THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 115 



Genus Osmerus Einn^iis. 

 The Smelts. 



Osmerus mordax (Mitctiill). 



Smelt. Frost Fish. Sih'er Pike. 



• Head 4; depth 5^)4.' D. iii, 8; A. iii, 13; scales 62 in lateral 

 line to base of caudal; 6 scales between origin of dorsal and lat- 

 eral line; 5 scales between lateral line and origin of ventral; 

 mandible ij^ in head; third dorsal ray 1^/7; base of anal 14^; 

 lower caudal lobe i J^ ; least depth of caudal peduncle 4 ; pectoral 

 I y/s ; ventral i J^ ; snout 4 in head measured from tip of upper 



Smelt. Osmerus mordax (]\Iitchill). 



jaw; eye 4^ ; maxillary lYo ; interorbital space 354- Body long, 

 slender. Head long, pointed, large. Snout long, convex. "Mouth 

 large. iMandible projecting. Teeth strong, fang-like on tongue 

 and vomer in front, cardiform on palatines, pterygoids and hyoid, 

 moderate on mandible and small on edge of maxillary. 

 ]\Iaxillary reaching hind edge of orbit. Interorbital space 

 a trifle convex. Gill-rakers 10 + 19, slender, longest ^ of orbit. 

 Scales deciduous. Dorsal inserted about midway in length. Ach- 

 pose fin about over last third of base of anal. Anal inserted 

 behind tip of depressed dorsal, about midway between origin of 

 ventral and base of caudal. Caudal forked, lower lobe trifle 

 longer. Pectoral about ^ to ventral. Ventral inserted opposite 



