Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 789 



bl. rrom.ixillary broad posteriorly, its edge strongly curved, 

 o. Lower jaw strong, projecting beyond the upper. 



</. Scales small, rough, in 70 series; teeth well developed; vomer usually with a 

 few teeth ; jaws long. LETHOSTOLE, 353. 



<lil. Scales large, smooth, in 38 to 50 series. CITIROSTOMA, 354. 



cc. Lower jaw moderate, its tip included; vomer without teeth. 

 e. Jaws not produced into a beak. 



/. Belly not compressed; pectoral short. 



g. Anal moderate, of 15 to 24 rays; first dorsal of about 5 spines, inserted 



before anal. 



7<. Teeth evident, in narrow bands; scales moderate or large, 36 to 56. 

 i. Scales laciniate.; dorsal and anal scaly. KIRTLANDIA, 355. 



n. Scales cycloid; soft dorsal and anal mostly without scales. 



MENIDIA, 356. 



hh. Teeth none, or minute and caducous; scales very small, crenate, 



about 75. LEURESTHES, 357. 



gg. Anal very long, of 27 rays; the very small first dorsal of 3 spines, 



inserted over its front; opercle short. EURYSTOLE, 358. 



/. Belly strongly compressed, its edge forming a more or less distinct keel 



before ventrals; pectorals very long; first dorsal small, inserted behind 



front of the long anal. 



1 ./. Scales perfectly smooth. THYRINA, 359. 



ji'/. Scales rough-ctenoid. ATHERINELLA, 360. 



ee. Jaws produced in a short curved beak; teeth moderate; scales small. 



LABIDESTHES, 361. 

 aa. Premaxillaries not freely protractile, the skin of upper jaw mesially continuous with 



that of the forehead. 



k. Teeth simple, pointed, arranged in villiform bands. ATHERINOPSIS, 362. 



Ick. Teeth each bicuspid or with a lateral branch, arranged in one series. ATHERTNOPS, 363. 



352. ATHERINA (Artedi) Linnaeus. 



(FRIARS.) 



Atherina (ARTEDI) LINN;EUS, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, 1758, 315, (hepsetus). 

 Membras, BONAPARTE, Fauna Italica, 1836, (no type indicated). 



Body oblong, compressed. Mouth large, terminal, oblique; jaws 

 about equal, their edges nearly straight; maxillary extending to the 

 front of eye. Premaxillaries narrow posteriorly, strongly protractile. 

 Villiform teeth in bands on jaws, vomer, and palatines. Species numer- 

 ous, mostly European. (aOeptvri, the ancient name, from a%>, a spike or 

 arrow.) 



a. Anal fin rather short, of 10 to 16 rays. 



b. Scales large, 36 to 40 ; first dorsal with 5 or 6 spines. 



c. Head very broad, the interorbital width about equal to the large eye, which is 



about 2% in head. Scales 36 to 38. 



d. Anal rays I, 12, or I, 13 ; head about 4 in length. STIPES, 1148. 



dd. Anal rays I, 10 or 11 ; head 2% to 3% in length. LATICEPS, 1149. 



re. Head narrow and pointed, the large eye much greater than interorbital width ; 



body slender and weak, depth 6 in length ; anal 1, 12; scales 40. AR^A, 1150. 



bb. Scales small, 45 to 52; body very slender; first dorsal long, with 7 or 8 spines. 



e. Anal rays I, 11; eye 3 in head; scales 45. HARRINGTONENSTS, 1151^ 



ee. Anal rays T, 15; eye 2% in head; scales 52. CAROLINA, 1152. 



oa. Anal fin of about 20 rays ; dorsal rays V-I, 15. MICBOPS, 113. 



