ICHTHYOLOGY OF VENEZUELA — SCHULTZ 123 



4a. Lateral line armed with deep bony scutes for its entire length; last ray 

 of second dorsal and anal enlarged, nearly separate in adult; dorsal 

 rays VII or VIII-I, 29 to 35; anal II-I, 24 to 29. 



Trachurus " Rafinesque 



4?>. Lateral line with plates in its straight portion only; last ray of second 



dorsal and anal not notably enlarged. 



5a. Maxillary very narrow; head small; teeth in jaws in a single close-set 



series, few or none on vomer, palatines, and tongue; dorsal and 



anal low; never with salient lobes, each with a conspicuous sheath 



of scales at base; dorsal rays VII or VIII-I, 26 to 30; anal II-I, 



22 to 25 Hemicaranx " Bleeker 



5b. Maxillary broad; head rather large; teeth, if present, in one or more 



series or in bands on jaws, never in a single close-set series as above. 



6a. Teeth uneven, in one or a few series on jaws, persistent; villiform 



teeth usually present on vomer, palatines and tongue, these 



deciduous or wanting in some species; dorsal VII or VIII-I, 18 



to 28; anal II-I, 15 to 24 Caranx Lacepfede 



6&. Teeth small and even, in a single series, or in vilUform bands, on 



jaws, vomer, tongue, and usually on palatines, at all ages. 



7a. The back much elevated; the dorsal outline more strongly 



curved than the ventral. 



8a. Snout well in advance of the forehead; anterior profile convex; 



anterior rays of second dorsal and anal filamentous; body 



strongly ovate in young, somewhat elongate in adult, very 



strongly compressed, the outlines everywhere trenchant; 



scales very small; dorsal and anal filaments long, extremely 



long in young; dorsal rays VI-1, 18 to 20; anal II-I, 15 to 17. 



Alectis Rafinesque 



86. Snout scarcely in advance of forehead; anterior profile nearly 



vertical; soft dorsal and anal low, never falcate, the anterior 



rays not produced into filaments; dorsal rays VIII-I, 21 to 



24; anal II-I, 17 to 19 Vomer Cuvier 



76. The back little elevated; the ventral outline much more strongly 

 curved than the dorsal; lateral line with few very weak bony 

 scutes or none; dorsal rays VIII-I, 26 to 28; anal II-I, 26 to 

 28; gill rakers slender, close set, 28 to 35 on lower limb of first 



gill arch Chlorosconibrus Girard 



16. Lateral fine entirely unarmed. 



9a. Second dorsal and anal about equal in length, both longer than the abdomen. 



10a. Body deep, ovate; premaxillaries protractile; second dorsal and anal 



fins anteriorly elevated, falcate. 



11a. Body very closely compressed, the outlines everywhere trenchant; 



preorbital extremely deep; maxillary broad, with a well-developed 



supplemental bone; dorsal rays VII or VIII-I, 16 to 23; anal II-I, 



15 to 20 Selene LacepSde 



116. Body less closely compressed, the abdomen never trenchant; pre- 

 orbital very narrow; maxillary narrow, without a distinct supple- 

 mental bone; dorsal rays V to VII-I, 17 to 27; anal II-I, 16 to 24. 



Trachinotus Lacepede 



106. Body oblong; premaxillaries not protractile, except in very young; 



maxillary narrow, without a supplementary bone; second dorsal and 



anal fins low, never falcate; scales embedded, represented by short low 



" Not yet reported from Venezuelan waters. 



