FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 75, NO. 4 



B 



*••'• •• 



PYLORIC 

 CAECA 



STOMACH 



INTESTINE 



FIGURE 25. — Ventral view of the digestive tract in juveniles of six species of scaienids: A. Larimus fasciatus; B. Cynoscion regalis; C. 

 Bairdiella chrysoura; D. Micropogomas undulatus; E. Menticirrhus saxatilis; F. Leiostomus xanthurus. 



Pores and Barbels 



The pores on the snout and the tip of the lower 

 jaw, and mental barbels in fishes are sense organs 

 probably involved in touch, taste, or both. The 

 number and arrangement of the pores and barbels 

 in sciaenid fishes are closely related to their feed- 

 ing habitats (Chao 1976). These six species of sci- 

 aenid fishes show a gradual increase in the 

 number and size of pores from upper water column 

 feeders to lower water column and bottom feeders 

 (Figure 26). Larimus fasciatus has five marginal 



pores on the snout and four minute pores at the tip 

 of the underside of the lower jaw (Figure 26A, a). 

 Cynoscion regalis has only two marginal pores on 

 the snout and no pores or barbels on the lower jaw 

 (Figure 26B, b). Bairdiella chrysoura has five 

 marginal and five upper pores on the snout, and 

 six mental pores at the tip of the lower jaw (Figure 

 26C, c). Leiostomus xanthurus has five marginal 

 and five upper pores on the snout, and five mental 

 pores at the tip of the lower jaw (Figure 26F, f). 

 Micropogonias undulatus also has five marginal 

 and five upper pores on the snout, and five mental 



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