384 Memoir Sears Foundation for Marine Research 



small fish, crabs, and shrimp were also found in the stomachs of fish from Port-au- 

 Prince, Haiti {10: 42). 



The stomach does not have a thick wall, as in the menhaden (p. "^i,^ and the 

 gizzard shad (p. 443). Neither is the intestine especially long, being only about 1.33 "/q 

 of TL of adult fish. Possibly to compensate for the relatively short alimentary canal, 

 the stomach is provided with about 100 pyloric coeca. 



Enemies. No doubt they are preyed upon by many predatory fishes, such as the 

 bluefish, Spanish mackerel, weakfish, and many others. Pelicans also feed on them, 

 especially when the fish school at the surface. 



Relationship and Variation. This species is the only one of the genus recognized 

 from the Atlantic. However, it has a near relative on the Pacific coast of tropical America, 

 from which typical specimens of oglinum^^ differ in having a deeper body with a more 

 strongly convex ventral outline, longer fins, and no small dark spots behind the shoulder 

 spot. 



In addition to these differences, there are the variations with age. The body be- 

 comes deeper as growth proceeds, especially up to a length of 100 mm or so, and the 

 gill rakers apparently increase in number as long as the fish grow. Insufficient speci- 

 mens have been studied critically to determine geographical variations. It would seem 

 probable from the limited data based on specimens of about equal size that those from 

 South America and the West Indies generally are rather deeper than those from the 

 Atlantic coast of the United States and have on an average one more ventral scute. 



Commercial Importance. The flesh has been reported as being dry, bony, and of In- 

 ferior flavor. At Beaufort they are seldom used as food, and during a residence there 

 for ten summers I saw none In the market. However, they appear rather regularly In 

 the markets In Colon, Panama, and In the West Indies. At Beaufort and perhaps else- 

 where on the shores of the southern states, they are sometimes taken with purse seines 

 by the crews of menhaden boats and delivered to the menhaden reduction plants. 

 However, the amount of oil yielded is very small. Such catches do not reach the statis- 

 tical reports, presumably because they are not separated from menhaden. 



Range. Middle Atlantic States, sometimes straying northward to Cape Cod; south- 

 ward to southern Brazil (Sao Francisco); common throughout the West Indies. 



Synonyms and References: 



Megalops oglina LeSueur, J. Acad. nat. Sci. Philad., I, 1817: 359 (orig. descr.; type local. Newport, Rhode 



Island). 

 Megalops notata LeSueur, J. Acad. nat. Sci. Philad., J, 18 17: 361 (orig. descr.; type local. Guadeloupe, West 



Indies; said to have longer dorsal than oglina, also a shorter produced dorsal ray and different color, etc.). 

 Ckatoessus signifer DeKay, N. Y. Fauna, Pt. 4, Fishes, 1842: 264, pi. 41, fig. 132 (orig. descr.; type local. 



New York; type in State Coll.; cf. C.thrissa Bloch and M. oglina LeSueur). 

 Meletta thrissa Cuvier and Valenciennes (not Clupea thrissa Linnaeus 1758), Hist. Nat. Poiss., 20, 1847: 380 



(orig. descr.; type locals. New York, Santo Domingo, Guadeloupe, and Martinique). 



43. It is entirely possible that a more critical study than time now permits would reveal the existence of more than 

 one species on the Atlantic coast of the Americas. Specimens from Bermuda, and some from the Atlantic coast 

 of Panama, were not used in preparing the Description because it was suspected that they may prove to be separate 

 and distinct. 



