Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 



77 



Postorbital distance to: bony margin 6.6— 

 8.9; fleshy margin 7.5—10.0. 



Frontal bones: least width 1.7—2.5. 



Lower jaws: width 3.6—5.2; least width 

 0.7-1.3. 



Mandible: length 20.4-26.4. 



Dorsal fin: depressed length 10. 2-14. 8. 



Anal fin: depressed length 11.1-15.9. 



Caudal fin: length 12.0-22.3. 



Pectoral fin: length 2.6-10.3. 



Pelvic fin: length 8.1 -13.2. 



Distance from tip of snout to: dorsal origin 

 84.8—89.3; pelvic insertion 56.1 — 

 62.1. 



Distance from pelvic insertion to : anal or- 

 igin 20.4—26.1; pectoral insertion 

 18.7—24.4; lateral line 3.3—4.7. 



Distance from dorsal origin to: occiput 

 48.2—56.9; caudal base 10. 6-15. 2; 

 lateral line 4.2—5.4. 



Distance from anal origin to : caudal base 

 15.3-19.2. 



Proportional dimensions in per cent of head length for 39 specimens, 114.1 — 

 695 mm length, with head lengths 81.8—272 mm, including head of type (see Study 

 Material). 



Snout: length 67.4-73.8; least width 



3-I-4-5- 

 Orbit: length 6.3-9.1. 

 Interorbital: least bony distance 10.6— 



I3-4- 



Postorbital distance to: bony margin 17.7- 



23.6. 

 Lower jaws: least width 1.8-3.6. 

 Mandible: length 64.3-68.4. 



Proportional dimensions in per cent of snout length. 

 Snout: least width 12.9—25.7. Postsnout: distance 2.1—3.0. 



Statistics of meristic characters: first number — number of specimens; second and 

 third numbers — extremes in range of variation ; fourth number— mean figure. 



Scales: transverse rows between pelvic 

 and dorsal origins :},^, 3i-35> 2'^-S\ 

 transverse rows 37, 19-24, 21.2; 

 predorsal 38, 47—55, 50.8; lateral 

 line 40, 57-63, 60.1. 



Gill rakers: total 38, 14-31, 22.6. 



Fin rays: dorsal 40, 6-9, 7.4; anal 40, 

 8—10, 8.8 ; caudal 40, i 1-14, 12.8 ; 

 pectoral on left 39, 10-13, ii-i> 

 and on right 39, 10—13, 11 -2; pel- 

 vic on left 40 and on right 40, all 

 with 6 rays. 



Color. In general, olivaceous brown above and white below, with specimens from 

 clear water showing more contrast in coloration; their backs usually more greenish, 

 those from turbid waters more brownish. Dark spots on median fins and on body, 

 more clearly defined on specimens from clear water; darkened areas on body frequently 

 appearing as blackened margins of scales (as if ink were dropped on the body and then 

 wiped off, leaving traces in grooves between the scales); old individuals sometimes 

 lacking dark spots on body or fins. Catesby has described and figured "acus maxima 

 squamosa viridis" from Virginia as having a pink belly and pink fins (jj: 30, pi. 30). 



