FISHES CYPRINODONTIDAE FCNDULUS PARVIPINNIS. 303 



SYN. Cyprinodantes, AGASS. in Mem. Soc. Sc. nat. Neuch. I, 1834, 3; &, Poiss. foss. V, 11, 1839, 47. MULL, in Wicgm. Archiv. 



fur Naturg. 1843, I. 320 : &, 1845, I, 131. 

 Cyprinodontidae, OWEN, Lect. conip. Anat. Vertebr. 1846, 48. BD. Iconogr. Encycl II, 1850, 203. STOKER, Hist. Fish. Mass. 



in Mein. Arner. Acad. New Ser. V, Ib55, 293. 



The fishes of this family are, generally speaking, of a diminutive size, inhabiting both the 

 brackish and the fresh waters, being occasionally also met with in the salt waters at the margins 

 of the bays and inlets of the seas. They are known under the common names of Minnows and 

 Killifishes, of which they are numerous species, occurring sometimes in great numbers of the 

 same kind ; they are generally used for baits. 



FUNDULUS, Lace p. 



GEN. CHAR. Body more or less elongated, sub-fusiform in profile. Upper surface of head flattened, covered with large scales. 

 Mouth protractile, semi-circular. Premaxillar bones arched. Slender card-like teeth upon the jaws, the upper as well as the 

 lower. Branchiostigal rays, five on either side. Scales large ; no lateral line. 



Sw.Funditlus, L,Acf;p. Hist. nat. des. Poiss. V. 1803, & ed. in 8vo, IV, 1819, 478. Cuv. Regn. Anim. 2d ed., II, 1829 ; 

 &, ed. illustr. Poiss. 228. VALENC. in Ilumb. & Bonpl. Rec. d Observ. de Zool. & d Anat. comp. II, 1832. 

 DE!VAY N Y. Faun. IV, 1842, 216 STOKER, Synops. 1846, 179; &, Hist. Fish Mass, in Mem. Amer. Acad. 

 New Ser. V. 1855, 293. VALENO. in Cuv. & Vol. Hist. nat. Poiss. XVIII, 184G, 178. 



The history of the genus Fundulus is interwoven with that of Hydrargyra, they having been 

 misunderstood by the various writers on that subject until Valenciennes, in the &quot; Histoire 

 naturelle des Poissons,&quot; restored both of them within their true limits. 



FUNDULUS PARVIPINNIS, Gid. 



v SPEC CHAR. Head constituting about the fourth of the total length. Eye sub-elliptical ; its diameter entering four times in 

 the length of the side of the head. Anterior margin of dorsal fin equidistant between the extremity of the snout and the 

 posterior edge of the caudal. Ventrals very small ; their origin being nearer the extremity of the lower jaw than the insertion 

 of the caudal fin. Pectorals broad and short. Olivaceous brown above ; yellowish beneath. A black streak along the middle 

 of the peduncle of the tail. Fins unicolor. 



SYN. Fundulus parvipinnis, GRD. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. VII, 1854, 154. 



The greatest length of the specimen observed is three inches and one-third ; the head being 

 contained in it somewhat over four times. The body is compressed, the back slightly arched 

 anteriorly to the dorsal fin. The greatest depth is a little less than the fifth of the length. 

 The eyes are sub-elliptical ; their horizontal diameter being contained four times in the length 

 of the side of the head : once in advance of the anterior rim of the orbit. The anterior margin 

 of the dorsal fin is equidistant between the tip of the snout and the posterior margin of the 

 caudal, which is sub-convex. The origin of the anal is situated opposite the middle of the base 

 of the dorsal. All the fins are small, especially the ventrals, which are proportionally broad 

 when expanded, posteriorly rounded off or sub-convex, whilst their extremities are far from 

 reaching the vent. The pectorals are very broad, fan-shaped, posteriorly rounded, and when 

 directed backwards their extremities are nearer the origin of the ventrals than the tips are to 

 the vent. The caudal fin itself is rather short. The anal is narrow, and as deep as the dorsal 



is high. 



D 2, 11 ; A 11 ; C 5, 1, 9, 8, 1, 4 ; V 5 ; P 16. 



The scales are rather large ; twelve longitudinal rows may be counted upon the line of the 

 greatest depth of the body. They are longer than deep, posteriorly rounded off, and broader 

 than anteriorly, which latter margin is sub-ccncave or crescent- shaped, the upper and inferior 



