FAMILY ATHERINIDZ — ATHERINA. 141 
FAMILY XII. ATHERINID. 
Mouth protractile ; no notch on the upper jaw, nor tubercle on the lower. Suborbital not 
dentated. A broad silvery band on the side. Very small crowded teeth on the pharyn- 
geals. The first branchial arch with long pectinations. Two dorsal fins, most commonly 
distant. Ventrals behind the pectorals. 
Oss. This family was founded by Cuvier on the genus Atherina of Linneus, and is so 
closely associated with the Mugilide, that many ichthyologists still arrange them under that 
family. By others they are also placed under that family, but form a distinct section or tribe. 
In common with the Mugilide, they have two dorsals, but these are not always distant ; their 
ventrals are usually much farther behind; nor have they the pharyngeal apparatus, nor the 
gizzard of that family. They have six branchial rays. The Atherinide as yet are all in- 
cluded under one genus, but it is susceptible of several subdivisions. Some years since, I 
arranged, from the suggestions of Cuvier, under the genus Argyrea, several of our American 
species with the following characters: Vomer and palatines smooth and perfectly edentate ; 
maxillaries at their lower ends terminating ina point, etc. It requires, however, a careful 
examination and rigorous comparison of all the species, such as was not within my reach, to 
establish a genus which should be beyond the reach of cavil. The species of this family on 
the North American coast, are uniformly small. On the shores of South America, some 
species exist nearly two feet long. 
GENUS ATHERINA. Linneus. 
Body elongated, cylindrical, with large scales. The other characters included in those of 
the family. 
THE DOTTED SILVERSIDE. 
ATHERINA NOTATA. 
PLATE XXVIII. FIG. 88. Siigurse Ars gah Sanat 
Atherina menidia. LacErepE, Vol. 5, p, 376, (excl. synon.) 
The Small Silverside, A. notata. Mrrtcu. Lit. and Phil. Soc. Vol. 1, p. 446, pl. 4, fig. 6. 
LL) Atherine de Bosc, A. boscii, Cuv. et Vat. Hist. des Poiss. Vol. 10, p. 465. 
The Small Silverside, A. id. Storer, Massachusetts Report, p. 62. 
Characteristics. Depth one-sixth of its length. Black points at the base of the anal rays. 
Dorsals contiguous; the second coterminal with the anal. Length three 
to four inches. 
Description. Body elongated, cylindrical, subcompressed. Scales large, rounded ; mar- 
gins smooth, with concentric impressions. Lateral line straight. Head moderate, somewhat 
flattened above, and one-fifth of the total length. Eyes rather large, 0°2 in diameter. Jaws 
