FISHES OF NEW YORK 567 



locality September 7, and one in Eel Pond on September 23; 

 all of these were 1 to 2 inches long. On October 5 the fish was 

 abundant in Quisset harbor. 



Young fish of this species were obtained in abundance at Bees- 

 ley's Point, Somers Point, and Ocean City N. J. in August 1887. 

 No adults were seen. 



The only individual observed in Great South bay was a very 



small one, seined in Clam Pond cove, Aug. 22^ 1898. Diligent 



search was made for the species in 1901, but no specimens were 



taken. 



Family kiyphosid^^^e; 



Rudder fishes 

 Genus kyphosus Lac^p^de 

 Body elongate-ovate, regularly elliptic, moderately com- 

 pressed; head short, with blunt snout; eye large; mouth small, 

 horizontal; maxillary barely reaching front of eye; each jaw 

 with a single series of rather narrow obtusely lanceolate 

 incisors, implanted with compressed conspicuous roots poste- 

 riorly; behind these a narrow band of villiform teeth; fine teeth 

 on vomer, palatines, and tongue. Branchiostegals seven; gill 

 rakers long. Preopercle obtusely serrate; preorbital narrow, 

 covering but littjle of the maxillary. Squamation very com- 

 plete, the space between and about the eyes being the only naked 

 part; scales smallish, thick, ctenoid, 60 to 70 in the lateral line, 

 which is continuous; similar scales entirely covering the soft 

 parts of the vertical fins, and extending upon the paired fins. 

 Dorsal fin low, with about 11 spines, which are depressible in 

 a groove of scales, the fin continuous, but the last spines low, 

 so that a depression occurs between the two parts of the fin, 

 the bases of the spinous and soft parts about equal; soft dorsal 

 rather low in front, not falcate, pointed behind; anal similar 

 to soft dorsal, with three spines; caudal fin moderately forked; 

 pectoral fins small, ventrals well behind them. Intestinal canal 

 long; pyloric caeca very numerous. Vertebrae 9 or 10+15 or 

 16 = 25. 



