806 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



below. Snout slender, conic. Premaxillaries broad posteriorly, very 

 protractile, produced forward, the snout longer than the large eye. 

 Edge of upper jaw strongly concave. Teeth very slender, mostly in one 

 series, forming a narrow band in front. Scales small, thin, with entire 

 edges. Spinous dorsal very small ; soft dorsal short. Anal fin long ; 

 caudal forked ; pectorals moderate. First dorsal inserted somewhat 

 behind the vent. Pale olive green, translucent ; lateral silvery band 

 very distinct, scarcely broader than pupil, bounded above by a dark line; 

 back dotted with black. In the black waters of the lowland swamps 

 the silvery is underlaid by black. Length 3 inches. Ponds and slug- 

 gish streams ; Lake Ontario and southern Michigan to Iowa, Florida, and 

 Texas; locally abundant; a very graceful little fish, widely distributed, 

 confined to fresh waters, (siccus, dried; found in half-dry pools.) 



Chirostoma sicculum, COPE, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1865, 81, Crosse Isle, Detroit River. 



(Coll. Professor Fox.) 

 Labidesthes sicculus, COPE, Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc. Phila., 1870, 40; JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 



406, 1883. 



362. ATHERINOPSIS, Girard. 

 (PESCADO DEL REY.) 



Atherinopsis, GIRAED, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1854, 134, (calif orniensis). 



This genus differs from Basilichthys in the nonprotractility of the upper 

 jaw. The spines of the premaxillaries are very short, much shorter than 

 the eye, and they are covered by a skin which is continuous with that of 

 the forehead, being only capable of such motion as is permitted by the 

 extension of a fold of skin between the jaws and the frontal region. 

 Scales small. One species, reaching a considerable size, and having 

 importance as a food-fish. (Atherina ; oi/uf, appearance.) 



1178. ATHERINOPSIS CALIFORNIENSIS, Girard. 

 ("CALIFORNIA SMELT;" PESCADO DEL REY; PEIXE REY; PESCE-RE.) 



Head 4| ; depth 5. D. IX-I, 12 ; A. I, 23 ; scales 77-13. Eye small, 5 in 

 head. Body elongate, little compressed. Maxillary narrow, not reach- 

 ing to the eye, not slipping under the preorbital. Jaws even ; teeth 

 small, pointed, in narrow bands ; inner series of upper jaw enlarged. 

 Gill rakers very long and slender. Scales crenate, somewhat rough, but 

 not laciniate. First dorsal large, inserted in front of anal nearer base 

 than snout ; second dorsal inserted in front of middle of anal, which has 

 a scaly sheath. Pectorals nearly as long as head, not reaching to ventrals, 

 the latter halfway to vent. Vertebrae about 45. Translucent greenish, a 

 burnished lateral stripe which is rather plumbeous than silvery, some 

 yellow on the opercles. Length 18 inches. Coast of California, from 

 Cape Mendocino to San Diego ; very abundant in schools near the shore ; 

 a food-fish of considerable importance, with white flesh of fine texture ; 

 wrongly known as " Smelt" to English-speaking people in California. 

 Atherinopsis californiewis, GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1854, 134, San Francisco, Cal. 

 (Coll. Dr. Heermann.) 



