78 . ATHERINID^: SILVERSIDES 



rather elongate, and sharply pointed whether viewed from above or 

 from the side ; posterior margin of eye midway between tip of snout 

 and lower end of pectoral base; length of eye, 3.6 (3.4 to 3.8) ; length 

 of snout, 3.35 (3.2 to 3.6); least interorbital width, 5.4 (4.4 to 5.6). 

 Premaxillaries sharply produced forward not quite so far as the sym- 

 physis of the mandibles ; edge of premaxillaries curved less sharply than 

 usual in Chikostoma ; upper jaw extended backward slightly beyond 

 vertical from front of eye, its length 2.75 (2.4 to 2.8) ; mandible of 

 moderate strength, its lower edge slightly concave near the symphysis; 

 mandibular rami elevated within the mouth, the distance from its crest 

 to the posterior end of the mandible contained about 1.6 times in its 

 entire length (as in chapal.e and grandocule) ; length of mandible, 

 2.4 (2.3 to 2.5) in head. Teeth small, arranged in two series, between 

 which other teeth are inserted toward the front of the lower jaw; teeth 

 of the inner premaxillary and outer mandibular series, somewhat en- 

 larged ; vomer apparently edentulous. Gill-rakers serrulate, 4+19 in 

 the type, the longest as long as the pupil. 



Air bladder extended backward into tail over about one-third of 

 the anal base. Vertebrae, 43 (in a paratype). 



Scales rather small, reduced in size near head, in 58 (53 to 63) 

 series from edge of scapular arch above gill opening to end of hypural ; 

 in 18 (17 to 19) series above anal origin, in 11 (10 to 13) series between 

 origins of dorsals. Scale margins broadly rounded and weakly crenate 

 in adult, pointed and scarcely crenate in the young. 



Fin rays: dorsal, IV (IV to VI)-I, 11 (11 or 12) ; anal, I, 20 (18 

 to 21) ; pectoral 15 (14 to 16). Origin of spinous dorsal over tips of 

 ventrals (varying somewhat), midway between base of caudal and end 

 of second (or first) third of length of snout (rarely slightly nearer tip 

 of snout than base of caudal) ; first dorsal when depressed extending 

 backward more than two-thirds the distance to the second dorsal, its 

 length thus measured contained 3.4 (3.5 to 2.9) times in the head; 

 second (or first) spine longest. Second dorsal decidedly higher than 

 long ; its edge slightly falcate. Anal slightly higher than second dorsal ; 

 its base equal to length of head to preopercular ridge (or middle of 

 opercle). Pectoral pointed, its lower margin straight; the fin overlying 

 about half the length of the depressed ventral, which reaches nearly 

 (or quite) to the anus; length of pectoral, 1.6 (1.3 to 1.6) in head. 



This species is doubtless translucent in life; even in preserved 

 specimens the fore part of the head is almost transparent (opaque in 

 grandocule). The coloration is like that of ciiapal.e, which was thus 

 described : "a silvery band one scale wide, bright and distinct posteriorly, 

 becoming indistinct anteriorly ; upper edge of lateral band dusky ; scales 



