THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 327 



Genus MUI.LUS Linnaeus. 



The Sur Mullets. 



Mullus auratus (Jordan and Gilbert). 



Plate 62. 



Goat Fish. Red Mullet. 



Head 3 ; depth 4; D. VH-I, 8; A. 11, 6, i; snout 25/^ in head; 

 eye 4; maxillary 3; interorbital space 3/^; second dorsal spine 

 I J^ ; pectoral ij^ ; least depth of caudal peduncle 3. Body elon- 

 gate, compressed. Profile of head anteriorly above convex. Eye 

 a little elongate, about midway in head. Mouth small, upper jaw 

 protruding a little. Maxillary falling a little short of orbit, and 

 its greatest expansion about half of same. Teeth small, those in 

 upper jaw less conspicuous than mandibular. Vomerine and 

 palatine teeth in large patches, coarse and granular. Interorbital 

 space a trifle convex. Gill-rakers 3 + 14, slender, a little shorter 

 than pupil. Spinous dorsal inserted a little behind origin of 

 ventral. Rayed dorsal inserted a little nearer origin of pectoral 

 than base of caudal, and anteriorly highest. Anal about opposite 

 rayed dorsal. Ventral inserted just behind origin of pectoral. 

 Brownish dull scarlet, crimson where scales have fallen. Length 

 3^ inches. I have a .single example seined in the surf at Stone 

 Harbor July 12th, 1903. In life it was more or less grayish 

 above, and white beneath washed everywhere with silvery. Along 

 the side an irregular dull and rather dark red band extending to 

 the middle of the base of the caudal. Above and below this 

 several blotches of a similar red color. 



This species is known otherwise from within our limits by the 

 accounts of Drs. H. F. Moore and T. H. Bean. It is said to 

 reach a length of 8 inches. 



Mullus surmuletus auratus Moore, Bull. U. S. F. Com., XII, 

 1892, p. 362. 



Mullus auratus Bean, Bull. Am. Mus. N. H., IX, 1897, p. 

 359. 



