1410 Bulletin <//, United States National Museum. 



1784. CTNOSCION PARVIPIXNIS, Ayres. 

 (CALIFORNIA " BLUEPISH/') 



Head 3*; depth 4J-. D. X-I, 22 or 23; A. II, 10: scales 13-75 (pores)-14, 

 about 95 in a longitudinal series; eye 6 in head; highest dorsal spine 2; 

 pectoral 2$ ; ventrals 2. Body elongate, shaped much as in the weakfish ; 

 maxillary extending beyond pupil, 2^ in head; canine large, usually but 

 a single one present; snout rather sharp, 4 in head; gill rakers shortish, 

 4 + 7; pharyngeals narrow, their teeth small, cardiform, the inner ones 

 somewhat enlarged; soft rays of dorsal and anal scaleless; caudal fin 

 somewhat lunate in the adult, the middle rays shortest, although more 

 or less produced in the young; pectoral fin short, not reaching tips of 

 ventrals. Color clear steel blue above, without stripes or spots; silvery 

 below; a narrow dusky shade along the sides below the lateral line; axil 

 dusky; lower fins yellowish, with dusky shading; upper fins dark; second 

 dorsal dark edged. Pacific coast of North America from Santa Barbara 

 Islands to Guaymas and Mazatlan ; common along the coasts of southern 

 California as far north as San Pedro. It is an excellent food- fish, not infe- 

 rior to its relative, the weakfish of the Atlantic coast. As in the case of 

 the latter species, the flesh of Cynoscion parvipinnis is soft, and the fish 

 does not bear transportation well, (parvus, small; pinna, fin.) 



Cynoscion parvipinnis, AYRES, Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci. 1861, 156. coast of Lower California. 

 Otolithus magdalence* STEINDACHNER, Icbth. Beit., m, 34, 1875, Magdalena Bay, Lower 



California. 

 Cynoscion parvipinne, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1880, 456; JORDAN & 



GILBERT, Synopsis, 580, 1883. 

 Cestreus parvipinnis, JORDAN & EIGENMANN, I. c., 369, 1889. 



1785. CYNOSCION XANTHULUS, Jordan & Gilbert. 



(CORVINA DE LAS ALETAS AMARILLAS.) 



Head 3 ; depth 4. D. IX-1, 20 ; A. II, 8. Scales 12-66 (pores) -x, 86 rows 

 of scales. Head rather long, compressed and pointed ; maxillary a little 

 less than $ head, reaching just past eye; lateral line becoming straight 

 opposite the vent; body rather slender, compressed; eye large, 6 in head; 

 premaxillaries in front entirely below eye; canines small, 2 usually pres- 

 ent; gill rakers short and thick, not longer than pupil, 6 to 8 on lower 

 limb of arch ; longest dorsal spine 2 in head; longest soft ray 2; middle 

 rays of caudal considerably produced, 1| in head; anal spine rather small 

 and stout; ventrals little more than 2 in head; pectoral fins reaching 

 nearly or quite to the tips of ventrals, their length If in head. Scales 

 smaller than in related species. Color bluish above, silvery below ; upper 

 parts and especially the middle of the sides punctate with dark points; 

 upper fins dark, tbeir margins dusky, lining of opercle black; inside of 

 mouth bright yellow in life. Caudal yellow. Length 3 feet. Pacific coast 



* The types of Otolithus magdalence, from Magdalena Bay, are preserved in the museum 

 at Cambridge. 



