304 FISHES OF NOKTH CAEOLINA. 



Family GERRIDiE. The Mojarras. 



Small marine fishes, chiefly tropical, most readily distinguishable by their 

 small, very protractile mouth, which, when protruded, is turned downward. 

 Body more or less elongate, compressed, and covered with rather large scales; 

 a deep groove in top of head to receive premaxillary; no supplemental maxillary 

 bone; villiform teeth in jaws, no teeth on vomer or palatine bones; nostrils 

 round and double; gill-rakers short and broad; gill-membranes not united, 

 free from isthmus; lateral line continuous, more or less parallel with outline of 

 back; branchiostegals 6; air-bladder present; spinous and soft dorsal rays 

 united into one fin, with scaly sheath at base; dorsal spines 9 or 10; anal fin 

 with 2 or 3 spines and fewer soft rays than in dorsal; ventral fins thoracic, close 

 together. These fishes are carnivorous, and the larger ones are used as food, 

 but they have no economic value in the United States, although abundant in 

 Florida and other southern states. Four genera are represented in American 

 waters; of these only 1 is as yet known from North Carolina. 



Genus EUCINOSTOMUS Baird & Girard. Mojarras, or Irish Pompanoes. 



This genus embraces numerous small species, several of which are found 

 along the south Atlantic and Gulf coasts and in the West Indies. Body elongate; 

 dorsal fin deeply notched; anal spines 3; interhemal bone connected with 

 second anal spine expanded into a hollow cyhnder into which the posterior end 

 of air-bladder is inserted. Two species found on North Carolina coast : 



i. Premaxillary groove not scaled; anal rays in,7; second anal spine contained 4 . 5 times in 



length of head; depth of body contained 3.25 times in length pseitdogula. 



ii. Premaxillary groove scaled in front, the scales leaving a naked pit behind; anal rays iii,8; 



second anal spine contained 3.33 times in length of head; depth of body contained 2.4 



times in length gtda. 



(Eucinostomus, freely movable mouth.) 



265. EUCINOSTOMUS PSEUDOGULA Poey. 



Irish Pompano. 



Eucinoatomua pseudoffula Foey, Enumeratio Piscium Cubensium, 53, pi. 1, 1875; Havana. Jordan & Evermann, 

 1898, 1368. 



Diagnosis. — Body elliptical, not greatly compressed; head contained 3 . 25 to 3 . 50 times 

 in length; mouth small, maxillary extending a little beyond front of eye, its length contained 

 3.25 times in head; snout conical, contained 3.25 times in head; diameter of eye slightly 

 greater than length of snout; scales in lateral series 49, in transverse series 14; 3 rows of scales 

 on cheek; gill-rakers on lower arm of first arch 7; dorsal rays ix,10 to ix,12, the spines weak 

 and flexible; anal rays iii,6 or iii,7, the second spine stoutest, its length .22 head. Color: 

 greenish above, silvery below; snout and tips of spinous dorsal black; caudal reddish; other fins 

 pale, (psevdogida, false throat.) 



This species, wMch has heretofore been known from Cuba, West Indies, 

 Bermuda, and Brazil, Tvas taken at Beaufort in the summer of 1902, and several 

 additional specimens were taken there in September, 1905, which are preserved 

 in the laboratory collection. The maximum length of the species is about 7 

 inches. 



