52 CHECK LTST OF THE 



Family DOROSOMID/E. (Gizzard Shads.) 



Body short and deep, strongly compressed, covered with thin, decidu- 

 ous cycloid scales. Belly compressed to an edge, which is armed with 

 bony serratures. Head naked, short, and rather small. Mouth small, 

 inferior, oblique, overlapped by the blunt snout ; no teeth ; maxillary nar- 

 row and short, with a single supplemental bone, not extending to opposite 

 middle of eye, and forming but a small portion of lateral margin of upper 

 jaw; mandible short and deep, its rami enlarged at base; premaxillaries 

 not protractile. Gill rakers slender, exceedingly numerous, not very long, 

 similar on all the arches. Gill membranes not united, free from the 

 isthmus ; branchiostegals about six ; pseudobmnchial large. An adipose 

 eyelid. No lateral line. Dorsal fin about midway of the body, usually 

 behind ventrals. Pectorals and ventrals moderate, each with an accessory 

 scale. Anal very long and low ; caudal forked. No adipose fin. Verte- 

 brae, fortv-nine. Stomach short, muscular, like the g;izzard of a fowl. 



Genus DOROSOMA. (Gizzard Shad.) 



Body herring"-like, much compressed and covered with moderately 

 large, thin, cycloid scales. Snout short and obtuse. Head scaleless, short 

 and small. Eye large and provided with an adipose eyelid. The belly 

 is compressed to an edge, which is armed with sharp serratures. Mouth 

 small, transverse ; the lower jaw the shorter, jaws toothless. The maxilla 

 does not extend to the middle of the eye. Gill rakers numerous, moderately 

 long and slender ; gill membranes deeply cleft and free from the isthmus ; 

 pseudobranchitE well developed ; lateral line wanting. The dorsal fin is 

 placed nearly over the middle of the body, slightly behind the origjin of 

 the ventral. Its last ray is produced into a long filament. The pectorals 

 and ventrals are rather long and each Is provided with an appendage 

 formed of several elongate, overlapping accessory scales. The caudal is 

 deeply forked. .\nal very long, its last rays low. 



(5C)) Gizzard Shad. 



(Dorosoma cepedianuni. ) 



Body deep, compressed; the scales thin, deciduous; head small; snout 

 short, blunt; mandible enlarged at base; gill rakers very slender, not very 

 long; an adipose eyelid. Dorsal about median, the filamentous ray nearly 

 as long as head. Caudal widely forked, the lower lobe longer than upper; 

 belly sharply serrate. 



Colour, upper parts bluish ; sides silvery, sometimes with golden reflec- 

 tions ; in the young there is a large dark blotch on each side not far behind 

 the head ; this disappears with age. 



Length, about fifteen inches; it sometimes allnins a weight of about 

 two pounds. 



