Fishes of the JVestern North Atlantic 373 



Body deep, rather strongly compressed, its greatest thickness notably less than 

 half of the depth, its greatest depth at vertical from a point somewhat in advance of 

 origin of dorsal and about midway between tip of pectoral and base of pelvic, 2.3—2.75 

 in SL; ventral outline notably more strongly convex than the dorsal outline, more than 

 half of the greatest depth being below a straight line drawn through lower margin of 

 eye to middle of base of caudal. Caudal peduncle rather deep, 2.6-3.4 in head, and 

 3.5—4.0 in greatest depth of body. 



Scales closely adherent, the exposed part three or more times deeper than long, 

 the scales themselves less than two times deeper than long (Fig. 850); scales with 

 prominent serrae ending in blunt points, not long or hair-like and not extending across 

 exposed part of next scale; the scales greatly reduced in size on back and at base of caudal, 

 in rather irregular series (difficult to count accurately); about 5-8 rows of scales ex- 

 posed between tip of pectoral and base of pelvic. A row of enlarged modified scales 

 on each side of median line of back in front of dorsal fin, the scales variable in number, 

 39—45 in each series. Ventral scutes not strong, 18 or 19 in front of pelvics, 12—14, 

 most frequently 13, behind them. 



Head 3.2—3.4 in SL, its depth 3.25-3.6. Snout compressed, blunt, with a 

 prominent median notch, its length 3.7-5.0 in head. Eye 4.2-5.2. Interorbital 

 4.2—4.9. Cheek much deeper than long. Maxillary broadly rounded, reaching from 

 under middle of eye to posterior margin of pupil, 2.1—2.3 '" head. Mandible in- 

 cluded in upper jaw, its upper margin (within mouth) nearly straight, its length to 

 joint 1.7— 1.9 in head. Upper section of Opercle with very feeble radiating striae. 

 Gill rakers very numerous, those on upper limb extending downward and over 

 those on lower limb, the longest ones fully as long as snout, 121 — 149 in adults. 

 Teeth absent. 



Dorsal fin rather high anteriorly, the margin rather deeply concave, the longest 

 rays equal to length of snout and eye to posterior margin of pupil, the last ray consider- 

 ably longer than preceding ones, the origin about equidistant between margin of snout 

 and base of caudal; a very low sheath on base of fin, composed of a single row of 

 scales. Caudal deeply forked, the middle rays about as long as eye, the lobes long, the 

 lower one slightly the longer, exceeding the length of head, 2.7—3.1 in SL. Anal 

 notably lower than dorsal, little elevated anteriorly, its margin nearly straight, its 

 origin under or a little behind tip of last ray of dorsal, its base 4.75—5.25 in SL; a 

 very narrow sheath at base. Pelvic fin with an oblique margin, its length 2.8—3.4 in 

 head, its outermost ray nearly twice the length of the innermost one, the fin inserted 

 under or slightly behind vertical from origin of dorsal. Pectoral fin long, scarcely 

 falcate, its length 4.65—5.4 in SL and i. 45-1. 75 in head, its longest ray fully four 

 times longer than the shortest one, the fin failing to reach base of pelvic by a distance 

 somewhat greater than half of diameter of eye. Axillary appendage of pectoral vari- 

 able, reaching to or well beyond midlength of fin, 2.6-4.0 in head. 



Color. Back, in fresh specimens, bluish green, lighter than in tyrannus (evident 

 also in preserved specimens). Sides silvery. A large black spot at shoulder, not followed 



