200 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



a. Anal fin much shorter than soft dorsal, its base not longer than abdomen. .. Seriola. 

 aa. Anal fin as long as soft dorsal, its base longer than abdomen. 



h. Pectoral fins long and falcate; maxillary with a supplemental bone; lateral line usually 

 with bony plates. 

 c. Dorsal outline more strongly curved than ventral outline. 

 d. Lateral line with bony plates only on posterior part. 



e. Body elongate, moderately compressed, back somewhat elevated; jaw teeth 

 in .a few series or in one series; no fin-rays produced; plates of lateral 



line strongly developed Caranx. 



first 5 or 6 dorsal and anal rays produced as long filaments; plates of 

 ee. Body short and deep, greatly compressed; jaw teeth in villiform bands; 



lateral line well developed • Alectis. 



eee. Body broad ovate, strongly compressed, anterior profile nearly vertical, 

 forehead bulging; teeth weak; dorsal and anal fins very low, no rays pro- 

 duced; plates of lateral line almost obsolete Vomer. 



dd.. Lateral line without any bony plates • • Selene. 



cc. Dorsal outline less s'trongly curved than ventral; no plates on lateral line. 



Chloroscombrus. 



hh. Pectoral fins short and not falcate; maxillary without supplemental bone; lateral line 



without bony plates Trachinotus. 



Fig. 81. Leather-jacket. Oligoplites saums. 



Genus OLIGOPLITES Gill. Leather-jackets. 



The leather-jackets are easily recognizable by their greatly compressed, 

 more or less elongate body covered with very narrow scales embedded in the skin 

 with little regularity of arrangement, the scales being very different from ordi- 

 nary ones. Head short, compressed; mouth large, with bands of small, sharp 

 teeth on jaws, tongue, palatines and vomer; upper jaw not protractile; maxillary 

 narrow; gill-rakers long; lateral line with a slight curve anteriorly, unarmed; 

 caudal peduncle without keel; dorsal spines low, separated, 3 to 5 in number; 

 second dorsal long, anterior rays highest, posterior rays low, separated, and 

 forming finlets; anal spines well separated from soft part, the latter similar to 

 soft dorsal; caudal widely forked; pectorals andventrals short, the latter depres- 

 sible in a groove. The few species are of small size and are found only in 

 warmer American waters. (Oligoplites, poorly armed.) 



171. OLIGOPLITES SAURUS (Blooh & Schneider). 



Runner; Leather-jacket. 



Scomber aaurus Bloch & Schneider, Systema Ichthyologise, 1801, 321; Jamaica. 

 Oligoplites aaurus, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 898, pi. cxxxviii, fig. 378. 



