30 FISHES OF THE VICINITY OF NEW YORK 



(b) Tail fin moderately forked. Elongate, head 



pointed, lower jaw projecting. Striped 

 lengthwise in color. Rachycentridce 



(c) Tail fin weakly forked. Head blunt and 



rounded, color dark. Stromateidce 



(2) Spiny-rayed back fin separate from the soft-rayed fin 

 behind it. 



(A) Ventral fins placed decidedly behind the breast 



fins. Tail fin forked. 



(a) Teeth small. 



x. Small slender compressed fishes with nar- 

 row heads and a silvery stripe on the 

 side. AiherinidcB. 



y. Small or moderate sized fishes with broad, 

 blunt heads and small mouths. 



Mugihdce 



(b) Mouth and teeth large. Sphyrcenida 



(B) Ventral fins separate, placed about under breast 



fins. 



(a) Tail fin notably deeply forked. The peduncle 



narrow and firm, often with a keel of en- 

 larged scales. Scales otherwise small or 

 absent. 



x. Scales never rough. Carangidce 



y. Scales rough. The small spiny back fin 



much lower than the soft-rayed fin 



behind it. Pomatomidce 



(b) Tail moderately forked, even or rounded. 



Scales usually somewhat larger and rough. 

 x. Anal spines one or two. 



(x) Lateral line not extending across the 



tail fin. Percidce 



(y) Lateral line extending across the tail 



fin. Scicenidce 



y. Anal spines three. 



(x) Vertical fins not densely scaled. 



Serranidcp 



