268 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



Spinous dorsal low, its origin nearer that of rayed fin than tip 

 of snout, and spines equal. Insertion of rayed dorsal falling 

 nearly midway between tip of snout and base of last dorsal ray, 

 and radii graduated from first branched one. Anal inserted 

 more posterior or nearly midway between posterior margin of 

 opercle and base of last anal ray. Caudal large, expanded, and 

 its margin rounded. Pectoral large, inserted a little before origin 

 of spinous dorsal, and reaching a little less than y^ of space to 

 anal. Ventral inserted opposite origin of pectoral, long, and 

 inner ray about y^ length of fin. Color nearly black. A white 

 stripe about as wide as pupil from upper angle of gill-opening 

 to caudal. Another narrower one begins at lower extremity of 

 pectoral base, curves very slightly upward as it fades out near 





W ^ ' ' 



Crab Eater. Rachycentron canadus (Linnseus). 



tail. Upper caudal lobe with a narrow whitish margin along its 

 upper surface, relieved by a trace of orange-red at its base. 

 Lower caudal lobe with a narrow orange-red margin. Pectoral, 

 ventral and caudal black. Back fades to a dark green. Belly 

 grayish-white. Iris golden-bronze. From young examples reach- 

 ing 4 inches. Somer's Point. (From Bean.) 



Known from our coast chiefly from Dr. Bean's record. It is 

 a large fish reaching a length of 5 feet and is common in tropical 

 seas. 



Blacate Canada Bean, Bull. U. S. F. Com., VII, 1887, p. 144^ 

 PI. 2, fig. 13. 



Blacates niger Abbott, Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 814. 



