FISHES OF CHESAPEAKE BAY 
271 
This species, like the preceding, is of southern distribution, being common in tropical waters on 
the Atlantic coast of America. The maximum recorded size of this fish is 5 inches. It is nowhere 
of commercial importance. 
Habitat. — Massachusetts to Brazil; occurring only as a straggler north of Beaufort, N. C. 
Chesapeake localities. — (a) Previous records: Cape Charles city, Va. (6) Specimens in col- 
lection: None. 
Family LXIX. — SCI/EMIDAa The croakers and drums 
Body elongate, more or less compressed; head rather large, the bones more or less cavernous; 
mouth large or small; teeth in one or more series on jaws, none on vomer, palatines, pterygoids, 
or tongue; barbels sometimes present on chin; no supplemental maxillary bone; premaxillaries 
protractile; gill membranes not united, free from the isthmus; branchiostegals 7; lateral line con- 
tinuous, extending on caudal fin; scales large or small, present on head; dorsal fins continuous or 
separate; anal fin short, with one or two spines; caudal fin usually square or emarginate; air blad- 
der usually large (absent in Menticirrhus) ; vertebra:' about 10+14. 
KEY TO THE GENERA 
a. No barbels on lower jaw. 
b. Teeth very small, those in lower jaw deciduous, wanting in adult; body comparatively short 
and deep; mouth small, horizontal; preopercular margin entire; a dark spot behind upper 
angle of gill opening Leiostomus, p. 271 
bb. Teeth well developed, permanent in each jaw; no dark spot behind upper angle of gill 
opening. 
c. Mouth horizontal; gill rakers short and thick; one (sometimes several) black spot at base 
of caudal Sciaenops, p. 276 
cc. Mouth more or less oblique to nearly vertical; gill rakers rather long and slender; no black 
spot at base of caudal. 
d. Preopercle without bony seme; snout shorter than eye; mouth very oblique 
Larimus, p. 278 
dd. Preopercle serrate; snout not shorter than eye; mouth moderately oblique. 
e. Head not very broad; interorbital space not spongy to the touch. Bairdiella, p. 279 
ee. Head broad; interorbital space very cavernous, more or less spongy to the 
touch Stellifer, p. 282 
aa. One to many barbels on lower jaw. 
f. Lower jaw with numerous barbels. 
g. Preopercular margin strongly serrate; body covered with rather small scales, 64 
to 72 in lateral series Micropogon, p. 283 
gg. Preopercular margin entire; body covered with rather large scales, 41 to 45 in a 
lateral series Pogonias, p. 287 
ff. Lower jaw with a single, short, thickish barbel. 
h. Anal fin with two spines, the second one somewhat enlarged.. Umbrina, p. 289 
hh. Anal fin with a single weak spine Menticirrhus, p. 290 
119. Genus LEIOSTOMUS Lacepede. Spots 
Body comparatively short, compressed; back elevated; head short, obtuse; snout blunt; mouth 
small, horizontal; teeth wanting in lower jaw (in adult); preopercle entire; gill rakers short; dorsal 
fins contiguous, the first rather high, consisting of 10 spines. A single species of this genus is known. 
152. Leiostomus xanthurus Lacdpede. Spot; “Croaker”; “Silver gudgeon”; Layfayette. 
Leiostomus xanthurus Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., IV, 1803, p. 439, PI. X, fig. 1; Carolina. McDonald, 1882, p. 12; Bean, 
1891, p. 89; Smith, 1892, p. 72; Jordan and Evermann, 1896-1900, p. 1458, PI. CCXXIII, fig. 569; Smith and Bean, 1899, p. 187; Ever- 
mann and Hildebrand, 1910, p. 162; Fowler, 1912, p. 59, 1918, p. 18, and 1923, p. 7; Welsh and Breder, 1923, p. 177. 
Liostomus obliquus Uhler and Lugger, 1876, ed. I, p. 118; ed. II, p. 100. Not L. obliquus (Mitchell). 
Head 2.95 to 3.6; depth 2.55 to 3.6; D. X-I, 30 to 34; A. II, 12 or 13; scales 72 to 77. Body 
rather deep, compressed; back strongly elevated in adult; head moderate; snout blunt, 2.75 to 3.4 
