THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 285 
o 
Enneacanthus obesus Jordan, An. N. Y. Acad. Sci., I, 1870, 
p. 98.—Abbott, Nat. Rambles, 1885, p. 477.—Bean, Bull. U. 8. 
F..Com., V, 1887, p. 143, from Baird.—E. Smith, Tr. Linn. Soc. 
NeW”... NG. OCT SQ7,:pi 42. 
Apomotis obesus Cope, Am. Nat., XXX, 1896, p. 943. 
Genus MEsocontistTius Gill. 
The Banded Sun Fishes. 
Mesogonistius chzetodon (Baird). 
PLATE 30. 
Banded Sun Fish. Chzetodon. 
peace. Mepia ea Dee A. Ll 1 oe Se Na en 
scales about 29 (squamation injured) in lateral line to base of 
caudal; 5? scales between origin of spinous dorsal and lateral 
line, and 10 between latter and origin of spinous anal; width of 
head 17 in its length; depth of head over anterior margin of eye 
124; snout 4; eye 3; maxillary 3; interorbital space 3%; fourth 
dorsal spine 1*/,; second dorsal ray 11%; third anal spine 134; 
first anal ray 114; length of caudal 1; least depth of caudal pedun- 
cle 17/5; pectoral 17/7,; ventral 1*/,,.. Body deeply; raomboid, 
compressed, back well elevated, upper profile a little more convex 
than lower and greatest depth about tip of ventral spine. Caudal 
peduncle compressed, deep, and least depth about equal to its 
length. Head deep, compressed, upper profile slightly concave 
over front of eye, and lower slightly convex. Snout broad, 
short, and convex. Eye rather large, circular, a little high and 
posterior. Mouth well inclined, and mandible only slightly pro- 
jecting. Lips a little fleshy. Maxillary small, reaching front 
margin of orbit, slipping below preorbital, which is equal in 
breadth to half of orbit. Distal expanded extremity of maxillary 
2/, of orbit. Teeth moderately large, in bands on vomer and 
palatines and in jaws. ‘Tongue short, rather broad, and free. 
Each ramus of mandible well elevated inside of mouth. Nostrils 
separated, lateral, posterior larger and near upper front rim of 
orbit. Margins of preorbital, suprascapula, and preopercle entire, 
