Fishes of the IVestern North Atlantic 209 



flexed, its origin usually somewhat nearer to tip of snout than to base of caudal. Anal 

 small, its origin wholly behind dorsal base, most frequently about under tips of longest 

 deflexed rays, its base 6.25—8.0 in SL. Pelvic inserted nearly an eye's diameter in 

 advance of dorsal and usually somewhat nearer to pectoral base than to anal origin, 

 reaching much less than halfway to anal. Pectoral usually failing to reach pelvic by 

 more than diameter of eye, 1.8-2.2 in head. Axillary scale of pectoral long and 

 narrow, generally failing to reach tip of fin by about half of diameter of pupil, 2.25— 

 3.0 in head. 



Color. In alcohol, some rather pale above, others bluish. Side of head and lower 

 part of side on some silvery. Silvery lateral band about as broad as eye in small speci- 

 mens, broader and less distinctly outlined ventrally in large ones. 



Size. Although a maximum total length of 155 mm (6.2 in.) has been reported, 

 the largest example in the collections examined in this study is only 1 30 mm TL. 



Development. The information on the development of the eggs and larvae that 

 follows is based mostly on the work of Kuntz and Radcliffe (jo: i 16), who took the 

 eggs in tows during August 1 9 1 5 off Gay Head, Massachusetts. 



The egg is buoyant, highly transparent, and ellipsoidal, having a long axis of 

 1. 15— 1.25 mm, a short axis of 0.55-0.8 mm. The yolk, as usual among anchovies, has 

 a network of lines on its surface, giving the appearance of large cells. In this anchovy, 

 as in other species studied, the blastodisc forms at one end of the elongated egg. The 

 egg is similar to that of Anchoa hepsetus but seems to be slightly shorter though 

 scarcely narrower. The development, so far as known, is identical in the two species. 



The newly hatched fish is about 3.0 mm long, being slightly shorter than the 

 newly hatched larva of A. hepsetus., in keeping with the rather smaller egg. The body is 

 very slender, and the vent as usual in the larvae of anchovies is situated very far back, in 

 this species about at the beginning of the distal fourth of the body. Black chromato- 

 phores occur in a series along the intestine posterior to the yolksac and at the base of 

 the ventral finfold behind the vent. A day or so after hatching, the yolk is virtually all 

 absorbed and the fish has grown to a length of about 4.0 mm. The young fish, when 

 5.2 mm long, has developed a large oblique, terminal mouth, the fins are becoming 

 differentiated, and the convoluted intestine, incompletely invaginated, is conspicuous. 

 The chromatophores have become less conspicuous than in the earlier stages. The 

 development in older stages apparently remains unknown. 



Spawning. Although the duration of spawning has not been determined, it is at 

 its height during July and August {15: 44). 



Range and Habitat. This anchovy ranges from Woods Hole, Massachusetts, at 

 least as far south as Beaufort, North Carolina. The southern limit of its range remains 

 undetermined, for no specimens of the genus are at hand or seem to be reported for 

 the coast between Beaufort, North Carolina, and Melbourne Beach, Florida; those from 

 the last mentioned locality are A. perfasciata. During some summers this anchovy is 

 common at Woods Hole; during other summers it seems to be missing. Off Connecti- 

 cut, New York, and New Jersey it appears only occasionally. It is not recorded for 



