SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. _ 359 



bb. Body less slender, the depth about .22 total length; dorsal spines low, the third less than 

 .5 length of head; caudal fin moderately forked; general color dark olive, without well 

 defined spots, some dark mottling on back and 4 obscure dark blotches, tlie fins plain 

 except for a black spot on first dorsal, pectorals reddish carolinus. 



{Prionotus, saw back.) 



309. PRIONOTUS EVOLANS (Linnaeus). 

 "Flying-fish"; "Flying-toad"; "Striped Flying-toad"; Sea-robin. 



Triyla evolans Linnaeus, Systema Naturae, ed. xii, 498, 1766; Carolina. 



Prionotus evolans, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 373; Beaufort. Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887. 91; 

 Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2168, pi. cccxx, fig. 772; North and South Carolina. 



Diagnosis. — Depth of body contained about 4.5 to 4.75 times in total length; narrowest 

 part of caudal peduncle less than diameter of eye; head contained 2.6 times in total length; 

 maxillary .4 length of head; eye large, rather less than .5 snout; interorbital space less than 

 diameter of eye; pores in lateral line about 53; scales in transverse series from last dorsal 

 spine to vent about 30; dorsal rays x+12, the first spine only weakly serrate, the longest 

 spines and soft rays about equal and same length as maxillary; anal rays 11; caudal .5 length 

 of head; the posterior margin nearly straight; pectorals more than .5 total length of body 

 (occasionally in North Carolina specimens nearly .66 total length). Color: back greenish 

 brown, sides light green, usually with small irregular whitish spots; back with 3 brownish 

 crossbars, the third extending to base of posterior soft rays; sides and head marked by narrow 

 lengthwise brown stripes along lateral line, from shoulder spine to opposite end of anal fin, with 

 a fainter one above, and from angle of mouth to preopercular spine; belly white; branchioste- 

 gal membrane yellow; opercle brown; anterior dorsal dusky, with a black spot between fourth 

 and sixth spines; anal reddish; caudal mostly orange, witli transverse lines of white and brown 

 toward base; pectorals lustrous green on inner surface with upper rays white and lower red, 

 olive on outer surface with a narrow blue edge; ventrals pale red. {evolans, flying out.) 



Striped Sea-robin. Prionotus evolans. 



Known only from the coast of North and South CaroUna, where it is abun- 

 dant in places. For the Beaufort region it was not listed by Yarrow, was 

 recorded as abundant by Jordan and Gilbert and common by Jenkins, but has 

 not recently been reported and no specimens appear to have reached the Beau- 

 fort laboratory. 



