Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 573 



Genus Mallotus Cuvier 1829 

 Capelin 



Mallotus Cuvier, Regne Anim., nouv. ed., 2, 1829: 305, 306; type species, Clupea villosa Miiller, O.F., Zool. 

 Danicae Prod., 1777: 245. Greenland. 



Generic synonyms: 



Clupea Miiller, Zool. Danicae Prod., 1777: 245; for C. villosa Miiller. 



Salmo Fabricius, Fauna Groenl., 1780: 177, for S. arcticus Fabricius, Greenland; Bloch, Naturg. ausland. Fische, 

 8, 1794: 99, pi. 381, fig. I for S.groenlandicus Bloch, Greenland; Pallas, Zoogr. Rosso-Asiat., j, 1831: 

 389, for S.socia/is Pallas, islands between Asia and America. ^^ 



Osmerus Nilsson, Prod. Ichthyol. Scand., 1832: 1 1, for O. arcticus Nilsson, Arctic Ocean and northern Norway ; 

 Cuvier and Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., 31, 1848: 385, pi. 621, for O. microdon Cuvier and Valen- 

 ciennes, Norway. 



Not Salmo Linnaeus 1758; type species, S.salar Linnaeus 1758. 



Not Clupea Linnaeus 1758; type species, C. harcngus Linnaeus 1758. 



Not Osmerus Lacepede 1803; type species, Salmo eperlanus Linnaeus 1758. 



Characters. Essentially as in Osmerus (p. 555), except as follows: Scales much 

 smaller and much more numerous, 170—220 transverse rows along lateral line,^* each 

 scale with only about 5—6 concentric striae posterior to the so-called nucleus and 3 

 anterior to it, the visible lateral line extending to base of caudal fin; all Teeth so small 

 as to be easily overlooked, there being no conspicuous fangs either on roof of mouth 

 or on tongue; the Adipose fin about half as long at its base as the anal, and shaped 

 as in Figs. 133, 134; the Pectoral fins broadly rounded (rhomboid in smelts; cf. Figs. 

 131, 134); rays of the pectorals (15—20) and Anal (20—21) more numerous (Osmerus 

 with 13 at most in pectorals, 17 in anal; Table 11); and the plate on dorsal side of skull 

 above vomer (Proethmoid of Starks) not divided by a longitudinal median suture 



Sexual Dimorphism. The two sexes differ so conspicuously, one from the other, 

 that male and female capelin are separable at a glance. The base of the anal fin is 

 strongly convex in males but nearly straight in females. The least depth of the caudal 

 peduncle is greater in males (about 80—85 "/o °f distance from tip of snout to eye) 

 than in females (about 60-75 "/o)- The scales on the males are lanceolate along a 

 band close above the lateral line from the gill opening to the base of the tail, and along 

 a second similar band low down on the side extending from the pectorals to the pelvics 

 and thence to the anal, but on females they are rounded. The dorsal fin usually originates 

 a little farther forward in males (about 52-54 "/q of SL from snout to dorsal) than in 

 females (about 55—60 "/(,). The 5th— 12th anal rays are thicker in males than in females. 

 The margin of the anal is weakly convex, indented opposite the 9th and loth segmented 

 rays in mature males but about straight in females. The pectoral fins are longer in males 

 (about 80-85 % ^s long as head) than in females (about 60-65 "/o) ^"<^ much wider 

 (Figs. 133, 134). 



22. For date of publication, see Sherborn {<)<)•■ 167). 



23. A total of 150 according to Jordan and Evermann (5/), followed by Hubbs {43: 51) and Chapman (ri: 299). 



24. For additional skeletal characters, see Chapman 11: 291-293, tigs. 2, 5, 6, 13, 14. 



