214 Bass, Pike, and Perch 



Cynoscionregalis. The Weakfish. Body elongate, somewhat com- 

 pressed ; head 3J ; depth 4^; eye 6; D. X-I, 27; A. II, 12; 

 scales 6-56-1 1 ; mouth large, maxillary reaching beyond pupil; 

 teeth sharp, in narrow bands, canines large ; soft dorsal and 

 anal fins scaly, the scales caducous ; gill-rakers long and slender, 



Cynoscion nothus. The Bastard Weakfish. Body elongate, slightly 

 compressed ; head 3^ ; depth 3f ; eye 4 ; D. X-I, 27 ; A. II, 9 

 or 10 ; scales 6-60-7 ; mouth moderate, maxillary reaching pos- 

 terior margin of pupil ; snout short ; body rather deep and 

 more compressed than above species ; back somewhat elevated ; 

 caudal fin weakly double concave ; gill-rakers long and slender, 



4 + 9- 

 Menticirrhus saxaiilis. The Kingfish. Body elongate, but little 

 compressed; head 4; depth 4J ; eye small 7; D. X-I, 26; A. 



I, 8 ; scales 7-53-9 ; mouth large, maxillary reaching middle of 

 eye; spinous dorsal elevated; pectoral fins long; teeth villi- 

 form ; snout long and bluntish ; scales all ctenoid. 



Micropogon iindnlains. The Croaker. Body rather robust, the 

 back somewhat elevated and compressed ; head 3 ; depth 3^ ; 

 eye 5; D. X-I, 28; A. 11,7; scales 9-54-12; mouth rather 

 large, maxillary reaching front of eye ; profile rounded ; snout 

 convex, prominent ; preopercle strongly serrate ; anal under 

 middle of soft dorsal ; caudal fin double truncate ; gill-rakers 

 very short and slender, 7 + 16. 



Leiostomus xanihurus. The Lafayette. Body oblong, ovate, the 

 back compressed; head 3^ ; depth 3 ; eye 3i ; D. X-I, 31 ; A. 



II, 12 ; back in front of dorsal high, convex and compressed to 

 a sharp edge ; profile steep and convex, depressed over the eyes ; 

 mouth small and inferior, maxillary reaching to below pupil; 

 snout blunt ; pharyngeals with three series of molars posteriorly ; 

 teeth in upper jaw minute, none in lower jaw in adult ; gill-rakers 

 short and slender, 8 4- 22 ; caudal long and forked. 



