CHAPTER XIII 



GUNNER, FLOUNDER, SMELT 



Tautogolabrus adspersus. The Gunner. Family Labrida, the 

 Wrasse fishes. Body oblong, not elevated, slender and com- 

 pressed, with cycloid scales ; lateral line well developed ; 

 mouth moderate, terminal; premaxillaries protractile; maxil- 

 laries without supplemental bone, slipping under edge of pre- 

 orbital; head pointed; snout moderate; maxillary reaching 

 front of eye ; preopercle serrate ; opercles scaly ; interopercle 

 naked; head 3^; depth 3$; D. XVIII, 10; A. Ill, 9; scales 

 6-46-12 ; 5 canines in front of upper jaw, about 4 in the lower; 

 bands of small concave teeth behind canines ; preopercle with 

 5 rows of small scales ; opercle with 4 rows, rest of head naked ; 

 gill-rakers very short, about 6 + 1 1 . 



Pseudopleuronectes americanus. The Flatfish or Flounder. Family 

 Pleuronectida, the Flatfishes. Head 4; depth 2j; 0.65; A. 

 48 ; scales 83 ; body elliptical, an angle above the eye ; head 

 covered above with imbricated ctenoid scales, blind side of head 

 nearly naked; body dextral ; teeth compressed, incisor-like, 

 widened toward tips, closely set, forming a continuous cutting 

 edge ; right side of each jaw toothless ; highest dorsal rays less 

 than length of pectorals, and more than half the length of head ; 

 anal spines present. 



Osmerus mordax. The Smelt. The American smelt belongs to the 

 family Argentinidce . The body is long and slender ; head 4 ; 

 depth 6; eye 4; D. 10; A. 15; P. 13; scales 68; head and 

 mouth large; small teeth along the edge of the maxillary; 

 strong, fanglike teeth on tongue and front of vomer ; cardiform 

 teeth on palatines, pterygoids, and hyoid bone ; mandible with 

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