FISHES OF NEW YORK 567 



locality September 7, and one in Eel Pond on September 23; 

 all of these were 1 to 2 inches long. On October 5 the fish was 

 abundant, in Quisset harbor. 



Young fish of this species were obtained in abundance at Bees- 

 ley's Point, Somers Point, and Ocean City N. J. in August 1887. 

 No adults were seen. 



The only individual observed in Great South bay was a very 



small one, seined in Clam Pond cove, Aug. 22, 1898. Diligent 



search was made for the species in 1901, but no specimens were 



taken. 



Family kvphosidae 



Rudder fishes 

 Genus kyphosus Lacepede 

 Body elongate-ovate, regularly elliptic, moderately com- 

 pressed; head short, with blunt snout; eye large; mouth small, 

 horizontal; maxillary barely reaching front of eye; each jaw 

 with a single series of rather narrow obtusely lanceolate 

 incisors, implanted with compressed conspicuous roots poste- 

 riorh'; behind these a narrow band of villiform teeth; fine teeth 

 on vomer, palatines, and tongue. Branchiostegals seven; gill 

 rakers long. Preopercle obtusely serrate; preorbital narrow, 

 covering but little of the maxillary. Squamation very com- 

 plete, the space between and about the eyes being the only naked 

 part; scales smallish, thick, ctenoid, 60 to 70 in the lateral line, 

 which is continuous; similar scales entirely covering the soft 

 parts of the vertical fins, and extending upon the paired fins. 

 Dorsal fin low, with about 11 spines, which are depressible in 

 a groove of scales, the fin continuous, but the last spines low, 

 so that a depression occurs between the two parts of the fin, 

 the bases of the spinous and soft parts about equal; soft dorsal 

 rather low in front, not falcate, pointed behind; anal similar 

 to soft dorsal, with three spines; caudal fin moderately forked; 

 pectoral fins small, ventrals well behind them. Intestinal canal 

 long; pyloi-ic caeca very numerous. Vertebrae 9 or 10+15 or 

 16 = 25. 



