THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 251 



//. Body broad ovate, very strongly compressed, its out- 

 lines everywhere trenchant, anterior profile nearly 

 vertical ; scutes almost obsolete. vomer 



ee. Lateral line without any scutes ; body short and elevated, 

 strongly compressed. selEne 



dd. Chloroscombrin.e. Dorsal outline less strongly curved than 

 ventral ; body much compressed, its outlines everywhere 

 trenchant ; armature of lateral line obsolete or nearly so. 



CHEOROSCOMBRUS 



cc. Trachinotin^. Maxillary without supplemental bone; anal fin 

 similar to soft dorsal, its base much longer than abdomen ; tail 

 unarmed ; pectoral short, not falcate. trachinotus 



Genus Naucrates Rafinesque. 



The Pilot Fishes. 



Naucrates ductor (Linnaeus). 



Plate 24. 



Pilot Fish. 



This fish closely resembles the next but may be distinguished 

 by having the membrane of the dorsal spines disappearing with 

 age. 



This pelagic species is apparently rare. The very young are 

 furnished with a strong opercular spine, and the dorsal spines 

 connected by membrane. 



Naucrates ductor Abbott, Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 814. 



Genus Seriola Cuvier. 

 The Amber Fishes. 

 Key to the species. 



a. Dorsal rays 38 or 39. zonata 



aa. Dorsal rays 34. . laiandi 



Seriola zonata (Mitchill). 



Plate 25. 

 Shark's Pilot. Pilot Fish. Banded Seriola. 



Head 314 ; depth 3}^ ; D. I. VII-I, 39; A. II-L 19; snout 2^^ 

 in head; eye 5; maxillary 2y^\ interorbital space 2^/^^)\ fourth 



