NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 43o 



The Paratractus pisquetus is the most common of the tribe at the North, 

 and is found along the whole Eastern Coast as far north as Massachusetts. 



Genus CARANGUS Girard. 

 Caranx Bleeker. 



I have adopted Girard's name for this genus in the " Catalogue of the Fishes 

 of the Eastern Coast," but afterwards, in deference to Bleeker, would have 

 accepted in its place the name of Caranx, as applied by that gentleman. 

 I now feel compelled to return to my original position and retain the name of 

 Carangus for the present, while that of Caranx is preserved for the Caranx 

 speciosus of Lacepede.* Less confusion, I believe, will result from this cir- 

 cumscription than from any other, and appears to be fully justified by cir- 

 cumstances. 



Lacepede first applied the name of Caranx to a group which he distinguished 

 from Scomber on account of the absence of the dorsal and anal finlets. He 

 has in the preliminary remarks acknowledged that he adopted the name from 

 Commerson, and has observed that the appellation was derived from the 

 Greek >tx.pa, and given in allusion to the prominent head.f Of the genus 

 thus derived from Commerson only one species seems to have been known to 

 that naturalist. That species is the Scomber speciosus of Linnaeus, or the 

 Caranx speciosus of Lacepede. The idea conveyed by the name of Caranx is 

 well associated with the fish. As the name of Caranx was therefore first 

 framed for that species by Commerson, and as Lacepede, by virtue of his pre- 

 liminary remarks, adopted the genus as Commerson's, the name must be 

 retained for that natural genus, of which the Caranx speciosus is a representa- 

 tive. Bleeker's name of Gnathanodon applied to it, appropriate as it is, must 

 be then considered as a synonym. 



The genus to which Bleeker applied the name of Caranx being thus deprived 

 of that name, the one latinicised by Girard from the designation which Cuvier 

 had conferred on it as a group may be adopted. J 



The genus as now limited will only embrace three species found on the 

 eastern coast of the United States. Those species are distinguished by the 

 following relative characters : 



I. Body rather oblong, with the snout very convex ; dorsal spines 



seven; pectoral fins with a distinct spot C. hippo?. 



II. Body convex above and with the front less obliquely decurved ; 



dorsal spines eight ; pectoral fins not spotted. 



a. Breast scaly. Opercular spot obsolete C. fallax. 



p. Breast naked. Opercular spot distinct C. chrysos. 



Carangus fallax Girard. 



Guara tereba Marcgrave. 

 Caranx fallax Cuv. et Val. 

 Caranx richardii Holbrooh. 



Caranx hippos Gunther, (nee Scomber hippos Linn. ; nee Caranx hippo* 

 Holbrook). 



* The Caranx speciosus is lhe type of the genus Gnathanodon, of Bleeker. 



t Nous leur avons conserve le nom genenque de Caranx, qui leur a etc donne par 

 Commerson, et qui vient du mot Grec x.*px lequel signiiie tete. Ce voyageur les a nom. 

 mes ainsi a cause de lespece de prominence que presente leur tete, de la force de cette 

 partie, de l'eclat donte elle brille, et d'ailleurs pour annoncer la sorte de puissance et de 

 domination que plusieurs osseux de ce genre exercent sur un grand nombre de poissons 

 qui frequentent les rivages. 



I It is probable that Rafinesque has framed a name for this genus, as Lacepede placed 

 its type as the first of an anonymous subgenus, and in accordance with his system, that 

 confounder of nomenclature has doubtless conferred on it a generic name. 1 am unable 

 at present to examine his early works. 



1862.] 



