324 



FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



Diagnosis. — Depth contained about 4 5 times in length; head contained 3.5 times in 

 length; snout overhanging, .28 length of head; maxillary extending about to pupil; eye con- 

 tained 6.5 times in head; scales in lateral series 53; dorsal rays x+ i,23 (to 25); anal rays i,7; 

 caudal fin with concave margin, upper lobe not longer than lower. Color: above silvery gray 

 without markings, below white; dorsal fins light brown, spinous part with black tip; caudal pale, 

 with black tip. {littoralis, pertaining to the shores.) 



^^^^. 



^Y""^-^ 



Fig. 145. Surf Whiting. Menticirrhus littoralis. 



The surf whiting or silver whiting abounds on the South Atlantic and Gulf 

 coasts, rarely if ever straying north of North Carolina. In size and habits it is 

 like the other species, from which it is not always distinguished by fishermen. 

 Jordan & Gilbert reported the fish as rather common at Beaufort in summer, and 

 found the young abundant in the surf on the outer beach, in company with pom- 

 pano. At Cape Lookout spawning fish were found by the writer in June, and 

 at Beaufort ripe eggs have been taken on several occasions between June 1 and 

 10. 



Genus POGONIAS Lac^pfede. Black Drums. 



Large marine drums, with rather short, deep, elevated body; moderate 

 sized mouth with teeth in bands in both jaws; numerous barbels on lower jaw; 

 entire preopercular margin; short and blunt gill-rakers; large pesudobranchiae; 

 large, thick, complicated air-bladder; continuous dorsal fins, the anterior high 

 and with slender spines; caudal fin square; and greatly enlarged second anal 

 spine. One species South American, 1 North American. {Pogonias, bearded.) 



280. POGONIAS CROMIS (Linnaeus). 

 "Black Drum"; "Sea Drum". 



Labrus cromis Linnaeus. Systema Naturse, ed. xii, 479, 1766; Carolina. 



Poffomas crornts. Yarrow, 1877, 209; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 377; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 90; 

 Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1482, pi. ccxxv, fig. 573. 



Diagnosis. — Form robust, back much elevated, ventral outline straight, depth .37 to 

 .40 total length; head contained 3.3 times in length; lower jaw shorter than upper, with numer- 

 ous short barbels mostly on chin; maxillary not extending as far as pupil; snout blunt, longer 

 than eye; eye .20 to .25 head; gill-rakers 16, 12 below angle of first arch; scales large, 47 in 

 lateral series, 16 in transverse series; dorsal rays x+ i,20; anal rays ii,5 or ii,6, the second spine 

 very broad and .4 to .6 length of head; caudal fin long and truncate; pectorals long, reaching 

 fourth ray of soft dorsal. Color: silvery gray; young with 4 or 5 broad vertical dark bands, 



