Jordan and Evcrmann. — Fishes of North America. 1369 



orbital portion ; last dorsal spine equaling length of second anal, about 

 equaling length of snout, and about |- as long as the third ; first dorsal ray 

 fully 1^ times as long as first dorsal spine; second anal spine stronger and 

 shorter than third, its length 3| in length of head ; third anal spine con- 

 tained 3J times in length of head ; caudal forked, its length slightly less 

 than length of head, and very little greater than length of pectoral; the 

 pectoral reaching to the perpendicular through origin of soft dorsal; ven- 

 tral half as long as head; vent under the second ray of the soft dorsal. 

 The back with a slight tawny hue, interrupted as it blends with the white 

 of the sides by 5 or 6 iiulistiuct scollopy incursions of the body color, giv- 

 ing the upper part of the side of tlic fish a marbled appearance. (Goode 

 & Bean.) Atlantic coast of tropical America, common; known from 

 western Florida, Key West, .Jamaica, Santo Domingo and Bahia. (dimin- 

 utive of liarengiis, herring.) 



JEucinostomus harengulus, Goode & Bean, Proc. U. S. Kat. Mus. 1879, 132, West Florida. 



(Type, No. 5145, U. S. N. M. Coll. Kaiser & Martin.) 

 Gerres harengulus* Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 584. 



1746. EDCIXOSTOMUS CALIFORXIEXSIS (Gill). 



(MojAKEA Cantilena.) 



Head 3^; depth 2^ to 2*; eye not very large, its diameter 3i in head; 

 snout Si in head. Dorsal IX, 10; A. Ill, 7. Scales 5-4.5-9. Body ellip- 

 tical, compressed, back moderately elevated ; anterior profile little convex, 

 not very steep ; snout rather pointed, mouth moderate, maxillary reaching 

 almost to vertical from front of orbit, its length 3 in length of head; ex- 

 posed portion of maxillary triangular in front, oblong behind, its width 

 2 in its length, which is 41 in length of head; preorbital and preopercle 

 entire; premaxillary groove long, linear and naked in young specimens 

 (firacilin), becoming in older examples {callfornienHis) more or less oval 

 and sometimes forming a rounded pit. In the cranium the groove is 

 always linear, this variation being due to changes in the flesh and skin. 

 Gill rakers small and weak, 7 below the angle. Dorsal spines weak and 

 flexible, the longest 4f to 2/,r in head; ventral fins short, their tips reach- 

 ing about halfway to anal, tlieir length 1|^ in head ; pectorals slender, their 

 tips reaching beyond vent; length of pectorals about equal to head; ven- 

 trals and caudal mostly covered with small scales; other fins naked. 

 Color in life silvery, greenish above; snout and upper part of caudal 

 dusky; spinous dorsal punctate at base, usually abruptly black at tip, 

 especially in the young; the dark areas separated by a transparent hori- 

 zontal bar, these markings wanting in some specimens, perhaps females; 

 soft dorsal punctate; caudal with a faint dusky margin; ventrals pale. 



* In the paper ou this genus by Evermann & Meek (Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Pbila. 1886, 261), 

 Gurres harengulus, as represented by spcciiucii.s I'nim Floi-icbi and (;ul)a, wms referred to 

 the synonymy of the Tvest coast Eu'ciinistimniti ,/r,irilis (r(tliniinl> nsii;). I'lio two species 

 are very closely related. A comparison of simcuu.'Iis sliin\ s tliat hmeiKjulus li:isa blunter 

 anout, somewhat larMr eye, and lar;;er aua'l spines tlian cali/onii'iisis. Eye 2i in head; 

 snout 3J; second aniU spine 2| to 3i in head in harengulut from Key West (3|, 3i, 4§ in 

 califurniensis from Guaymas). It is, however, not always possible to distinguish haren- 

 gulus, pseudogula, gracilis, californientis and dowi, and perhaps all may prove to be 

 varieties of one, E. californiensi.i. 

 3030 9 



