THE FISHES OP PORTO RICO 
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in each jaw; canines sometimes present. Eye large, well forward, without adipose eyelid. Preorbital 
narrow. Opercles thin and membranaceous. Gillrakers long and slender. Branchiostegals slender, 
7 to 14 in number. Gill-membranes separate or joined, free from the isthmus. Pseudobranchiae 
present. No lateral line. Belly rounded or weakly serrate. Fins various; dorsal usually short and 
median; no adipose fin; caudal forked. 
Small, carnivorous shore fishes, usually swimming in large schools on sandy shores; abundant in 
all warm seas, occasionally entering rivers. Only one of the American genera known from Porto Rico. 
a. Teeth in jaws equally small, if present; no canines Stolephorus, 27 
act. Teeth in jaws unequal, some of them enlarged and canine-like Lycengraulis 
Genus 27. STOLEPHORUS Lacepede. Silvery Anchovies. 
Body oblong, compressed, covered with rather large, thin, deciduous scales. Belly rounded, or 
weakly compressed. Snout conical, compressed, projecting beyond the very large mouth. Maxillary 
narrow, little movable, usually formed of three pieces extending backward far behind eye to base of 
mandible or beyond, not beyond gill-opening. Premaxillaries very small. Teeth small, subequal, 
present at all ages, usually on jaws, vomer, palatines, and pterygoids. Anal fin moderate, free from 
caudal (its rays 12 to 40). No pectoral filaments. Dorsal inserted about midway of body, posterior to 
ventrals. Pectorals and ventrals each with a large axillary scale. Adipose eyelid obsolete. Vertebrae 
about 40 (40 to 42) in species examined. Flesh rather pale and dry, more or less translucent; bonesfirm. 
Pseudobranchiae present. Branchiostegals 9 to 14. Gillrakers long and slender. Gill-membranes 
separate, free from the narrow isthmus. 
Species about 50; small, carnivorous shore fishes, swimming in large schools on sandy shores of 
all warm seas, occasionally entering rivers; usually marked by a very broad, distinct, silvery band. 
a. Anal rays 12 to 14; body very slender, depth 6 in length; no distinct lateral band miarchus 
na. Anal rays 15 to 17; body slender, compressed, depth 5 to G in length. 
b. Maxillary short, not quite reaching margin of preopercle; lateral band well defined, three-fourths eye. perfasriatus, 34 
bb. Maxillary of moderate length, reaching beyond preopercle nearly to gill-opening. 
c. Side with a well-defined lateral silvery band; belly not serrulate. 
(1. Eye 4 in head, as long as snout; scales caducous cubanus , 35 
dd. Eye 3.33 in head, longer than snout; axillary sheaths very large ." perthecatus 
aaa. Anal rays 19 to 24. 
e. Side with a distinct silvery lateral band, with well-defined edges. 
/. Maxillary long, reaching past root of mandible, nearly or quite to gill-opening; snout projecting considerably 
beyond lower jaw. 
g. Body moderately elongate, depth 4 to 4.75 in length of body. 
h. Silvery lateral band very sharply defined, as broad as eye or slightly narrower, not much narrowed anteriorly; 
eye large, 3.5 in head; belly serrulate; A. 20; gillrakers two-thirds eye brownii , 36 
gg. Body more elongate, depth about 5.25 in length of body; gillrakers as long as eye. A. 23 or 24; eye 4.4 in 
head chcerostomus, 37 
ff. Maxillary short, not reaching root of mandible; eye small, not longer than snout, 4 in head; silvery stripe rather 
diffuse, half broader than eye; body little compressed, approaching Engraulis mordax in form argyrophanus 
ee. Side without distinct silvery band, or with a faint diffuse streak. 
i. Opercle short, distance from lower posterior angle of cheek to gill-opening much less than from same point forward 
to middle of eye; snout bluntish, not produced. 
j. Dorsal rays 12 to 14. 
k. Anal rays 18 to 20; depth 6.9 lyolepis, 38 
kk. Anal rays 23; depth 3.3 , garment i, 39 
jj. Dorsal rays 15 or 16; anal 23 or 24. 
l. Depth 3.3; snout much projecting gilberti,iO 
aaaa. Anal rays about 30 (25 to 36) . 
m. Silvery lateral band diffuse or obsolete; body much compressed; eye 3 to 3.5 in head. 
n. Gillrakers shorter than eye; lateral band narrow. 
o. Belly slightly serrulate; gillrakers two-thirds eye; scales caducous; anal rays 25 or 26 milchilli 
nn. Gillrakers long and slender, longer than eye; belly trenchant, not serrate; scales 40; lateral band broad and diffuse 
or obsolete; snout much projecting. 
p. Snout moderately piointed; minute teeth in both jaws; lateral band diffuse clupeoides 
aaaaa. Anal fin extremely long, its rays 37 or 38. Lateral band ill defined or obsolete; snout pointed, much projecting; 
insertion of dorsal nearer snout than base of caudal; subopercle with a flat triangular prominence spini/er 
ll. Depth 4.3; snout little projecting poeyi 
pp. Snout pointed; minute teeth in upper jaw only; lateral band obsolete productus, 41 
