CHAPTER XIII 



GUNNER, FLOUNDER, SMELT 



Tautogolabrtis 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 3J ; 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- 11. 



Pseudopleuronectes americanus. The Flatfish or Flounder. Family 

 Pleuronectidce, the Flatfishes. Head 4 ; depth i\\ D. 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 Argentinida. The body is long and slender; head 4; 

 depth 6J; 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 



263 



