SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 



147 



In some specimens 1.25 inches long (taken July 25, 1900) the vertical bars have 

 begun to fade, and the longitudinal stripes have appeared; the smallest male in 

 this lot in which the dorsal ocellus is visible is 2 inches long. In this and other 

 lots, there are males 2.25 inches long in which the ocellus has not appeared. 

 Either the rate of growth is very irregular or the spawning time is protracted, as 

 a lot of young fish seined in Beaufort Harbor July 25, 1900, varied from .5 to 2.5 

 inches in length. 





Fig. 51 May-fish. Fundvlusmajalis. Female. 



124. FUNDULUS HETEROCLITUS (Linnaeus). 

 "Minnow"; Mud-fish.; Mummichog. 



Cobitis heterodita Linnseus, Systema NaturiE, ed. xii, 500, 1766; Charleston, South Carolina. 

 Fundulus pisculentus. Yarrow, 1877, 214; Beaufort Harbor. 



Fundulus heteroclitus, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 384; Beaufort Harbor. Jenkins, 1887, 86; Beaufort. Jordan 

 & Evermann, 1896, 640, pi. cii, fig. 273. Linton, 1905, 356; Beaufort. 



Fig. 52. Mud-fish. Fwuhdus heteroclitus. Male. 



Diagnosis. — Body rather short and deep, but Uttle compressed, depth rather more than 

 .25 length; head rather short and blunt, its length contained 3 to 3.5 times in total length; 

 mouth small, very obHque; teeth pointed, in bands; eye .2 to .25 length of head, equal to snout 

 and .5 width of interorbital space; scales in lateral series 35 to 38, in transverse series 13 to 15; 

 dorsal rays 11; anal rays 10 or 11, oviduct attached to first ray; caudal fin rounded. Color: 

 Male, dark green above, yellow on belly; sides with narrow vertical silvery white bars, between 

 which are numerous small, irregular whitish or yellow spots; head yellow below; vertical fins 



