REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF SCIAENIDAE 
47 
d. Anal fin with only 1 spine and 7, rarely 8, soft rays; body rather deep, compressed, 
depth about 2.75 in length to base of caudal; mouth moderately oblique, the gape 
wholly below level of lower margin of eye; caudal portions of body usually with a 
dark stripe along middle of side and another along ventral edge, these sometimes 
faint or broken up into spots Menticirrhus americanus 
dd. Anal fin with 2 spines; body without stripes, or at most with an indication of a stripe 
along middle of side of caudal portion, the color of the stripe when present being 
subsurface. 
e. Eye small, shorter than snout, the diameter also less than depth of caudal peduncle. 
/. Mouth strongly oblique, the gape anteriorly about on level with middle of eye; 
maxillary reaching to or slightly past anterior margin of eye; anal with 8 
soft rays; color plain, consisting principally of dark chromatophores along 
ventral outline, none on head or side Micropogon undulatus 
ff. Mouth slightly oblique, the gape anteriorly about on level with lower margin 
of eye; maxillary reaching about under middle of eye; anal with 6 or 7 
soft rays (sometimes insufficiently developed to be enumerated accurately) ; 
color consisting principally of dark chromatophores on head, along sides and 
along ventral outline behind vent Pogonias cromis 
ee. Eye larger, equal to or longer than snout, the diameter also equal to or greater 
than depth of caudal peduncle; anal fin with II, 8 rays. 
g. Body moderately slender, depth 3.3 to 3.5 in length to base of caudal; vent 
somewhat nearer base of caudal than tip of snout; distance from snout to 
vent 1.6 to 1.85 in length to base of caudal; a broken dark band on middle 
of side under second dorsal sometimes present, the color being subsurface; 
a large black chromatophore with branching lines present below base of 
posterior anal rays and generally another one on upper part of side, some- 
what in advance of origin of second dorsal Sciaenops ocellatus 
gg. Body rather deep, greatest depth 2.6 to 2.8 in length to base of caudal; vent 
generally nearer tip of snout than base of caudal; distance from snout to 
vent 2.0 to 2.3 in length to base of caudal; no dark lateral band; a few 
dark points on chest and abdomen; a slight dark spot at origin of anal 
generally present and another definite one at end of anal; a slight shoulder 
spot present Stellifer lanceolalus 
cc. Body very deep, depth about 2.15 times in length to base of caudal; vent notably more than 
an eye’s diameter nearer base of caudal than tip of snout; distance from snout to vent 
1.4 times in length to base of caudal; mouth strongly oblique; the gape anteriorly some- 
what above middle of eye; anal with II, 6 to 8 rays; inside of base of pectorals black. 
Larimus fasciatus 
KEY TO SPECIMENS 8 TO 10 MILLIMETERS LONG 
[AH the fins are developed and an accurate enumeration of the rays is now possible] 
Anal fin with a single weak spine and 7 or 8 soft rays; body wholly or largely covered with large 
black chromatophores; no dark band on snout in front of eye; base of pectoral fins not black. 
b. Body moderately compressed and fairly deep, greatest depth 3.6 to 3.8 in length to base of 
caudal fin; pupil of eye almost perfectly round; caudal fin nearly symmetrical, long and 
pointed; anal fin usually with I, 7 (rarely 8) rays; spinous dorsal often partly black; 
ventrals colorless Menticirrhus americanus 
bb. Body strongly compressed and deep; depth 2.8 to 3.0 in length to base of caudal; pupil of 
eye elliptical, that is, vertically elongate; caudal fin asymmetrical, more or less rounded, 
never sharply pointed, the longest rays in lower half of fin; anal fin usually with I, 8 
(rarely 9) rays; spinous dorsal and ventrals usually wholly black _ _ Menticirrhus saxatilis 
bbb. Body somewhat compressed, rather broad and low; depth 3.6 to 4.0 in length to base of 
caudal; pupil of eye elliptical, that is, vertically elongate; caudal fin asymmetrical, 
more or less rounded, never sharply pointed, the longest rays in lower half of fin; anal 
fin with I, 7 rays; fins all colorless Menticirrhus littoralis 
