THE SMELT 



129 



is the presence of a series of teeth on each side of a 

 median longitudinal groove in the roof of the mouth ; 

 these are situated along the inner edges of the 

 mesopterygoid bones, and are found not only in 

 the other members of the family, except some de- 

 generate deep-sea forms, but also in the allied fishes 

 {^Retropinjiatidce^ Haplochitonidce, Galaxiidce), which 

 take the place of the Salmonids and Smelts on the 



A B 



Fig. 16. — Diagrams illustrating the upper dentition of a Smelt (A) and 



a Trout (B). 



piiix. prremaxillary ; mx. maxillary ; v, vomer ; /. palatine ; 



pt. mesopterygoid. 



coasts and in the rivers of Australia, New Zealand, 

 and Patagonia. The scales are thin, transparent, 

 and rather large, numbering sixty to sixty-five in a 

 longitudinal series ; the lateral line runs on about 

 ten scales only, and then ends ; the dorsal fin, of two 

 or three simple and eight or nine branched rays, 

 originates above the pelvics, whilst the anal is rather 

 long, the branched rays numbering twelve to fourteen. 

 The coloration is silvery, with the back olive-green. 

 There are about six species of Smelts ; ours is 



