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Rock Bass; Redeye; Goggle-eye — Part 2
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It inhabits the Sacramento and the San Joaquin rivers, and their tributary streams and lakes, and has been abundant throughout its range. It is said, however, probably without reason, that it is being exterminated by the carp and catfish, which infest its spawning grounds. This species reaches a length of 1 to 2 feet, and is regarded as an excellent food-fish. We know nothing as to its game qualities.
Colour, blackish above, side silvery, with about 7 vertical blackish bars, irregular in form and position, and more or less interrupted; body sometimes almost wholly black, sometimes brassy; a black opercular spot; fins nearly plain.
GENUS CHAENOBRYTTUS GILL
This genus has the general form and dentition of Ambloplites, with the convex opercle, 10 dorsal and 3 anal spines of Lepomis.
The single species is the warmouth, mud sunfish, or Indian fish, C. gulosus. The warmouth is found in the eastern United States from the Great Lakes south to Georgia and Texas and west to lowa and Kansas, chiefly west of the Alleghanies. It is another of those sunfishes which prefer the bayous, sluggish lowland streams, and shallow, mud-bottomed ponds and lakes. It is abundant in the more shallow lakes in Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin, and in the ponds and bayous of the South.
It reaches a length of about 10 inches and is not a food or game-fish of much importance. At times it will take the hook pretty freely and will fight fairly well, somewhat after the manner of the rock bass. It will take a live minnow, angleworm, white grub, grasshopper or piece of clam or fish. On account of its usually inhabiting water with muddy bottom its flesh is apt to taste of the mud.
Body shaped much like that of the rock bass; head and mouth large, maxillary reaching posterior line of eye; dorsal spines low, the longest equal to distance from tip of snout to middle of eye; pectoral not nearly reaching anal fin; ventrals barely reaching vent. Colour, dark olive-green, or sometimes rich brick-red and brassy, clouded with darker, usually with red, blue and brassy; a dusky spot on each scale; ventral fins mottled with dusky; a faint spot on last rays of dorsal bordered by paler; 3 oblique dusky or reddish bars radiating from eye; belly yellowish or brassy.
GENUS APOMOTIS RAFINESQUE
This genus is very close to Lepomis, from which it differs only in the development of the supplemental maxillary bone which is rudimentary or wanting in Lepomis; the mouth is larger in Apomotis, the lower pharyngeals narrow, with acute teeth; gillrakers well developed, long and stiff; pectoral bluntish, shorter than head; scales moderate, 33 to 50.
This genus contains 5 known species widely distributed in American waters.
The only one of these species of Apomotis which attains sufficient size or that is sufficiently abundant to be of any value as a food or game-fish, is Apomotis cyanellus, the blue-spotted sunfish or green sunfish.
This beautiful little sunfish is found wholly west of the Alleghanies and from the Great Lakes to Mexico. It is usually abundant in all suitable waters from central Ohio and Indiana to the Rio Grande.
It is not often found in lakes or large streams but in the smaller creeks, brooks and ponds it is an abundant and well-known little fish. It does not attain a greater length than 6 to 8 inches and a weight of more than 4 or 5 ounces, but it is a sprightly little fish and excellent for the pan. Like the pumpkin-seed it is, where common, a prime favourite with the small boy. It readily takes a hook baited with grub or angleworm and would make a vicious fight for liberty if it were only larger. In the streams of Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota and south to Texas, where game-fishes are not abundant the green sunfish is a choice pan-fish.
Head 3; depth 2 1/2; D. X, 11; A. III, 9; scales small, 6 or 7-45 to 55-16, 40 to 48 pores, 8 rows on cheek; gillrakers X+10. Body rather elongate, becoming short and deep with age; head large, with projecting snout; mouth rather large, maxillary broad and flat, with a small supplemental bone, reaching nearly to middle of eye; lower jaw projecting; dorsal spines quite low, the highest scarcely longer than snout, 3 to 4 in head in adult, longer in young; opercular spot smaller than eye, broadly margined with bronze, the black confined to the bony part; pectoral short, not reaching anal, 1 1/2 in head; ventrals not reaching vent. Colour, variable, the prevailing shade green, with a strong brassy lustre on sides, becoming nearly yellow below; each scale usually with a sky-blue spot and more or less of gilt edging, giving an appearance of pale lateral streaks; besides these marks, dusky or obscure vertical bars are often present, and the sides are sprinkled with dark dots; vertical fins marked with blue or green, the anal usually edged in front with pale orange; usually a conspicuous black spot on posterior base of dorsal and anal fins, these sometimes obsolete; cheeks with narrow blue stripes; iris red.