FOURTEEN TELEOSTEAN FISHES AT BEAUFORT, N. C. 485 
prominently as in grown fish. The barbs on the dorsal spine, especially those on the 
forward margin, have become proportionately much smaller since a length of 8 mil- 
limeters was attained; 
the ventral spine is 
prickly and is now at- 
tached to the abdomen 
by a membranous flap 
which is much more 
fully developed than in 
8-millimeter specimens. 
Brownish spots with 
dark centers are pres- 
ent everywhere on the 
head and body. When 
seen with the unaided 
eye the body shows in- 
dications of dark mar- 
blings. The fins are 
almost colorless, as in 
the adult. Fish 15 mil- 
limeters long have ac- 
quired so many of the adult characters and are so similar to the fully grown fish 
that they are readily recognized by anyone familiar with the adult. 
As the fish increases in length the snout continues to become more pointed and 
the dorsal profile 
over the snout gets 
more strongly con- 
cave. This length- 
ening of the snout 
continues even after 
the fish has reached 
a length of 75 milli- 
meters. The barbs 
on the anterior mar- 
gin of the dorsal 
spine gradually be- 
come smaller as the 
fish grows and gener- 
ally are quite small 
or have disappeared 
when a length of 40 
to 50 millimeters is 
reached. The ven- 
tral & flap, situated 
between the ventral 
spine and the abdo- 
men, varies somewhat in size among individuals of the same length, but generally 
increases in size with age, failing to reach the tip of the spine until a length, oi 
Figure 101 . — Monacanthus hispidus. Drawn from a specimen 8 millimeters long 
Fiqure 100 .— Monacanthus hispidus. Drawn from a specimen 2.8 millimeters long 
