Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of JVorih America. 433 



ChakKsms siijnifer, De Kay, N. Y. Fauna: Fislies, 264, 1842, New York. 

 Chalo'iissus eumorphus, GossE, Naturalist's Sojourn iu Jamaica, 290, ls51, Jamaica. 



704. Ol'ISTHONEMA LIBERTATE (Guuther). 

 (Saudina Machete.) 



Head 3i to 4 ; depth 3 to 3^. D. 17 ; A. 19 ; scales 48. Similar to Opis- 

 thoncma oylinum, the head longer, the gill rakers longer and more numer- 

 ous. Bluish above, silvery ou sides and below, a yellowish streak on 

 level of orbit ; an indistinct dark spot on opercle, and a larger humeral 

 spot ; no dark spots on side of back ; caudal tipped with jet-black ; tip of 

 snout and lining of opercle black. Pacific coast of Mexico and Central 

 America, abundant, especially in the Gulf of California. (Name from 

 Libertad, port of San Salvador, where the type was taken.) 



Mvlelta Ubertatis, Gunther, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1866, 603, Libertad, Central America. 



Clupea lihertatis, Gunther, Cat., vii, 433, 18G8. 



Opisthonema liherlale, Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882, 622. 



Opisthonema Ubertatis, Evermann & Jenkins, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1891, 134. 



212. BREVOORTIA, Gill. 

 (Menhadens.) 



BrevooHia, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1861, 37, {menhaden). 



Body elliptical, compressed, deepest anteriorly, tapering behind. Head 

 very large; cheeks deeper than long. Mouth large, the lower jaw included; 

 no teeth; gill rakers very long and slender, densely set, appearing to fill 

 the mouth when it is opened ; gill arches angularly bent. Scales deeper 

 than long, closely imbricated, their exposed edges vertical and fluted or 

 pectinated. Dorsal fin low, rather posterior ; anal fin small. Intestinal 

 canal elongate. Vertebrie48. Peritoneum dusky. Species few ; inhabiting 

 the Atlantic ; spawning probably in brackish water in the spring. Coarse, 

 herbivorous fishes, not valued as food, but the young of the greatest value 

 as food to other fishes. (Dedicated to James Carson Brevoort, of Brook- 

 lyn, a gentleman long interested in the study of fishes.) 



705. BREVOORTIA TTRAXM'S (Latrobe). 

 (Menhaden; Mossbunker; BoNi-riSH ; Whitefish ; Bigfish ; Fatback ; Pogy.) 



Head 3^ ; depth 3. D. 19 ; A. 20 ; lateral line 60 to 80 ; ventral plates 

 20+12. Head rather short and heavy. Fins comparatively short, the 

 height of the dorsal less than the length of the maxillary ; height 

 of anal less than half the length of the maxillary. Pectorals not 

 reaching to ventrals ; dorsal inserted slightly behind ventrals, about 

 midway between snout and base of caudal. Scales moderate, strongly 

 serrated, arranged very irregularly, those before dorsal strongly pecti- 

 nate. Operculum strongly striated or almost smooth (var. aurca). Gill 

 rakers much longer than eye. Bluish above ; sides silvery, with a strong 

 brassy luster ; fins usually yellowish ; a conspicuous dark scapular 

 blotch, behind which are often smaller spots. Length 18 inches. Nova 

 Scotia to Brazil ; very abundant southward ; herbivorous, running in 

 F. N. A. 29 



