1402 DuUdin //, United States National Museum. 



i. Snout not very sharp, about 4i (4 to 4' ) in liead ; gill rakers long 

 and slender, iisu.ally 5 | 10 to 12 in ii umber; membranes of 

 soft dorsal and anal more or less elosely scaly, tlie scales 

 readily deciduous. regalis, 1780. 



ii. Snout very sharp, aj to 3| in length of head ; gill rakers shorter, 

 rather slender, 4 -!-8 or 9 in number; membrane of soft dorsal 

 and anal with very few scales, these readily deciduous. 



THALAS.SINUS, 1781. 

 hh. Soft rays of the dorsal and anal scaleless ; gill rakers comparatively short and 

 thickish, usually not longer than pupil, and but 6 to 8 on lower limb of the 

 arch, 

 j. Coloration not uniform, grayish and silvery, the back with distinct darker 

 spots, lines, or reticulations; caudal tin truncate, or sliglitly double- 

 concave. 

 k. Soft dorsal immaculate; back and sides covered with dark-brown 

 streaks and reticulaticms which obscure the ground color, espe- 

 cially above the lateral line; lateral line in a pale streak, bordered 

 above and below by a darker one; lower parts silvery; fins 

 unspotted; body deep; snout not sharp, pectorals Ij in head. D. 



X-I, 28; A. II, 9. RETICUI.ATUS, 1782. 



kk. Soft dorsal fin with conspicuous round black spots ; b.ack and sides 



covered with similar spots smaller than the pupil, larger than 



those on the flns; snout acute, much longer than eye; pectoi-al 



2i in head. D. X-I, 25 to 27 ; A. II, 10. NEBUI.OSUS, 1783. 



jj. Coloration nearly uniform, bluish gray above, silvery below; no distinct 



spots, on body or fins. 



I. Caudal fin somewhat lunate in the adult, the middle rays shortest, 



although more or less produced in the young; pectoral fin short, 



not reaching tips of ventrals. D. X-I, 22 or 23 ; A. II, 10. 



PARVIPINNIS, 1784. 

 U. Caudal fin always double-truncate or double-concave, the middle 

 rays somewhat produced. 

 tn. Pectoral fins reaching nearly or quite to the tijts of ventrals, 

 their length more than J head. 

 n. Second dorsal of 20 or 21 rays. 



o. Scales small (12-86-a;), the number of pores in the 

 lateral line about 70; head rather long, com- 

 pressed and pointed; body slender; eye large; 

 pectorals Ij in head. D. IX-1, 20 ; A. II, 8. 



XANTHULUS, 178.'). 



on. Scales moderate (8-C6-18), the pores in the lateral 



line about G3 ;' head large, bluntish ; bodj' robust ; 



snout short, 4 to 4* in head. I). X-I. 21 ; A. II, 9. 



ALBUS, 1786. 



nn. Second dorsal of 24 rays; scales rather large, in 8") series, 



the number of pores about 55; .snout sliarp, 4§ in 



head; maxillary 2^ in head; body robust; gill rakers 



2+9; caudal double-truncate; pectorals \\ in head; 



color gray, unmarked. macdonaldi, 1787 



mm. Pectoral fins short, reaching little past middle of ventrals, 



their length not more than A head; body elongate; snout 



sharp, 4 in head. I). X-I, 21 ; A. II, 9. stolzmanni, 1788. 



AtRACTOSCION (arpaKTOs, spindle; aKiov. Scicena) : 



aa. Scales comparatively small; the nuinlier of pores in the lateral line 70 to 90, and 



very much less than the number of transverse rows, which is from 85 to 150; 



teeth of upper jaw in a rather broad band, 1 to 4 of them usually more or less 



canine-like, the canines generally small, and sometimes wholly disappearing 



with age; lateral teeth of lower jaw not much enlarged; gill rakers usually 



small and short. 



