170 Gudgei — Notes on Some Beaufort, N. C, Fishes. 



three 12-inch Halt- water cattish, Galeichlhys milberti, which were kept in the 

 same tank. These stayed for the most part under a low lying wooden stand 

 which completely hid them from view. Here the little rudder-fish took 

 up its abode, coming out to feed or to take a turn around the tank. 

 Whenever the catfish swam around, the little fish swam just over one of 

 of them in the pectoral or hinder dorsal region, seeming almost to rest 

 on the catfish's hack with its outspread pectorals. It did the same with 

 a small green turtle. It was noticeable that if by any chance the little 

 rudder-fish became separated from its siluroid companions, it swam about 

 in all directions in almost a panic until it found them. When chopped 

 bits of fish were thrown into the tank, the catfish never presumed to ie^(] 

 until their more sprightly companion had satisfied its appetite. All its 

 actions gave the distinct impression of alertness and inquisitiveness. The 

 writer has perhaps never had a more charming aquarium pet. 



Selene vomer (Linnaeus). 

 MOON-FISH. LOOKDOWN. 



It is a fact well known to all ichthyologists that the young of many 

 fishes differ markedly from the adults. This is especially true of the 

 moon-fish or lookdown. Of Beaufort specimens Smith ( 1907) says: 

 " The young differs greatly from the adult in appearance, the body being 

 much deeper, the profile less vertical, the ventral tins much longer, and 

 the dorsal rays more produced. An example in the Beaufort Laboratory 

 1.25 inches long taken in the summer of 1900 has the ventral fins f inch 

 long and the anterior dorsal rays 2.37 inches long." 



On June 7, 11)11, the writer took a specimen which measured in length 

 2 inches, in depth l 1 ^, and which had anterior dorsal rays extending 

 backward 3% inches. The body was faintly banded, the ventral tins 

 were very long, as long as the anterior rays of the anal, and the chin 

 region and breast parts met at an angle which lacked but little of making 

 7u°. The bands, the exaggerated dorsal filaments, and the elongated ven- 

 trals made it look like the thread-fish, Alectis ciliaris ; but the almost 

 vertical forehead and a count of the tin rays forbade such identification. 

 Finally by a process of elimination it was identified as Selene vomer. A 

 greater difference between young and adult has never been met with 

 among fishes by the writer. 



Pomatomus saltatrix ( Linnaeus). 



BLUE-FISH. 



One of the most toothsome of Beaufort lishes is the blue-fish, Poma- 

 tomus saltatrix. While caught in large numbers and Of considerable size 

 outside, those caught inside are of smaller size and are in fewer numbers. 

 The laboratory seining crew took one in West Bay in Harker's Island on 

 June 30, 1911, which was I'l inches long over all and 424 inches deep (body 

 only). According to Smith the largest blue-fish ever recorded from the 

 Atlantic coast was 3 feet 9 inches long and weighed 27 pounds. It was 

 taken near Nantucket in 1903. 



