156 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



Order SYNENTOGNATHI. The Gars, Half-beaks, and Flying-fishes. 



Family BELONIDiE. The" Needle-fishes and Marine Gars. 



The fishes of this family are easily distinguishable by a very elongate, slender 

 body covered with minute scales; jaws produced so as to form a long, sharp bill, 

 and armed with numerous sharp teeth; and long, falcate dorsal and anal fins 

 occupying about the posterior fourth of the body length. They resemble the 

 gar pikes (Lepisosteidae) , but are more attenuated, have much thinner scales, 

 and are typically salt-water fishes. The lower jaw is slightly longer than the 

 upper, and in the young is relatively much longer; the maxillaries and premaxil- 

 laries are firmly united; the teeth are in a band in each jaw and in patches on the 

 upper and lower pharyngeal bones; the distinct and continuous lateral line is 

 placed very low on the side and forms a kind of fold. The needle-fishes are 

 voracious devourers of small fish, which they catch with great facility. Some of 

 the species have the habit of rushing from the water and making a series of pro- 

 digious leaps, renewing their impetus by a powerful flexion of the tail as it comes 

 in contact with the surface. Such species are known as hound-fish, and are 

 dangerous to fishermen, as their speed is such that they may penetrate the 

 fishermen's body like an arrow. The two American genera are thus distin- 

 guished : 



i. Body only slightly compressed, the width more than .66 the depth Tylosuhits. 



n. Body greatly compressed, the width less than .5 the depth AthlSnnes. 



Genus TYLOSURUS Cocco. Gar -fishes; Bill-fishes; Needle-fishes; Hound-fishes. 



Large or moderate sized marine fishes, entering bays and estuaries, and some 



species often found in fresh water. The slender body is either about as thick as 



deep or is very slightly compressed; the color is plain green or blue above, white 



below, with a silvery reflection; the gill-rakers are mere rudiments; the lateral 



line extends along the side of the belly and becomes median on the slender caudal 



peduncle; the caudal fin is more or less deeply forked; the ventrals and pectorals 



are small, the former inserted- posterior to middle of body but well separated 



from the anal. The numerous species are American, and 4 are known from the 



North Carolina coast, while several others may from time to time straggle there 



from the tropics. 



Key to the North Carolina species of Tylosurus. 



i. Dorsal rays i,14 or i,15; anal fin larger than dorsal, its rays i,17 or i,18; scales in lateral series 



about 300 marirms. 



a. Dorsal rajrs i,21 to i,24; anal rays i,21 to 1,24; scales in lateral series 350 or more, or less 

 than 275. 

 a. Bill comparatively short and strong, its length less than twice that of remainder of 



head; scales in lateral series about 350 raphidoma. 



aa. Bill long, at least twice length of remainder of head. 



h. Upper jaw not arched at base; no lateral stripe; greatest depth of body .66 length of 



pectoral; scales in lateral series about 380 acus . 



bb. Upper jaw conspicuously arched at base; a bluish lateral stripe; greatest depth of 

 body .75 length of pectoral; scales in lateral series about 255 carMceus. 



{Tylosurus, callous-tailed.) 



