298 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



260. OTRYNTER CAPRINUS (Bean). 



Long-spined Porgy. 



Stenotomus caprinus Bean, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, 1882, 426; snapper banks off Pensacola, Fla. 

 Otrynter caprinus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1345, pi. ccxi, fig. 543. 



Diagnosis. — Body ovate, back elevated, depth more than .5 length; profile from mouth 

 to dorsal fin nearly straight; head .33 length; eye large, .33 head, .66 snout; mouth rather large, 

 maxillary longer than eye, incisor teeth in front of jaws small, in a compact group, molars in 

 2 rows; scales in lateral series 50, in transverse series 5 + 15; first row of scales on cheek enlarged; 

 a well-developed scaly sheath at base of soft dorsal and anal fins; dorsal rays xii,12, the first 

 2 spines very short, the third long and filamentous, the fourth and fifth similar; soft dorsal low ; 

 anal rays in, 12, the spines large and strong; caudal slightly concave; pectorals long, pointed, 

 longer than head; ventrals long, reaching to anal fin. Color: back light green, sides and belly 

 silvery; body under certain conditions marked by irregular dark bars; young with indistinct, 

 narrow dark bars, (caprinus, goat-like.) 



A rare species, hitherto known only from specimens taken from the stomachs 

 of snappers and groupers caught on the west coast of Florida. In the summer of 

 1904, 9 specimens, the largest 7 inches long, were taken in Beaufort Harbor, 2 in 

 a seine and 7 in a pound net. The larger fish are plainly colored, but a small 

 example is marked by irregular dark cross bands. 



Genus CALAMUS Swainson. Porgies. 



A numerous genus of small, well-flavored, American shore fishes, inhabiting 

 both coasts, only a single species as yet known from the Atlantic coast north 

 of Florida. The genus closely resembles Stenotomus, but the front teeth are 

 canine, the dorsal spines are lower, there is no antrorse spine on the first spine- 

 bearing interneural bone, the caudal fin is more deeply forked, etc. Body ovate 

 or oblong, back much elevated, head large and very deep, eye placed high on side 

 of head, snout long, mouth small or moderate, dorsal and anal fins low, pectoral 

 fin pointed and longer than head, second interhemal bone as in Stenotomus. 

 (Calamus, a reed or quill, in allusion to the quill-like interhemal bone.) 



261. CALAMUS LEUCOSTEUS Jordan & Gilbert. 

 White-bone porgy. 



Calamus leucosteus Jordan & Gilbert, in Jordan, Catalogue of Fishes of North America, 1885, 91; Charleston, 

 S. C. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1353. 



Diagnosis. — Body short and deep, back elevated, depth a little less than .5 length; head 

 deeper than long, its length contained slightly more than 3 times in total length; profile straight 

 from snout to eyes, convex posteriorly; eyes large, about .28 length of head; maxillary A 

 length of head; about 10 rather large canine teeth in each jaw; gill-rakers short, 12 to 14 on 

 first arch.; scales in lateral series 50, in transverse series 7 + 15; scales on cheek in 5 rows; 

 dorsal rays xii.,12, the highest spine less than half length of head; anal rays in,10; caudal fin 

 well forked; pectorals very long, reaching as far back as base of third anal spine, and nearly 

 .4 total length; ventrals more than .5 as long as head. Color: dull silvery, with indefinite 

 dark cross-bars; dorsal and anal fins dark blotched, (leucosteus, white-boned.) 



The habitat of this porgy is quite circumscribed. It has heretofore been 

 recorded only from the Charleston (S. C.) market, where it is called "white-bone 



