In the Pine Hills swamp, it was the third most abundant species 
and comprised more than 13 percent of the total sample. The 
Species was most abundant at stations 5 and 8, Table 5, in shallow 
quiet waters abundantly vegetated with Nelumbo lutea, Typha 
latifolia, and CeratophyllLum demersum, It avoided open water. 
Because of its tendency to school, the number per square meter at 
any given site and time is extremely variable but when all months 
are averaged for one.site the number per square meter can be 
expressed with reasonable reliability. Thus, in optimal habitat 
such as station 8 its density averaged almost 1 individual per 
square meter but throughout the swamp the density was only about 
1 fish per 6 35 square meters. The population at Pine Hills is 
large, apparently stable, and in no way endangered at present. 
Gunning and Lewis (1955) found it to rank third in abundance and 
to comprise virtually the same percent of the total population of 
Pine Hills fishes in the early 1950's, Table 1. 
New Illinois Localities: Wolf Lake, Wolf Lake, Union Co., 
21 June 1973. 
ELassoma zonatum Jordan.--The banded pygmy sunfish occurs from 
southern Illinois to the Gulf Coast and eastward to Florida 
(Fig. 3). In Illinois, its range has been decimated, but it 
still occurs in a few localities in Union, Pope, and Johnson 
counties (Fig. 3). In the Pine Hills swamp, it was found to be 
_ the fifth most abundant fish species, constituting almost 11 
percent of the total sample. It was found at almost all stations 
sampled (Table 6) but reached its greatest abundance at station 4 
in shaded, quiet waters containing CeratophyllLum demersum, Algae, 
and duckweed over a soft mud bottom. It was infrequent in open 
waters. 
Casual observations by one of us (Smith) had suggested that the 
population level was rather low in the swamp, but fortunately such 
is not the case. The species was much more abundant than had 
been anticipated, reaching a density of 1 individual per 1 45 
Square meters of water in optimal habitat but averaging only about 
1 individual per 10 square meters throughout the swamp, Table 5. 
Gunning and Lewis (1955) also found it to be the fifth most 
abundant fish species and to constitute a little more than 7 
percent of their total sample, Table 1. The population is large, 
stable, and in no way endangered. 
New Illinois localities: Heron Pond, 1 mi. NW Forman, Johnson Co., 
1 November 1971; Grantsburg Swamp, 1 33 mi. E Grantsburg, Johnson 
Co., 19 May 1973; drainage canal, E of Dixon Springs, Pope Co., 
5 May 1973, Wolf Lake, Wolf Lake, Union Co., 27 September 1973; 
Cache River bottom, 1 mi. E Ullin, Pulaski Co., 29 May 1974. 
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