THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 295 



Genus Eupomotis Gill and Jordan. 

 The Sun Fishes. 



Eupomotis gibbosus (Linnaeus). 



Plate 43- 

 Sunny. Common Sun Fish. 



Head 2%; depth 2; D. X, 11, i; A. HI, 10, i; scales 40 in 

 lateral line to base of caudal ; 7 scales between base of first dorsal 

 spine and lateral line in a vertical series ; 14 scales in a vertical 

 series between origin of anal and lateral line; snout 3% in head; 

 eye 4; maxillary 3^ ; interorbital space ^yg, all these measured 

 from tip of upper jaw; fourth dorsal spine 2^; eighth dorsal 

 ray 2 ; third anal spine 2 J4 ; fifth anal ray 2 ; upper caudal lobe 

 1%; least depth of peduncle 2%; pectoral ly^ ; ventral iVt- 

 Body deep, well compressed, comparatively short, and back ele- 

 vated. Upper anterior profile steep, forming a very obtuse angle 

 above and behind eye. Lower profile less convex than upper. 

 Caudal peduncle deep, compressed. Snout short, obtusely convex. 

 Eye circular, well anterior. Mouth small, a little oblique, and 

 mandible projecting. Maxillary reaching front of eye, without 

 supplemental bone, and its distal expansion about equal to diam- 

 eter of pupil. Width of preorbital about 7^ of orbit. Lips 

 fleshy. Teeth in jaws in bands, rather conspicuous. Vomerine 

 teeth smaller. Nostrils together, near front of eye. Interor- 

 bital space broad, somewhat flattened medianly, otherwise con- 

 vex. Opercular flap rounded, not produced, and a little smaller 

 than pupil. Gill-rakers 3 + 9 short weak denticles. Pharyngeal 

 bones broad, concave and paved with bluntly rounded teeth. 

 Scales rather large, reduced on predorsal region, along bases of 

 vertical fins and on base of caudal. Scales on chest large, but 

 smaller than those on side of body. Scales on cheek in 4 series. 

 Tubes in lateral line simple. Lateral line more or less concurrent 

 with dorsal profile. Origin of spinous dorsal begins a little be- 

 hind that of pectoral, spines graduated from fourth, which is 

 longest, though last longer than penultimate, and margin of fin 



