REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF SCIAENIDAE 
99 
or less definite longitudinal bands than in smaller specimens. At a length of about 
19 millimeters dark dots sometimes develop on the spinous dorsal (fig. 39). 
This species continues to differ notably from C. regalis in the much more slender 
body (depth in standard length 3.9 to 4.15 times in C. nebulosus, 3.3 to 3.4 times in 
C. regalis ), much lower head and more pointed snout, and in the much more promi- 
nently projecting lower jaw. The species also differ notably in color, as C. nebulosus 
is marked chiefly by dark longitudinal bands, whereas C. regalis has no longitudinal 
bands, but is marked anteriorly with indefinite broad dusky crossbars on the back, 
and posteriorly with lateral quadrate blotches. It is obvious that C. nebulosus 
acquires the shape and form of the adult at a smaller size than C. regalis. 
Specimens 25 to 80 millimeters long. — No change of importance has taken place 
in the proportions of the body since a length of 16 to 20 millimeters was attained. 
The head is contained 2.7 to 2.9 times in the standard length and the depth 3.95 to 
4.2 times. 10 The eye is small, being contained 4.25 to 5.0 in the head, the snout 3.25 
to 4.5, and the maxillary 2.25 to 2.4 times. Gill rakers are well developed, 8 on lower 
limb of first arch. The body is fully scaled, and a sheath of scales is evident along 
Figure 39 . — Cynoscion nebulosus. From a specimen 20 millimeters long. 
the bases of the dorsal and anal. The dorsal fins are moderately high, the longest 
rays and the longest spine being nearly equal in length and each is contained in the 
head about 2.5 to 2.8 times. The shape of the caudal remains unchanged, and the 
longest rays are about as long as the head. The ventral and pectoral fins are virtually 
equal in length and are contained 2.15 to 2.4 times in the head. A definite dark 
brownish band, with broken edges, extends from the snout along the side and on the 
caudal fin. The band is broken from the eye to the opercular margin where it forms 
more or less disconnected blotches. At the base of the caudal it is crossed by a pale 
line, and on the base of that fin it is darker and becomes somewhat pointed posteriorly. 
It is not definitely outlined, however, as most of the fin bears dark dots. The upper 
surface of the head is mostly brownish, and tills color extends on the back as two 
indefinite bands, one on each side of the base of the dorsal fins. Posterior to the spi- 
nous dorsal the bands are more or less broken up into blotches. In some specimens 
the bands are more nearly continuous than in others. A few dark dots are present on 
the dorsal fins, being most numerous on the anterior margin of the spinous dorsal. 
Indications of scattered dark points also are present on the anal, but the pectorals 
and ventrals remain unmarked (fig. 40). 
10 Attention is called to figure 15 in Welsh and Breder (1923, p. 167) which is based on a specimen 28 millimeters long. This 
illustration appears to have been drawn from an abnormally deep fish. At least the body is shown as much deeper than in any of 
the specimens now at hand. Furthermore, the lower jaw projects too prominently, and the caudal fin has the longest rays in the 
lower half of the fin, and not in the middle as shown in the figure. 
