CHAPTER XIII

CUNNER, FLOUNDER, SMELT

Tautogolabrus adspersus. The Cunner. Family Labridæ, the Wrasse fishes. Body oblong, not elevated, slender and compressed, with cycloid scales; lateral line well developed; mouth moderate, terminal; premaxillaries protractile; maxillaries without supplemental bone, slipping under edge of preorbital; head pointed; snout moderate; maxillary reaching front of eye; preopercle serrate; opercles scaly; interopercle naked; head 3-1/4; depth 3-1/4; D. XVIII, 10; A. III, 9; scales 6-46-12; 5 canines in front of upper jaw, about 4 in the lower; bands of small concave teeth behind canines; preopercle with 5 rows of small scales; opercle with 4 rows, rest of head naked; gill-rakers very short, about 6 + 11.

Pseudopleuronectes americanus. The Flatfish or Flounder. Family Pleuronectidæ, the Flatfishes. Head 4; depth 2-1/4; D. 65; A. 48; scales 83; body elliptical, an angle above the eye; head covered above with imbricated ctenoid scales, blind side of head nearly naked; body dextral; teeth compressed, incisor-like, widened toward tips, closely set, forming a continuous cutting edge; right side of each jaw toothless; highest dorsal rays less than length of pectorals, and more than half the length of head; anal spines present.

Osmerus mordax. The Smelt. The American smelt belongs to the family Argentinidæ. The body is long and slender; head 4; depth 6-1/2; eye 4; D. 10; A. 15; P. 13; scales 68; head and mouth large; small teeth along the edge of the maxillary; strong, fanglike teeth on tongue and front of vomer; cardiform teeth on palatines, pterygoids, and hyoid bone; mandible with

moderate teeth, its tip projecting; maxillary reaching middle of eye; scales deciduous; dorsal fin rather posterior, the ventrals under its front.

[THE FLOUNDER]

[THE SMELT]

[THE SPANISH MACKEREL]

THE CUNNER