91. SCLENID.E SCLENA. 569 



profile very steep, its curve uneven; ventral outline little curved. 

 Mouth moderate, maxillary scarcely reaching- middle of orbit. Scales 

 large, those on breast much smaller. Fins large, pectorals reaching 

 beyond tips of ventrals, nearly to vent; second anal spine more than 

 half length of head. Head above scaly, except a triangular space on 

 snout. Head 3 in length; depth 2. D. X, I, 20; A. II, 6; Lat. 1. 50. 

 Cape Cod to West Indies; abundant southward. 



(Labrus cromis Liuu. Syst. Nat.; Giiuther, ii, 270; Holbrook, Ich. S. Car. 1860, 114: 

 Pogonias fasciatus Holbrook, Ich. S. Car. 1880, 119 : L'ogonias fasciatns Giinther, ii, 270. ) 



296. SCIjENA Linnaeus. 

 (Johnius Blach : Corvina C. & V. : Pseudoscicena Bleeker.) 



(Artedi; Linnaeus, Syst. Nat.: type Scicena umbra L.) 



Body elongate, compressed, not much elevated. Head rather long. 

 Mouth moderate or rather large, the lower jaw included. Teeth in both 

 jaws mostly in villiforin bands, the outer row often enlarged ; lower 

 pharyngeals separate, their teeth conic or paved. Chin with pores; no 

 barbels. Preopercle with its bony posterior edge serrated, or else with 

 a membranaceous margin. Scales moderate, in oblique series. Dorsal 

 fins connected, the spines rather strong. Anal spines 2, the second 

 varying in size. In this genus and most of the other iSciccmnce the 

 muzzle above the premaxillaries is provided with a number of pores, and 

 near the base of the premaxillary 2 or 4 small dermal flaps are present; 

 in all these species the preorbital is very wide, and often gibbous. 

 Species numerous, in all warm seas. Many attempts have been made 

 to subdivide this genus, but none of the current genera form definable 

 natural groups, when foreign species are taken into account, ((r/.taiva, 

 Sciaeua, from ffxtd, shade, the classical name of Scicvna aquila.) 



a. Teeth in both jaws in single series or very narrow bands. 



ft. Head depressed, very broad between the eyes. (Stdliferux* Stark.) 



895. S. stcllifera (Bloch) J. & G. 



Pale above, with purplish reflections, almost translucent ; below sil- 

 very; everywhere finely punctulate ; fins yellowish, the tips of dorsal 

 and pectoral blackish. Body oblong, not much elevated, little com- 

 pressed ; the tail slender ; head short; snout blunt; eye very small, 

 5 in head; profile depressed above the eyes; the interorbital space flat- 

 tish, extremely broad ; a slight ridge above each orbit, these meeting 



* Stark, Elements Nat. Hist, i, 459, 1828 : type Bodianus stellifer Bloch. 



