Life history of a peripheral population of bluespotted sunfish Enneacanthus gloriosus (Holbrook), with comments on geographic variation

Enneacanthus gloriosus occurs in coastal plain drainages from New York to F lorida and W to Mississippi, but little is known about its life history. En neacanthus gloriosus is smaller and shorter-lived in Mississippi than in ea stern population's. The spawning season of E. gloriosus ranges from April t o September and gonadosomatic index values were highest between April and A ugust, peaking in May with an additional but lower peak in August. Ripe egg s are also found during every month of the spawning season. These data indi cate E. gloriosus is a multiple batch spawner. The sex ratio did not differ from 1:1, the diameter of mature ova averaged 0.68 mm, and the number of r ipe ova per female averaged 117.2. Enneacanthus gloriosus at the periphery of its western distribution in Mississippi exhibit substantial variation in a number of life-history patterns including size, age, length at maturity and spawning season compared to populations ranging from New Jersey to Flor ida.