574: NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Cynoscion nebulosus JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1409, 

 1898, pi. CCXXI, fig. 563, 1900. 



Body elongate, compressed, its greatest depth two ninths of 

 the total length without caudal; the least depth of caudal pedun- 

 cle one half postorbital length of head. Head long, two sevenths 

 of total length without caudal ; snout long and acute, about two 

 sevenths as long as the head; eye small, about one seventh as 

 long as head; maxillary reaching to below hind margin of orbit, 

 as long as snout and eye combined; canines strong; lower 

 pharyngeals narrow, each with seven or eight series of short 

 teeth, the inner enlarged; gill rakers short and thick, about 

 4+7 on first arch; maxillary, preorbital, and lower jaw naked. 

 Spinous dorsal base as long as postorbital part of head; 

 first dorsal spine one half as long as second, which is one third 

 length of head; third and longest spine nearly one half as long 

 as head; spines decreasing rapidly in length from the fifth to 

 the last, which is minute; soft dorsal base one third of total 

 length without caudal; the longest soft ray one third length of 

 base. Caudal shallow concave, the middle rays one half as long- 

 as the head. Anal base short, one third as long as the head; 

 longest anal ray one half depth of body. Pectoral short, reach- 

 ing to below sixth spine of dorsal. Ventral longer than pec- 

 toral, one sixth of total without caudal, reaching to below end 

 of spinous dorsal. Ventral appendage nearly as long as the 

 eye. D. X, I, 24 to 28; A. I, 10 to 12; V. I, 5; P. I, 15; pores in 

 lateral line about 90. 



Body silvery with bright reflections; numerous black spots on 

 back, beginning under the spinous dorsal; soft dorsal and caudal 

 similarly spotted, the largest spots smaller than pupil; anal fin 

 dusky. 



The spotted weakfish is a better food fish than the common 

 northern species ; it ranges from New York to Texas, but is rare 

 north of Virginia. 



Grenus LARIMUS Cuvier & Valenciennes 



Body rather elongate, compressed; skull firm, not greatly 

 cavernous; interorbital space rather narrow; preorbital flattish, 

 not turgid; upper jaw with the usual slits and pores little de- 



