MUGILID^. XLVI. 99 



Perea, perch ; Esox, pike ; intermediate between Pikes and 

 Perches.) 



Family XLVI. MUGILID^. (The Mullets.) 

 Body oblong, with large cycloid scales ; no lateral line ; mouth 

 small, nearly toothless; upper jaw protractile; gill membranes free 

 from isthmus ; gill rakers long, slender ; pseudobranchise large. 

 Dorsals separate, the anterior with four spines ; anal similar to soft 

 dorsal, its spines 2 or 3. Air-bladder large; intestinal canal long; 

 vertebrse 11 -(- 13 =24. Genera 5, species 75; in fresh waters 

 and seas of warm regions, feeding on mud. 



a. Jaws with tooth-like cilia; stomach muscular, gizzard-like; anal spines 3. 



MUGIL, 112. 



112. MUGIL (Artedi) Linnaeus. (Ancient name from mulgeo, 



to suck.) 



a. Adipose eyelid well developed. (Mugil.) 



b. Soft D. and A. nearly naked; A. Ill, 8. 



245. M. cephalus L. Striped Mullet. Common Mullet. 

 Silvery, darker above ; dark stripes along the rows of scales ; a 

 dusky blotch on base P. Head 4 ; depth 4. D. IV-I, 8. Scales 

 40-13. L. 24. Warm seas ; common N. to Cape Cod, ascending 

 streams. (Af. albula L.) (Eu.") (An old name, from KecfiaX^, 

 head.) 



bb. Soft D. and A. scaly; A. Ill, 9. 



246. M. curema Cuv. & Val. White Mullet. Blue-back 

 Mullet. Liza. Silvery ; scales without dark stripes ; a dark 

 spot at base P. ; P. not nearly reaching D. Head 4 ; depth 4. 

 D. rV-I, 8. Scales 38-12. L. 18. Warm seas, N. to Cape Cod, 

 scarce N. (M. hrasiliensis Giinther, not of Agassiz.) (A Brazilian 

 name.) 



Family XLVII. ATHERINID^. (The Silversides.) 



Body elongate, compressed, with cycloid scales ; no lateral line ; 

 mouth moderate ; teeth smaU ; operoles unarmed ; gill membranes 

 free ; pseudobranchise present ; gill rakers slender. Dorsals well 

 separated, the fir.st of 3 to 8 slender spines ; A. similar to soft D., 

 with one spine ; V. I, 5 ; air-bladder present ; vertebrte numerous. 

 Genera 8 ; species 50, fishes living in schools along coasts of warm 

 regions, a few in rivers. (dO^pivrj, the old name from adfip, a dart.) 



a, Premaxillaries freely protractile ; their posterior end broad; teeth in bands. 



none on vomer; a silvery band along side. 



b. Jaws both short, the upper scarcely longer than eye. . . Menidia, 113. 



bb. Jaws both produced in a short beak ; the upper about half longer than 



eye Labidesthes, 114. 



