REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF SCIAENIDAE 
51 
ff. Anal fin usually with 11 or 12, occasionally with 13, rays; sides with more or less 
definite dark cross bars Cynoscion regalis 
ee. Body more slender, greatest depth 3.95 to 4.2 in length to base of caudal; snout sharply 
pointed; mouth less oblique, the gape anteriorly below eye; lower jaw projecting 
strongly; caudal fin not very long nor sharply pointed, the longest rays shorter than 
head; anal fin with 10 or 11 rays; side and back each with a black longitudinal band, 
no blotches or cross bars present Cynoscion nebulosus 
dd. Snout not pointed; lower jaw equal to or shorter than the upper, projecting slightly in 
Larimus fasciatus; no enlarged canine teeth in upper jaw; body sometimes deep, sometimes 
elongate; anal with 6 to 8 soft rays, exclusive of Leiostomus xanthurus which has 12 or 13. 
g. Anal long, with 12 or 13 soft rays; second dorsal with 30 to 34 soft rays; body moder- 
ately deep, greatest depth about 3.3 times in length to base of caudal; margin of 
caudal fin distinctly concave Leiostomus xanthurus 
gg. Anal shorter, with 6 to 10 soft rays; second dorsal shorter, with 19 to 29 soft rays; 
margin of caudal round or pointed, not concave. 
h. Second dorsal with 19 to 22 soft rays; first dorsal with 10, 11, or 12 spines. 
i. Body deep, compressed, depth 2.5 to 2.65 in length; head narrow, compressed; 
mouth horizontal, inferior; lower jaw distinctly shorter than the upper one, 
with numerous small barbels; anal with 6 or 7 soft rays; body with about 5 
black cross bars Pogonias cromis 
ii. Body not quite as deep, depth about 2.9 to 3.1 in length to base of caudal; 
mouth somewhat oblique, terminal, the jaws of about equal length; no bar- 
bels on lower jaw; anal with 8 to 10 soft rays; no cross bars on body. 
j. Head, narrow, compressed; interorbital not broader than large eye; skull 
hard, not spongy; anal with 9 or 10 soft rays; caudal fin round, not 
long; no dark blotches on back Bairdiella chrysura 
jj. Head broad, scarcely compressed; interorbital about two times as wide as 
the small eye; skull soft, spongy, cavernous; anal with 8 soft rays; 
caudal fin long and pointed; back with a series of black blotches. 
Stellifer lanceolatus 
hh. Second dorsal with 23 to 29 soft rays; first dorsal with 10 spines only. 
k. Body deep, compressed, greatest depth 2.6 to 2.8 in length to base of caudal; 
mouth strongly oblique, the lower jaw projecting somewhat; anal with 6 to 
8 soft rays; caudal fin long and pointed; body with a broad cross bar under 
spinous dorsal and 4 or 5 narrower ones behind it Larimnus fasciatus 
kk. Body elongate, the depth about 3.3 to 3.6 in length to base of caudal; mouth 
horizontal, inferior, lower jaw included; anal with 8 soft rays; no cross bars 
on body. 
I. Second dorsal with 28 to 29 soft rays; a row of short slender barbels usually 
visible on lower jaw; caudal fin long and pointed, the longest rays equal 
to length of head; body with small dark spots on sides and back. 
Micropogon undulatus 
II. Second dorsal with 23 to 25 soft rays; barbels wanting; caudal fin short, 
only slightly angulate, the longest rays notably shorter than head; body 
with dark spots placed as in M. undulatus, but larger and more distinct. 
Sciaenops ocellatus 
THE WHITINGS OR KINGFISHES (Menticirrhus americanus, M. saxatilis 
and M. littoralis) 
Three species of whiting, namely, Meticirrhus americanus, M. saxatilis, and 
M. littoralis, occur on the coast of North Carolina. The species resemble each other 
so closely that the fishermen generally fail to distinguish them, and they are not 
separated in the market. The most widely used common names, in books at least, 
are whiting and king whiting. Other local names are king-fish, roundhead, sea mullet, 
and sea mink. The fish are known at Beaufort as “sea mullet”, and much less 
commonly as “sea mink.” Since the species are not separated in the market, the 
relative abundance of each cannot be ascertained from commercial records. It is 
