REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF SCIAENIDAE 
55 
The specimen described, which was taken in the tow, has been compared with 
preserved specimens of newly hatched larvae of saxatilis. The latter were hatched 
by the late William W. Welsh from eggs stripped from fish taken at Atlantic City, N.J., 
on July 27, 1920. The larvae (preserved in formalin) although quite as long as the 
specimen described, evidently are much younger, as shown by the state of development. 
The resemblance is not striking, as the specimen of americanus is much deeper anteri- 
orly, and the mouth, jaws, and teeth are much further advanced in development. 
The specimens of saxatilis retain no color markings. It is evident, however, from 
the description and illustrations by Welsh and Breder (1923, pp. 190-193) that 
rather definite markings were present when the larvae were alive. A slight resem- 
blance is evident in the markings of the most advanced stage figured by Welsh and 
Breder of saxatilis and the 1.7 millimeter specimen of americanus already described. 
This resemblance consists chiefly in a series of dark dots along the ventral outline 
of the tail. The pupil of the eye is round in the specimens at hand of both species, 
although in larger examples (10.0 millimeters and upward in length) of saxatilis 
the pupil is vertically elongate, whereas it is always nearly or quite round in americanus. 
The comparison of the small fry at hand of americanus and saxatilis, because 
of the comparatively great difference in age, even though they are of about equal 
length, does not aid greatly in determining the likenesses and differences that exist 
between the early larval stages of the two species. Since no newly hatched larvae 
of americanus have been secured, no young of saxatilis under 10.0 millimeters (exclu- 
sive of the newly hatched fry), and none of littoralis less than 9.0 millimeters in length, 
the study of the relationship of the smaller fry of the local species of the genus must 
await the collection of specimens of the proper sizes and ages. 
Specimens 2.9 millimeters long. — The body is very deep, somewhat compressed, 
with an abruptly more slender and rapidly tapering tail which ends in a sharp point. 
A very sharp break in the ventral outline occurs at the vent, where the depth dimin- 
ishes abruptly. The greatest depth of the body is only slightly less than the length of 
the body to the vent. Myomeres are mostly indistinct, about 23 evident. The 
mouth is somewhat less oblique than in the smaller specimen described in the fore- 
going paragraph, the margin of the upper jaw being about on the same level as the 
upper margin of the eye, and the gape reaches nearly to the pupil. The teeth in 
the jaws apparently are much smaller than in the smaller specimen described in the 
preceding section. The vent is situated notably nearer the tip of the tail (notochord) 
than the tip of the snout. The vertical finfold remains continuous, with slight 
indications of rays at the distal part of the tail. Pectoral finfolds are rather promi- 
nent, but the ventrals are not evident. The general color is pale, with faint ill- 
defined dark spots about the mouth and along the ventral outline of the abdomen. 
Two prominent longitudinal black stripes are situated on the anterior two thirds of 
the tail, one follows the middle line and the other the ventral outline. Several minute 
dark dots forming an indefinite line are present also on the dorsal outline of the 
anterior part of the tail (fig. 2). 
The very deep body, with the abruptly more slender tail and the two evident 
black stripes on the caudal portion of the body are the chief recognition marks at 
this size. These characters also identify smaller specimens, as shown in the descrip- 
tion of a 1.7 millimeter fish, but they are much more prominent and pronounced in 
somewhat larger specimens. 
67094—34 2 
