38o REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



with scales or bony plates. Spinous dorsal present, short. Soft 

 dorsal similar to anal, which is without spines. Caudal narrow, 

 few rayed. Pectoral large, with broad base, 3 lower rays de- 

 tached, forming feelers, and used chiefly in search of food, as 

 when turning over stones, exploring shells, etc. Ventrals thoracic, 

 wide apart, separated by a flat area, and radii I, 5. 



Singular fishes in all warm seas, some living about rocks, and 

 others in deep water, w^here they are red in color. Two species 

 on our coast. 



Genus Prionotus Lacepede. 



The Gurnards. 



Key to the species. 



a. Maxillary small, 3 in head. carounus 



aa. Maxillary large, 2 to 2^ in head. Evoi^ans strigatus 



Prionotus carolinus (Linnaeus) 



Sea Robin. Pig Fish. Rock Pig Fish. Flying Fish. Spinous 



Gurnard. 



Head 3; depth 5; D. X-13, i; A. 12, i ; scales about 103 

 in a lateral series to base of caudal; pores 55 in lateral line to 

 base of caudal and several more on latter; 7 scales between origin 

 of rayed dorsal and lateral line; about 20 scales in a vertical 

 series between origin of anal and lateral line; snout 2 in head; 

 eye 5^; maxillary 2^/10; width of mouth 2^; interorbital 

 space 7; preopercular spine 6j^ ; third dorsal spine 2^ ; fourth 

 dorsal ray 2^>^; third anal ray 2%; least depth of caudal 

 peduncle 5; caudal i^ ; ventral i^ ; pectoral 2% in head and 

 trunk. Body slender. Head moderate. Snout long, depressed, 

 truncate when viewed above with rounded edges. Eye a little 

 elongate, high and a little posterior. Mouth broad, with bands 

 of villiform teeth. Mandible inferior. Maxillary about three- 

 fifths of space to orbit. Interorbital space rather narrow, con- 

 cave. Bones of head comparatively smooth, preocular, post- 



