36. ELOPIDJE MEGALOPS. 261 



of villiform teeth iu both jaws and on vomer, palatines, pterygoids, 

 tongue, and base of skull. No large teeth. Eye large, with an adipose 

 eyelid. Gill-ineinbraues entirely separate, free from the isthmus. 

 Branchiostegals numerous (20-35). Gill-rakers long and slender. 

 Pseudobranchice present or absent. Belly not keeled nor serrated, 

 covered with ordinary scales. Lateral line present. Dorsal fin over 

 or rather behind ventrals. Caudal fin forked. Xo adipose fin. Pyloric 

 creca numerous. Two genera, not much alike, with 4 or 5 species, widely 

 distributed, sometimes entering fresh waters. 



(Clupcidce group Elopina Giiuther, vii, 469-472.) 



*Body elongate, covered with small scales; anal fm smaller than dorsal. (Elopime.} 



a. Pseudobranchije present ELOPS, 118. 



** Body obloiig, covered with large scales ; anal fin larger than dorsal. (Meyalopince.) 

 1). Pseudobranchise obsolete MEGALOPS, 119. 



118. EL.OPS Linnaeus. 



Big-eyed Herrings. 

 (Linnaeus, Syst. Nat: type Elops saurus L.) 



Body elongate, covered with thin, small, silvery scales. Dorsal fin 

 slightly behind ventrals, its last rays short, the fin depressible into a 

 sheath of scales. Anal fin smaller, similarly depressible. Pectorals 

 and ventrals moderate, each with a long accessory scale. Opercular 

 bones thin, with expanded, membranaceous borders; a scaly occipital 

 sheath or collar. Lateral line straight, its tubes simple. Pseudobran- 

 chise present, large. Species 2 or more, widely distributed, reniarka 

 ble for the development of scaly sheaths. (e-W, name of some sea-fish 

 a sword-fish or sturgeon; from <^dw, to drive or move.) 



435. E. saurus L. Big-eyed Herring. 



Uniform silvery, darker above. Gular plate 3-4 times as broad as 

 long. Head 4J; depth 5-6. Eye large, 4-5 in head. D. 20; A. 13; V. 

 15; B. 30; scales 12-120-13. L. 24 inches. Cape Cod to Cape of Good 

 Hope and China. A handsome fish, not rare on our Atlantic coast. 



(Linn. Syst. Nat. ; Giinther, vii, 470.) 



119. MEGAJLOPS Lacepede. 

 Tarpums. 



(Comnierson; Lace~pede, Hist. Nat. des Poissons, v, 289, 1803: type Mcgalops filamen- 

 tosus Lac. = Clupea cyprinoides Broussonet. ) 



Body oblong, compressed. Head large, compressed. Eye very large. 

 Belly narrow, covered with ordinary scales. Mouth large, oblique. 



