Jovdan and Evcnuanu. — Fishes of North America. 1403 



p. Caudal fin lunate or subtruncate ; scales not very small ; head more or less dis- 

 tinctly conical, not flattened above ; soft dorsal with 21 to 23 rays. 

 q. Soft dorsal wholly scaleless. 



r. Pectoral fin rather long, more than J head ; flesh firm ; scales of sides 

 of head not silvery ; head pointed ; snout long, sharp, 3g in head ; 

 caudal lunate; color pale, young with dark cross bands; a dusky 

 spot in axil. D. X, 21 or 22 ; A. II, 9. NOBlLls, 1789. 



rr. Pectoral fins short, not more than h length of head; flesh rather 

 soft; aides of head bright silvery; head Tery regularly conical, 

 pointed, tapering, scarcely compressed ; snout very acute ; 3;! in 

 head; canines quite small, usually but 1 present, and this dis- 

 appearing with age; eye small, 7J in head; body slender, subfu- 

 siform, moderately compressed. Scales small, all cycloid, those 

 on liead embedded and bright silvery; pectorals and ventral s 

 about e(iual 2 in head; caudal lunate. Color grayish above, 

 with bright reflections; inside of mouth deep orange yellow; 

 lining of opercle black ; axil brownish, phoxocephalds, 1790. 

 qq. Soft dorsal fin with its lower portion covered with small, caducous scales. 

 Body <-ompressed; head compound-conic ; canines small, both pres- 

 ent; pectorals 2 in head; caudal weakly double truncate. D. IX, I, 



21 to 23; A. II, 10. LEIARCHDS, 1791. 



lH). Caudal flu rhon)bic or S-shaped, the middle rays produced, the upper lobe 



usually pointed; soft dorsal with 23 to 28 rays. 



«. Soft dorsal entirely naked ; anal with a few scales ; body long and low, 



spindle-shaped; head depressed above; mouth large; canines present, 



short and thick; eye small, caudal S-shaped, the middle rays longest; 



pectorals If in head ; scales very small. D. X-I, 28 ; A. I, 8. 



VIRESCENS, 1792. 

 ss. Soft dorsal and anal fins densely scaly throughout; teeth all small, the 

 canines moderate; scales very small; pectoral IJ in head; caudal 

 S-shaped ; color greenish, silvery below. D. XI-I, 23 ; A. II, 9. 



MICROLEPIDOTUS, 1793. 

 Subgenus CYNOSCION. 

 1774. CYXOSCIOX ACOUPA* (Lacepede). 



(ACOUPA; TOEROE.) 



Head 3.1; depth 4; eye 5^ ; snout 4|. 1). X-I, 20; A. I, 8; scales 66. 

 Mouth moderate, not very oblique; tht^ maxillary reaching little bcyoud 

 eye, its length about 2f in head. Snout short, bluutish ; mouth smaller 

 and less oblique than iu most of the sjiecies, the canines quite small; the 

 lateral teeth of lower jaw smaller and more nearly equal than in others; 

 lower jaw a little protruding; maxillary extending to posterior margin of 

 eye, 2^ in head; gill rakers 3-|- 10, loug and slender, those near the angle 

 rather long, | eye, the others rapidly shortened; eye large; soft dorsal 

 and anal scantily scaled, the distal half largely naked, the fins rather 

 high, the longest soft rays 2^ iu head; caudal pointed; pectorals H iu 

 head, not reaching tips of ventrals; color pale, with faint darker streaks 

 along sides of back; axil pale; opercle dusky within. Atlantic coast of 



- The statement is made by Dr. Giinther that this species lacks pseudobranchioe, and on 

 this assertion Dr. Gill has" proposed for it the generic name Apseudobranchin. It is 

 true in this as in other species of Ciinoscion tliat the pseudobranchia^ become smaller with 

 age. Usually they become (in old specimens) obsolete on one side while they are per- 

 fectly evident on the other This is the case with all the old specimens of this species 

 which we have examined, and it is true also in several others of the larger species. The 

 genus Apieudobranchus is strictly synonymous with Cynoscion. 



