line, usually be- 

 coming obsolete in adults ; snout dull 

 -slate, velvety ; chin emerald ; cheeks 

 and opercles olive with iridescent 

 gold and emerald ; gill-flap deep blue- 

 black behind, velvety, without evi- 

 dent pale margin, the black of the 

 flap sometimes lightening to a dull 

 emerald-green ; fins all more or less 

 dusky, ventrals and anal most so; 

 pectorals almost plain, pale; dorsal 



with a diffuse but usually evident black blotch at base of last rays. 

 Head short, small, 2.9 to 3.4 in length, usually about 3 . 1 in adults; 

 .eye 2.9 to 3.9 in headj mouth small, very oblique, the jaws equal; 

 maxillary scarcely reaching front of orbit, 2.9 , .to 3 . 3 in head in adults; 

 supplemental maxillary very rudimentary or wanting; no teeth on pal- 



Fig. 64 



Fig. 65 



Lower left pharyngeal of Lepomis pal- 

 lidus: Fig. 64, from above; Fig. 65, 

 from below. 



