FISHES OF NEW YORK 77 



erate, free behind; caudal fin widely forked; ventral rays six. 

 Species all marine; in tropical American waters. 



1^ , .41 Felichthys marinus (Mitchill) 



Bea Catfish; Gaff Topsail 



Silums marinus Mitchill, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 433, 1815. 

 Giileichthys marinus De Kay, N. Y. Fauua, Fishes, 178, pi. 37, fig. 118, 



1842. 

 ^lurichthys marinus Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. V, 178, 18G4; Joedan 



& Gilbert, Bull. IG, U. S. Nat. Mus. Ill, 1883. 

 Felichthys marinus Jordan &, Eveemann, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 118, 



pi. XXIII, fig. 52, 181>C; Smith, Bull. U. S. F. C. XVll, 90, 1898. 



Body somewhat compressed, moderately elongate, its depth 

 at dorsal origin two ninths of length to base of middle caudal 

 rays; caudal peduncle slender, its least depth little more than 

 one third of greatest depth of body; head short, snout rounded, 

 length of head one fourth of total length to base of middle 

 caudal rays; occipital buckler small, oblong, nearly uniform in 

 breadth; band of palatine teeth nearly continuous, variable; 

 maxillary barbel, pectoral fin and dorsal fin about equal in 

 length; eye oblong, small, one fifth length of head; snout about 

 one fourth of length of head; maxillary barbel reaches nearly 

 to ventral origin; pectoral filament about to vent; dorsal, when 

 laid back, almost to adipose fin; ventral origin slightly nearer 

 tip of snout than base of middle caudal rays; caudal lobes un- 

 equal, the upper two sevenths of length to middle caudal rays, 

 the lower as long as the head; adipose fin small, one third higher 

 than wide, its length contained three and two thirds times in 

 that of head; anal base one sixth total length to base of middle 

 caudal rays, longest anal ray two and one third times in head; 

 ventral one half as long as head. I). I, 7; A. 23 (16 developed); 

 P. I, 12; V. I, 5; B. 6. Vetebrae 20 + 30. Color, glossy bluish 

 above, silvery or milk white below. 



The sea catfish is found from Cape Cod to Texas; common 

 southward. Mitchill says it "is an exquisite fish for eating;" 

 but the species is generally not valued for food. De Kay also 

 was informed by persons who had eaten it that the fish has an 

 exquisite flavor. He states that it is frequently abundant in 



