GENUS CARANGUS GRIFFITH 

 The Cavallas 



Body ovate or oblong, compressed, the back sometimes con- 

 siderably elevated; mouth moderate or large, oblique; maxillary 

 broad, reaching below eye, with a well-developed supplemental 

 bone; premaxillaries protractile; teeth in one or few series, un- 

 equal, or at least not in villiform bands; villiform teeth usually 

 present on vomer, palatines and tongue, deciduous or wanting in 

 some species; gillrakers long; eye large with an adipose eyelid; 

 dorsal spines rather low, connected; second dorsal long, usually 

 elevated in front, both fins depressible in a groove; anal similar to 

 second dorsal and nearly as long, preceded by 2 rather strong 

 spines, its base longer than the abdomen; caudal fin strongly 

 forked, the peduncle very slender; pectoral falcate; no fmlets; 

 scales present, usually very small; lateral line with its posterior 

 portion armed with strong, bony plates, which grow larger on 

 the tail, each plate armed with a spine; a short dorsal branch 

 of lateral line usually present; preopercle entire in adult, serrate 

 in the young; species very numerous in all warm seas, most of 

 them valued as food. 



a. Teeth on vomer and palatines persistent. 



b. Soft dorsal and anal low, not much elevated in front, little if 



at all falcate; teeth in jaws in one or few series, with no 

 canines. 



c. Lateral line strongly arched, the arched part not half as long 



as straight portion ; vinctus, 305 



cc. Lateral line little arched, the arched part not shorter than the 

 straight portion. 



d. Body slender, the depth about 3^ in length; colour dark, 



chiefly bluish ; ruber, 305 



dd. Body deeper, the depth about 2f in length; colour pale, 



mostly golden bartholomcei, 305 



bb. Soft dorsal and anal much elevated in front, and more or less 



falcate; upper teeth in a band, the outer enlarged; lower 



teeth in one series. 



e. Breast naked, except a small rhombic area before ventrals; 



hippos, 306 

 ee. Breast entirely covered with small scales. 



f. Body subfusiform, the depth less than the length; teeth of 



outer series small, not canine-like. 



g. Pectoral fin moderate, rarely longer than head; scutes about 



50 ; , cry sos, 306 



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