DEVELOPMENT AND LIFE HISTORY OF SOME TELEOSTS 
513 
Specimens about 6.0 mm long .-— The large mouth has become much less strongly 
oblique, the gape anteriorly being below the level of the middle of the eye, whereas 
in specimens about 4.0 mm long it is at or above the upper margin of the eye. The 
maxillary has become narrower, and now reaches well beyond the middle of the eye. 
Teeth are very prominent. The snout has become much more pointed, and there is 
a sharp demarcation and depression where the premaxillaries apparently articulate 
with the skull bones. In advance of this depression or groove there is a pronounced 
hump in some specimens, which has a tendency to form a backwardly directed hook 
over the groove. This depression is distinct in the smaller fish described, though the 
premaxillaries are not definitely outlined. A second depression present at the nape 
in smaller fish has now disappeared. Dorsal spines have increased to seven in num- 
ber, and are relatively high, the longest one being a little longer than the snout. There 
is variation in the relative length of the dorsal spines, the first spine particularly being 
shorter in some specimens than in others. Soft rays still are imperfectly developed. 
The notochord is directed upward sharply, as usual at this stage in fishes destined to 
have homocereal tails. Myomeres are numerous, but cannot be counted accurately. 
Four spines, though reduced in size, remain present on the preopercular margin as in 
younger fish. 
Figure 6 .—Scomberomoru) maculatus (?). From a specimen 5.75 mm long. 
The general color of the long-preserved specimens at hand is brownish. The only 
color marking is a broad black band on the dorsal spines (fig. 6). 
No specimens between a length of 4.0 and 5.0 mm are at hand. Unfortunately 
the 5.0-mm specimen is imperfect, especially in having the dorsal spines broken. 
The next smallest specimen in good condition is 5.25 mm long. Considerable ad- 
vancement in development took place, if the larvae actually are all of one species, 
while the fish grew in length from 4.0 to 5.0 mm. The chief connecting “links” 
between the smaller specimens and the present group are: The very large mouth 
with prominent teeth; the preopercular spines, four in number in each stage; the 
retention of the depression over the snout, marking the articulation of the premaxil- 
laries; and the prominent dorsal spines. The great increase in length of the dorsal 
spines is somewhat disturbing in the absence of intermediate specimens. There can be 
