THE SMELTS 



Family XVII. Argentinidce 



THE smelts are small fishes, marine or anadromous, some of 

 \hern inhabiting deep water; all but one genus confined to the 

 waters of the Northern Hemisphere. There are about a dozen 

 genera with some 15 species, and they may be regarded as re- 

 duced Salmonidce, smaller and in every way feebler than the 

 trout, but similar to them in all respects except in the form of 

 the stomach. Most of them are very delicate food-fishes. 



a. Ventral fins inserted in front of the middle of the dorsal; 



mouth large. f , 



b. Scales very small, arranged in the male in villous bands; pec- 



toral broad, of 1 5 to 20 rays ; M allot as, 225 



bb. Scales large, similar in both sexes; pectoral moderate, of 10 to 

 12 rays. 



c. Teeth feeble, those on tongue very weak; scales small, ad- 



herent ; Thaleichthys, 226 



cc. Teeth strong, those on tongue enlarged, canine-like; scales 



moderate, loosely attached Osmerus, 227 



aa. Ventral fins inserted under or behind middle of dorsal; mouth 



rather small. 



d. Jaws with minute teeth; similar teeth on tongue and palate; 



maxillary reaching past front of eye; Hypomesus, 230 



GENUS MALLOTUS CUVIER 

 The Capelins 



Body elongate, compressed, covered with minute scales, a 

 band of which, above the lateral line and along each side of the 

 belly, are enlarged, and in mature males they become elongate- 

 lanceolate, densely imbricated, with free, projecting points, form- 

 ing villous bands. In very old males the scales of the back and 

 belly are similarly modified, and the top of the head and the rays 

 of the paired fins are finely granulated. Mouth rather large, the 



