THE TARPON 13 



belly not keeled nor serrated, rather broad and covered with 

 ordinary scales; lateral line present; dorsal fin inserted over 

 or slightly behind the ventrals ; caudal fin forked ; no adipose 

 fin; dorsal and anal depressible into a sheath of scales; pec- 

 torals and ventrals each with a very long, accessory scale; 

 pyloric caeca numerous. 



'* Genera, 3, species 4 or 5 forming two well marked sub- 

 families, both widely distributed in the tropical seas. The 

 species are not much valued as food, the flesh being dry and 

 bony, but they are among the greatest of game fishes. In our 

 waters we have two genera, each represented by a single 

 species. 



"(a) Pseudobranchiae none; body oblong, covered 

 with large scales ; anal fin larger than the dorsal ; last ray 

 of dorsal produced into a long filament. 



Tarpon 



"(b) Pseudobranchiae large; body elongate, covered 

 with small scales; anal fin smaller than the dorsal; last 

 ray of dorsal not produced in a filament. 



Elops 



"Genus Tarpon, Jordan & Evermann. 

 "Body oblong, compressed, covered with very large thick 

 silvery cycloid scales ; belly narrow, but not carinated, its 

 edge with ordinary scales ; lateral line nearly straight, its 

 tubes radiating widely over the surface of the scales ; dor- 

 sal fin short and high, inserted behind the ventrals, the 

 last ray long and filamentous ; anal fin falcate, much 

 longer than the dorsal, its last ray produced; caudal 

 widely forked, and more or less scaly. Only one species 

 known. * * * 



"Head, 4; depth, 3%; eye, 4^/2o ; snout, 5; maxillary, 

 1% D. 12; A. 20; scales 5-42-5; branchiostegals, 23; dorsal 

 filament longer than the head; color uniform bright silvery, 

 darkish on back. The proportional measurements in the young- 

 are somewhat different, in examples of 3 inches long being as 

 follows: Head, SVs; depth, 4%; eye, 31/^; snout, 4%." 



