FAMILY SCOMBRID.E TRACHINOTUS. 117 



THE SPINOUS TRACHINOTE. 



Trachinotus spinosus. 



PLATE XIX. FIG. 53. 



The Spinous Dory. Mitch. Lit. and Phil. Soc. Vol. 1, pi. 6, fig. 10. (No description.) 

 Zeus spinosus. Id. Am. Month. Magazine, Vol. 2, p. 246. 

 Trachinotus fuscus ? Cov. et Val. Hist, des Poiss. Vol. 8, p. 410. 



Characteristics. Body much compressed, suborbicular ; olive green on the sides above ; with 

 metallic reflections beneath. Seven free spines before the dorsal, and 

 three before the anal. Length three inches. 



Description. Body exceedingly compressed ; its height to its length as one to one and a 

 half. Thickness, - 5. Body scaleless. The lateral line moderately incurved upward, and 

 thence straight to the tail, not concurrent with the back. Facial line broadly concave ; the 

 head projecting forward, with a blunt snout. Eyes large and silvery. Lower jaw closes 

 within the upper ; both with scarcely perceptible teeth. Branchial rays seven. Pectorals 

 acuminate. Caudal deeply forked. Ventral rays are stated to be four, but they are probably 

 of the normal number. 



Color. Dusky greenish above ; on the belly, silvery white, with clouds along the sides, and 

 somewhat of a ruddy tint. Undulating depressions up and down the sides as in Stromateus. 



Length, 3"0. Depth, 2" nearly. 



Fin rays, Br. 7; D. 7.19; P. 19; V. 1.5; A. 3.19; C. 18. 



This species was captured in the harbor of New-York, September, 1817, and is to be 

 considered as an occasional visitor only from the south. Cuvier and Valenciennes, with refe- 

 rence merely to the plate, and not being acquainted with the text, suppose that it may pos- 

 sibly be their Trachinote brun. Their language is, " The Spinous Dory represented by 

 " Mitchill (pi. 6, fig. 10) appears to resemble in its form very much our T. fuscus ; but as he 

 " does not speak of it in his text, we cannot confirm this resemblance by a comparison of 

 " the number of rays and other circumstances which could only be explained by a verbal 

 " description." The T. fuscus of Cuvier and Valenciennes is 8'0 long, brown, with conspi- 

 cuous teeth ; the anterior elongated rays of the dorsal and anal reach to the end of their 

 respective fins. It is evident, from these circumstances, that our species is distinct ; and 

 finding none other approaching it, I have retained the name proposed by its original describer. 



