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BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
Welsh and Breder (1923, p. 169) found that regalis and nothus are closely related, and they 
state that further study may show them to completely intergrade. Coles (1916, pp. 30 and 31) 
concluded that C. nothus is an abnormal regalis, saying that his specimens always were caught 
with regalis, the body was not more compressed, and the only obvious difference between the two 
was in the color. One of us (Hildebrand), working at Beaufort, N. C. (i. e., in the same general 
vicinity where Doctor Coles obtained his specimens), also found specimens of Cynoscion that 
agreed in color with nothus, but no other tangible difference between them and specimens of regalis 
appeared to be present; he, too, arrived at the tentative conclusion that nothus was a plain-colored 
regalis. The specimens examined by Coles and Hildebrand in the vicinity of Beaufort, N. C., 
quite probably were abnormally colored regalis, for the differences between a true nothus, such 
as we believe to have in hand now, and a regalis are so evident and so numerous that they scarcely 
would have been overlooked. 
The fishermen of the lower part of Chesapeake Bay recognize this species and call it the “bas- 
tard trout.” It is taken only now and then, and it is not numerous enough to be of commercial 
importance. On the coast of the Gulf States it is said to be a food fish of some importance. 
Habitat. — Maryland to Texas. 
Chesapeake localities. — (a) Previous record: Baltimore, Md. (Jo) Specimens in collection: 
From Lynnhaven Roads, Va.; taken in pound nets, August 22, 1921. 
165. Cynoscion regalis (Bloch and Schneider). Weakfish; Squeteague; “Trout;” “Gray trout.” 
Johnius regalis Bloch and Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 1801, p. 75; New York. 
Cynoscion regalis, Uhler and Lugger, 1876, ed. I, p. 116; ed. II, p. 9S; McDonald, 1882, p. 12, fig. 3; Bean, 1891, p. 88; Jordan 
and Evermann, 1896-1900, p. 1407, PI. CCXX, fig. 562; Fowler, 1918, p. 18; Welsh and Breder, 1923, p. 150. 
Head 2.9 to 3.3; depth 3.5 to 4.25; D. X-I, 25 to 28; A. II, 11 or 12; scales 76 to 86. Body 
elongate, not much compressed; head long and low; snout pointed, 4.85 to 5.15 in head; eye 3.1 
to 5.6; interorbital 4.1 to 4.75; mouth large, oblique; lower jaw projecting; maxillary reaching 
posterior margin of pupil or beyond, 2.1 to 2.4 in head; teeth in jaws pointed, in two series anteriorly, 
becoming single posteriorly, at least in lower jaw, two enlarged, recurved teeth usually present in 
anterior part of upper jaw; gill rakers long, 11 to 13 on lower limb of first arch; scales rather thin, 
finely ctenoid, extending on head, cheeks, and opercles; reduced scales also present on fins, about 
10 rows between origin of anal and lateral line; dorsal fins contiguous in young, well separated in 
adult, the first composed of flexible spines, the third and fourth the longest, somewhat higher than 
the longest soft rays, soft part of dorsal long, with nearly straight margin; caudal fin with concave 
margin in adult, round in young; anal fin small, situated under posterior part of dorsal, its base 
ending a little in advance of that of dorsal; ventral fins rather small, inserted a little behind base of 
pectorals; pectoral fins short, failing to reach tips of ventrals, 1.65 to 1.95 in head. 
Color largely greenish above and silvery underneath, upper parts with metallic reflections of 
purple and gold; upper parts of sides marked with black, dark green, and bronze blotches, mostly 
arranged in oblique wavy lines; dorsal and caudal dusky, with yellowish green tinge; anal and 
ventrals bright yellow; pectorals pale outside; axil dusky. 
