Bathystoma 



part of each scale, these forming continuous undulating stripes on 

 body and head, wider than the interspaces of ground colour; on the 

 caudal they are nearly straight; on anterior part of body below 

 lateral line, broader and very oblique; a horizontal stripe, crossing the 

 others, along side of back from occiput to last rays of soft dorsal, of 

 the same golden yellow; yellow around eye; yellow shades and 

 streaks on cheek, not strongly marked as in the common grunt and the 

 yellow grunt; top of head with yellow stripes; angle of mouth black, 

 brick-red inside; a large black blotch under angle of preopercle; fins 

 bright golden yellow, the pectoral and spinous dorsal paler. In spirits 

 the ground colour becomes grayish and the stripes brownish or dusky. 



GENUS BATHYSTOMA SC UDDER 



This genus differs from Hivmiilon in the presence of 15 dorsal 

 spines; the body is rather elongate, gill-rakers rather numerous, 12 to 

 18 on lower part of anterior arch, the mouth moderate, the scales 

 small, the frontal foramina long, and the jaws red within. 



This genus has 3 species in our waters. The most important of 

 these is the tomtate or red-mouth grunt, Bathystoma riniator, which 

 ranges from Cape Hatteras and Pensacola southward through the West 

 Indies to Trinidad. It is abundant about Charleston, S. C., where it is 

 one of the most common food-fishes. Adults are said to be uncom- 

 mon about Pensacola and Key West, but at the latter place the young 

 swarm everywhere about the wharves and shores. It is as yet not 

 known from Cuba, and does not seem to be at all abundant in Porto 

 Rico. This species is not of large size, seldom exceeding a foot in 

 length. It takes the hook readily, and is an excellent pan-fish. Speci- 

 mens obtained by us in Porto Rico are s to 6 inches in length. 



Colour in life, silvery white, slightly bluish above, with iridescent 

 reflections; edges of scales on body light yellow, these forming con- 

 tinuous light yellow stripes, those below lateral line horizontal, those 

 above very oblique; a narrow continuous streak of light yellow above 

 lateral line from head to end of soft dorsal, and another from eye to 

 middle of caudal; head silvery yellowish above: inside of mouth red; 

 no black under preopercle; traces of a black blotch at base of caudal; 

 fins colourless, the lower slightly yellowish. 



Another species, B. aiii!iiu'jtiiin, is found from the Florida Keys 



428 



