THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 243 



space broadly convex. Gill-rakers 4 -{- 12, slender, strong, and 

 a trifle less than orbit. Corselet distinct, small, not extending 

 beyond pectoral. Lateral line slightly undulating and without 

 decided curve in its course. Side of caudal peduncle with a broad 

 cutaneous keel. Spinous dorsal begins before pectoral, long, low, 

 graduated from fourth or longest spine so that it slopes down 

 gradually posteriorly. Interdorsal region short. Rayed dorsal 

 inserted nearer base of caudal than orbit, and anterior branched 

 rays longest. Anal similar, though inserted more posterior. Fin- 

 lets similar, last ones smallest. Rayed dorsal and anal, and base 

 of caudal, densely scaled, latter with 2 longitudinal keels basally. 

 Caudal widely lunate, lobes even. Pectoral short and broad. 

 Ventral inserted about opposite origin of pectoral and ij^ in 

 same fin. Back dark steel-blue with numerous darker or slaty 

 stripes downward and forward from median line. Lower surface 

 silvery. Dorsals dusky or slaty. Length 22 inches. Long 

 Branch. 



Color of the above when freshly caught steel-bluish-slaty above, 

 corselet and median line of back darker, or more blackish and 

 with greenish reflections. Top of head, but not snout, with 

 blackish like corselet. Pupil slaty-black and adipose eyelid similar. 

 Iris rather narrowly brassy. Back with steel-slaty-gray and blue 

 reflections, and side behind pectoral with slight brassy tints. 

 Head, and corselet about pectoral, more grayish with a slight 

 tinge of lavender. Jaws slightly ruddy. Inside of mouth black- 

 ish. Lines or sutures of jaw and maxillary olive-gray or slaty. 

 Inside of gill-opening grayish or soiled white. Lower or ventral 

 region of body opaque white. Side of body gray, burnished 

 in some lights slightly with silvery and pale brassy. Darker 

 hnes on back in some lights plumbeous, and in others pale 

 olive. Dorsals slate-color, deeper distally, and spinous fin with 

 tipper portion almost black anteriorly. Anterior edge of rayed 

 dorsal lobe pale brown. Finlets, both above and below, slate- 

 colored, and paler on anterior margins. Caudal pale brownish, 

 basally with greenish, yellowish and purplish reflections. Caudal 

 peduncle with keel darker above, olivaceous, and below paler or 

 whitish. Anterior margin of soft anal broadly pale or whitish, 

 rosy-tinted, and rest of fin plumbeous or slaty, at least distally. 



