278 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



bb. Caudal margin concave ; opercle prolonged behind in a convex pro- 

 cess or flap, which is always black; dorsal spines X; anal III. 



d. Lower pharyngeals narrow ; teeth usually sharp, not conical. 



LEPOMIS 



dd. Lower pharyngeals broad and convex, especially in adult ; 

 teeth more or less blunt and paved. eupomotis 



Genus ACANTHARCHUS Gill. 



The Mud Sun Fishes. 



Acantharchus pomotis (Baird). 



Plate 37- 

 Mud Sun Fish. Bass Sun Fish. 



Head 2^^ ; depth 2%; D. XI, ii, i; A. V. ii, i; scales 40 

 in lateral line to base of caudal; 6 scales obliquely back from 

 origin of spinous dorsal to^ lateral line; 12 scales in a vertical 

 series between origin of spinous anal and lateral line; mandible 

 2V10 ii^ head, measured from its own tip; fourth dorsal spine 

 SVs', sixth dorsal ray 1%; fourth anal spine 4; sixth anal ray 

 about 2; caudal i Vio ; pectoral i'^ ; ventral ij4; ventral 

 spine 3 ; snout 5^ in head, measured from tip of upper jaw; eye 

 4y3 ; maxillary 2% ; least depth of caudal peduncle 2. Body 

 robust, moderately compressed, and not much elevated. Head 

 large. Snout short, rather broad and convex. Eye circular, 

 moderate, and about first third in length of head. Mouth wide, 

 not large, and gape short. Mandible protruding. Maxillary 

 oblique, about reaching posterior margin of orbit, and its distal 

 expansion ij^ in orbit. Teeth rather large, conic, and in bands 

 in jaws. Vomerine, palatine, pterygoid and lingual teeth small, 

 latter in a single patch. Interorbital space flattened and fonning 

 a depression in upper profile. Nostrils close in front of upper 

 orbital rim. Gill-rakers 5, 2 on lower limb of first arch, lanceo- 

 late, and longest a trifle shorter than pupil. Scales large, cycloid, 

 reduced along bases of fins and on predorsal region. Lateral line 

 of rather large simple tubes, rather concurrent with dorsal profile. 

 Small scales on bases of rayed dorsal, anal and caudal. Spinous 



