90G Bulletin ^7, United States ^\ ational Afuseum. 



414. ELAGATIS, P.ennett. 



(KUNNEKS.) 



Elagalis, Dennett, Narrative of a Wlialing Voyage, il, 283, 1835, (bijunnulata). 

 l^erinlichlhi/x^ Bi.KEKEii, Natuurk. Tydschr. Nederl. Ind., vi, 106, 1854, (hipimmlato). 

 Dmqihi^, PoFV, MoiiKirias, ii, 18G0, 233, (xiimiuhUiia). 



Body \oug and slender. Second dorsal and anal long, oach with one 

 detached linlet composed of 2 rays l>ehind the rest of the fin. Other- 

 wise essentially as in <Smo/a. One species pelagic. (//Aa/c(i77?, a spindle.) 



129fi. ELAOATIS BIPINNFLATUS (Quoy & Gaimard). 



(Kdnner ; Yei.t.ow-tait,.) 



Head 3tt ; depth 3? ; eye 51; snont 2|. D. VI-I, 27, 2 ; A. II-I, 17, 2; 

 scales abont 100. Maxillary triangular, its greatest width 2i in its 

 length ; supplementary bone long and linear, all except its caudo-ventral 

 margin slipping under the preobital ; preorbital and preopercle entire. 

 Length of mandible equal to distance from tip of snout to middle of 

 pupil; distance from tip of upper jaw to posterior end of maxillary 3^ 

 in head. Body oblong, elliptical, the back little elevated; head rather 

 long and pointed, the mouth terminal ; a slight occipital keel. Gill 

 rakers al)Out all below the angle, cephalic ones gradually shorter, the 

 longest about 1^ in eye. Lateral line wavy, origin at dorsal edge of opercle, 

 the cephalic end running slightly dorsal to opposite origin of spinous 

 dorsal, then turning slightly ventral until opposite origin of anal fin, 

 and then median to caudal fin. Origin of soft dorsal slightly nearer tip 

 of snout than base of caudal; spinous dorsal low, the third and fourth 

 spines longest, about 5^ in head ; soft dorsal and anal similar, each 

 slightly falcate ; longest dorsal ray 2| in head, the thirteenth shortest, 

 6^ in head ; second ray of dorsal finlet twice length of first, or 4 in head ; 

 longest anal ray 3+ in head, about as long as second ray of finlet; the 

 two small anal spines remote from the rest; pectorals short and broad, 

 nearly 2 in head ; ventrals short, 2 in head, folding in a ventral depres- 

 sion ; caudal widely forked, the lobes attenuate and slightly longer than 

 head. Body covered with small cycloid scales ; head naked, except por- 

 tion of cheeks and part of its dorso-caudal margin ; scales on cheeks in 

 about 6 series, those on nape smaller than those on upper portions of 

 body. Color dark blue or lead above, becoming pale yellowish below . 

 two conspicuous blue bands on sides of body, the upper one beginning at 

 the orbit and passing to dorsal margin of caudal peduncle, its width 

 about equal to diameter of eye; the other beginning at snout and pass- 

 ing along lower margin of orbit, across opercle and above pectoral fin to 

 caudal ; caudal yellowish, with a darker margin ; ventrals and pectorals 

 yellowish, with some blue. Length 2i feet. Tropical seas, occasionally 

 in the West Indies, straying northward to Long Island, where the speci- 

 mens upon which the above description is based were secured by Dr. 

 Meek, {hi-pinnulatus, with two pinnules.) 



