THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 265 



duced and serrated. Opercle ending in a flat point. Gill-mem- 

 branes free from isthmus, not united. Gills 4, a slit behind fourth. 

 Gill-rakers slender, rather few. Pseudobranchige large. Branchio- 

 stegals 7. Air-vessel simple with thin walls. Pyloric coeca very 

 numero'us. Vertebras 10+14 = 24, as usual in Carmigidcu. 

 Body cov^ered with rather small weakly ctenoid scales. Cheeks 

 and O'percles scaly. Lateral line present, unarmed. Dorsal fins 2, 

 anterior of about VHI v^eak low spines, connected by membrane 

 and depressible in groove. Second dorsal long, similar tO' elon- 

 gate anal, and both fins densely scaly. Fin rays slender. Anal 

 with n very small free anal spines sometimes hidden in skin. 

 Caudal forked, lobes broad. Pectoral rather short. Ventrals I, 

 5, thoracic. 



A single genus and species in all warm seas closely related to 

 the Carangidce. 



Genus PoMATOMus Lacepede. 



The Blue Fishes. 



Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus). 



Blue Fish. Mackerel. Snap Mackerel. Snapping MackereL 

 Tailor. Snapper. Horse Mackerel. Skip Jack. 



Head 3}^; depth 3%; D. VH-I, 28; A. HI, 2y; scales 

 100 in lateral line to base of caudal, and about 6 more on latter; 

 6 scales between origin of spinous dorsal and lateral line; 17 

 scales in a vertical series between origin of anal and lateral line ; 

 mandible 2 in head; least depth oi caudal peduncle 3^; pec- 

 toral 1%; ventral 2^; snout 3/^ in head measured from tip 

 of upper jaw; eye 6; maxillary 2^; inter orbital space 3^/7. 

 Body deeply robust" and moderately compressed. Belly com- 

 pressed to a bluntish edge. Head deep, and upper profile more 

 oblique. Snout a little long, compressed, and convex. Eye 

 small, circular, in first two-fifths of length O'f head. Maxillary 

 curved, reaching posterior margin oi eye, and its distal expan- 

 sion lYz m orbit. Lips thick, teeth strong, and mandible well 

 protruding. Nostrils together, high, and near upper front of 



