FISHES OF NEW YOUK 561 



Genus LAGODON Holbrook 



The essential character of this genus is in the form of the 

 skull. Supraoccipital and temporal crests nowhere coalescent, 

 the interorbital area not swollen; frontal bone in the interorbital 

 area thin, concave in transverse section; temporal crest low r , sepa- 

 rated from supraoccipital crest by a flattish area which extends 

 forward on each side of supraoccipital crest and to groove of 

 premaxillary spines. Otherwise essentially as in A r c h o s a r- 

 g u s , the antrorse dorsal spine present, the second interhaemal 

 not modified. One species, the incisors deeply notched. 



274 Lagodon rhomboides (Linnaeus) 

 Sailor's Choice 



8lirus rhomboides LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. XII, 470, 1766, Charleston S. C. 

 xiinjiis rhomboides CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. VI, 68, pi. 



143, 3830; DE KAY, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 93, pi. 71, fig. 228, 1842, copied 



from CUVIER & VALENCIENNES; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 447, 



1859. 



Diplodus rhomboides JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 558, 1883. 

 Litf/odon rhomboides HOLBROOK, Ichth. S. C. ed. 1, 56, pi. 8, fig 1, 1856; 



ed. 2, 59, I860;' BEAN, Bull. U. S. F. C. VII, 142, 1888; 19th Rep. 



Comm. Fish. N. Y. 263, 1890; Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. IX, 366, 1897; 



H. M. SMITH, Bull. U. S. F. C. 1897, 101, 1898; JORDAN & EVERMANN, 



Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1358, 1898, pi. CCXV, fig. 552, 1900. 



Body ovate, elliptic, compressed, and somewhat elevated, the 

 axis of the body near the middle of its depth; snout about in the 

 axis. The depth of the body is contained two and one third times 

 in its length. Head rather sharp, the length contained three 

 and one half times in that of the body. Mouth small, the upper 

 jaw more freely protractile than usual. Molars in two series; 

 anterior incisors each deeply notched. Cheeks with 5 or 6 rows 

 of scales; scales on the breast little reduced in size. A procum- 

 bent spine before the dorsal fin; dorsal spines high, much higher 

 than soft rays, the fourth highest; second anal spine little larger 

 or longer than the third. Pectorals as long as the head; ventrals 

 two thirds as long, not reaching to vent. D. XII, 11; A. Ill, 11. 

 Scales 8-66-18. 



Brownish, white below; sides of head and body with horizon- 

 tal stripes of light blue and golden; six or seven very faint 



