580 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY — IV. 



set, in rather .narrow bands ; the lower jaw without canines ; npper 

 jaw with two long canines, one of which is sometimes obsolete; lateral 

 teeth of lower jaw larger than anterior. Preopercle with its mem- 

 branaceous edge serrulate, the bone entire. Lower i^haryngeal bones 

 separate, their teeth all pointed. Gill-rakers strong, rather long. Ver- 

 tebrae about 14+10 (instead of 10+14 as in Scicenoids generally). 

 Pseudobranclii;^ well developed. Dorsal spines slender ; anal spines 1 

 or 2, very feeble ; second dorsal long and low ; caudal fin subtruncate or 

 lunate. Large fishes chiefly of the waters of America, closely related to 

 the Old World genus Otolithus, from which they are distinguished by the 

 absence of canines in the lower jaw. All of them rank high as food- 

 fishes ; the flesh is rich, but tender and easily torn ; hence the popular 

 name of Weak fishes, {/.uwv, dog; ay.iov, Scitena; the modern Greek 

 name of Umhrina cirrhosa.) 

 a. Anal spines 2. 



913. C pas'VBpiiine Ayres. — Blue-fish; Corvina. 



Clear steel-blue above, without stripes or spots, silvery below; a 

 narrow dusky shade along the sides below the lateral line ; axil dusky; 

 lower fins yellowish with dusky shading; upper fins dark ; the second 

 dorsal dark-edged. Body elongate, compressed, little elevated. Head 

 conic, rather pointed. Mouth large, the maxillary extending to beyond 

 the pupil. Eye large, a little shorter than snout, 6 in head. Teeth 

 moderate, in a rather broad band; canines very long and strong, usually 

 but one present. Fins rather low ; caudal lunate ; pectoral short, not 

 reaching to the tips of the ventrals. Gill-rakers strong, rather long. 

 Head 3J; depth 4i D. IX-I, 23; A. II, 10; the first anal spine ex- 

 tremely small. Lat. 1. with 75 tubes ; the number of scales about 95. 

 L. 30 inches. Pyloric coeca 3. Air-bladder long, with two appendages. 

 Coast of California and Mexico, chiefly south of San1;a Barbara. An 

 excellent food fish. 



(Ayres, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sci. 1881, 15G : OtoUthus magdalenoc, Steindachner, Iclilli. 

 Beitriige, iii, 1875.) 



aa. Anal spine single. 



c. Back uniform silvery white, witliout dark spots or blotches. 



9140 C. iiofliuin Holb. — White Trout; Sea Trout. 



Uniform bright silvery, bluish above. Body elongate, little compress- 

 ed. Back more arched than in the other species. Mouth moderate, 

 oblique; lower jaw longest; maxillary reaching opposite middle of eye. 

 Eye large, about as long as snout. Head 3|; depth 3f. D. X-I, 28 (X- 



