THE SPADE-FISHES 



Family LXI. Ilarchidcz 



BODY compressed, usually greatly elevated, the anterior profile 

 steep, the caudal peduncle short; scales ctenoid, moderate or small, 

 densely covering soft parts of vertical fins; lateral line present, 

 following curve of back; mouth small, terminal, and horizontal; 

 premaxillaries slightly protractile; maxillary short, without supple- 

 mental bone; jaws with bands of slender, pointed, movable, 

 brush-like teeth; nostrils double; preopercle very finely serrate or 

 entire; gill-membranes broadly attached to the isthmus, the open- 

 ings restricted to the sides; branchiostegals 6 or 7; pyloric coeca 

 few; gillrakers very short; pseudobranchiae present; dorsal fins 2, 

 somewhat connected, the first of 8 to 1 1 spines which are de- 

 pressible in a groove; soft dorsal and anal fins high anteriorly, 

 their bases thickened by a covering of scales; anal spines 3 or 

 4, short; caudal fin truncate or doubly concave; pectoral short, the 

 rays all branched; air-bladder large, commonly bifurcate in front, 

 and with 2 slender horns behind. 



This family contains about 4 genera and 10 or 12 species, all 

 shore-fishes, mostly of large size, inhabiting warm seas, and all 

 valued as food. Only 2 genera with 3 species in our waters. 



The genus Chcetodiptejus has the body much elevated and 

 compressed, the outline nearly orbicular, the anterior profile nearly 

 vertical. There are 2 species, C. faber and C. qonatus. The first 

 of these is the common spade-fish, angel-fish or porgee. 



The spade-fish ranges from Cape Cod to Rio Janeiro. It is 

 occasionally taken near New York, and a few have been caught in 

 traps at Menemsha Bight, near Woods Hole, in August and Sep- 

 tember. It is not uncommon about the mouth of Chesapeake Bay 

 and increases in abundance southward to Key West and Pensacola. 

 Among the West Indies it is known from Cuba, Santo Domingo, 

 Jamaica, Martinique and Porto Rico, at which latter place it is 

 called "Paguala" and is common everywhere in suitable places, 

 it has been recorded also from the coasts t. \ Texas and Guatemala. 



On the Florida coast the spade-fish is found through summer 

 and fall in bays, about wharves, rock piles and old wrecks 

 wherever crustaceans abound. In October and November large 



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