PISHES OF NEW YORK 563 







This genus, like Lagodon, Stenotomus and O t r y n t e r, 

 which show the same character of the procumbent dorsal spine, 

 is confined to American waters. There are two color types in 

 the genus, one group being made up of the species with broad 

 black crossbands, the other of species with golden streaks 

 and inconspicuous crossbands, resembling the species of 



L a g o d o 11 . 



Subgenus ARCHOSARGUS 



'275 Archosargus probatocephalus (Walbaum) 

 Sheepshead 



S'/K/rws prolatocepliulus WALBAUM. Art. Gen. Pise. 295, 1792, New York. 

 Spams oi'is MITCHILL, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 392, pi. 2, fig. 5, 



1815. New York. 

 Saryus oc.is OUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. VI, 53, 1830; 



DE KAY, X. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 89, pi. 8, fig. 23, 1842; HOLBROOK, Iclith. 



S. C. ed. 1, 51, pi. 8, fig. 2, 1856; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 



447. 1859. 

 Diplodus prabatocepJialus JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, TL S. Nat. Mus. 558, 



1883. 

 An-fiosargiis probatocopJialus GILL, Cat. Fish. East Coast N. A. 27, 1873; 



BEAN, Bull. IT. S. F. C. VII, 142, pi. Ill, fig. 10, 1888, Somers Point 



X. J., young; 19th Rep. Comm. Fish. N. Y. 262, pi. XV, fig. 19, 1890; 



Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 366, 1897; H. M. SMITH, Bull. U. S. F. C. 



1897. 101, 1898; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1361, 



1898, pi. CCXVI, fig. 554, 1900. 



Body robust, becoming deep with age, the back compressed 

 and elevated, the greatest depth from two fifths to one half of 

 total length without caudal; the least depth of caudal peduncle 

 equal to eighth dorsal spine, and three eighths length of head. 

 Head one third or nearly one third of total length without 

 caudal; eye placed high, one fifth to one, fourth length of head; 

 interorbital space one third greater than diameter of eye; 

 mouth low, horizontal; maxillary reaching nearly to below front 

 of pupil, slightly more than one third as long as the head; 

 incisors entire or slightly notched,, serrate in the young, their 

 breadth about one half their length; molars in three series 

 above, in two below; those of the inner series larger; those 

 behind the incisors very small. Gill rakers about 3 + 6. 

 Cheeks with six rows of scales; scales on breast very 

 small, crowded. Occipital crest broad. Dorsal spines very 



