82 



FISHES OF THE VICINITY OF NEW YORK 



We now (;oiiie to several deep-bodied flattened (compressed) fishes 

 which straggle to New York waters from the south in summer or autumn. 

 Perhaps the conmaonest is the Spadefish which sometimes reaches a 

 length of two or three feet. The body, which is covered with fine scales, 

 is as deep as its length or two thirds as deep. It has a small first dorsal 

 fin of heavy spines and large falcate second dorsal and anal fins covered 

 with scales; the tail is somewhat crescent shaped. The Butterfly-fish 



^-^ 



IS 



BUTTERFLY-FISH 



a smaller species, the young of which, often onh' 



m inch or two in 



length, straggle to our shores. In a general way, it resembles the Spade- 

 fish, but the spiny part of the dorsal is continuous with the soft part, 

 and the soft part of dorsal and anal are not produced in pointed lobes, 

 the tail fin rounded. It is marked by two bold black stripes; the first 

 extends downward from the front of the dorsal fin through the large eye 

 across the cheek, the second from the soft dorsal fin downward across 

 the posterior part of the body to the anal fin. 



