THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 91 



Parietal bones meeting along top of head. Gill-membranes en- 

 tirely separate, free from isthmus. Branchiostegal rays numer- 

 ous, 29 to 35. Gill-rakers long and slender. Pseudobranchise 

 present or absent. Body covered with silvery cycloid scales, head 

 naked. A scaly occipital collar. Belly not keeled or serrated, 

 rather broad and covered with ordinary scales. Lateral line 

 present. Pyloric cceca numerous. Dorsal fin inserted over or 

 slightly behind ventrals. No adipose fin. Caudal fin forked. 

 Dorsal and anal depressible into a scaly sheath. Pectorals and 

 ventrals each with an accessorv lono- scale. 



Large fishes widely distributed in tropical seas, not much 

 valued as food as the flesh is dry and bony. One genus and 

 species known from our coast. The tarpon may also occur but 

 has not been definitely recorded. 



Genus Elops Linnseus. 

 The Ten Pounders. 

 Elops saurus Linnaeus. 





c 





Ten Pounder. Blops saurus Linnaeus. 



Known from the tarpon by the long slender body covered with 

 small scales, large pseudobranchiae, and last dorsal ray not pro- 

 duced. 



The occurrence of this fish is only known to me from Dr. 

 Abbott's reference, which states it to be a rare straggler. 



Elops saurus Abbott, Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 823. 



