The Leather-Jacks 



/. Shoulder-girdle with a deep cross-furrow at its junction with the 



isthmus; body slender; Trachurops, 303 



ii. Shoulder-girdle normal; body deeper. 



j. Body oblong or more or less elevated, not as below. 



k. Teeth of jaws in few series or one, unequal or at least not forming 



villiform bands. 

 /. Maxillary very narrow; head small; teeth on vomer and palatines 



minute or obsolete ; Hemicaranx, 303 



//. Maxillary broad; head rather larger; vomer and palatines with 



teeth ; Carangus, 304 



kk. Teeth of jaws equally small or wanting, forming villiform bands 



if present. 

 m. Teeth very minute, disappearing in the adult; no teeth on vomer 



or palatines ; Caranx, 308 



mm. Teeth persistent, in bands; vomer and palatines with minute 



teeth. 

 n. Soft dorsal with none of its rays produced in filaments; 



Carangoides, 308 



nn. Soft dorsal with i to 6 rays produced in filaments. 

 o. Body moderately compressed, its edges not trenchant \..Citula, 308 

 oo. Body deep, greatly compressed, its edges all trenchant. 



p. Soft dorsal lobe very high, filamentous; Alectis, 308 



pp. Soft dorsal lobe low; Hynnis, 309 



jj. Body broad-ovate, very strongly compressed; Vomer, 309 



hhh. Lateral line without any scutes; , . Selene, 311 



ff. Dorsal outline less strongly curved than the ventral; 



Chloroscombrus, 312 

 ee. Maxillary without supplemental bone; pectoral short, not falcate. 



q. Forehead not much elevated; Trachinotus, 313 



qq. Forehead more elevated ; Zalocys, 319 



GENUS OLIGOPLITES GILL 

 The Leather-Jacks 



This genus is characterized by the compressed, lanceolate body; 

 slender, unkeeled caudal peduncle; short, compressed, acute head; 

 sharp occipital keel; rather large mouth, with small, sharp teeth in 

 bands on jaws, vomer, and palatines; small, linear, extremely narrow 

 scales which are imbedded in the skin at different angles; unarmed 

 lateral line; and short pectorals. 



In our waters there are but 3 species, none of them of much 

 food-value. The common leather-jack or zapatero (Oligoplites 



297 



