having usually 10 or 11 anal rays rather than 12 

 or 13, and in having pectoral rays usually 17 or 18 

 rather than 19 to 21. 

 Counts 



See tables 1 to 6. 

 Measurements 



Based on 37 specimens, 102 to 146 mm. standard 

 length given as percent of standard length. Preanal 

 85.1 (83.3-86.3) ; preventral 55.6 (53.7-58.6) ; 

 predorsal 46.4 (44.9-48.6) ; head length 30.6 (28.5- 

 32.4) ; snout 10.0 (8.7-11.2) ; eye 9.4 (8.2-10.9) ; 

 maxillaiy length 5.8 (5.2-6.6) ; depth at dorsal fin 

 10.6 (8.3-13.4) ; depth caudal peduncle 4.8 

 (4.3-5.6). 

 Description 



Body of medium length. Figure 8 shows a 

 regression of body depth on standard length 

 (Y=.120X-.504) compared with two closely re- 

 lated species. Greatest depth behind head, tapering 

 to the relatively narrow caudal peduncle. Figure 9 

 shows a regression of caudal peduncle depth on 

 head length (Y = . 123X4- 1.28) compared with two 

 closely related species. Body in front of dorsal fin 

 almost square in cross section or somewhat wider 

 than deep; compressed posteriorly. Dorsum and 

 venter flat, not rounded. The head, when viewed 

 laterally, as deep or deeper than the body, its dor- 

 .sal profile barely or not at all broken by the upper 

 margin of the eye; the dorsal and ventral profiles 

 of the head converge at about equal angles on the 

 snout. The interorbital space between the supra- 

 ocular canals is broadly concave. The dorsal por- 

 tion of the maxillary lies under the lachrymal. The 

 distal end of the maxillary reaches to at least the 

 midpoint of the distance from the tip of the snout 

 to the anterior margin of the orbit and usually 

 farther. The jaws are broadly rounded, the lower 

 included; there is a slight, bony protuberance be- 

 hind the symphysis of the lower jaw. The palatine 

 and the head of the vomer bear small, closely 

 spaced, needlelike teeth in a continuous band 2 to 

 5 teeth wide, about 40 on the vomer and 50 on each 

 palatine; no dentary teeth. The ceratobranchial of 

 the fifth gill arch bears 8 small, conical teeth ; two 

 patches of similar teeth, 5 on the anterior patch 

 and 15 on the posterior patch, are at the anterior 

 end of the fourth suprabranchial. The third su- 

 prabranchial lacks teeth. The tongue bears eight 

 strong, recurved teeth (description of dentition 



based on a single alizarin-stained specimen). The 

 gill rakers are medium-sized, compressed, and 

 widely spaced. The longest rakers equal one- 

 seventh to one-eighth of the interorbital distance. 



The pectoral fin originates on the ventral surface 

 of the fish anterior to a vertical through the rear 

 margin of the opercle; the distance between the 

 innermost rays of the pectoral fins is equal to or, 

 more often, greater than the least depth of the 

 caudal peduncle. The fin rays of all specimens are 

 broken off short. 



Scales deciduous, the few we have seen lack 

 spines. Lateral counts of scale pockets in several 

 specimens are about 50. 



The peritoneum is dark. The gut is immaculate. 

 Eight or nine pyloi'ic caeca are present in eight 

 specimens. The swimbladder begins close to the 

 hind curve of the stomach and extends posteriorly 

 to slightly beyond the origin of the ventral fin. 

 Swimbladder lacking silvery pigment (fig. 5), 

 however, we have seen several specimens with 

 slightly iridescent bladders. 



Pigmentation of adult specimens preserved in 

 formaldehyde is distinctive and consists of a dark 

 brown band extending along the upper quarter of 

 the side; it is not continuous over the dorsum; 

 however, there is a dark, middorsal streak. The 

 venter and throat of most specimens are pig- 

 mented with large, dark chromatophores which 

 form a wide dark band extending to the pelvics 

 (fig. IOC), and in many specimens all the way to 

 the vent. In some specimens the superficial pig- 

 mentation of the belly is poorly developed, and in 

 these the darkly pigmented peritoneum shows 

 through the thin ventral musculature. 



Distribution 



A. georgei is found off the east coast of Florida 

 and barely enters the Gulf of Mexico south of Dry 

 Tortugas. It has also be«n taken at several locali- 

 ties along the western side of the Bahama Banks 

 and on the north coast of Cuba. In the Caribbean 

 and along the Antilles, A. georgei has been trawled 

 off Honduras, NicaragTia, and Jamaica and near 

 Puerto Eico and the Virgin Islands (fig. 4). 



Depth distribution ranges from 120 to 250 fm. 

 (220-457 m.), but the fish has been most often 

 caught between 150 and 220 fm. (274-402 m.). 



Habits 



A. georgei has been taken only in bottom trawls 

 over mud and shell bottoms at bottom tempera- 



28 



U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



