.V- //• Sj>eeies of Cuban Fish. 319 



* 



long point behind, which last character, together with the asperi- 

 ties on the tongue, are strong distinctive marks. 



The M. <i mi! is has the same teeth as the rosaceu.s, the smooth 

 tongue, and the pointed snout ; but the general color inclines to 

 violet, though some are met with of a mahogany color ; in the 

 young the body is streaked with longitudinal blue lines, which 

 do not disappear on the head ; the vertical soft fins are of a fine 

 carmine, the anal particularly so. The eye is much smaller, for 

 a specimen as large as the rosaceus above described has the eye 

 eight and a half times in the length of the head, which makes 

 the snout more pointed ; the mouth is smaller, the tuberosity of 

 the interopercle more prominent. 



This large and fine fish is sold in the market under the name 

 of Pargo, like the previous one. It bears the number 321 in 

 my manuscript atlas. 



Ocyurus luf janoidcs, Poey. 



This fish, if not undoubtedly belonging to the genus Ocyurus 

 of Prof. Gill, of which the Mesoprion chrysurus is the type, 

 comes nearer to it than to any other genus, by the bifurcation of 

 its caudal, deeper than in Lufjanus jocu, cacris, cahallcrote, etc. 

 The pointed snout and the long canines would bring it among 

 these last. From its colors, the fishermen are led to consider it 

 a hybrid between the M. chrysurus and the L. caxis. They 

 often thus dispose of a new fish, as in the case of the ().njurus 

 a/mbiguus and auromttatus. But as such hybrids are rare 

 among fish, and especially so among these genera, it is, I believe, 

 right to consider the present species as a good one. 



Total length 290 mm., or 11.45 inches. The height of the 

 body, equal to the length of the head, is contained three and 

 two-third times in the total length. The eye is rather high up, 

 and halfway from snout to tip of opercle. The nostrils are on 

 the middle of the snout, rather wide apart, the posterior one 

 oblong. The mouth is small, for the ends of the maxillaries 

 are under the posterior nostril. The preopercle is only slightly 



