﻿SIX 
  SUBFAMILIES 
  OF 
  ATHERINIDAE 
  SCHULTZ 
  5 
  

  

  the 
  sides 
  and 
  posterior 
  end. 
  The 
  elevated 
  processes 
  or 
  rami 
  at 
  the 
  rear 
  

   end 
  of 
  the 
  mandibles 
  are 
  usually 
  visible 
  without 
  dissection. 
  The 
  teeth 
  

   must 
  be 
  examined 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  microscope, 
  since 
  the 
  old-time 
  hand 
  

   lens 
  is 
  of 
  little 
  use 
  for 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  minute 
  details 
  and 
  can 
  be 
  discarded 
  

   as 
  far 
  as 
  atherinids 
  are 
  concerned. 
  

  

  The 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  is 
  from 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  snout 
  to 
  its 
  posterior 
  

   fleshy 
  edge; 
  in 
  counting 
  the 
  vertebrae 
  I 
  have 
  used, 
  for 
  example, 
  the 
  

   formula 
  14+18, 
  the 
  14 
  representing 
  the 
  abdominal 
  and 
  the 
  18 
  the 
  

   caudal 
  vertebrae. 
  The 
  first 
  caudal 
  vertebra 
  is 
  the 
  one 
  that 
  gives 
  rise 
  

   to 
  the 
  first 
  haemal 
  arch, 
  and 
  this 
  arises 
  on 
  the 
  posterior 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   vertebra, 
  thence 
  extending 
  ventral 
  Ij^ 
  under 
  the 
  next 
  vertebra. 
  In 
  

   certain 
  genera 
  in 
  the 
  Atherinopsinae, 
  where 
  the 
  haemal 
  arch 
  appears 
  

   to 
  form 
  at 
  about 
  six 
  or 
  seven 
  vertebrae 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  enlarged 
  hypo- 
  

   physes, 
  I 
  have 
  counted 
  as 
  the 
  first 
  caudal 
  vertebra 
  the 
  one 
  bearing 
  the 
  

   first 
  enlarged 
  or 
  broadened 
  hypophysis. 
  This 
  appears 
  to 
  bring 
  the 
  

   counts 
  for 
  such 
  genera 
  as 
  A,therinops 
  and 
  Leuresthes 
  into 
  line 
  with 
  

   the 
  other 
  genera. 
  Scales 
  were 
  counted 
  from 
  the 
  upper 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  gill 
  

   opening 
  to 
  the 
  midbase 
  of 
  the 
  caudal 
  fin. 
  In 
  the 
  fin-ray 
  formula 
  I 
  use 
  

   capital 
  Roman 
  numerals 
  for 
  spines, 
  lower-case 
  Roman 
  numerals 
  for 
  

   unbranched 
  soft 
  rays, 
  and 
  Arabic 
  characters 
  for 
  the 
  branched 
  soft 
  

   rays 
  ; 
  for 
  example, 
  IV--I, 
  i, 
  10, 
  the 
  dash 
  indicating 
  that 
  the 
  first 
  dorsal 
  

   fin 
  is 
  separated 
  from 
  the 
  second 
  dorsal 
  fin. 
  In 
  determining 
  whether 
  

   the 
  lower 
  jaw 
  projects 
  beyond 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  premaxillaries, 
  I 
  consid- 
  

   ered 
  that 
  it 
  did 
  if 
  it 
  extended 
  beyond 
  a 
  vertical 
  line 
  through 
  tip 
  of 
  

   snout. 
  The 
  maxillary 
  was 
  considered 
  to 
  extend 
  past 
  front 
  of 
  eye 
  when 
  

   its 
  posterior 
  tip 
  was 
  behind 
  a 
  vertical 
  line 
  through 
  front 
  of 
  eye. 
  

  

  KEY 
  TO 
  GENERA 
  OF 
  ATHERINIDAE 
  

  

  la. 
  Head 
  truncate 
  posteriorly 
  ; 
  pectorals 
  placed 
  high 
  on 
  body, 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  

   base 
  above 
  silvery 
  lateral 
  band, 
  if 
  present 
  (absent 
  in 
  Mclanorhinus) 
  ; 
  

   body 
  sharply 
  compressed 
  ; 
  anterior 
  edge 
  of 
  premaxillary 
  a 
  little 
  concave 
  ; 
  

   anus 
  located 
  closer 
  to 
  anal 
  origin 
  than 
  to 
  base 
  of 
  pelvics, 
  scarcely 
  in 
  an 
  

   advanced 
  position 
  ; 
  rami 
  of 
  mandibles 
  elevated 
  ; 
  body 
  cavity 
  ending 
  abruptly 
  

   and 
  not 
  extending 
  into 
  haemal 
  ai-ches. 
  

   2a. 
  Midventral 
  line 
  from 
  in 
  fx'ont 
  of 
  anal 
  origin 
  to 
  between 
  pelvic 
  fins 
  with 
  a 
  

   fleshy 
  keel 
  nearly 
  of 
  paper 
  thinness 
  ; 
  head 
  with 
  fine 
  to 
  coarse 
  denticles 
  an- 
  

   teriorly 
  and 
  ventrally 
  ; 
  premaxillaries 
  not 
  protractile 
  and 
  not 
  dilated 
  pos- 
  

   teriorly 
  ; 
  ascending 
  premaxillary 
  process 
  short 
  and 
  broad; 
  silvery 
  lateral 
  

   band 
  present 
  ; 
  greatest 
  depth 
  of 
  body 
  equal 
  to 
  or 
  more 
  than 
  length 
  of 
  head 
  ; 
  

  

  vertebrae 
  in 
  two 
  counts 
  14 
  to 
  lS-|-25 
  to 
  28 
  (subfamily 
  Tkopidostethinae) 
  

  

  3a. 
  Anterior 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  rest 
  of 
  body 
  fully 
  scaled 
  ; 
  ventral 
  keel 
  scaled 
  ; 
  spiny 
  

   dorsal 
  fin 
  absent 
  ; 
  pectorals 
  almost 
  entirely 
  above 
  silvery 
  lateral 
  baud 
  ; 
  

   front 
  of 
  head 
  with 
  conspicuous 
  denticles 
  ; 
  scales 
  with 
  denticles 
  ; 
  dorsal 
  

   rays 
  about 
  17; 
  anal 
  about 
  I, 
  29 
  (Valparaiso 
  Harbor, 
  Chile). 
  

  

  Notocheirus 
  Clark 
  

  

  3b. 
  Anterior 
  part 
  of 
  body 
  and 
  head 
  naked; 
  ventral 
  keel 
  naked 
  except 
  for 
  

  

  scales 
  around 
  anus 
  ; 
  spiny 
  dorsal 
  present, 
  small 
  ; 
  pectoral 
  bases 
  about 
  

  

  