574 NEW YORK STATf} MUSEUM 



Cynoscion nebulosus Jordan & Eveemann, 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; maxillarj^ 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. 



Genus larimus Cuvier & Valenciennes 

 Body rather elongate, compressed; skull firm, not greatly 

 cavernous; interorbital space rather narrow; preorbital flatfish, 

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



