Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 439 



Family LXII. ENGRAULIDID.E. 

 (THE ANCHOVIES.) 



Body elongate, more or less compressed, covered with thin cycloid scales. 

 Head compressed. Mouth extremely large, more or less oblique, usually 

 overlapped by a pointed, compressed, pig-like snout. Gape very wide, 

 the maxillary very long and slender, formed of about three pieces, extend- 

 ing backward far behind the eye; in some species beyond the head. Pre- 

 maxillaries not protractile, very small, firmly joined to the maxillaries. 

 Teeth usually small, sometimes obsolete, usually fine and even, in a single 

 row in each jaw ; canines sometimes present. Eye large, well forward, 

 without adipose eyelid. Preorbital narrow. Opercles thin and membran- 

 aceous. Gill rakers long and slender. Branchiostegals slender, 7 to 14 in 

 number. Gill membranes separate or joined, free from the isthmus. 

 Pseudobranchiae present. No lateral line. Belly rounded or weakly ser- 

 rate. Fins various ; the dorsal usually short and median ; no adipose fin ; 

 caudal forked. Small, carnivorous shore fishes, usually swimming in large 

 schools on sandy shores ; abundant in all warm seas, occasionally enter- 

 ing rivers. Genera 9 ; species about 80. This group is often regarded as 

 a subfamily under the Clupeidce, from which it differs in no character of 

 high importance. 



(Clitpeidse, group Engraulidina, GtlNTHER, Cat. vir, 383-406, 1868.) 



a. Teeth in the jaws equally small, if present ; no canines. 

 b. Insertion of dorsal before that of anal. 



c. Gill membranes nearly or quite separate, free from the isthmus. 



d. Teeth present at all ages ; maxillaries not greatly produced ; no pectoral 



filaments. 

 e. Vertebrae about 41 in number ; bones firm ; species chiefly tropical. - 



STOLEPHORUS, 218. 



ee. Vertebrae about 45 in number ; bones rather feeble ; species of the tem- 

 perate zones. ENORAULIS, 219. 

 dd. Teeth wanting in the adult ; minute, but present in the young ; body very 

 deep, but not strongly compressed. ANCHOVIA, 220. 

 cc. Gill membranes broadly united, free from the isthmus. CETENGRAULIS, 221. 

 bb. Insertion of dorsal behind front of the very long anal ; gill membranes separate. 



PTERENGBAULIS, 222. 

 CM-. Teeth in jaws unequal, some of them enlarged and canine-like. LYCENORAULIS, 223. 



218. STOLEPHORUS, Lacdpede. 

 (SILVERY ANCHOVIES.) 



Stolephorus, LACPDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 381, 1803, (japonica). 



Body oblong, compressed, covered with rather large, thin, deciduous 

 scales. Belly rounded, or weakly compressed. Snout conical, com- 

 pressed, projecting beyond the very large mouth. Maxillary narrow, 

 little movable, usually formed of three pieces, extending backward far 

 behind the eye, to the base of the mandible, or beyond, not beyond gill 

 opening. Premaxillaries very small. Teeth small, subequal, present at 

 all ages, usually on the jaws, vomer, palatines, and pterygoids. Anal fin 

 moderate, free from caudal (its rays 12 to 40). No pectoral filaments. 



