Description

Body elongate, not much elevated. Snout moderately prominent. Mouth rather large oblique, the maxillary reaching past front of eye. Cheeks with rather small scales, in about 7 rows. Scales of breast small. Palatine teeth few, rather large. Gill-rakers quite short, but stiff and rough; wide apart. Opercular flap very long (longer in the adult than on any other of the Sun-fishes except Lepomis megalotis), narrow, not usually wider than the eye. In the young the flap is variously shorter, but always narrow; lower margin of flap usually pale. Dorsal spines rather low. Color olive; belly largely orange red; scales on the sides with reddish spots on a bluish ground; vertical fins chiefly orange or yellowish; head with bluish stripes, especially in front of eye; no dusky blotch on last rays of dorsal and anal. Head (without flap) 3-in: length; depth 2 1-8. D. X, 11; A. Ill, 9; Lat. 1. 47. L. 8 inches.

This handsome Sun-fish is found in all ponds and streams east of the Alleghanies from Maine to Florida. It reaches a length of eight to ten inches, and is a pan-fish and a game-fish not to be despised. In Virginia and the Carolinas, it is the most abundant of the Sun-fish, and thrives wonderfully in millponds.