Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 



135 



Body slender, rounder and less compressed in large specimens than in young 

 adults, its dorsal profile more convex than ventral profile, its depth at dorsal origin 

 4.35-4.9 in SL in large specimens, about 5.25-7.1 in the more slender, recently-meta- 

 morphosed young. Scales firm, with crenulate membranous edges. Head low, espe- 

 cially in large specimens, flat above, its depth exceeding its width at middle of eye 

 by about diameter of pupil, 3.0—3.8 in SL. Snout rather long, conical, especially in 

 large specimens, projecting about a third of its length beyond mandible, 2.2-2.5 ■" 

 head, about 2.7—3.5 '" young adults. Eye moderately small, 4.4—5.5 in head, its 

 center nearer to margin of opercle than to tip of snout. Maxillary not quite reaching to 





Figure 22. Albula vulpes, from off Newport, Rhode Island; from Goode. Drawn by H. L.Todd. 



eye in large specimens, but extending to, or slightly beyond, anterior margin of eye in 

 young adults, 2.6—3.15 in head (measured from tip of snout). 



Dorsal fin somewhat elevated anteriorly, its longest rays not reaching to tip of 

 posterior ray if deflexed, its origin a little nearer to tip of snout than to base of 

 caudal. Caudal deeply forked, the upper lobe somewhat longer than the lower. Anal 

 very small, its origin notably nearer to base of caudal than to base of pelvic, its last 

 ray, though longer than the preceding one, not especially produced, its base 4.7—5.4 

 in head. Pelvic somewhat smaller than pectoral, inserted under or slightly behind 

 middle of dorsal base. Pectoral with rounded margin, reaching notably less than half- 

 way to pelvic, 1.7—2.0 in head. Axillary scale of pectoral about half as long as 

 fin, adherent to body. 



Color. Large specimens bluish above; bright silvery on sides and below; dark 

 streaks between rows of scales, at least on dorsal half of side; dorsal and caudal with 

 dusky margins, frequently entirely pale in preserved specimens. Very young adults 

 (completely metamorphosed and about 30 mm) with a double series of dark spots on 

 the back, each just off the median line; these spots soon uniting to form about nine dark 

 crossbands on the back, extending down nearly or quite to lateral line; the third band 

 crossing back at origin of dorsal; next two situated posteriorly under base of dorsal; 



