Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 233 



Genus Lycengraulis Giinther 1868 



Lycengraulis Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., 7, 1868: 385, 399; t>-pe species Engraulis grossidens Cuvier 1828, 

 designated by Jordan and Evermann, Bull. U. S. nat. Mus., 47 (i), 1896: 451. 



Characters. Body slender, compressed, the depth generally less than 2 7''/o of SL. 

 Mouth very large. Maxillary extending far beyond eye, generally to or beyond joint 

 of mandible, rounded or pointed distally. Mandible curved upward near tip. Gill 

 RAKERS variable in length, about 10-20+12-25 on first arch. Anal originating 

 definitely posterior to dorsal origin, with about 24-28 rays. Pelvic inserted about 

 midway between base of pectoral and origin of anal. Young with a silvery lateral band 

 that disappears with age. 



Size. About 250 mm is the maximum size attained in this genus. 



Remarks. The genus is distinguished by the prominent teeth in the jaws: un- 

 equal in size in older specimens but rather even in young; larger in the lower than in 

 the upper jaw, some of them often canine-like; variable in number among the species, 

 about 16-25 enlarged teeth in lower jaw and 40-85 in upper jaw. 



Species. Eight species have been recognized, one from the Pacific ranging from 

 Panama Bay to Peru, and seven from the Atlantic ranging from the Gulf of Venezuela 

 to northern Argentina. Five of the Atlantic species come within the scope of the present 

 work. 



Key to Species of the Western North Atlantic 



I a. Gill rakers long and slender, those at angle equal to or longer than pupil. 



2a. Gill rakers 13—20+ 17-25 on first arch; cheek scarcely longer than snout and 

 eye in adults. 



3 a. Depth of body 23— 24.5 "/g of SL; maxillary reaching margin of opercle; 

 pelvic fin usually inserted nearer to origin of anal than to pectoral base, 

 occasionally equidistant between these; vertebrae usually 43 or 44 (oc- 

 casionally 42 or 45). grossidens (Cuvier) 1829, p. 234. 

 3 b. Depth of body 2i-2 3«/o of SL in specimens upward of about 100 mm 

 TL; maxillary not reaching margin of opercle; pelvic fin inserted nearer 

 to pectoral base than to anal origin; vertebrae usually 41 (occasionally 42). 



limnichthys Schultz 1949, p. 237. 



2b. Gill rakers 9-13+ 12-15 °" ^''^'^ arch; cheek much longer than snout and 



eye in adults. batesii (Gunther) 1868, p. 240. 



lb. Gill rakers short and broad, the longest scarcely exceeding half of length of pupil. 



4a. Maxillary sharply pointed distally, extending well beyond joint of mandible; 



origin of dorsal about equidistant between caudal base and middle of eye; 



gill rakers 11 or 12+ 16 or 17. abbotti (Fowler) 191 5, p. 242. 



4b. Maxillary rounded distally, scarcely reaching joint of mandible; origin of 



dorsal much nearer to base of caudal than to posterior margin of eye; gill 



rakers 9-1 1 + 12-14. barbouri Hildebrand 1943, p. 243. 



